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Acts 22:1
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1 “Brethrena and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”  
2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the aHebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:  
3 a“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city bat the feet of cGamaliel, taught daccording to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and ewas zealous toward God fas you all are today.  
4 aI 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 aall the council of the elders, bfrom whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus cto bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.  
6 “Now ait 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 athose who were with me indeed saw the light1 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 aa certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, bhaving a good testimony with all the cJews 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, a‘The God of our fathers bhas chosen you that you should cknow His will, and dsee the Just One, eand hear the voice of His mouth.  
15 aFor you will be His witness to all men of bwhat you have seen and heard.  
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, aand wash away your sins, bcalling on the name of the Lord.’  
17 “Now ait happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance  
18 and asaw Him saying to me, b‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’  
19 So I said, ‘Lord, athey know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and bbeat those who believe on You.  
20 aAnd when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by bconsenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’  
21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, afor I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”  

Paul’s Roman Citizenship

22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, a“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for bhe is not fit to live!”  
23 Then, as they cried out and1 tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,  
Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
<< Acts 21:40   Acts 22:2 >>


Acts 22:1

Brethren and fathers (Andrev adelfoi kai paterev) Men, brethren, and fathers. The very language used by Stephen (Acts 7:2) when arraigned before the Sanhedrin with Paul then present. Now Paul faces a Jewish mob on the same charges brought against Stephen. These words are those of courtesy and dignity (amoris et honoris nomina, Page). These men were Paul's brother Jews and were (many of them) official representatives of the people (Sanhedrists, priests, rabbis). Paul's purpose is conciliatory, he employs "his ready tact" (Rackham).

The defence which I now make unto you (mou thv prov umav nuni apologiav). Literally, My defence to you at this time. Nuni is a sharpened form (by -i) of nun (now), just now. The term apologia (apology) is not our use of the word for apologizing for an offence, but the original sense of defence for his conduct, his life. It is an old word from apologeomai, to talk oneself off a charge, to make defence. It occurs also in Acts 25:16 and then also in I Corinthians 9:3; II Corinthians 7:11; Philippians 1:7, Philippians 1:16; II Timothy 4:16; I Peter 3:15. Paul uses it again in Acts 25:16 as here about his defence against the charges made by the Jews from Asia. He is suspected of being a renegade from the Mosaic law and charged with specific acts connected with the alleged profanation of the temple. So Paul speaks in Aramaic and recites the actual facts connected with his change from Judaism to Christianity. The facts make the strongest argument. He first recounts the well-known story of his zeal for Judaism in the persecution of the Christians and shows why the change came. Then he gives a summary of his work among the Gentiles and why he came to Jerusalem this time. He answers the charge of enmity to the people and the law and of desecration of the temple. It is a speech of great skill and force, delivered under remarkable conditions. The one in chapter Acts 26 covers some of the same ground, but for a slightly different purpose as we shall see. For a discussion of the three reports in Acts of Paul's conversion see chapter Acts 9. Luke has not been careful to make every detail correspond, though there is essential agreement in all three.




Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 22:1:

Acts 7:2
1 Corinthians 9:3
Philippians 1:7
1 Peter 3:15

 

<< Acts 21:40   Acts 22:2 >>

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