Acts 9:21 Meaning and Explanation
“But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The hearers are amazed: is this not the man who destroyed the believers in Jerusalem, and came here to drag them bound to the chief priests?
What Does Acts 9:21 Mean?
Damascus knew exactly who Saul was; his commission was public knowledge before he arrived. The synagogue crowd states his record with precision — destroyer of those who call on this name, agent of the chief priests — and cannot reconcile it with the man now reasoning in front of them.
A transformed life raises the one question the gospel loves to answer: what happened to this man? Saul’s past, far from disqualifying him, becomes the backdrop that displays the mercy of Christ — he later calls himself a pattern of how longsuffering the Lord is (1 Timothy 1:13–16). No reputation is so fixed that grace cannot rewrite it. And when grace does, people notice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 9:21
What does Acts 9:21 mean?
The hearers are amazed: is this not the man who destroyed the believers in Jerusalem, and came here to drag them bound to the chief priests?