Acts 22 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. 4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.
6 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.
“And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me.
10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
11 “I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. 12 A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. 13 He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him!
14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’
17 “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’
19 “‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’
21 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”
22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” 23 They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.
As a distinguished Jewish scholar and a star pupil of Gamaliel, Paul has cherished the notion that surely, he will receive fair treatment in Jerusalem. But as Paul gives his testimony, rabble rousers are circulating through the crowd, whispering in men’s ears and promising money if they will continue to make noise. Once Paul says the key word “Gentiles,” the whole situation deteriorates into chaos. And now God’s provision in having Paul born a Roman citizen becomes evident.
Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
24 The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. 25 When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”
27 So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.
28 “I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!”
Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”
29 The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.
Seizing Paul and binding him, threatening with beating without a proper trial contravenes fundamental Roman law. Now the commander himself is shaking, for Paul was born a Roman citizen while this man had had to purchase his citizenship before joining the military. Potentially, Paul has more clout as a native of the Roman Empire than does the commander. And how many important Roman citizens does Paul know?
Paul before the High Council
30 The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.
The Romans are no dummies! If they can possibly hand Paul’s matter over to the Jewish religious authorities, they will do so. Nobody wants a repeat of yesterday’s riot.
Reading this story, you might ask why Paul bothers to give his testimony to a raging crowd instead of gratefully accepting deliverance by the Romans and disappearing into the Praetorium Guard building. The passion of Paul’s heart is to see as many Jews come to Jesus as possible; to that end, he addresses the crowd in hopes that someone will have a change of heart. And perhaps many people do. Until we reach heaven, we will never know how many people who witnessed Paul’s testimony that day eventually chose to follow Jesus. One preacher friend used to say, “We are only in Advertising. God is in Management.” At the same time, Paul is continuing to hope for a fair hearing in Jerusalem, even though the chances are very slim. It will take the bitter experiences of the next few days to convince Paul that his whole focus must now be on the Gentiles.
There’s a story about a man who had a mule he wanted trained. Mules are noted for their stubbornness. When the mule trainer arrived, the first thing he did was to take a large stick and hit the mule alongside his head. “What are you doing?” shouted the horrified mule owner. “I’m simply getting his attention,” replied the trainer. In Jerusalem, God uses a rioting mob to get Paul’s attention. Some of us are just as short-sighted and stubborn. We know what God wants us to do but we’re simply dodging and weaving.
On the farm, we used to drive bunches of pigs from one hog pasture to another. Even though the pasture the pigs were currently on had been grazed until there was little left, pigs would do everything they could to remain in that pasture. We would have to open a gate and then have three people handling large gates to gradually push the pigs through the open gate hole. Those handling the gates would have to keep coming closer and closer together until the pigs had no choice but to back through the open gate. All the pigs could think of was remaining in their worn-out pasture; meanwhile, we were trying to move them to fresh pasture with fragrant alfalfa, timothy, and red clover.
Sadly, many of us are like those hogs. God wants to move us into a future far greater than anything we have experienced before while all we can think of is clinging to something familiar and worn-out. May God help us to trust Him more than we do our own imaginations.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to listen to You and to honor You with our obedience rather than clinging to our own understanding. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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