SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:26
Y cuando Saulo lleg a Jerusaln, trataba de juntarse con los discípulos; pero todos tenían miedo de l, no creyendo que era discípulo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:26
Verse 26. He assayed to join himself to the disciples] epeirato kollasqai, He endeavoured to get closely united to them, to be in religious fellowship with them. Believed not that he was a disciple.] They did not suppose it possible that such a person could be converted to the faith of Christ. The full power of Divine grace, in the conversion of the soul, was not yet completely known.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem , etc.] After he had escaped out of Damascus, in the manner before related, and which was three years after his conversion: he assayed to join himself to the disciples ; not to the private members of the church, or ordinary disciples, as distinct from the apostles, but to the whole society, as consisting of apostles and private Christians; for his chief view in going to Jerusalem was to see Peter; and the Ethiopic version reads, to the apostles: the sense is, that he tried either to get into a free and familiar conversation with them, or to become one of their body, and a member of the church. He did not return to the high priest from whom he had received letters to Damascus, to give him an account of the execution of his commission, or what use he had made of the letters he gave him, but to the disciples, against whom he had breathed out threatenings and slaughter. Grace had made a strange alteration in him; those whom he hated, and was exceeding mad against, he now loves; they are the excellent ones in the earth in whom is all his delight; and whom he persecuted to strange cities, he now courts their company, and attempts to get among them; accounting it his greatest honour and happiness to be one of their society. It is the duty and interest of every gracious soul to join himself to a church of Christ, which consists of the disciples of Christ, as the church at Jerusalem did; of such who have learned Christ, and the way of life and salvation by him; who have believed in him, and have been taught to deny themselves for his sake, and to take up the cross and follow him, in the way of his ordinances and appointments; and to be joined to a church, is to become an open subject of Christs kingdom, a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, one of the family of God, and a member of the body of Christ visibly. The phrase is expressive of that strict union there is between the saints in church relation, and of that close and intimate communion they have with each other, and shows that their incorporation together is by mutual consent and agreement. And a great privilege it is to be in such a relation, having the grace of God; for such have the best of company, and the most refreshing ordinances; are in the greatest safety, being under the watch and care of ministers and members, of angels, and of God himself; and shall never be disfranchised, or become foreigners and strangers; they may expect the presence of God, fresh supplies of his grace, and even life for evermore, and need fear no enemy. That which qualifies for church membership, is not natural descent from religious parents, nor a religious education, nor mere morality and civility, nor even a constant attendance on the word of God, but faith in Christ Jesus, and a profession of it; and according to the order of the Gospel it is necessary that baptism in water should go before it; and these qualifications the apostle had. But they were all afraid of him ; knowing him to have been such an enemy to Christ, and so violent a persecutor of his church in times past: and believed not that he was a disciple ; or a true follower of Christ, but only pretended to be one, having some wicked design upon them in attempting to get among them: the reason of their not knowing anything of his conversion might be, because not only of the distance between Damascus and Jerusalem, and the continuance of the persecution in the latter place, which might occasion few comers to and fro of the Christians; but because the apostle, soon after his conversion, went to Arabia, where he had been all this while. Hence it appears, that the primitive churches were very careful in the admission of persons into fellowship with them; as they could not bear them in their communion who were evil, so they would not admit any among them but such as they looked upon to be the true disciples of Christ: and this is a method worthy of imitation; and such persons who, before a profession of religion, have been either very scandalous in their lives and conversations, or notorious enemies to Christ and his Gospel, ought to be thoroughly examined into, and full satisfaction obtained concerning them, ere they be received into the bosom of the church.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 23-31 - When we enter into the way of God, we must look for trials; but the Lord knows how to deliver the godly, and will, with the temptation also make a way to escape. Though Saul's conversion was and is a proo of the truth of Christianity, yet it could not, of itself, convert on soul at enmity with the truth; for nothing can produce true faith, but that power which new-creates the heart. Believers are apt to be to suspicious of those against whom they have prejudices. The world i full of deceit, and it is necessary to be cautious, but we mus exercise charity, 1Co 13:5. The Lord will clear up the characters of true believers; and he will bring them to his people, and often give them opportunities of bearing testimony to his truth, before those wh once witnessed their hatred to it. Christ now appeared to Saul, an ordered him to go quickly out of Jerusalem, for he must be sent to the Gentiles: see ch. 22:21. Christ's witnesses cannot be slain till the have finished their testimony. The persecutions were stayed. The professors of the gospel walked uprightly, and enjoyed much comfor from the Holy Ghost, in the hope and peace of the gospel, and other were won over to them. They lived upon the comfort of the Holy Ghost not only in the days of trouble and affliction, but in days of rest an prosperity. Those are most likely to walk cheerfully, who wal circumspectly.
Greek Textus Receptus
παραγενομενος 3854 5637 V-2ADP-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM σαυλος 4569 N-NSM εις 1519 PREP ιερουσαλημ 2419 N-PRI επειρατο 3987 5711 V-INI-3S κολλασθαι 2853 5745 V-PPN τοις 3588 T-DPM μαθηταις 3101 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ παντες 3956 A-NPM εφοβουντο 5399 5711 V-INI-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM μη 3361 PRT-N πιστευοντες 4100 5723 V-PAP-NPM οτι 3754 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S μαθητης 3101 N-NSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
26. Join himself. See on ch. v. 13; Luke xv. 15; x. 11.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:26 {He assayed} (epeirazen). Imperfect active of conative action. {To join himself} (kollasqai). Present middle (direct) infinitive of conative action again. Same word kollaw in #Lu 15:15; Ac 10:28. See on Mt 19:5 for discussion. {Were all afraid of him} (pantes efobounto auton). They were fearing him. Imperfect middle picturing the state of mind of the disciples who had vivid recollections of his conduct when last here. What memories Saul had on this return journey to Jerusalem after three years. He had left a conquering hero of Pharisaism. He returns distrusted by the disciples and regarded by the Pharisees as a renegade and a turncoat. He made no effort to get in touch with the Sanhedrin who had sent him to Damascus. He had escaped the plots of the Jews in Damascus only to find himself the object of suspicion by the disciples in Jerusalem who had no proof of his sincerity in his alleged conversion. {Not believing} (me pisteuontes). They had probably heard of his conversion, but they frankly disbelieved the reports and regarded him as a hypocrite or a spy in a new role to ruin them. {Was} (estin). The present tense is here retained in indirect discourse according to the common Greek idiom.
