NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 66
A cts 2 2 : 1
2022
“Brothers and esteemed fathers,”
22
Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my
defense.” When they heard him speaking
j
2
in their own language,* the silence was even
greater.
3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tar
sus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and
educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel.
As his student, I was carefully ktrained in our
Jewish laws and customs. I became very zeal
ous to honor God in everything I did, just like
all of you today. 4 And I persecuted the fol
lowers of the Way, hounding some to death,
arresting both men and women and throw
ing 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 Da
mascus 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 every
thing 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 ances
tors 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 every
one what you have seen and heard. 16 What
are you waiting for? Get up and be l 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.
Paul Claims His Rights as a Roman Citizen
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!”
22:1
Acts 7:2
j apologia (0627)
Acts
24:10
22:321
//Acts 9:129;
26:918
22:3
Acts 5:3440
Rom 10:2
k paideuo- (3811)
1
Cor 11:32
22:4
Acts 8:3; 9:2
22:6
Acts 9:28; 26:1213
22:9
Acts 9:7; 26:13
22:11
Acts 9:8
22:12
Acts 9:17
22:14
Acts 3:13
1 Cor 15:8
22:15
Acts 26:16
22:16
Acts 2:38
Rom 10:13
1 Cor 6:11
Heb 10:22
l baptizo- (0907)
Rom
6:3
22:19
Acts 8:3; 22:45;
26:911
22:20
Acts 7:57–8:1
22:21
Acts 9:15; 13:2
Rom 15:1516
22:22
Acts 21:36; 25:24
22:25
Acts 16:37
2:2 Greek in Aramaic, or in Hebrew. 22:8 Or Jesus of Nazareth. 22:18 Greek him. 22:25 Greek the centurion;
2
also in 22:26.
22:121 Paul’s premier defense of his
life and faith before his own people
in Jerusalem illustrates his flexibility
as a missionary, just as his speech to
the Greek philosophers in Athens had
done (17:2231; see 1 Cor 9:2023). Paul
begins by recognizing his kinship with
his people, explaining his Jewish back
ground and training under the noted
rabbi Gamaliel the Elder and describing
his zealous desire to honor God in everything, which they shared (Acts 22:13).
Paul then describes his persecution of
Christians (22:45), the revelation of
Jesus to him on the way to Damascus
(22:610), and his conversion (22:1116).
Paul ends his speech by describing
his conversation with the Lord in the
Temple. The Lord had predicted the
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
Jews’ rejection of the message and had
sent Paul to the Gentiles (22:1721).
22:3 under Gamaliel: See note on 5:34.
22:1216 Ananias: See note on 9:17.
22:14 the Righteous One: See also 3:14;
7:52; 1 Jn 2:1. Righteousness was one
of the Messiah’s characteristics (see Isa
32:1; 53:11).
22:16 be baptized. Have your sins
washed away: See “Baptism,” 2:38, 41.
22:1722 While Paul was praying in the
Temple, he saw a vision of Jesus telling
him that the people of Jerusalem would
not accept his testimony. The Lord then
sent him to the Gentiles. The crowd’s
response to this report (22:2223) proved
the point.
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
22:23 The crowd’s yelling, throwing
off their coats, and tossing handfuls
of dust into the air were probably
ritual responses to perceived blas
phemy. They opposed and tried to
thwart Paul’s words that suggested the
inclusion of Gentiles (22:21). Cp. Luke
4:1630.
22:2529 Paul claimed his status as a
Roman citizen at this critical time when
he was about to be tortured to make
him confess his supposed crime. Roman
citizenship was a valuable asset, and
claiming it falsely was a capital offense.
Its principal benefits were the prohibi
tion of scourging and the right to appeal
to the emperor (25:11). The commander
was frightened at having nearly violated
Roman law (cp. 16:3539).
POETRY & WISDOM
