Level 3: Comprehensive Analysis
(Scholars / Pastors)

Acts 22:17-21 records a pivotal and deeply personal moment in Paul's defense, where he recounts a supernatural spiritual encounter in the Jerusalem Temple that definitively clarifies his mission and provides the ultimate theological justification for The Great Commission to the Gentiles. This pericope serves as a powerful testament to the tension between divine compulsion and human desire, and the reality of Christianity Accepted and Opposed from within.

I. The Setting: Prayer and Revelation in the Temple (Acts 22:17-18)

The narrative of Paul’s defense reaches a crucial turning point as he recounts a trance-like spiritual experience that occurred in a location of immense significance to his Jewish audience.

• Paul's Devotion and the Location: "It happened when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance; and I saw Him saying to me..." (Acts 22:17-18). Paul's testimony that he was "praying in the temple" (proseuchomenou mou en hierō) is a strategic detail. It affirms his continued devotion to Jewish practices and his reverence for the sacred site, directly countering the accusations that he taught Jews to forsake the Law and the Temple (Acts 21:28). This serves as a powerful apologetic to his audience, establishing a common religious ground before he unveils a revolutionary truth.

• The Trance and the Speaker: Paul's "trance" (ekstasei) signifies a divinely induced state of spiritual revelation, confirming that the message he received was not a human thought but a direct, authoritative communication from the risen Christ. This highlights The Holy Spirit's Role in providing guidance and revelation.

• The Lord's Command to Flee: The Lord's command is stark and urgent: "Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me." (Acts 22:18). This prophetic warning is delivered in the very location Paul had gone to in a spirit of conciliation. The reason is explicit and painful: "they will not accept" (ou gar apodexontai) your testimony. This is a divine verdict on the profound hardness of heart that characterizes the majority of the Jewish response to The Great Commission in Jerusalem, and a culmination of the Christianity Accepted and Opposed that Paul faced from his own people.

II. Paul's Argument: Pleading for His People (Acts 22:19-20)

Paul, however, driven by a deep pastoral desire to see his own people saved, pleads with the Lord, using his past as an argument for a continued Jewish ministry in Jerusalem.

• Paul's Counter-Argument: "And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by and giving my approval and watching over the cloaks of those who were killing him.'" (Acts 22:19-20). Paul's plea is poignant and deeply personal. He argues that his conversion story is the ultimate tool for evangelism in Jerusalem because his past as a zealous persecutor is so well known. The very same people who saw his former zeal should now see the miraculous power of God in his transformed life and, by extension, be more receptive to the Gospel.

• Echoes of Past Sins: He explicitly references his role in the stoning of Stephen ("when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed...") and his approval ("giving my approval" - syneudokōn), providing a clear historical connection to the very origins of the persecution in Acts 7 and a profound contrast to his present ministry. This highlights the weight of his past and his fervent desire for its redemption through the salvation of his people. This struggle highlights the internal tension of The Great Commission for Paul: his passion for the Gentiles versus his enduring love for his Jewish brethren.

III. The Final, Decisive Commissioning for the Gentiles (Acts 22:21)

The Lord dismisses Paul's human reasoning and pastoral desire with a final, definitive, and authoritative command, sealing his destiny.

• "Go!": "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" (Acts 22:21). The command "Go!" (Poreuou!) is an authoritative and final imperative. It overrules Paul's theological argument and human desire, compelling him to act in obedience.

• The Definitive Mission: The phrase "For I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (hoti egō eis ethnē makran exapostelō se) is the theological climax of this pericope and a profound moment for The Great Commission. It is not a suggestion but an explicit divine commissioning. The term "far away" (makran) signifies a mission to the distant Gentile world, a definitive break from his primary ministry in Jerusalem. This command confirms that Paul's apostolic destiny lies with the Gentiles, a Prophecy Fulfillment of his original calling in Acts 9:15 and a crucial element for Connecting Acts to the Rest of the NT. The Jewish rejection of his testimony is presented as a providential event that frees him for his ultimate mission.

IV. Theological and Missiological Implications:

This passage is a cornerstone of Pauline theology and missiology, offering profound insights into the nature of The Great Commission.

• The Sovereignty of God in Evangelism: This pericope demonstrates that evangelistic strategy is not ultimately determined by human logic, even from a great apostle. God's sovereign plan for The Great Commission (which includes a temporary hardening of Israel) overrides Paul's deeply personal and pastoral desires. The refusal of the Jews to accept his testimony is presented not as a failure but as a fulfillment of God’s plan to send him to the Gentiles.

• The Nature of Personal Testimony: Paul's use of his conversion story as a defense highlights its power as a tool for Teaching About Jesus and the Gospel. It provides an apologetic bridge from a shared identity to a supernatural truth.

• The Holy Spirit's Role in Guidance: Paul's courageous obedience to a painful command and his submission to God's ultimate will are implicitly empowered by The Holy Spirit's Role. The Spirit not only reveals truth but also provides the courage to accept it and act on it, even when it involves enduring personal hardship and rejection.

• Context for Pauline Theology: This passage provides crucial biographical and theological context for Connecting Acts to the Rest of the NT, particularly Paul's later reflections in his epistles (e.g., Romans 9-11) on Israel's unbelief, Gentile inclusion, and his continuing mission as the apostle to the Gentiles. It grounds his universal mission in a specific, personal encounter with the risen Christ, providing the divine authority for his apostleship.

Acts 22:17-21 is thus a powerful and foundational narrative for The Great Commission. It demonstrates that God's sovereign plan, revealed through The Holy Spirit's Role and confirmed by the reality of Christianity Accepted and Opposed, definitively shifts Paul's ministry from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. His personal story of transformation becomes the very engine of his mission, as he is sent away to fulfill his divine purpose in the world.