May 15, 2022
Acts 21:37-22:22
“Paul’s Defense – Part 1”
Service Overview:
Paul serves as a good example of someone who made a good faith effort to establish common ground with his audience before diving into the controversial things he would have to say. Paul indeed “became like a Jew, to win the Jews” (1 Cor. 9:20).
Memory Verse for the Week:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 (NIV)
Background Information:
- (v.38) A few years prior, an Egyptian had come along and led thousands out into the wilderness in a plot to overthrow the Romans. Could Paul be that man, he wondered? Josephus tells us that a battle ensued where many thousands who followed this Egyptian prophet were killed, but the prophet himself escaped. He was like the Osama bin Laden of the ancient world; they looked everywhere for him with no success. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 325)
- When Paul speaks of his past we are reminded that apart from the single fact that he persecuted Christians Paul never thought of his background as something about which he needed to be ashamed. On the contrary, he spoke of it favorably. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 367)
- Note how Paul piled up his Jewish credentials: he was a Jew, a native of Tarsus, brought up in Jerusalem, trained by Gamaliel, a follower of the law, a zealous persecutor of the church, and a representative of the Sanhedrin. How could his countrymen not respectfully listen to a man with that kind of record! (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 393)
- This speech from the steps of the Fortress of Antonia deals eloquently with the major charge against him—that of being a Jewish apostate (cf. 21:28a). It does this by setting all that had happened in his Christian life in a Jewish context and by insisting that what others might consider apostasy really came to him as a revelation from heaven. Indeed, the speech parallels much of what Luke has already given us about Paul’s conversion in 9:1-19 and what he will give us again in 26:2-23. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 524)
- (vv. 14-15) The reference to seeing Christ, the Righteous One, is important because it qualified Paul to be an apostle (cf. 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8). The term “Righteous One” was also used by Stephen (Acts 7:52). The all men to whom Paul was to present the gospel included Gentiles, kings, and Jews (9:15). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 418)
- By speaking in Greek, Paul showed that he was a cultured, educated man and not just a common rebel starting riots in the streets. The language grabbed the commander’s attention and gave Paul protection and the opportunity to give his defense. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 369)
The question to answer…
Why was it important for Paul to present this defense?
Answer…
For Paul, love for his people, and the desire to see all people come to faith, compelled him to seize every opportunity to share the hope he had in Christ.
What’s helpful to learn from Paul in this account?
- Paul’s approach.
– Disarm the people. (vv. 37, 39, 22:1-2)
– Establish credibility. (vv. 3-5)
– Present the case. (vv. 6-13)
(Proverbs 11:30; Matthew 5:16; 10:32; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 12:11)
Paul’s ability to speak Aramaic gave his Jewish credentials even more weight and helped win him a hearing. (Osborne, Acts, 371)
The fact that he addressed them in their own tongue was a sign of respect. He did not retreat to academic jargon. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 328)
Paul’s defense to the mob who are out for his blood is not to argue but to relate a personal experience; and a personal experience is the most unanswerable argument on earth. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 159)
- Paul’s story.
– What was. (vv. 3-5)
– What happened. (vv. 6-16)
– What now? (vv. 17-21)
(Psalm 66:16; 107:1-2; Mark 8:38; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Philippians 1:27-30; 1 John 5:11)
In summary, the defense of Paul was straightforward and plain: He was and remained a patriotic Jew; but God had intervened in his life so unmistakably that his former life had been completely changed. His life and his teaching were now in obedience to the divine command. His message had come by divine revelation. It was God’s doing, not his own. This is the classic apology for Christianity. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 253)
Seemingly, Paul was emphasizing that nothing less than an encounter with God himself could have turned him around. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4331)
How can this account serve to challenge us as Jesus’ followers today?
