Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense that I now make to you.”
Satan raised up Judaizers to gang up against Paul and destroy him in Jerusalem. This plan backfired, as Paul was able to give a speech to one million devout Jews who had traveled from all over the Roman Empire to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.
Paul used the same introduction that Stephen used before his martyrdom. Paul addressed his audience as "fellow Jews". He showed respect to the elders.
2 (When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said,
Paul was actually speaking in Hebrew, which made them all become quiet, curious to hear what this controversial man had to say.
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today."
The Greek word for "I am" is Ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi), a present active indicative verb of being, meaning "I am presently and continually existing as a Jew. Paul used the present tense, claiming that he was still Jewish, even though he believed in Jesus. He was born in Tarsus, and educational city of the Roman Empire. He not only was educated in one of the best secular schools of the day, but he was also trained by Gamaliel, one of the best rabbis of the day. Paul was trained as a strict Pharisee, so he knew the Law better than anyone in the audience. At one time, he was just as zealous for the Law as anyone in the audience.
4 "I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,"
At one time, Paul persecuted "the Way", just as he was being persecuted on this very day. The Way was an early name for those who followed the teachings of Christ.
5 "as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished."
Paul was actually working with the Jewish leaders to arrest those of the Way. Ananias was currently the high priest and the elders could also testify that Paul had received letters of authority from Caiphas to go to Damascus and find Jewish believers there and to bring them bound to Jerusalem. Paul did not go to Damsacus to find the Messiah. He went to Damascus to find and bind messianic believers.
6 "As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me."
At noon, the sun shines at its brightest. Therefore, this light was shinier than the sun. The Greek word for "flashed" is περιαστράπτω (periastrapto), meaning to flash around brightly. The Shechinah Glory of God was flashing around Paul.
7 "Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’"
Saul was persecuting the Shechinah Glory.
8 "I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’"
The Shechinah Glory of the Old Testament and the Shechinah Glory on the Road to Damascus were one and the same. When you persecute the body of Christ, then you persecute the head as well.
9 "Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me."
Those who traveled with Paul saw the light, but not Jesus. They heard a noise, but they could not understand the words.
10 "So I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.’"
Paul was to complete his mission to Damascus, but not in the way that he was sent. He was sent by men to arrest Christians, but he was sent by God to teach them. The Greek word for "designated" is τάσσω (tasso), meaning appointed. This Greek verb is in the perfect passive indicative tense, meaning that God appointed Paul as a 100% statement of fact to complete a mission at that point and it will continue into the future forever, possibly even after his death. Paul was a vessel created by the Potter to complete this mission.
11 "Since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me."
Paul was blinded physically, but he had his eyes opened spiritually.
12 "A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well-spoken of by all the Jews who live there,"
Ananias was just as zealous for the Law like Paul and his audience, but he introduced Paul to the Messiah.
13 "came to me and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up and saw him."
Ananias call Paul his brother, meaning that Paul was a believer at this time.
14 "Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a command from his mouth,"
The Greek word for "chosen" is προχειρίζομαι (procherizomai), meaning to pick out beforehand for a special task. This Greek verb is aorist middle indicative, meaning that God emphatically himself chose Paul as a one-time completed action of the past and as a 100% statement of fact. God the Potter created Paul as a special vessel to complete three different tasks. Paul was to know the will of God. He was to see the risen Messiah, making him a prophet according to 1 Corinthians 9:1. He was to hear the audible voice of God, as he did on the Damasus Road.
Many charismatics use this verse to teach that God still speaks to believers today. This is dangerous teaching that can deceive a new Christian who is not grounded in the word of God. A demon can speak to a new believer, pretending to be the voice of God. Some charismatics claim that they hear an inner voice. This inner voice can either be their own imagination, the voice of their human depravity, or the voice of a demon.
Luke is a history book that records the history of the early church during the Age of the Apostles. The doctrine of the modern church is found in Paul's epistles. Charismatics mix the two, confusing those who are not grounded in the entire counsel of the word of God.
15 "because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard."
Paul was called to become a witness to all people. At the time of this speech, Paul was fulfilling that call. Jews and Gentiles from all over the diaspora had traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Instead, they had the privilege of hearing Paul preach the message of Christ.
16 "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’"
The Jews understood baptism as a public identification of transferring allegiance from the Law of Moses to the Messiah himself. Therefore, these Jews living in that day should have been baptized immediately, because they understood the purpose of the ritual.
Many denominations use this verse to falsely claim that one must be baptized with water immediately and/or baptism is a requirement of salvation. Both of these views are wrong. A new believer is saved by baptism of the spirit, which happens to every believer at the moment of conversion. A new believer should not be water baptized until he understands the meaning of the ritual. Anabaptists were killed for this belief.
Water baptism is not essential to salvation, but it is essential to obedience and discipleship.
17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance"
Three years after Paul's conversion at Damascus, Paul visited the Temple in Jerusalem, prayed, and he fell into a trance.
18 "and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’"
This was the incident that was recorded in Acts 9. The Jews in Jerusalem were attempting to kill Paul. The Judaizers did not believe Stephen and neither would they believe Paul.
19 "I replied, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you."
Paul thought that he was safe, because he had persecuted the believers.
20 "And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing nearby, approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.’"
Paul identified himself with the executioners by holding their cloaks.
21 "Then he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul left and went back to his home town of Tarsus, where he stayed for ten years. Later, Barnabas called him out of Tarsus and Paul began his ministry to the Gentiles.
The Roman Commander Questions Paul
22 The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”
The word "Gentiles" angered the crowd and their mob reaction arose. Jews were not against proselyting Gentiles, but they did not like Paul's way of Gentile evangelism without circumcision. They cried out aloud for his death.
23 While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,
The Jews were becoming an uncontrollable mob, meaning that the Roman soldiers would have to get involved.
24 the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks. He told them to interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash so that he could find out the reason the crowd was shouting at Paul in this way.
The commander understood Latin and Greek, but not Hebrew. Therefore, he brought Paul into the Antonio Fortress to find the meaning of Paul's message.
25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen without a proper trial?”
Paul played his ace card. It was against Roman Law to beat a Roman citizen for any reason.
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
Beating a Roman citizen would incur the death penalty.
27 So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” He replied, “Yes.”
The commander asked Paul if he was a Roman citizen.
28 The commanding officer answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” “But I was even born a citizen,” Paul replied.
There were three ways to be a Roman citizen. One could purchase his citizenship through the Emperor Claudius. One could perform an heroic act which might offer the appointment of citizenship. One could be born into citizenship. Somehow by one of these methods, Paul's parents, being Jews, had obtained Roman citizenship.
29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away from him, and the commanding officer was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had had him tied up.
The commander had performed an illegal act against a Roman citizen.
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
30 The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
This was not a trial. The commander ordered the Sanhedrin to meet in the Antonio Fortress so that he could find out the nature of the accusations against Paul.
