We discovered last week that although Paul knew that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem, he would not be persuaded to avoid going there, wanting to have an opportunity to share the Gospel with many of those who were part of the mob who insisted the Jesus be crucified almost 30 years prior. The elders of the Jerusalem church had a plan that just might make Paul more “acceptable” to the Jews. However,  the plan for Paul to join in a Nazarite vow along with other Christian Jews didn’t work out as expected, because now, they accused Paul of bringing Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus into the Temple, thus defiling it.

If you recall, while they were seeking to kill Paul, the Roman commander dispatched soldiers and the crowd stopped beating Paul. Binding him in chains, the commander asked Paul who he was and what he had done. As the crowd kept shouting one thing and then another, he finally brought Paul into the barracks, at which time Paul informed the commander that he was a Roman citizen. Paul asked permission to speak to the crowd, and the commander gave his consent. And that’s where we will pick up the dialogue in Acts 22:  

“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.” And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect (the Jewish form of Aramaic), they became even more quiet (Acts 22:1-2).

It is at this point that Paul began to share his testimony, including the fact that he was a Jew, born in Tarsus, educated under Gamaliel (a Pharisee whom they all knew). His schooling and passion for the Law resulted in his appointment by the High Priest to persecute followers of Jesus, binding and putting them into prisons for punishment.

And then, Paul shared the story of his conversion on the road to Damascus, how he saw a blinding light which caused him to fall to the ground. Paul then recounts the following dialogue between himself and Jesus:

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ But 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 (Acts 22:7-11).

And then Paul shared how he was taken to Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived there. He shared how Annanias healed his blindness and then what Annanias shared with Paul:

“The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:14-16).

Paul tried to make them understand that in one synagogue after another he used to imprison and beat those who believed in Jesus. And he even recounted the incident of Stephen’s stoning, saying,

“And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles’” (Acts 22:20-21).

The crowd was listening intently until Paul shared about the Lord commissioning him to go the Gentiles. And for them, this was the last straw. They simply could not handle another word Gentiles, and shouted,

“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live” (Acts 22:22).

Fortunately, the Roman commander was right next to Paul and ordered him back into the barracks for scourging. But then, as his arms were being stretched out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing near him,

“Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned” Acts 22:25)?

Now that created a stir in the Roman barracks, as the commander immediately asked Paul if he was a Roman citizen. At this point, Paul told the commander that he did not buy his citizenship, as many did, but that he was “born a citizen.” The commander was afraid what would happen if the officials in Rome found out that he had put a Roman citizen in chains prior to any trial that had condemned him.

The following day, after the smoke had cleared (so to speak), the commander wanted to know why the Jews were accusing him of wrongdoing, and so he ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble. He then brought Paul down from the Tower of Antonia (where the Roman barracks were located) and set him before them. And thus, Chapter 22 is brought to a close.

What can we learn from this chapter? Have you ever encountered a situation where you knew that you would be walking into trouble? I suppose that we all have. In Paul’s case, his own spirit had warned him that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem. And he also received confirmation from other believers on the last leg of his Third Missionary journey, including the prophet Agabus, that he would be walking into trouble once he arrived in Jerusalem. As we all well know, sometime trouble simply cannot be avoided.

What did Paul do? He felt compelled to give testimony to many of the same Jews who had a hand in crucifying His Lord, almost 30 years prior. Paul may have thought that after he gave his testimony of who he once was and what God had done for him, they might understand and receive his testimony. Again, this may have been our experience with others as well, hoping that our testimony just might persuade them to understand what God has done in our lives. However, once Paul told them that God had called him to “go to the Gentiles,” that was the last straw. He remained firm in his conviction of God’s calling, as we should also do, regardless of the cost we may bear. Staying true to our calling is paramount for those who have given their lives to Jesus.

Luke will have more to share with us in the next chapter of Acts as Paul addresses the Jewish Council, and again, many of them were involved in Jesus’ trial in AD 30. Maybe they would come to their senses, as the Prodigal Son did in Jesus’ parable (Luke 15). For now, let’s know that persecution awaits all those who follow Christ, and let’s all be faithful in our calling to honor Him in all we say and do. Furthermore, may we all remember the words of our Lord who said,

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).

Amen. Hope to see you next week.