A. Don’t diminish your story! Learn to love it and tell it!
(Ps. 35:28; 107:1-2; Mat. 5:16; Romans 2:4; 5:8; 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Titus 3:3-7)
Paul practiced the most powerful form of witness: simple testimony from his experience. Whenever you tell your own story—the story of what Jesus has done for you and how He has changed your life—you are on solid ground. You are the world’s best authority on your own life, so you can speak with unassailable conviction. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 285)
B. Develop tact in sharing.
(Proverbs 13:16; 14:15; 15:2; Daniel 12:3; Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Peter 3:15-16)
What was Paul thinking when he commended the zeal of the murderous mob in the temple court? He was looking for something in their behavior to affirm. He could have spoken bluntly: “You people are totally off spiritually! I used to be rash and violent like you.” But such remarks would have inflamed the very people he was trying to win. Instead, he communicated this: “It’s obvious that you have great zeal for God. I understand. I was the same way—only more so” (and then he detailed his prior hatred for the teaching known as the Way). When you witness for Christ, look for something to affirm. This is not to advocate flattery or manipulation—sooner or later people will see through such insincere techniques. It’s just a reminder that people are much more likely to listen if they feel understood rather than attacked. (Osborne, Acts, 372)
C. Trust God to do the heavy lifting.
(John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:6-8; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23)
Paul had to learn that the will of God for all Christians is to have an intimate relationship with His Son. Our relationship with Him is the source of our power to live for Him. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 286)
All the infinities of God and the eternal world dwell in the Word as the seed of eternal life. And as the full-grown oak is so mysteriously greater than the acorn from which it springs, so God’s words are but seeds from which God’s mighty wonders of grace can grow up. (Andrew Murray, The Inner Chamber and the Inner Life, 70)
D. Learn what irks you and learn to temper it.
(Ps. 11:5; Ez. 18:23; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:4; 1 Cor. 16:14; Eph. 4:15; James 3; 1 John 4:8)
The word “Gentiles’ has no such effect today. But we have other words which cause the same paralysis of mind and hearing, for most of us have some prejudice, some cherished aversion, some forbidden subject which, when touched, acts an an immediate stop to reason. (Halford E. Luccock, The Acts of the Apostles in Present-Day Preaching, Vol. 1, 151)
Gospel Application…
The gospel is the power of God to save and transform whosoever will come.
(John 3:16; Acts 10:34; Romans 1:16; 5:8; 1 John 1:9; 2:2; 4:19)
Sound reasoning, biblical arguments, and apologetics all have their place in evangelism, but it is most important to simply tell how we met Christ and what he has done in our lives. That’s all a witness is and does. He or she relates what has been personally experienced. No matter how real our encounter with Christ was, no matter how compellingly we relate the story, not everyone will accept it. Still, we must faithfully and responsibly share our testimonies, then leave the results to God. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 374)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What’s your B.C. (Before Christ) story? How might you articulate it in a way that highlights your need without glorifying sin?
- How did you discover your need for Jesus and then place your trust in him? Who was involved in that process for you? What were the circumstances?
- What are some ways in which you can work to be winsome in your interactions with non-believers?
- Note verse 22: “They listened to him until this word.” The word “Gentiles” did it. What might that word be for you? What can you do to better maintain control of your emotions and not react to them?
Quotes to note…
Why did Luke tell the same story three times? We can only guess at the reason. Luke was a punctilious historian. He is noted as the most accurate historian of all antiquity, and he kept himself clearly close to the facts. I think Luke did it not only because Acts is a historical narrative of what took place in the early church but because Luke’s primary concern is to give a defense of the authenticity of Paul’s apostleship. As we know, Paul was not numbered among the original Twelve, yet when we look at the early history of the church, we see that, apart from Jesus, the single most important leader was Paul the Apostle, who wrote thirteen of the books of the New Testament. No theologian since has surpassed his excellence. Luke underscores the importance of Paul in Christian history and in the life of the church even today. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 328)
Upon encountering Jesus, Paul recognized him as Lord of all, asked the only appropriate question, “What should I do?” and then obeyed without reservation. This ought to be each believer’s continual, daily response to God. Renewing the mind requires seeing Jesus as the one who controls all things and who alone deserves to direct our lives. Living the new life demands that we seek his will and then implement it. This is true submission. It explains why Paul was so fruitful for God. And it suggests how we can live effectively for Christ. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 374)
Paul’s use of “the Hebrew tongue” (here it means the commonly spoken Aramaic) so surprised and pleased the crowd that they listened intently. Likewise, Paul’s form of address was most courteous: “Men, brethren, and fathers.” He was doing his utmost to win them over. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 253)
No devout Jew would have anything to do with the Gentiles! Had Paul not uttered that one word, he might have later been released, and perhaps he knew this. However, he had to be faithful in his witness, no matter what it cost him. Paul would rather be a prisoner than give up his burden for lost souls and for missions! We could use more Christians like that today. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 393)
This portion of Paul’s time in Jerusalem shows us courage in his reaction to the confluence of criticism. He took the criticism of fellow Christians with ready magnanimity and the criticism of the Asian Jews with calm determination. There on the steps, facing the mob, Paul, and not the commander, was in charge. The Apostle had nothing to lose; He belonged to Christ. Preaching the Gospel, even to his self-appointed enemies, was more important than his safety. He belonged to Christ for eternity. That’s the first aspect of our dissection of courage. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 307)
Many evangelical Christians are guilty of the same spiritual pride. We believe that God has chosen us, that we in the church are God’s elect. So we resist going out to the poor, the illegal aliens, the homeless, the addicts, the prisoners, the AIDS sufferers, the least, the last, and the lost. God always Judges such self-righteous pride, because His grace is available to all—And the ground is level at the foot of the cross. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 287)
The power of the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostle, and with a mere gesture of his hand the screaming mob was silenced. What followed is one of the most important defenses of Paul’s life and ministry. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 325)
The Book of Acts is really quite a short book, so it is extraordinary that a book of this length would repeat the same incident three times. We are told three times of the circumstances of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 328)
(vv. 1–3). The three most celebrated rabbis of antiquity were Hillel, Akiba, and Gamaliel. Of those three, without question the most celebrated was Gamaliel. So Paul in his defense reminds his hearers that he had studied under the best. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 328)
Gamaliel had gained a reputation not only for brilliance but also for a kind, gentle, and tolerant spirit. Many students of great teachers become brash and impetuous. Filled up with the knowledge they have learned, they seek to impose it on everyone else. Saul had been no different; he had learned a love for the law from Gamaliel, and he had a passion to get rid of anybody who disagreed with this Jewish tradition. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 329)
Jesus had long ago been executed, twenty-seven years before Saul’s conversion. He had been raised from the dead and had ascended into heaven. He was beyond the reach of the savagery of Saul. Saul couldn’t do anything to hurt Jesus personally, and yet Jesus had said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Saul in his fury had been persecuting Jesus’ people—His body, the church. Earlier Jesus had said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matt. 25:45). Saul’s persecution of Jesus’ people was persecution of Jesus Himself. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 329)
Saul was told that he had been chosen by God to know His will. If you look carefully at the terms of this account, you see that Luke is jealous to communicate the circumstances of Paul’s call to be an Apostle. In the Old Testament many went who had not been sent. As we noted earlier, to be a true prophet one had to be called directly and immediately by God and anointed by His Spirit to be an agent of His revelation. So what we have here is another record of the call of Paul to be an Apostle. He had not been numbered among the original Twelve, but he had the most important credential he could have—a direct and immediate call by Christ. That is what Ananias was confirming. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 330)
