CHAPTER 22

Acts 21:40
40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people.
And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts 22
22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

Being a Christian doesn't mean things will always work out the way we think they should!
Sometimes, doing the "right" thing gets us in trouble with the world!

Paul had been asked to go with the men to the temple.
James and the elders thought it would be a good thing for Paul to do this.
He would show the Jewish people he CARED about their religious traditions, and was not teaching and preaching erroneously.
But it got him arrested!

After his arrest, and while being led up the stair, Paul asked the chief captain if he could speak to the people.
Paul spoke to the captain in Greek.
The captain was amazed that Paul spoke Greek.

Then, when speaking was allowed, Paul turned to the Jewish people and spoke in Hebrew.
Yes! He was a learned man.

Too often, people consider Christians to be uneducated.
NEWS FLASH!! Some of the most educated people in the world have been Christians!!

Paul, speaking in Hebrew, quietened the crowd!

Acts 22:2
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Remember, back in Chapter 21, Paul was accused of "all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place." (Acts 21:28)

Paul wanted them to realize that although he was Greek, he was also a Hebrew!

Just because a person is black, yellow, red, or white doesn't mean that person can't be a CHRISTIAN!
And, simply because a person is a Christian, doesn't mean that person is inferior in education!

Acts 22:3-5
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Yes, Paul was Greek; born in Tarsus.
Yet, he was also a Hebrew, and was reared in Jerusalem.
He had the benefits of being educated by one of their master Rabbis - Gamaliel!

He was also zealous for the Hebrew faith.
Paul "persecuted" people of "this WAY" (Christians)!
The high priest and elders could testify that they gave paul "letters" to bring back Hebrew Christians to Jerusalem "to be punished."

Having their attention, now - Paul continued with his testimony.

Acts 22:6-16 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Paul continued, telling how he persecuted Hebrew Christians.

With the "letters,"from the high priest and elders, Paul headed to Damascus.
But something happened!!

A bright "light" (See Acts 26:13) blinded Paul and brought him to his knees!!
((Remember, Jesus IS "the Light of the world!!" See John 8:12, and , John 9:5)).

Paul identifies the "Light" as Jesus, and refers to Him as LORD! (See vs 8 above)
Jesus told Paul to go into Damascus and find Ananias.
(See the commentary on Chapter nine: http://www.linktojesus.org/devotions/44_Acts/CHAPTER_9.html .)

Paul SAW Jesus, which puts him in place as an "apostle." (See See 1Corinthians 9:1)

Ananias was used by Jesus to bring back Paul's sight.
Then, Ananias gave Paul charge to be baptized, and to become a witness to all men!

Once we have surrendered to Christ, it is our calling to be baptized and become witnesses to others!
That means we must establish a plan to GROW in the knowledge of the Bible and people.
We must have a knowledge of the Bible to lead others in coming to know Jesus.
And, we must have a knowledge of people in order to gain their attention and share with them.

Acts 22:17-21
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

Paul's testimony continued.

After being saved, he returned to Jerusalem.
But, when he was praying in the temple, he had another visit from the Lord Jesus!

Jesus told him to get OUT of Jerusalem, because the Hebrews would NOT listen to his testimony of being saved!
Paul argued that the people KNEW him, because he had been a lead persecutor of Christians.
And, he had even held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen! (See Acts 7:58)

But Jesus told Paul they would NOT believe him, and that he should leave.

Then, Jesus told Paul He would be sent to the "Gentiles!"

Acts 22:22-24
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

Well, THAT statement about sending Paul to the "Gentiles" just BUSTED it!!

The Hebrew people had become so self-engrossed that they were religiously exclusive!
They would allow a Gentile to come into the religion ONLY if he/she went through many grueling rituals!
And, even THEN, they treated him different; not including him in many of their religious activities!

They believed Gentiles were unholy, unclean, and underserving of salvation!
They focused so much on that thought, they began to believe themselves as WITHOUT sin!

NO! REALLY?
Why, we would NEVER have such as that happen in the Christian church, would we?

My my!!
YES! It happens WAY too often in Christian churches.

((There's an old joke I use sometimes.
The new pastor came to the church out in West Texas.
The first Sunday, it had snowed 8 inches!
Only one old deacon showed up.
The pastor prayed with the deacon, then said, "Hey, we should go VISIT some folk and tell them about Jesus."
The old deacon said, "Preacher, we done opened the doors of the church; we done lit the lanterns; we done put a fire in the heater. We got pews, we got Bibles, and we got song books.
If they don't WANT to come, then let them go to hell!"))

I'm afraid MANY of our church members don't SAY that, but they believe it!
Actions speak!
NON-actions speak just as loud!!

How many Christians ACTUALLY study their Bibles enough to LEAD someone to know Christ?
How many Christians are actually VISITING the lost to show them the way to Christ?
How many Christians EXHIBIT the fact that every soul without Christ is drowning in a sea of sin and needs RESCUEING?!!

Well, ya know what Jesus said about that? If you're not SERVING, then you're SCATTERING!!
In Matthew 12:31, Jesus said,
"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."

The church is NOT a country club for exclusive membership!
It is a HOSPITAL for ALL sinners!!

The church is the "body" of Christ!
We are His arms, hands, legs and feet!
We are to follow the "Head" by learning the Bible and DOING His will!!

Just like many in the church today, those Hebrews in Paul's day didn't want to THINK of Gentiles getting saved!

Acts 22:22-24
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

Slinging off their outer cloaks, and throwing dust into the air was a sign of GRIEF due to DISGUST!

Such an outrageous uproar!
The chief captain thought surely Paul was a great criminal!
So, he decided to scourge (whip) Paul, and question him.

But God had ALREADY placed a plan in motion to save Paul from this problem.
In fact, he placed that plan in motion BEFORE Paul was born!

Acts 22:25-28 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

Paul knew his rights as a Roman citizen.
Because of God's grace, Paul had been born a Hebrew, but also a Roman citizen!

The chief captain, could hardly believe it.
He said he had to pay a healthy amount of money to become a Roman citizen.
But Paul said, "I was FREE BORN!"

In other words, Paul was a Roman citizen by BIRTH!

Acts 22:29-30
29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

The chief captain was glad he had not scourged Paul!
And, he was ashamed that he had "bound" him!

So, he set a time for the next day that the chief priests and the council would come and tell WHY they were persecuting Paul.

We'll pick up that story in Chapter 23.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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