Welcome to Acts 22

Acts 22 presents Paul's first formal defense following his dramatic arrest in the Jerusalem temple, offering a profound personal testimony before the very Jewish crowd that sought his life. This speech is a strategic articulation of Teaching About Jesus and the Gospel, particularly as it relates to Paul's own journey and his divine call to fulfill The Great Commission among the Gentiles. Addressing the mob in Aramaic (Hebrew), Paul skillfully establishes his impeccable Jewish credentials, emphasizing his birth in Tarsus, upbringing in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, and his zealous adherence to the Law, mirroring their own fervent devotion. He then shockingly admits his prior persecution of "this Way," even unto death, highlighting the depth of his transformation.

The core of Paul's defense lies in his detailed recounting of the Damascus Road encounter, a pivotal event in Connecting Acts to the Rest of the NT. He describes the blinding light, the voice of the resurrected Jesus asking, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 22:7), and his subsequent blindness. He narrates Ananias's arrival, sent by the Lord, who lays hands on him, restores his sight, and commissions him to be a witness of what he has seen and heard, and to call upon the Lord's name. This divine intervention, a powerful display of The Holy Spirit's Role, irrevocably altered Paul's trajectory from persecutor to apostle.

The tension in the narrative sharply escalates when Paul recounts a subsequent vision in the Jerusalem temple, where the Lord instructs him to leave the city swiftly because his testimony about Christ would not be received there. Even more controversially for his Jewish audience, the Lord explicitly commands him: "Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles." (Acts 22:21). At the mention of "Gentiles," the crowd's fury erupts, demanding his death. The Roman commander, unaware of the content of Paul's Aramaic speech, orders him to be flogged to extract a confession. However, Paul deftly uses his Roman citizenship as a shield, questioning the legality of their actions. This legal maneuver prevents the flogging and forces the commander to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin the next day, setting the stage for his subsequent trials. Acts 22 thus vividly portrays the profound Christianity Accepted and Opposed inherent in the Gospel's advance, particularly when it transcends established ethnic and religious boundaries, and underscores Prophecy Fulfillment in God's plan for a worldwide witness.