Acts 22: Paul Shares His Testimony

WHEN WE LEFT ACTS 21 WE SAW PAUL ON THE STEPS IN JERUSALEM AFTER HE HAD BEEN EITHER RESCUED OR CAPTURED (OR BOTH) BY ROMAN SOLDIERS.

THE MOB OF JEWS HAD ATTACKED PAUL FOR HIS TEACHING AND HAD COME VERY NEAR TO KILLING HIM FOR HIS TEACHING ON JESUS CHRIST.

SOMEONE REPORTED THE DISTURBANCE TO A ROMAN CAPTAIN WHO BROUGHT HIS SOLDIERS TO PUT DOWN THE MOB ACTIVITY AND RESTORE ORDER.

HE HAD MISTAKEN PAUL FOR AN EGYPTIAN TERRORIST WHO HAD BROUGHT PROBLEMS BEFORE AND THEREFORE HELD PAUL UNTIL HE COULD VERIFY WHO PAUL WAS.

PAUL REASONED WITH THE ROMAN OFFICER BY SPEAKING WITH HIM IN GREEK PROVING HIS OWN EDUCATION AND AFTER ASSURING THE OFFICER OF HIS IDENTITY, PAUL ASKED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE MOB WHO HAD ATTACKED HIM.

THE OFFICER OBLIGED PAUL AND PAUL GESTURED TO THE CROWD TO COME NEAR AND HEAR HIM, WHICH THEY DID.

PAUL QUICKLY GAINED ATTENTION WHEN HE BEGAN TO SPEAK IN HEBREW TO THE JEWISH CROWD AND THEY WERE SILENT WHEN THEY HEARD HIM SPEAK IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.

EACH WEEK IN THE SYNAGOGUES THE RABBI READ FROM THE TORAH IN HEBREW FIRST AND THEN PARAPHRASED ALL HE HAD SAID IN ARAMAIC, THE LANGUAGE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE.

ARAMAIC WAS GENERALLY USED IN THE HOMES OF GALILEE AND ALSO IN JUDEA.

AS PAUL SPOKE, HE EMPHASIZED HIS HERITAGE AS A JEW AND SPOKE OF HIS ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST.

HE NEVER ACTUALLY DISPUTED THE FALSE ACCUSATION THAT HE HAD TAKEN A GENTILE INTO THE HOLY TEMPLE, THEREBY DEFILING IT.

HE QUICKLY WAS ABLE TO SHOW HIMSELF AS AN ORTHODOX JEW AND HE ADDRESSED THE CROWD USING THE TERMS “BETHREN” AND “FATHERS”.

BEGINNING IN VERSE 3, PAUL BEGINS HIS DEFENSE BY IDENTIFYING WHO HE TRULY IS AND HIS BACKGROUND WHICH WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER OF JEWISH STUDY.

PAUL SAYS HE IS A JEW BORN IN TARSUS BUT BROUGHT UP IN JERUSALEM AT THE KNEE OF GAMILIEL, ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN RABBIS OF THESE TIMES. BEING BROUGHT UP MEANS HE LIKELY CAME TO THE SCHOOL OF GAMILIEL EARLY IN HIS TEENS AND THIS FACT MEANT THAT PAUL WAS TRAINED IN EVERY DETAIL OF THE LAW, NOT JUST OF MOSES BUT ALSO OF THE SCRIBES & PHARISEES.

HE SAID HE WAS ZEALOUS FOR GOD, JUST AS THE JEWS WHO ATTACKED HIM WERE.

IN VERSE 4 PAUL GOES FURTHER TO EXPLAIN THAT HE HAD IN FACT PERSCUTED CHRISTIANS WHO BELONGED TO “THIS WAY”, THE NAME GIVEN TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED JESUS.

HE CLEARLY SAYS HE HAD PURSUED THEM, BOUND THEM, IMPRISONED THEM, AND KNEW SUCH ACTIVITY CAUSED THEIR DEATHS.

TO PROVIDE MORE PROOF TO THE CROWD, PAUL SAID THE HIGH PRIEST KNEW OF ALL HIS ACTIVITIES AND WILL BEAR WITNESS THAT LETTERS WERE GIVEN TO PAUL TO AUTHORIZE HIS VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS.

