Acts 22 - One size doesn't fit all
The world wants God, but on their own terms. Equip yourself to stand up for Jesus as Paul did.
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Acts 22 (ESV)
1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when
they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,
they became even more quiet.
And he said:
3 “I am a Jew,
born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city,
educated
at the feet of Gamaliel
according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers,
being zealous for God as all of you are this day.
4 I persecuted this Way
to the death,
binding and delivering to prison both men and women,
5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness.
From them
I received letters to the brothers,
and I journeyed toward Damascus to
take those also who were there
and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.
7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
And he said to me,
‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom you are persecuting.’
9 Now those who were with me
saw the light
but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’
And the Lord said to me,
‘Rise, and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’
11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And one Ananias,
a devout man according to the law,
well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
13 came to me, and standing by me said to me,
‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’
And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.
14 And he said,
‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One
and to hear a voice from his mouth;
15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple,
I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me,
‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly,
because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know
that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.
20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed,
I myself was standing by and approving
and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
21 And he said to me,
‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 Up to this word they listened to him.
Then they raised their voices and said,
“Away with such a fellow from the earth!
For he should not be allowed to live.”
23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,
24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks,
saying that he should be examined by flogging,
to find out why they were shouting against him like this.
25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by,
“Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him,
“What are you about to do?
For this man is a Roman citizen.”
27 So the tribune came and said to him,
“Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
And he said, “Yes.”
28 The tribune answered,
“I bought this citizenship for a large sum.”
Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”
29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately,
and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
30 But on the next day,
desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews,
he unbound him
and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet,
and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
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Acts 22 Summary
Chapter 22 is the conclusion to the cliffhanger we were left with yesterday. Once again a riot has ensued, Paul's within an inch of his life, and now he's under arrest. How will he get out of this bind?
He garners the crowd's attention by speaking Hebrew, which by this time in history wasn't used much anymore. He tells the story of his conversion, and the crowd seems to be tracking along with him. That is, at least, until he uses the 'G' word: Gentiles.
Once the Jewish crowd - who's primary identity is being God's chosen people - hear that Paul is going in God's name, at His command to perceived enemies of God, they flip out and call for Paul's execution (v22-23).
The Roman soldiers hustle Paul inside and are ready to examine him by flogging (v24) when Paul again pulls out his citizenship card, asserting his rights.
Yet the Roman official in charge has had his curiosity piqued by Paul and wants to know more. Tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode!
Dig Deeper
The gospel didn't fit the preconceived Jewish notions of the nationalistic salvation their Messiah was supposed to bring. The gospel accounts and the book of Acts contain one sad story after another in which they first rejected Jesus, and then His Church.
Yet this Jewish rejection is anything but unique. From Adam on down, mankind has a consistent reputation of wanting a relationship with God, but wanting it according to our own terms. We want His blessing, but not His order; people want Jesus' salvation, but they will not accept His Lordship.
As Western society continues to degenerate, be aware that Christianity will increasingly be viewed as incompatible with society's expectations.
Keep rooted in God's Word each day, assemble with His people on the Lord's Day so you're equipped to stand up for Jesus.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who sent His Son to save those who'd rejected Him
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and fortitude to stand up for God's truth in a world that wants its own way.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: