As a final "boast" of his weakness, Paul shares the story of his escape from Damascus a few years after his conversion (see Acts 9:23–25; Galatians 1:15–18).
King Aretas IV of Nabataea controlled Damascus only after AD 37, following the death of Emperor Tiberius (see Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.1–3). The mention of Aretas dates Paul's escape from Damascus between AD 37 and the end of Aretas's reign in AD 39 or 40.