(v. 17). The Greek word for trance is the word from which we get “ecstasy.” In the Latin, it is translated in stupora mentus, “in a mental stupor.” There is a mystical element that we cannot deny in the life of the Apostle Paul. We find the same thing in Peter when he was in Cornelius’s house and had the vision of the sheets from heaven. It is the same concept that we find in Revelation when the Apostle John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). Paul said that he had been praying and the Lord had moved him to ecstasy, and in that ecstasy Paul had seen and heard him again. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 330)
Paul’s closing arguments on his own behalf at this kangaroo court converted few if any, because the response of the crowd was the same as that given to Stephen all those years earlier. Nevertheless, the mission still goes on today. The testimony of Paul reaches every corner of the world today, because God chose him to be the one to speak his word as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Never before has the church needed more desperately to listen again to this Apostle. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 331)
Paul knew what the next step would be. The Roman commander would interrogate him, seeking to uncover the reason for the riot. Perhaps Paul concluded that he could get double duty from his statements in self-defense. Before the commander could ask, Paul could answer the questions he knew were coming. At the same time, Paul’s words could be his witness for Christ to the entire city. More likely, however, Paul sensed that this might be his last chance to speak to the Jews of the city he called home. He wanted to seize this final opportunity. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4296)
(v.38) Josephus (pronounced Jo-see-fus), a Jewish historian writing about the end of the first century, gives us more information about the Egyptian. This individual had claimed to be a messiah. He led thousands of Jews to the Mount of Olives, adjacent to Jerusalem. He promised that his followers would see the city walls fall. Roman power over Jerusalem would also fall. However, the Roman army, directed by Felix (who remained the Roman governor at the time of Paul’s arrest [see 23:24]) squashed this revolt. In the process, many innocent citizens were massacred. The Egyptian leader, however, escaped. Those Jews who survived this event remained angry at this “false prophet” who had led many astray. As the Roman commander observed the crowd’s vicious behavior toward Paul, he assumed that only this Egyptian could provoke such brutality. Jerusalem was seeking revenge against an enemy. Yes, Jerusalem was seeking revenge on an enemy, but not an Egyptian. The enemy was an educated citizen of Tarsus (note that Paul spoke Greek in 21:37). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4307)
Aramaic (21:40), the common tongue of the people of Palestine. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4318)
The crowd could not attack Paul; undoubtedly he was still heavily guarded by the Romans. Being unable to get at him, they decided to listen to him, perhaps hoping that he would incriminate himself (see 22:2). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4318)
Ananias referred to Jesus as the Righteous One, similar to Old Testament descriptions of the Messiah (22:14; see Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 53:11). Both of these statements could have appealed to the Jewish mind. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4331)
The crowd listened quietly until Paul mentioned his mission to the Gentiles (22:22). Mention of outsiders reminded Paul’s hearers of why they were there. They remembered the rumor that Paul, among the Gentiles, had turned Jews away from Moses (21:21). They believed that he had taken one of his Gentile friends into the inner reaches of the Temple. No longer able to restrain their emotions, they returned to crying for his death. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition, Location, 4342)
Paul’s defense before the Jewish mob in the temple courts is a textbook example of how to communicate to a hostile audience. He disarmed the Roman commander by speaking to him in Greek. Then he established common ground with the Jews gathered below him by speaking to them in their own language. Presenting his credentials as a devout Jew trained under the highly respected rabbi Gamaliel, Paul then described his unlikely encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus Road. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 368)
The historian Josephus wrote of an Egyptian who had led a revolt of thousands of Jews in Jerusalem in A.D. 54 (just three years previous). This self-proclaimed prophet had convinced his fanatical followers to accompany him to the nearby Mount of Olives. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 369)
When Paul began speaking to the assembled crowd, he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic, the common language among Palestinian Jews. He spoke in Aramaic not only to communicate in the language of his listeners but also to show that he was a devout Jew and had respect for the Jewish laws and customs. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 370)