IT WOULD SEEM TO MAKE SENSE THAT THESE JEWS MUST WONDER HOW IT WAS THAT ONE SO DEVOUTLY JEWISH WHO HAD ARRANGED THE DEATH OF CHRISTIAN FOLLOWERS WAS NOW PREACHING AND TEACHING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

IN VERSE 6 PAUL BEGINS HIS STORY OF HOW SUCH A THING HAPPENED. HE SPEAKS OF HIS TRIP ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS AND THE GREAT LIGHT THAT SURROUNDED HIM . LATER IN ACTS 26:13 HE WILL DESCRIBE THE LIGHT AS BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN.

OVERWHELMED BY THE LIGHT, PAUL FELL TO THE GROUND.

AS THE LIGHT BEGAN TO SPEAK IN THE HEBREW LANGUAGE, HE HEARD A QUESTION ASKING,

“Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?”

PAUL ANSWERED USING A TERM OF WORHIP:

“Who are thou, Lord…”.

THE ANSWER CAME IMMEDIATELY:

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.”

IN VERSE 9 PAUL REVEALS THOSE WITH HIM SAW THE LIGHT, WERE AFRAID, BUT THEY DID NOT HEAR THE VOICE THAT SPOKE.

PAUL ONCE MORE USED THE WORSHIPFUL TERM “LORD” AND ASKED WHAT HE SHOULD DO.

HE WAS TOLD TO GO INTO DAMASCUS WHERE HE WILL BE TOLD WHAT HE SHOULD DO.

NOW THAT PAUL HAD ACCEPTED JESUS AS LORD, THE PLAN OF GOD FOR HIS LIFE WAS TO UNFOLD.

PAUL’S LIFE OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE WAS BEGINNING AND HIS FIRST STEP WAS TO GO TO DAMASCUS, AS INSTRUCTED, WHERE HE HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO ARREST CHRISTIANS.

NOW PAUL HIMSELF HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND HAD BEEN MADE BLIND, CAUSING HIM TO NEED TO BE LED BY THE HAND INTO THE CITY.

IN VERSE 12 PAUL REVEALS THAT A MAN, NAMED ANANIAS, WHO WAS DEVOUT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, MEANING A CONVERTED JEW OF GOOD REPORT OF JEWS IN THE CITY, WAS SENT TO PAUL.

PAUL WAS ADVISED HE WAS COMING AND EVEN THE NAME OF THIS MAN WAS REVEALED TO PAUL AND WE KNOW FROM CHAPTER 9 THAT ANANIAS ARRIVED AND CALLED HIM BROTHER AND LAID HANDS UPON HIM.

THE SCALES ON THE EYES OF PAUL FELL AWAY, AND ANANIAS DELIVERED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO PAUL AND TOLD HIM THAT THE GOD OF THEIR FATHERS (ABRAHAM, ISAAC, & JACOB) HAD CHOSEN HIM.

ANANIAS USED THE TERM “JUST ONE” TO REFER TO JESUS AS HE TOLD PAUL THAT JESUS HIMSELF  WILL ORDER PAUL TO BE HIS WITNESS, AND THAT PAUL SHOULD RISE, BE BAPTIZED AND HAVE HIS SINS WASHED AWAY, AS HE SHOULD CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.

THE ONLY PLACE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WHERE THIS PHRASE IS ALSO USED IS IN 1ST COR 6:11 AND THESE REFERENCES MEAN THAT THE LORD HIMSELF WASHES AWAY SIN BY ACCEPTING ONE’S FAITH.

PETER WILL LATER TEACH ON THIS MATTER IN 1ST PETER 3:20-21, SAYING THE WATERS OF BAPTISM DO NOT HAVE POWER TO WASH AWAY SIN, BECAUSE IT IS FAITH IN CHRIST THAT REMITS SIN.

BUT JESUS COMMANDED WATER BAPTISM BY USING HIMSELF AS AN EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE  OF EACH WHO ACCEPTS THE LORD IN HIS HEART.

THEREFORE FROM JESUS ONWARD, BAPTISM IS CONSIDERED AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF INWARD POSSESSION OF THE SPIRIT.

