Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 9:27

"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 at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus." — Acts 9:27 (ASV)

But Barnabas. (See the notes on Acts 4:36).

Barnabas was from Cyprus, not far from Tarsus, and it is not improbable that he had been acquainted with Saul before.

To the apostles. To Peter and James (Galatians 1:18–19). Probably the other apostles were absent from Jerusalem at that time.

And declared to them, etc. It may seem remarkable that the apostles at Jerusalem had not heard before of the conversion of Saul. The following considerations may serve in some degree to explain this:

1. It is certain that communication and travel between different countries were then much more difficult than they are now. There were no postal services, no public transportation, and nothing that corresponded with our modern methods of interaction between one part of the world and another.
2. At this time, a state of animosity, amounting to hostility, existed between Herod and Aretas. Herod the tetrarch had married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, and had divorced her (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 18, Chapter 5, Sections 1-2). The result of this was a long misunderstanding between them, and a war. The effects of that war might have greatly interrupted communication throughout all that country.
3. Though the Jews at Jerusalem might have heard of the conversion of Saul, it was in their interest to keep it a secret and not to mention it to Christians.
4. But, though the Christians who were there had heard of it, it is probable that they were not fully informed on the subject, that they had not received all the evidence of his conversion which they desired, and that they looked upon him with suspicion. It was therefore proper that they should have a full statement of the evidence of his conversion, and this was made by Barnabas.