Paul spoke Greek to the Roman officials and Aramaic to the Jews. He understood the principle that effective ministry requires that we speak the language of those we seek to impact. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 370)
In our dealings with men, however unkind and hurting they are, we must exercise the same patience as God exercises with us. It is the simple truth that such patience is not the sign of weakness but the sign of strength; it is not defeatism, but rather the only way to victory. William Barclay (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 371)
Though born in Tarsus, Paul had been reared in the holy City of David. Not only that, but he had been “educated . . . under Gamaliel,” the most honored rabbi of that time. Gamaliel was well known and respected as an expert on religious law and as a voice for moderation (5:34). Who could say anything bad about a student of Israel’s greatest scholar? (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 371)
The Pharisees were legendary for their rigorous keeping of the most minute details of the law (see Matthew 23). This statement by Paul was intended to refute the allegation in 21:28 that he had been telling everyone to disobey the Jewish laws. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 371)
Effective communication requires that we expend the effort to build bridges of understanding to others. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 370)
Beyond merely accosting Christians on the temple grounds, Paul had sought their death (see 7:54-60; 26:10). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 372)
He made it clear that his conversion was not an issue of defection but a matter of divine intervention! Paul had been about his business, intent on his mission (rounding up the followers of Jesus)—and apparently very content and settled in his pro-Jewish, anti-Christian state of mind. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 373)
Paul always tried to establish a common point of contact with those he wished to evangelize. With this crowd at the temple, he cited his Jewish credentials, mentioned certain connections, and won a hearing. Many Christians erroneously believe, “I don’t have any credentials or connections with unbelievers! I could never be like Paul.” Not true. You have children in school. Or a mortgage. Or classes. Or a marriage. Or a job. Or membership in a club. You have certain experiences. A certain background. Use those facts about yourself. Take your interests, passions, and skills, and use them as a springboard for the gospel. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 373)
Ananias had made it clear that the supernatural events being experienced by Paul were the sovereign work of none other than the God of our ancestors. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 375)
Baptism (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 1:4-8; Acts 2:41) indicates acceptance of and identification with a certain leader, group, or teaching (see notes on 2:38). Baptism in the name of Christ would be a powerful outward sign of Paul’s inward cleansing from sin and his embracing of the gospel. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 375)
The consistent record of Acts is that those who put their faith in Christ immediately sought to be baptized. In the early church, the notion of an unbaptized believer was unheard of. Sadly, many modern-day Christians mistakenly view baptism as optional—a matter of personal preference. By not obeying Christ’s command to be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20), followers of Jesus end up not following him—at least not fully. For even he submitted to John’s baptism. Furthermore, unbaptized believers miss out on a wonderful and meaningful event in their Christian life. Baptism (like the Lord’s Supper) enables us to act out some of the rich spiritual blessings we have in Christ. Have you obeyed the command to be baptized? (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 376)
[the commander] seemed surprised that Paul knew Greek and asked Paul if he were not the Egyptian “who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists” (Gk. sikariōn, “dagger men”), who were known to assassinate their opponents. (Egyptians at that time spoke Greek from childhood.) One duty of the commander was to keep peace in the temple area. He evidently thought Paul must be an insurrectionist. ( Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 8108)
Paul answered by identifying himself as a Jew, a citizen of the prestigious city of Tarsus. This implies that he was “a noble person from a sophisticated place.” (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 8114)
The language he spoke (Gk. Hebraidi) is generally taken to be Aramaic, the language the Jews brought back from Babylonia after their exile there in the sixth century B.C. But there is considerable evidence from inscriptions, coins, apocryphal documents, and pseudepigraphal writings that Jerusalem Jews took pride in being able to use the old (biblical) Hebrew. All Jews also read the Bible first in Hebrew in the synagogues every week, so they would all be familiar with the biblical Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls also show that the people did know Hebrew. By using the biblical Hebrew, Paul gained the attention of the crowd. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 8118)
Clearly, Paul was not blaming them for beating him. Once, in his zeal for God, he would have done the same thing. In fact, Paul “persecuted the followers of this [Christian] Way” up to the point of causing the death of believers, “arresting [Gk. desmeuōn, “binding with chains”] both men and women,” and having them put in prison (see Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:5–6). Again Luke draws attention to the faith of women who were believers. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 8143)
