The book of Acts
Paul's speech to the people of Jerusalem
Chapter 22
With the permission of the commander of the Roman troops in Jerusalem, Paul made a speech, from the landing of the fortress next to the temple, to the people that wanted to lynch him.
Using the same language that was used when Stephen defended himself before the Sanhedrin (chapter 7:2), Paul, who had been present, began his defence against the accusations of the Jews. These were the same had been made against Stephen, which were, that he was a renegade of the Mosaic Law, and had done things that allegedly desecrated the temple.
He addressed the crowd with courtesy and dignity, treating the people, among whom were their religious and civil leaders of the people, as his Jewish brethren. Paul's purpose was conciliatory, using his skilled diplomacy.
His first words, "hear my defence before you now" literally translates as "my defence to you at this moment."
When the people heard him speaking in their own language, they became even quieter. They would have understood Greek, which was currently spoken, but preferred the Aramaic (similar to ancient Hebrew) that Paul wisely used to address them.
He began his defence by stating the real facts that led him to accept Jesus as the Messiah and to obey him. The force of his argument was his personal experience of these facts, to which he could now testify.
He disclosed his identity: a Jew, with the advantages and privileges of his people, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in Jerusalem under the tutelage of Gamaliel who was the greatest rabbi of that day. Therefore, he was “taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law” (which enabled him clearly to demonstrate from the Old Testament the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets by Jesus Christ, and to be the great teacher he proved to be).
He told the people that he was "zealous toward God," as they all were that day. This was a generous flattery to these fanatics, who wanted to kill him because of their mistaken zeal. Just as happened with them, his zeal led him to persecute "this Way" to the death, binding and imprisoning men and women. Luke uses the same word "the Way" for the Christian faith in Damascus (cap. 9:2). Here Paul probably uses this word to avoid annoying the people with a name like "church of Christ".
Paul invoked the testimony of the high priest and the whole council of elders, for the fact that they had given him letters addressed to the "brethren" of Damascus (the Jews there), introducing and authorising him to arrest and bring to trial in Jerusalem those “of the Way” he met there. It had been about 20 years earlier, but there were probably some still alive and present among the people.
Paul was actually ashamed of what he had done in his ignorance, and was remembering it when he wrote to Timothy, saying he had been a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent man, the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:13,15). Now he was showing the fanatic people how far he had participated in their zeal for Judaism.
Then he told his remarkable experience on the way, when he saw around him a great light, in broad daylight (this gives an idea of the intensity of light), which blinded him, and was reprimanded by "Jesus of Nazareth" himself. Paul surrendered to Him at once, knowing now that it was the Lord.
Finally, he tells them how, through Ananias, who had "a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there," he was appointed by God of their fathers to know His will, see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth, in order to be a witness to all men of what he had seen and heard: the crowd was acting against God!
Ananias baptized him: this was the Christian baptism, which symbolizes death to sin and resurrection to life in Christ, and washing away sins, that had actually happened to Paul. Verse 16 would be more correctly translated as, "Having arisen be baptized, and have your sins washed off (by) calling on the name of the Lord.” (see Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13).
When praying in the temple, back in Jerusalem (in his first visit after his conversion - 9:29), in a trance he received the command of the Lord, who he could see, to hurry up and get out of Jerusalem. This order must have surprised Paul because the people would have no reason to doubt his experience, given his previous zeal in persecuting the followers of Jesus Christ. Without need, he reminded the Lord that the people of Jerusalem knew very well how he had persecuted those who believed in Him and had been present at the death of Stephen.
Paul believed that the people would believe his message because of the zeal he had shown earlier. He disliked the idea of running away to save his life, from the same place where he had witnessed the death of Stephen. The Lord knew that, but also that in Jerusalem, nevertheless, the people would not receive Paul's testimony about Him. The Lord knew the people better than Paul, and it was necessary for Paul to be free to develop the work to which he was called. Therefore, the Lord repeated, in part, the instructions he had given years earlier to him through Ananias (cap. 9:15).
Hitherto the people remained attentive to what Paul said. However, when Paul quoted the Lord's command: "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles" they were filled with jealousy and hatred, and began a turmoil shouting, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" Yelling, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust into the air, the people caused the commander to order Paul to be taken to the barracks.
Claudius Lysias did not yet know the reason for that riot, for Paul had made his speech in Aramaic instead of the Latin and Greek he knew, so he ordered that Paul be beaten and interrogated to find out why. The flogging was a common torture in those days to force prisoners to answer questions that were put to them.
Roman law forbade torture to be used when starting a criminal investigation (inquisition). Although Romans did not really bother about the rights of subjugated people, their laws imposed severe sanctions for non-compliance by Romans between themselves. Paul was a Roman citizen and was well aware of his rights.
When the soldiers finished tying Paul in readiness for the whip, he asked the centurion standing there if it was lawful to flog a Roman citizen, without his having been convicted. The centurion was aware of the law and knew that such flogging was illegal, and they might have to answer an inquiry and suffer judgment with strong penalties if it were done.
The centurion went immediately to the commander Lysias and warned him to be careful because "this man is a Roman citizen." Hearing this, the commander hurried to where Paul was tied and asked if he was Roman. When Paul confirmed that he was, the commander stated that he himself had been granted Roman citizenship for a large sum of money. Judging by his surname, he was likely to be Greek by birth. The Roman emperors enriched themselves by selling Roman citizenship to the wealthy among conquered peoples.
If Paul had also bought his citizenship, the centurion would know that he was a man of resources, and could be exploited. However, Paul explained that he was a citizen by birthright. There is a quiet and simple dignity in his response and even a touch of pardonable pride. Some commentators inform that those born in Tarsus, like Paul, acquired the right of Roman citizenship by imperial decree.
Others disagree, and deduce that one of his ancestors, perhaps his grandfather, received Roman citizenship for himself and his descendants as a reward for some special service to the Romans. Paul's family had a good social position, he received the best education, and he was early given permission to take troops to arrest Christians in Damascus. When imprisoned, he was treated as an important person by the governor Felix and his successor Festus, King Agrippa and the centurion Julius.
With this response, those who should have examined him immediately withdrew and Claudius Lysias was afraid because he had bound him. He was still eager to find out the reason for the hatred of the people against Paul, and the next day he released him from his bonds and called over the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin, and brought Paul down to have a confrontation with them in his presence.
R David Jones
1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now."
2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:
3 "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven 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 So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
9 "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
10 So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.'
11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him.
14 Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
17 "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance
18 and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'
19 So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21 Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' "
22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!"
23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?"
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman."
27 Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes."
28 The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."
29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
Acts chapter 22