After Paul, then Saul, was made blind, physically,  who literally saw the light on the road   to Damascus, he made a promise to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would do whatever Jesus asked of him.  He stumbled into Damascus, a slave to Jesus Christ.  There he was led to Ananias, who, despite misgivings, made him welcome, and through divine asistance opened Saul's  eyes again.  

Saul, couldn't be contained in his zeal to spread the word that Jesus was the Messiah. His mighty efforts made him a target of the very ones that  had  sent him to Damascus  in the first place.

Picture yourself  having experienced what he did..the brilliant face of our Lord and His voice!  Would you have reacted any differently?

In much the same way, the "messengers" that God sent to me created a burning need to get my play, SAUL-PAUL  and the teachings of Paul oiut there. 

After escaping with his life, by being dumped off the wall in a basket, he resided in the "wilderness' for some time.  There are a number of places called the "wilderness".  An area not far removed from Damascus, the area around Petra; and the desert not far from Jerusalem,  to name just a few.

I passed through that "wilderness", near Jerusalem, on the way to the Dead Sea,  where I saw a humongous apartment complex being erected on the barren landscape.

My visit to  Israel was made to gain mental images of various locations that are prominent in my biblical plays, notably ROAD TO BETHANY, The Passion Play. That gave me a feel for the terrain in which He lived..Jerusalem, Galilee, Nazareth, Jericho (where my play takes place).  I watched a lone fishing boat make its way across the Sea of Galilee at dawn. It was a magical time. 

Which "wilderness" is not that important, but what is important is that it was there he was first taught by the Spirit of God..alternately called the Spirit of Jesus.  It was then that he was slowly brought from his previous teachings to that which the Spirit imparted. After some period, he returned to Jerusalem, no doubt zealous in his desire to assure the other disciples of his earnestness in bringing the gospel to the "world", and gain acceptance.

At first the disciples were leery of accepting Saul. After all his reputation as a hard-liner in the persecution of the "Christians' proceeded him.  I guess they didn't receive the word from Damascus.  But  Barnabas convinced them that he was sincere. 

Then Saul reminded the others that his message was different,  in that those he converted would not be proselytes.  They would not be required to follow the laws of the Jews. They would not have to be circumcised or avoid "unclean" foods.  

His mission was to make the message of Jesus available and as acceptable to as many as possible..not to present unnecessary conditions of acceptance.   The other disciples, led by Peter and James, the leader, accepted him and his role as apostle to the Gentiles..

That was the beginning.  The message that Saul brought was not dissimilar to that of the others, only the means was different..but  before long that was to change..bobnPaul