21. And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the very man who harassed and overthrew and destroyed in Jerusalem those who called upon this Name? And he has come here for the express purpose of arresting them and bringing them in chains before the chief priests.
22. But Saul increased all the more in strength, and continued to confound and put to confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus by comparing and examining evidence and proving that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah).
23. After considerable time had elapsed, the Jews conspired to put Saul out of the way by slaying him,
24. But [the knowledge of] their plot was made known to Saul. They were guarding the [city's] gates day and night to kill him,
25. But his disciples took him at night and let him down through the [city's] wall, lowering him in a basket or hamper.
26. And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate himself with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe he really was a disciple.
27. However, Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he explained to them how along the way he had seen the Lord, Who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached freely and confidently and courageously in the name of Jesus.
28. So he went in and out [as one] among them at Jerusalem,
29. Preaching freely and confidently and boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and discussed with and disputed against the Hellenists (the Grecian Jews), but they were seeking to slay him.
30. And when the brethren found it out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus [his home town].
31. So the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was edified [growing in wisdom, virtue, and piety] and walking in the respect and reverential fear of the Lord and in the consolation and exhortation of the Holy Spirit, continued to increase and was multiplied.
32. Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he went down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
33. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedfast for eight years and was paralyzed.
34. And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [now] makes you whole. Get up and make your bed! And immediately [Aeneas] stood up.