But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles - that is, to Peter and James; for "other of the apostles saw I none," says he to the Galatians (Galatians 1:18-19). Probably none of the other apostles were there at that time. 'Barnabas (says Howson) being of Cyprus, which was within a few hours' sail of Cilicia, and annexed to it as a Roman province, and Saul and he being Hellenistic Jews, and eminent in their respective localities, they may very well have been acquainted with each other before this.' However this may be, what is here said of Barnabas is in short consistency with the character given of him in Acts 11:24, as "a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith," and with the name given to him by the apostles, "The son of 'exhortation' or consolation" (Acts 4:36). After Peter and James were satisfied, the disciples generally would at once receive the new convert.
And declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he (the Lord) had spoken to him - that is, how he had received his commission direct from their glorified Lord Himself. It is not impossible that Barnabas may have been at Damascus, and brought these particulars of Saul's conversion with him; but this is mere conjecture.