In spite of his beating, Paul had the courage and determination to address the mob. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 251)
Paul’s cultured use of the Greek tongue, along with his remarkable demeanor, convinced the tribune that he was at least no terrorist. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 251)
Paul’s response to the tribune’s question suggests the surge of a sudden, almost incredible dignity on the part of the torn and battered prisoner. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 251)
No man ever had a stranger pulpit or congregation. Standing on the stairs above the people, chained on either side to a soldier, and separated from the staring crowd by a company of soldiers, Paul gestured with a chained hand to the upturned faces, and the crowd fell silent. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 251)
The charge against Paul was that he, as a Jew, taught a message which was “against the people, and the law, and this place [the temple]” (21:28). The crux of the matter was his teaching that Gentiles could have an equal place with Jews in God’s kingdom . (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 253)
It was Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus of Nazareth which had transformed his life. The same Jesus who was crucified in that very city of Jerusalem was therefore alive in the unseen glory, and was caring for and directing His people. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 254)
Paul was saying, in effect, “If you ask of me why I do as I do and teach as I teach, I simply reply, ‘Because I have been apprehended for this very purpose by the highest of all authorities. I am what I am by the will and grace of God.'” (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 254)
Notwithstanding such feelings on his part, the Lord’s command was clear: “Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.” The mission to the Gentiles, the thing which was particularly offensive to his audience, was not his own doing, but God’s. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 255)
The reference to Stephen’s death is especially poignant. It is the painful acknowledgment of a terrible crime, but one deliberately made so as to make the point as sharp as possible. What piercing memories of God’s boundless grace must have flooded his heart as he spoke! (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 255)
Josephus wrote of an Egyptian impostor who claimed to be a prophet. He said this Egyptian had gathered 30,000 followers (Luke with accuracy states 4,000; Josephus had a tendency to inflate numbers) and in A.D. 54 came to the Mount of Olives promising his adherents that the walls of Jerusalem would collapse at his command. Instead, the Roman army promptly marched on them, killed some and captured others, while the remainder were scattered. The Egyptian escaped. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 417)
Tarsus was a city which enjoyed a good reputation, particularly for being an educational center. As yet Paul had not revealed his Roman citizenship (cf. 22:23-29) (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 417)
Paul’s point here is obvious. He had been thoroughly committed to the Law and to stamping out Christianity. On the Way, see comments on 9:2 (cf. 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14). His determination was so deep that only a radically supernatural transformation could change his viewpoint. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 418)
In this first of Paul’s five defenses, Luke’s apologetic interests come to the fore in highlighting the nonpolitical character of Christianity (contrary to other messianic movements of the day, cf. 21:38) and in presenting Paul’s mandate to the Gentiles as being the major reason for Jewish opposition to the gospel (cf. 22:10-22). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 523)
The commander was startled to hear his charge speaking in fluent Greek and surmised that perhaps the prisoner was the Egyptian Jew (note the inferential particle are in the commander’s question) who three years earlier had appeared in Jerusalem claiming to be a prophet and had led a large band of followers into the wilderness and then to the Mount of Olives in preparation for the messianic overthrow of Jerusalem (cf. Jos. War II, 261-63 [xiii.1]; Antiq. XX, 169-72 [viii.1]). Most people considered him a charlatan. Felix and his soldiers drove him off. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 523)
The Jewish matrix of Paul’s commission is highlighted by the description of Ananias as “a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there” (v.12); and the Jewish flavor of the episode is strengthened by the expression “the God of our fathers” and the messianic title “the Righteous One” (v.14; cf. 3:14). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 526)
