Chapter Twenty-Two
Paul Speaks to the People
22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” 2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:
Paul begins to address the crowd after they quiet down and when they hear that he is speaking in Hebrew they became even more silent (see Acts 21:40).
22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.
He dispels the first charge against him that he was anti-Jewish by making it clear that he too is a Jew. Even though born in Tarsus, among Hellenistic Jews, he was brought up in Jerusalem and was a student of Gamaliel (perhaps the most revered rabbi at that time) who taught him strict compliance to the law and became zealous for God just like they are demonstrating here now. Paul then walks them through a condensed version of the events that led to his acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah as recorded in Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-31.
22:4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
He tells them that at one time he persecuted the Way, he went after them and brought them to prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can attest to, since they gave him that authority. After obtaining letters that gave him the power to bring anyone in Damascus who professed any alliance with the Way to arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem for prosecution (see Acts 9:1-2).
22:6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
Paul next speaks about his encounter with Jesus. As he approached Damascus around noon, he tells them that a bright light from above suddenly appeared. He dropped to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He then asked who was talking and the voice responded, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Paul notes that there were others with him at the time who did see the light but could not understand what they were hearing. He tells them that he asked Jesus what should he do next and was told to go into Damascus and he would be told what to do after he arrived. He then reported that he could not see as the light blinded him and had to be led into town (see Acts 9:3-9).
22:12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
He next spoke of Ananias who he describes as a well-respected Jew, who came to him and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight,” and he was able to see again. Ananias then told Paul that God had appointed him to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice, as he was to be a witness for Him. He was to rise, be baptized, and wash away his sins by calling on His name (see Acts 9:10-19).
22:17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
Paul does not mention his encounter with the Jews in Damascus as this group was provoked by the same motivations as that mob in Damascus was (see Acts 9:20-25). He also avoided mentioning the initial difficulty and then the final acceptance of the believers in Jerusalem (see Acts 9:26-31). He fast forwards to a time when he had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple (something important to mention in support of his continued respect for Jewish protocols) and there he fell into a trance and saw Jesus speaking to him. This vision was not recorded earlier, nor does Paul refer to it in any of his epistles. He reports that Jesus told him to leave Jerusalem quickly as they will not accept Paul’s testimony regarding Him. Paul noted that he argued with Him that he would be feared among Jewish believers as they will have undoubtedly heard that he imprisoned and beat those who believed in Jesus and that he was there and approved of Stephen’s stoning (see Acts 6:8-7:60). Paul reports that Jesus replied, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”
22:22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,
The crowd was listening up to the point when Paul mentioned that God had sent him to preach to the Gentiles. The crowd got loud again, in their minds anyone who places Gentiles as being equally acceptable to God as the Jews, should not be allowed to live. They resumed shouting and began to throw their cloaks (possibly removed earlier in preparation to stone Paul). They also were picking up dirt and throwing the dust in the air.
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22:24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.
Seeing that the crowd was once again unruly, the tribune ordered his men to bring Paul into the barracks. Since the tribune still did not understand what Paul did to cause such a commotion, and since the Romans often would interrogate non-Roman citizens through a torturous flogging, the tribune ordered Paul to be flogged.
22:25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
When the Romans were preparing to flog Paul, he asks a question that shook them to the core, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” Since it was unlawful to flog a citizen without a trial, the centurion immediately went to the tribune and told him that Paul was a Roman citizen. The tribune came to Paul and asked him if he was a Roman citizen, Paul replied, “Yes.” It’s not clear why the tribune confessed that he paid a lot of money for his citizenship, as Rome officially did not sell citizenship, but some officials could be bribed. However, Paul’s was legit, he reports that he was a citizen by birth. The ‘examination’ was over, but the tribune was afraid since he had arrested and bound a Roman citizen without a trial, he could face serious ramifications.
Paul is Sent to the Sanhedrin
22:30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
Still not understanding why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the tribune decides to send Paul to the high priests and the council (the Sanhedrin, see Acts 4:1-22).