IN VERSES 17-18 PAUL NEXT SKIPPED OVER MORE EXPLANATION OF HIS DAMASCUS EXPERIENCE AND RELATED THAT ON HIS RETURN TO JERUSALEM WHILE HE WAS PRAYING IN THE TEMPLE, A TRANCE CAME UPON HIM. THIS ITEM PAUL RELATED CLEARLY SHOWS HE WAS NOT A DEFILER OF THE HOLY TEMPLE BUT USED IT AS A PLACE OF PRAYER.

IN THE TRANCE HE SAW JESUS SPEAKING TO HIM INSTRUCTING HIM TO MAKE HASTE TO GET OUT OF JERUSALEM.

AFTER THIS EVENT THE CHRISTIANS TOOK PAUL TO CAESAREA AND PUT HIM ON A SHIP TO TARSUS, HIS HOMETOWN.

PAUL DID NOT GO BECAUSE HIS FELLOW BELIEVERS INSISTED BUT BECAUSE HE HAD THE COMMAND OF JESUS TO LEAVE.

HERE WE OURSELVES ARE ASSURED THAT JESUS IS WELL AWARE OF ALL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ON EARTH AND HE CARES FOR THOSE WHO ARE HIS.

PAUL THEN RELATED HOW HE HAD IMPRISONED AND BEAT PRISONERS FROM MANY SYNAGOGUES WHO HAD BECOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. HE THEN RELATED HOW HE HIMSELF WAS PRESENT AT THE VIOLENT DEATH OF STEPHEN, AND HE REMINDED THAT HE HAD CONSENTED TO THE STONING AND STOOD BY WATCHING IT.

BY RELATING THIS PORTION OF HIS TESTIMONY HE PROVES HOW PATIENT JESUS HAD BEEN WITH HIM AND HAD CHOSEN TO CONVERT HIM EVEN AFTER HIS BLOODY PAST AGAINST THOSE WHO BELIEVED.

IN VERSE 21 PAUL ALLOWS THAT JESUS HAD USED THE SPECIFIC WORD “DEPART” AND HAD TOLD HIM HE WOULD BE SENT FAR AWAY TO MINISTER TO THE GENTILES.

IN VERSE 22 WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL MEANING OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS, ESPECIALLY THE GENTILES WHO BELIEVED.

THE JEWS LISTENED TO PAUL UNTIL HE SPOKE OF THE COMMAND TO GO TO THE GENTILES. SUCH A COMMAND TRIGGERED THE LONG HELD DISPARAGING ATTITUDE WITHIN THE JEWS.

THE JEWS CONSIDERED THEMSELVES SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHER PEOPLES AND FULLY BELIEVED GOD HAD ARRANGED THAT SUPERIORITY FROM THE BEGINNING.

THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE ABOVE THE SAMARITANS WHO THEY CONSIDERED HALF BREEDS, WHO WERE ABOVE THE DOGS IN THE STREET, WHO WERE ABOVE THE GENTILES.

THIS ARROGANCE FLOWS COMPLETELY AGAINST THE DESIRE OF GOD IN CALLING ABRAHAM TO BRING A BLESSING TO ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH. (GENESIS 12:3)

EVERY TIME THIS PROMISE WAS REPEATED TO ABRAHAM & ISAAC & JACOB, THE SAME TRUTH WAS GIVEN BY GOD.

(GENESIS 18:18   22:18   26:4   28:14)

GOD HAD PROMISED BLESSINGS THROUGH THE SEED OF ABRAHAM FOR ALL THE PEOPLES AND NATIONS OF THE EARTH.

THE JEWS IN THIS MOMENT WENT INTO AN EMOTIONAL TANTRUM AND BEGAN CRYING OUT AGAIN FOR PAUL’S DEATH, SAYING HE WAS NOT WORTHY TO LIVE.

THEY CAST OFF THEIR OUTER GARMENTS AS A SIGN THEY WERE READY TO STONE PAUL, JUST AS THEY HAD STONED STEPHEN.

PAUL ADDRESSED THIS CONFLICT DIRECTLY AND MOST STRONGLY WHEN HE WROTE THE LETTER TO THE ROMAN CHURCH.

IN ROMANS 11, VERSES 7 & 8 PAUL WRITES:

“… Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

… God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day.

