Acts 22

King James Version

Full text for Acts Chapter 22

1¶ Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you.

2(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

3¶ I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

4And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, ‹Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?›

8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, ‹I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.›

9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

10And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, ‹Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.›

11And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt [there],

13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

18And saw him saying unto me, ‹Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.›

19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

21And he said unto me, ‹Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.›

22¶ And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

23And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

24The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born.

29Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Paul defends himself before the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, recounting his past as a zealous persecutor and his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. He describes how Ananias restored his sight and called him to be a witness, and how Jesus later instructed him to preach to the Gentiles. This mention of Gentiles incites the crowd's fury, leading the chief captain to intervene and order Paul's examination, which is halted when Paul reveals his Roman citizenship.

Medium Summary

Addressing the agitated Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, Paul speaks in Hebrew, gaining their attention. He identifies himself as a Jew, educated under Gamaliel, and a former zealous persecutor of Christians, even traveling to Damascus with authority to arrest them. Paul then vividly recounts his encounter with a heavenly light and the voice of Jesus, which led to his blindness and subsequent conversion. He describes how Ananias, a devout Jew, restored his sight, baptized him, and declared his calling to witness to all men. Paul further explains a vision in the temple where Jesus commanded him to depart Jerusalem and preach to the Gentiles. This revelation about the Gentiles enrages the crowd, who demand his death. The chief captain orders Paul to be scourged to discover the reason for the uproar, but Paul asserts his Roman citizenship, preventing the examination and causing the chief captain to fear. The next day, Paul is brought before the Jewish council.

Long Summary

Standing before a hostile Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, Paul begins his defense by speaking in their native Hebrew tongue, which immediately silences them. He establishes his credentials as a devout Jew, born in Tarsus but raised in Jerusalem, educated rigorously under the esteemed Gamaliel, and formerly as zealous for the Law as they were. Paul openly admits his past as a fierce persecutor of "this way," imprisoning and even consenting to the death of believers, a fact corroborated by the high priest and elders. He then narrates the pivotal event of his life: his journey to Damascus to arrest Christians, where he was suddenly enveloped by a great light from heaven at noon. Falling to the ground, he heard the voice of Jesus asking why he was being persecuted, leading to his blindness. Upon entering Damascus, led by hand, he was visited by Ananias, a devout man, who restored his sight, baptized him, and declared that God had chosen him to know His will, see the Just One, hear His voice, and be a witness to all men of what he had seen and heard. Paul further recounts a later trance in the Jerusalem temple where Jesus commanded him to leave the city because his testimony would not be accepted, and he would be sent "far hence unto the Gentiles." This mention of his mission to the Gentiles provokes an immediate and violent outburst from the crowd, who cry out for his death, casting off their clothes and throwing dust into the air. The chief captain, unable to understand the commotion, orders Paul to be brought into the castle and examined by scourging to ascertain the charges against him. However, as Paul is being bound, he questions the centurion about the legality of scourging an uncondemned Roman citizen. This revelation causes alarm among the Roman officers, especially the chief captain, who realizes his error in binding a Roman. Consequently, the scourging is halted, and the chief captain, seeking to understand the accusation, looses Paul and summons the chief priests and the entire council for a formal hearing the following day.

Core Concepts

  • Paul's Jewish Identity and EducationPaul emphasizes his background as a Jew, born in Tarsus but raised in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, demonstrating his deep roots in Jewish tradition and law.
  • Zealous Persecution of ChristiansBefore his conversion, Paul was intensely zealous for Jewish law, actively persecuting followers of 'this way,' imprisoning both men and women, and consenting to Stephen's death.
  • The Damascus Road ConversionThe pivotal moment in Paul's life, where a blinding light from heaven and the voice of Jesus of Nazareth transformed him from a persecutor into a believer and apostle.
  • Ananias' Role in Paul's CallingAnanias, a devout Jew, was instrumental in Paul's conversion, restoring his sight, baptizing him, and conveying God's specific calling for Paul to be a witness to all men.
  • Mission to the GentilesPaul's divine commission, reiterated in a trance in the Jerusalem temple, to depart from Jerusalem and preach the Gospel 'far hence unto the Gentiles,' which becomes the point of contention with the Jewish crowd.
  • Roman CitizenshipPaul's assertion of his Roman citizenship serves as a crucial legal protection against unlawful scourging and highlights the legal complexities and privileges within the Roman Empire.
  • Jewish Hostility to Gentile InclusionThe chapter vividly illustrates the intense opposition and rage of the Jewish crowd when Paul mentions his divine mandate to preach to the Gentiles, viewing it as an affront to their exclusive covenant with God.