22 During most of Paul’s defense, the crowd listened with a certain respect, for he had spoken mostly of Israel’s messianic hope and had done so in a thoroughly Jewish context. Even his identification of Jesus with his people’s messianology and with the Revealer from heaven, while straining the credibility of many in the crowd, could have been tolerated by a people given more to orthopraxis (authorized practice) than orthodoxy (correct thought). When, however, Paul spoke of being directed by divine revelation to leave Jerusalem and go far away to Gentiles who had no relation to Judaism, that was “the last straw.” In effect, Paul was saying that Gentiles can be approached directly with God’s message of salvation without first being related to the nation and its institutions. This was tantamount to placing Jews and Gentiles on an equal footing before God and for Judaism was the height of apostasy indeed! With this Paul was shouted down, the crowd calling for his death: “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” And in reporting this, Luke stresses as the major reason for the Jewish opposition to Paul his universal outlook that was willing to include Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan on the same basis as Jews. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 526)
37–38 By the time he reached the top of the steps, Paul must have presented a sorry figure—bruised, battered, begrimed, and disheveled. But, as so frequently in Acts, he is quickly in command of the situation. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 430)
His choosing to speak to them in Aramaic rather than Greek was a not wholly unsuccessful bid for their tolerance while he spoke. If an audience of Welsh or Irish nationalists, about to be addressed by someone suspected of being a traitor to the national cause, suddenly became aware that he was speaking to them not in the Saxon tongue but in the Celtic vernacular, the gesture would no doubt call forth at least a temporary measure of goodwill. Aramaic was not only the vernacular of most Palestinian Jews; it was also the common speech of all non-Greek speakers in Western Asia, as far east as (and including) the Parthian empire beyond the Euphrates. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 431)
This is the second account in Acts of Paul’s conversion; the first is related in the third person in 9:1–22, and the third (like this) is in the first person, on Paul’s own lips, as he makes a further defense—this time before the younger Agrippa (26:2–23). (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 436)
We have met Gamaliel already as a leader of the Pharisees in Jerusalem and an illustrious teacher of the law. The “strict interpretation of our ancestral law” which Paul learned in his school accorded with Pharisaic tradition. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 436)
Thus Paul received his commission. He had seen the risen Christ, he had heard his voice, and from now on he was to fulfil the ministry of a true witness, telling forth with confidence what he had seen and heard, with all that it implied — that Jesus of Nazareth, crucified by men, exalted by God, was Lord of all. But first he must get himself baptized, as the outward and visible sign of his inward and spiritual cleansing from sin. And in the act of being baptized his invocation of Jesus as Lord would declare the dominant power in his life henceforth. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 439)
22–23 The crowd below in the outer court listened patiently enough to Paul, as he spoke from the top of the steps, until he mentioned his mission to the Gentiles. This word made all their resentment blaze up with redoubled fury. They screamed and gesticulated in a riot of abandoned rage. The tribune had not understood what Paul said, since he spoke to them in Aramaic (he might not have understood him much better had Paul used a language the tribune knew); but while it was impossible for him to discover the exact nature of their grievance against Paul, it was evident that they were bitterly hostile to him and were out for his blood. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 440)
The appearance of Christ which came to him in this moment of ecstasy reaffirmed what he had already learned on the Damascus road—that his call was to be Christ’s witness among the Gentiles. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 439)
When Paul asked for permission to address the Jews, Claudius consented, hoping that perhaps he would get enough information for an official report. He never did (see Acts 23:23–30). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 392)
The men with Paul saw the bright light, but were not blinded as he was, and they heard a sound, but could not understand what was being said (Acts 9:7). Imagine Paul’s amazement to discover that Jesus was alive! Instantly, he had to change his whole way of thinking (repentance) and let the risen Lord have control. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 393)
In quoting Ananias, Paul gave reason for his listeners to accept his salvation experience and his call to service. Paul had seen “the Just [Righteous] One,” which was a title for Messiah (see Acts 3:14; 7:52). Paul was now commissioned by God to take His message to “all men.” This would include the Gentiles, but Paul did not say so until later (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 393)
According to Acts 9:17, Paul was filled with the Spirit before he was baptized, and this would indicate that he was already born again. It is the “calling,” not the baptizing, that effects the cleansing. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 393)
Paul was not ready to be dismissed by his accusers even in the safety of the Roman hands that held him aloft away from the murderous clutching of the mob. Instead, he asked to speak to the commander. Don’t miss the calm courtesy of Paul’s request. In Greek he said, “May I speak to you?” No panic, no frenzied cry. The fact that he spoke in Greek astounded the commander. “Can you speak Greek?” he asked, startled. What the commander went on to say indicated that he had assumed he knew whom he had put in chains. He thought he had in custody an Egyptian revolutionary who had stirred up an insurrection and was still at large. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 307)
Paul was not only a citizen; he had been born in a Roman province with all the rights and privileges of a Roman. At this point, however, Paul’s credentials, as the commander understood them, were enough for the commander to use his authority to hold back the crowd and permit his mysterious prisoner to speak. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 307)
Here is a dramatic “before-and-after” account of the transformation of a human being. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 309)
Paul described the man he was and the man Christ had enabled him to be. At each stage of his evolving witness he clarified that it was Christ who had changed him. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 310)
The Jews heard Paul until he touched the raw nerve of their predetermined prejudice. The same thing happens today in our own personal study of the Gospel and in our efforts to communicate. Paul pushed his hearers too far when he told them that the Lord had sent him to preach to the Gentiles. They could listen to his own story until it involved inclusive love for the Gentiles. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 310)
A man said to his pastor, “You’ve gone from preaching to meddling!” Preaching is meddling, sooner or later. We all have areas in our lives we want to reserve away from the searching eye and remedial penetration of the Savior. There are times that relationships, expenditures, and unhealed memories, as well as values, customs, and ways of reacting, are excluded from the Master’s reformation. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 310)
Here is Paul exercising his consistent policy of looking the mob in the face. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 158)
It was the mention of Gentiles which set the mob ablaze again. It was not that the Jews objected to the preaching to the Gentiles; what they objected to was that the Gentiles were being offered privileges before they first accepted circumcision and the Law. If Paul had preached the yoke of Judaism to the Gentiles all would have been well ; it was because he preached the grace of Christianity to them that the Jews were enraged. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 162)
Verse 14 is a summary not only of the life of Paul but also of the Christian life. There are three items in it.
(i) To know the will of God. It is the first aim of the Christian to know God’s will and to obey it.
(ii) To see the Just One. It is the aim of the Christian daily to walk in the presence of the Risen Lord,
(iii) To hear God’s voice. It was said of a great preacher that in his preaching he paused ever and again as if listening for a voice. The Christian is ever listening for the voice of God above the voices of the world to tell him where to go and what to do. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 161)
The mob had just tried to kill Paul, yet he seized that moment as an opportunity for witness. He said to the Roman commander, “Please let me speak to the people.” (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 284)
Paul was chosen to be a pattern setter—a model of what Christians are to be. An apostle is not a super-saint but a role model, living at our level, showing us how the Christian life is to be lived. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 286)
Paul had offended their racial and religious pride. The idea that God would consider bringing the Gentiles and Jews into the same realm of blessing was unthinkable. They rightly understood that, as Jews, they were God’s chosen people, but they had misinterpreted what it meant to be chosen by God. They believed that they were superior to the Gentiles, and that their chosen status meant that all other people were rejected by God. So when Paul said that God had sent him to the Gentiles, their pride was offended. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 287)
The language of Judah was Aramaic; therefore, when Paul spoke to the commander in Greek, the commander was surprised and immediately said to Paul, “Do you speak Greek?” He didn’t just mean, “Do you know the Greek language?” Many people spoke Greek. Because he himself was Greek, he meant, “You speak good Greek. Are you a Greek? I thought you were that Egyptian who was causing trouble around here a little while ago.” Because Paul had been raised in Tarsus and spoke good Greek the officer supposed he was dealing with a Greek of good education and bearing. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 366)
In Acts 22 the story of Paul’s conversion has three parts:
his past in Judaism (W. 1—5), [ his past ]
the conversion itself (vv. 6—16), [ the story of conversion ]
and a record of what God said to him (W. 17—21). [ his commission ]
(James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 367)
In Romans 9 he wrote about the advantages of being a Jew, saying, “Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ” (vv. 4—5). In Philippians he spoke more personally: “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless” (Phil. 3:4—6). (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 367)
[Paul] was a pure-blooded Jew, and he was zealous for the traditions of his fathers. He emphasizes this zeal, saying that he was trained by the famous Rabbi Gamaliel. Everybody in Jerusalem would have known who Gamaliel was. Paul was not ashamed of his Jewish background, because God had chosen the Jewish people. Every spiritual advantage in history before the coming of Jesus Christ was with Judaism, and Paul was not afraid to acknowledge it. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 367)