AND IN VERSE 11:

“… through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”

AND IN VERSE 25:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

NOW SEEING THE MOB EXCITED FOR PAUL’S BLOOD, THE ROMAN CAPTAIN, TO STOP ANY DISORDER, TAKES PAUL INTO THE BUILDING TO ARRANGE A CONFESSION BY PAUL BY SCOURGING.

PAUL WAS NO STRANGER TO BEATINGS AND HE WAS BENT OVER AND BOUND IN A POSITION TO BE SCOURGED.

PAUL SAW A ROMAN CENTURION STANDING CLOSE BY AND HE APPEALED TO HIM, ASKING WHETHER IT WAS LEGAL TO SCOURGE A ROMAN CITIZEN, WHOSE CASE HAD NOT BEEN TRIED.

THE CENTURION RESPONDED TO THIS APPEAL BY PASSING THE MOMENT ON TO A TRIBUNE, REMINDING THE TRIBUNE THAT IF THIS ACT WAS ILLEGAL, THE TRIBUNE WOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

PAUL WAS CLAIMING HIS RIGHTS AS A ROMAN CITIZEN AND HIS CLAIM STOPPED THE PROCEEDINGS.

THE TRIBUNE PERSONALLY ASKED PAUL IF WE WAS A ROMAN CITIZEN AND PAUL REPLIED YES.

THE TRIBUNE SAID HE HAD PURCHASED HIS OWN CITIZENSHIP BUT PAUL SAID HE HAD BEEN FREEBORN INTO HIS CITIZENSHIP.

THE SOLDIERS WHO HAD PREPARED TO SCOURGE PAUL LEFT AND THE TRIBUNE WAS AFRAID AS PAUL COULD BRING CHARGES AGAINST HIM SIMPLY FOR BINDING A ROMAN CITIZEN WITHOUT TRIAL.

AS THIS CHAPTER ENDS IN VERSE 30 WE SEE THE TRIBUNE KEPT PAUL IN CUSTODY, NOT STILL BOUND, AND HELD HIM TO AVOID MORE DISORDER WITH THE JEWS.

THE NEXT DAY THE TRIBUNE ORDERED THE SANHEDRIN TO ASSEMBLE AND MADE PAUL STAND UP BEFORE THEM.

NORMALLY THE ROMAN ARMY ALLOWED JEWS TO SETTLE THEIR OWN DISPUTES BUT DID NOT ALLOW THE JEWS TO INFLICT THE DEATH PENALTY.

IN A.D. 47 ROME GAVE THE SANHEDRIN AUTHORITY OVER MOST DISPUTES IN JUDEA AND IN A.D. 6 HAD EXTENDED THIS AUTHORITY OVER TERRITORY BEYOND JUDEA.

WE SAW THIS ISSUE ARISE WHEN THE JEWS WANTED TO CRUCIFY JESUS BUT HAD TO APPEAL TO PONTIUS PILATE FOR THE AUTHORITY, BUT THE SANHEDRIN SUFFERED NO PENALTY FOR KILLING STEPHEN.

VERSE 30 ACTUALLY WOULD FIT BETTER IN CHAPTER 23 BUT BECAUSE IT IS LEFT IN CHAPTER 22 WE MUST NOTE IT.

PAUL HIMSELF MAY HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE ROMAN OFFICER THE MEETING OF THE HIGHEST RELIGIOUS COUNCIL IN ISRAEL SO THAT HE COULD ONCE MORE STAND AND TESTIFY FOR CHRIST.

PAUL WAS NOT A HELPLESS VICTIM.

HE HAD COME TO JERUSALEM TO PREACH CHRIST AGAINST MOST SERIOUS WARNINGS, INCLUDING OF THE PROPHET AGABUS, AND PAUL WAS WILLING TO USE EVERY MEANS TO BE HEARD.

THE LORD, NOT A ROMAN COMMANDER, NOR A JEWISH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, WAS IN CHARGE.

THE PICTURE WE ARE GIVEN OF THIS APOSTLE THROUGH ALL THESE CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES IS OF A MAN WHO IS READY TO GRASP OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH THE VERY CENTER OF MILITARY AND POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS POWER TO WITNESS FOR CHRIST.

IN OUR NEXT STUDY STOP WE WILL SEE THE COURAGE OF PAUL TO WITNESS THE RESURRECTION.