‘But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.'
The language is very forceful. His rage was not yet satisfied and he had gained a taste for the blood of heretics. ‘Threatening and slaughter' may carry within it the idea of initial warning, followed by harsh sentence if the warning was not heeded (see introduction to chapter 4). The legal rules could not totally be ignored. It is possible that Saul's activity resulted in his promotion at this stage to the Sanhedrin for he later speaks of ‘giving his vote' against believers (Acts 26:10).
Unable to bear the thought that some had escaped his blood lust (a sad reflection on what had happened to him), and full of determination to pursue them and haul them back to Jerusalem to be dealt with, he now went to the High Priest (with whom his family may well have had connections (Acts 23:14-16)), this time seeking letters giving him authority to arrest any fugitives who had fled to Damascus, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial. The High Priest did not have full jurisdiction over the synagogues, but his letter would carry great weight and he did have rights of extradition on religious grounds as a religious head of state.
Damascus was on the main trade routes, which would be why the news about the activities of newly arrived believers would arrive back in Jerusalem fairly rapidly. There would be constant contact between synagogues, especially Hellenistic synagogues, and Damascus contained many synagogues. Their message to their fellow Hellenists in Jerusalem of the activities of certain people who had arrived from Jerusalem declaring Jesus to be the Messiah would arouse strong feeling. Damascus was in the province of Syria, but had municipal freedom and was one of the ten cities of Decapolis, and contained many thousands of Jews. The arrival of the Hellenistic Christian believers from Jerusalem was clearly causing a stir.
‘Any that were of the Way.' It is clear that the Christian church was now thought of in terms of ‘the Way' (compare Acts 19:9; Acts 19:23; Acts 22:4; Acts 24:22). It may well have been a name that they gave themselves. This would presumably be because they were saw themselves as walking in God's way, and following a way of life different from all others, although it may also have connection with Jesus' claim to be ‘The Way' in John 14:6. Alternately it may be a title applied to them by observers, who noted their punctilious way of life, a title which they then took over for themselves.
The idea of ‘the way of holiness' can be found in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah 35:8-9; compare Isaiah 26:7-8; Isaiah 30:21; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 43:19; Isaiah 48:17 The idea that it represents is that of walking before the Lord in cleanness and purity, and in following the Law, in this case in terms of the teaching of Jesus (compare Isaiah 2:3), steadfastly and truly. Those who walk in that way desire only to please Him. It was thus a very suitable title.
‘The disciples of the Lord.' The term ‘disciples' is commonly used in Acts of the followers of Jesus (see Acts 6:1-2). The use of the ‘the Lord' of Jesus occurs from the beginning in Acts 1:6; Acts 1:21; Acts 1:24; Acts 2:34; Acts 2:36; Acts 2:47; Acts 4:33; Acts 7:59; Acts 8:16, and also possibly in other places where ‘the Lord' is spoken of referring to God..