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Acts 22

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Paul's Defense and Jewish Credentials 1–5

1
Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you. ​
2
And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith, ​
3
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day: ​
4
and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. ​
5
As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished. ​

Paul Recounts His Conversion 6–16

6
And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9
And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. ​
10
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11
And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.
12
And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there, ​
13
came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.
14
And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. ​
15
For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name. ​

The Temple Vision and Gentile Commission 17–21

17
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance, ​
18
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
19
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20
and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him. ​
21
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles. ​

The Crowd's Fury; Paul Claims Roman Rights 22–30

22
And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ​
23
And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
24
the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him. ​
25
And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? ​
26
And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.
27
And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.
28
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am a Roman born. ​
29
They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30
But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 22

Verse 1

Men, brethren, and fathers — The address Stephen used before the council (Acts 7:2), the 'fathers' being the elders among the hearers. 'Defence' is apologia, a reasoned answer to a charge, the word of 2 Tim 4:16, 'At my first answer', and of 1 Pet 3:15, 'ready always to give an answer'.

Verse 2

in the Hebrew tongue — The language Paul had used on the stairs (Acts 21:40), and the one in which Christ spoke to him on the road (Acts 26:14). 'Silence' is hesychia, quietness, the noun of 2 Thess 3:12, 'with quietness they work'. The captain had taken him for the Egyptian who led murderers into the wilderness (Acts 21:38).

Verse 3

at the feet of Gamaliel — Gamaliel was 'a Pharisee… a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people' (Acts 5:34), the man who advised the council to leave the apostles alone. Paul was born in Tarsus, as this verse says, and 'brought up in this city', Jerusalem. 'Zealous' (zelotes) is the word of Gal 1:14, 'more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers'.

Verse 4

this way — 'The way' is the name Scripture gives to the believers in Christ: 'any of this way' (Acts 9:2), 'spake evil of that way' (Acts 19:9), 'after the way which they call heresy' (Acts 24:14). The persecution reached 'both men and women', as Luke recorded in Acts 8:3 and Acts 9:2.

Verse 5

all the estate of the elders — 'Estate of the elders' is presbyterion, the council of elders, the word of Luke 22:66 and of 'the presbytery' in 1 Tim 4:14. Paul had 'desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues' (Acts 9:2), and here the high priest and the elders are named as witnesses to the commission.

Verse 9

they heard not the voice of him that spake to me — The companions 'stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man' (Acts 9:7). They heard a sound, and the words were addressed to Paul alone (Acts 26:14). The men with Daniel likewise 'saw not the vision' while he did (Dan 10:7), and a quaking fell on them.

Verse 12

a devout man according to the law — In Acts 9:10 Ananias is 'a certain disciple at Damascus'. To this audience Paul describes him as law-keeping and well spoken of by 'all the Jews which dwelt there'. 'Devout' is eusebes, godly, the word used of Cornelius in Acts 10:2.

Verse 14

that Just One — Dikaios, righteous, a title for Christ in the preaching of Acts: 'ye denied the Holy One and the Just' (Acts 3:14), and 'the coming of the Just One' (Acts 7:52). What Ananias lists, to know his will, see the Just One and hear his voice, grounds the witness of v.15, 'of what thou hast seen and heard'.

Verse 16

wash away thy sins — Apolouo, to wash off, occurs only here and in 1 Cor 6:11, 'ye are washed'. 'Calling on the name of the Lord' carries the promise quoted at Pentecost, 'whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Acts 2:21), and Peter's call to 'be baptized' in Acts 2:38.

Verse 17

in a trance — Ekstasis, the word of Peter's vision on the housetop (Acts 10:10; 11:5). The return to Jerusalem is the visit of Acts 9:26 (cf. Gal 1:18). The Lord appeared to Paul as he prayed in the temple (v.18), the same temple where he is now accused of bringing in Greeks (Acts 21:28).

Verse 20

thy martyr Stephen — 'Martyr' is martys, witness, the word of v.15, 'thou shalt be his witness unto all men'. Paul was present at Stephen's death: 'the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul' (Acts 7:58). 'Consenting' (syneudokeo) is the word of Acts 8:1.

Verse 21

I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles — Exapostello, to send out, a compound of the verb behind 'apostle'. The commission matches Acts 9:15, 'a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles', and Acts 26:17, 'unto whom now I send thee'. Paul reports it as the Lord's own word.

Verse 22

and then lifted up their voices — The hearing lasted 'unto this word', the mention of the Gentiles in v.21. Their cry, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth', echoes 'Away with him' in Acts 21:36 and the cry at Pilate's judgment, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him' (John 19:15).

Verse 24

examined by scourging — Anetazo, to examine by questioning, occurs only here and in v.29. The captain had not been able to 'know the certainty for the tumult' (Acts 21:34), and a second outcry had followed Paul's speech (vv.22–23). Paul's question in v.25 stops the examination before it begins.

Verse 25

a Roman, and uncondemned — Paul named the same two facts at Philippi: 'They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans' (Acts 16:37). The soldiers were binding him 'with thongs' (himas, straps) for the scourging. His question to the centurion carries the answer, and the centurion carries it to the captain (v.26).

Verse 28

With a great sum obtained I this freedom — 'Freedom' is politeia, citizenship, found elsewhere only in Eph 2:12, 'the commonwealth of Israel'. The captain bought it ('sum' is kephalaion, found elsewhere only in Heb 8:1). Paul answers, 'I was free born', claiming it by birth, and the men who were to examine him 'departed' at once (v.29).

Verse 30

he loosed him from his bands — The captain wanted 'the certainty' (asphales) of the charge, the word of Acts 21:34 and of Acts 25:26, 'no certain thing to write'. He 'commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear'. His letter to Felix says, 'I brought him forth into their council' (Acts 23:28).