Yes — Saul went into the Damascus synagogues and preached that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ and Messiah of Israel.
Acts 9:20 says Saul "preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." Les Feldick repeatedly stresses that this was the entire message at that point. Saul did not yet proclaim the crucifixion or resurrection as the gospel; that fuller revelation came later.
Acts 9:20 — This verse is the direct biblical record of Saul's post-conversion synagogue message: that Jesus is the Son of God.
Immediately after regaining his sight, receiving food, and being baptized, Saul went to the synagogues in Damascus and began preaching Jesus. Acts 9:20 says, "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." The people were amazed because this was the same man who had persecuted those calling on Jesus' name in Jerusalem and who had come to bring them bound to the chief priests (Acts 9:21). In verse 22, the Bible adds that "Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." The text records no mention of the crucifixion or resurrection as part of this first proclamation.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul's post-conversion message was simply that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God. He did not preach Christ crucified, buried, and risen from the dead. For Les, this proves Saul was converted under what was then the Gospel of the Kingdom, because that was as much as God had revealed up to that time. Saul believed who Jesus was: the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the Promised One of the Old Testament covenant promises.
Les attributes this to progressive revelation. God had not yet spoken the death, burial, and resurrection as the gospel message. As Les says, "You can't take God at His Word until He speaks it." Saul was saved under the Kingdom Gospel, believing Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the Promised One of the Old Testament covenant promises. More was revealed to him later, and God would get him out of Damascus to enlighten him for the work ahead.
The text and Les both show that Saul preached Christ in the Jewish synagogues. Les makes a point of correcting the idea that he preached in the marketplace or to Gentiles. The Bible says "he preached Christ in the synagogues" (Acts 9:20), and Les says Saul "still is confining his preaching to the Jew" because nobody had told him anything different yet.
According to Acts 9:21, those who heard him were amazed, saying, "Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?" Then Acts 9:22 says Saul increased in strength and confounded the Jews, proving that Jesus is the very Christ.
The Pre-Pauline Level of Understanding
Les sets the context that before Saul's conversion, the message was that Christ is the Messiah. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, was all that was known at the time — the same level Saul later preached.
Saul's Post-Conversion Synagogue Message
Les explains that after receiving sight and food, Saul went straight to the Jewish synagogue and preached that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God — the whole thrust of the Old Testament covenant promises.
Saul Converted Under the Gospel of the Kingdom
Les stresses that Saul preached only that Jesus is the Son of God, not that He died for sins and rose again, because that was all that had been revealed at that time.
Preaching Christ in the Synagogue, Not the Marketplace
Les drives home from the text that Saul preached Christ in the synagogue to Jews, not in the marketplace to Gentiles, and he did not yet preach His death and resurrection.
Saul's Kingdom Gospel Understanding
Les says Saul was saved under the Kingdom Gospel believing Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel; he needed to be brought out of town to receive further enlightenment for Gentile work.
Same Message as Peter's Confession
Les says Saul went immediately to the synagogue and preached that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel — not death, burial, and resurrection.
The Unified Pre-Pauline Confession
Les lines up Peter, Martha, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Saul: all confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, not the crucifixion and resurrection.
Limited Revelation Means Limited Proclamation
Les explains Saul had no more revelation of the death, burial, and resurrection as God's plan of salvation than Peter did; all he could proclaim was that this Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 9:20: And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
This is the verse that directly answers the question.
Acts 9:21: But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
Shows the astonishment because Saul had come to Damascus to persecute believers.
Acts 9:22: But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
Shows Saul's proof from Scripture that Jesus is the Messiah.
Matthew 16:16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Les uses this as the same confession Saul made, showing the shared pre-Pauline message.
John 11:27: She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Another example Les cites of the same 'Son of God' confession.
Acts 8:37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Les cites the Ethiopian eunuch's confession as another parallel to Saul's message.
No. According to Acts 9:20, he preached Christ in the synagogues, 'that he is the Son of God.' Les Feldick emphasizes that Saul had not yet been given the revelation of the death, burial, and resurrection as God's plan of salvation; all he could preach was that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Acts 9:21 says the hearers were amazed because this was the man who had destroyed believers in Jerusalem and had come to bring them bound to the chief priests. Now he was preaching Jesus as the Son of God.
He went to the synagogues of the Jews in Damascus. Les draws attention to the text 'he preached Christ in the synagogues' and notes it was to Jews, not in the marketplace to Gentiles.
Watch the Teaching: Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock