The Wisdom of Strategic Sacrifice

This week, we’re diving deeper into Acts 9 while also taking a step back to understand how this passage connects to the bigger picture of Saul’s journey and the early church. Let’s unpack Acts 9 together:

26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Acts 9:26-31 (ESV)

At first glance, this story might seem straightforward. Saul wants to be with other believers, and the disciples are wary. Can we blame them? The last they heard, Saul was a violent persecutor of Christians. Their fear was legitimate. They had only seen Saul’s past destruction:

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 8:1 (ESV)

The disciples were operating on what they could see, and that’s a human tendency we all share. But here’s the problem: Our perspective is limited. We often miss what God is doing behind the scenes. As God reminds us in Isaiah:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

We can’t always trust what our eyes see. God’s work often goes beyond our understanding. The disciples were so focused on their fear of Saul that they nearly missed what God was doing in his life. Yet Saul’s transformation was crucial for the spread of the gospel.

Thank God for Barnabas.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
Acts 9:27 (ESV)

Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement” or “son of exhortation,” stepped in and advocated for Saul. He saw beyond the surface and trusted in God’s work. We need more people like Barnabas—those who see others through spiritual eyes, not just physical ones. Who are we standing up for? Are we seeing people as God sees them?

Thanks to Barnabas, Saul was welcomed and empowered to preach boldly. But then comes a significant full-circle moment:

And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.
Acts 9:29 (ESV)

The Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jews, are now trying to kill Saul. Remember Acts 6? Stephen, full of grace and power, faced fierce opposition from this same group:

Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.
Acts 6:9 (ESV)

The very people who executed Stephen, with Saul’s approval, are now after Saul. Saul’s past has come full circle.

And Saul approved of his execution…
Acts 8:1a (ESV)

This full-circle moment highlights the power of Saul’s transformation. He went from being the Hellenists’ ally to their enemy. His new life in Christ wasn’t just a personal change; it was a threat to everything that once defined him. The enemy doesn’t let go easily, and Saul’s story shows that when God transforms someone, it disrupts the status quo.

Your old life will come for your new one.

Saul’s old world was trying to destroy his new one. Jesus warned us:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 (ESV)

Look at the enemy’s playbook: He tries to steal Saul’s opportunity for fellowship, and when that fails, he seeks to kill him. There’s a significant difference between Stephen’s and Saul’s outcomes:

Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
Acts 8:2 (ESV)

The church mourned Stephen’s death. It was a testimony that strengthened believers. But with Saul, the disciples knew they had to preserve his life:

When the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
Acts 9:30 (ESV)

The difference isn’t about fear but wisdom. 

Losing Saul would have hindered the gospel’s spread. The disciples knew they had to choose their battles. There’s wisdom in knowing when to stand firm and when to strategically retreat to ensure the gospel continues.

Jesus Himself exemplified this wisdom. There were times when He had to retreat to keep His mission moving forward. When the Jews wanted to stone Him for declaring, “Before Abraham was, I am,” He strategically slipped away:

So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:59 (ESV)

Similarly, after plans were made to kill Him, Jesus withdrew to a safer location until it was His time:

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
John 11:53-54 (ESV)

Jesus understood the importance of timing in His ministry. He wasn’t afraid of His destiny, but He knew the right moment to confront death. His strategic retreats weren’t about fear but about preserving His mission until the appointed time.

In our own lives, we face similar challenges. We must discern which battles to fight and when to step back, not out of fear but to keep the mission alive. We need to think strategically, prioritizing the spread of the gospel over personal pride.

At the end of the day, we have a choice: We can keep burying each other and the gospel along with us, or we can act wisely to ensure the message of Jesus keeps moving forward. Let’s be strategic in our sacrifices, just as Jesus and the early church were, so the gospel can continue spreading through us. t.