When Paul escaped from Damascus in a basket

[Victoria33]

This is just for discussion and feedback, I don’t really have an exact question.

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2 COR 11:32-33 as it reads here in the above illustration. I’m not asking a question. I think my Bible knowledge is fair and I’ve read the Epistles, NT, most of the OT. I never absorbed this…at all and it is kind of embarrassing.

And yet, it seems to be fairly common place knowledge, there are numerous artistic depictions of this, I even saw a child’s book. There does not seem to be some great lesson here to me, unless, we are saying God can do great things and in this way, helped Paul escape.

It almost looks like to me, so-called Bible-based religions (Baptists for example and I don’t mean to be saying this to stir up controversy) might take greater note of this. And yet, I certainly do not wish to under-recognize this feat.

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Any discussion is welcomed.

Any lessons? Insights?

 

[SeekHisFace]

It’s an exciting story! As someone who teaches Sunday school and also midweek bible clubs these kind of stories are loved by children, they captivate them. So it is a good springboard to talk about the lessons in the story.
In this case it is the first time Saul himself was persecuted for his faith, so it is a good example of how drastically he changed in his behaviour. Just the beginning of the chapter he was threatening the church, now he was fleeing persecution, a good illustration that God’s grace changes people, belief in Christ will change the way you behave.

Certainly it’s not the most essential fact in the bible but it’s a good bible story to illustrate an important truth.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I think Catholics are less familiar with this story because the verses that contain it, Acts 9:23-25, are not part of the Lectionary for either Sundays or weekdays. I didn’t remember ever hearing them at Mass, so I just checked the Lectionary indices online and they aren’t there.

The verses in question are as follows:

23 After a long time had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

24 but their plot became known to Saul. Now they were keeping watch on the gates day and night so as to kill him,

25 but his disciples took him one night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

I note that the Readings cycle does contain all the other verses of Acts 9 except the very last one, 9:43 (which says Peter stayed a long time in Joppa with Simon, a tanner). I am guessing the Paul-in-a-basket story got cut because the Church post-Vatican II is squicky about stuff like “Jews conspir(ing) to kill” a Christian apostle.

2 Corinthians 11:32-33, where Paul recounts the story, doesn’t seem to be in the Lectionary anywhere either.

It’s too bad because it is a good story.

 

[Victoria33]

That’s great info Tis_Bearself. Fascinating. That is truly expert-like information. I might at some point bring this up with someone I know to be knowledgeable on the Bible generally speaking from a Catholic perspective. See if he’d have anything additional to add. In fact, he is on the radio pretty often.

 

[Victoria33]

Also:

Acts 9:24-27 (NASB)

24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; [a]but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

 

[BartholomewB]

It’s an exciting story! As someone who teaches Sunday school and also midweek bible clubs these kind of stories are loved by children, they captivate them.

I remember being told the story at an early age and seeing the illustration in a kid’s Bible story book. I suppose it must have been in Sunday school. Wherever it was, it certainly made an unforgettable impression.

 

[Dan_Defender]

But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

And later Barnabas and Paul went their separate ways over John Mark, it seems odd, such great saints having such disagreements. I like to think it was God’s plan and that later they united again.

 

[DaveBj]

I have been to Damascus several times, and have walked the length of Straight Street, which ends at al-Bab ash-Sharqi, the Eastern Gate in the wall of the Old City. Along the outside of the wall there are houses built on top of it (it’s not very high), much as Rahab’s house is described in the Book of Joshua. It was easy to imagine a window opening, a basket being put out of it, and then Paul climbing out, sitting in the basket, and being lowered to the ground

D

 

[Victoria33]

Yes, I believe one of the scriptures talks about a hole in the wall itself. To me, it sounds like what is described is a fortress-like structure. But I may be wrong.