History · Chapter 22 of 28

Acts 22

Standing on the castle stairs, Paul addresses the hostile crowd in Hebrew. He recounts his upbringing under Gamaliel, his zeal in persecuting the Way, and his dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus near Damascus. He tells of Ananias restoring his sight, his baptism, and his commission to the Gentiles. At the word 'Gentiles' the crowd erupts; the captain orders Paul scourged, but Paul stops it by declaring his Roman citizenship.

What happens in Acts 22

Paul begins his defense in Hebrew, and the crowd grows quiet. He describes himself as a devout Jew, raised in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, zealous for the law, who persecuted followers of the Way to the death. On the road to Damascus a great light struck him down, and a voice asked, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' The speaker was Jesus of Nazareth. Blinded, Paul was led into the city, where Ananias restored his sight and told him he was chosen to know God's will, to see the Just One, and to be his witness to all people.

Paul recounts a later temple vision in which the Lord sent him to the Gentiles. At that word the crowd explodes, throwing dust and demanding his death. The captain orders him scourged, but Paul asks whether it is lawful to scourge an uncondemned Roman, and the soldiers draw back in fear.

Acts 22 in context

This is the first of Paul's several defense speeches in the closing chapters of Acts, delivered around AD 57 to a Jerusalem crowd that has just tried to kill him. Speaking Hebrew (Aramaic) wins their attention.

Paul frames his whole life as a faithful Jew's, so his hearers will feel the force of his testimony that the risen Jesus turned a persecutor into a witness. Roman citizenship again shields him from torture.

Main themes of Acts 22

Acts 22 (KJV)

1Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5As 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10And 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. 11And 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. 12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Verses to carry from Acts 22

“And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.”Acts 22:8

“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”Acts 22:16

“And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”Acts 22:21

Reflection

The voice that stopped Saul did not condemn him to ruin but called him to purpose. However far you feel from God, or however much you have resisted him, the risen Christ still speaks names. He met his enemy with mercy. What might he be calling you to become? Will you answer, 'What shall I do, Lord?'

A prayer from Acts 22