Upon hearing this, the disciples received him as one of their number. Soon they had abundant evidence as to the genuineness of his Christian experience. The future apostle to the Gentiles was now in the city where many of his former associates lived, and to these Jewish leaders he longed to make plain the prophecies concerning the Messiah, which had been fulfilled by the advent of the Saviour. Paul felt sure that these teachers in Israel, with whom he had once been so well acquainted, were as sincere and honest as he had been. But he had miscalculated the spirit of his Jewish brethren, and in the hope of their speedy conversion he was doomed to bitter disappointment. Although "he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians," those who stood at the head of the Jewish church refused to believe, but "went about to slay him." Sorrow filled his heart. He would willingly have yielded up his life if by that means he might bring some to a knowledge of the truth. With shame he thought of the active part he had taken in the martyrdom of Stephen, and now in his anxiety to wipe out the stain resting upon one so falsely accused, he sought to vindicate the truth for which Stephen had given his life. 130

Da disciplene havde hørt dette, modtog de ham som en af deres egne. Snart fik de til overmål beviser for, hvor ægte hans kristendom var. Fremtidens hedningeapostel var nu i den by, hvor mange af hans tidligere fæller boede, og han længtes efter tydeligt at forklare disse jødiske ledere de profetier, som angik Messias, og som var blevet opfyldt ved Frelserens komme. Paulus følte sig overbevist om, at disse Israels lærere, som han engang havde kendt så godt, var lige så oprigtige og ærlige, som han selv havde været. Men han havde gjort forkert regning på sine jødiske embedsbrødres sind, og i sit håb om deres hastige omvendelse måtte han lide bitre skuffelser. Skønt han "vidnede frimodigt i Herrens navn og talte og stredes med de græsktalende jøder," nægtede de, som stod i spidsen for det jødiske samfund at tro, men "de forsøgte at slå ham ihjel." Hans hjerte fyldtes med sorg. Han havde gerne givet sit liv, hvis han på den måde havde kunnet bibringe nogle af dem en viden om sandheden. Skamfuldt tænkte han på sin egen andel i Stefanus martyrdød, og i sin iver for at udslette den plet, der hvilede på ham, som var blevet så uretfærdigt anklaget, søgte han at forsvare den sandhed, Stefanus havde ofret livet for.