Acts
22 opens with Paul standing before the crowd, beginning his defence (v. 1).
Through his testimony, Paul revealed that his calling to preach the gospel to
Gentiles and his zeal for the Jewish God, Yahweh, were compatible. He began by
stating his credentials: He is a Jew, educated under a well-respected Pharisee
(v.3). He then identified with the crowd. He too was once a zealous persecutor
of Christians (v. 4-5). Then Paul shared the story of how He changed from a
persecutor of Jesus to a follower of Him (v. 6-16). He shared how Jesus had met
him on the road to Damascus (v. 6-11) and introduced him to a believer named
Ananias (v. 12). Through Ananias Paul was healed and called into ministry (v.
14-15). Paul then told his listeners how God had sent him away from Jerusalem
and called him to preach to the Gentiles (v. 17-21). Even after choosing to
follow Jesus, Paul had continued to worship in the temple (v. 17). This shows
that Paul had not turned away from Yahweh, but had drawn closer to Him through
Jesus. It was while Paul was worshipping in the temple that Yahweh called him
to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (v. 18, 21). This was too much for the
crowd. They thought it blasphemous that Paul would claim Yahweh called him to
the Gentiles in the temple. Surely, they thought, God wouldn’t want unclean
people to mix with the Jews. And He definitely would not make such a statement
in the temple – the holiest of places. While the crowd had previously given ear
to Paul’s testimony, they were now infuriated and called for Paul’s death (v.
22). The Roman commander was unsure of what was happening. He could not figure
out why the crowds were so enraged at Paul (v. 24). He ordered Paul back to the
barracks to be beaten and interrogated. Just before the interrogation was to
begin, Paul shared a crucial piece of information: he was born a Roman citizen
(v. 25). It was illegal for a Roman citizen to be beaten in such a manner, so
the guards withdrew (v. 29). Despite this, the guard still wanted to know why
Paul was being accused by the Jews, so he released Paul to the Sanhedrin (the
ancient Jewish court system) (v. 30).
Journaling and Prayer
1. Throughout the book of Acts, major moments are
often marked by the sharing of a testimony. Take some time today and write your
testimony. Record the story of how you first came to know Christ and what your
journey with Him has looked like. Ask God if there is anyone He would like you
to share your testimony with.
2. Paul’s response to meeting Jesus was, “What
shall I do, Lord?” Ask God this question today. Thank Him for any directions He
gives you and commit to obeying.
3. Pray for your family today. Ask God if He wants
to show you anything for each of your family members. Write in your journal
anything you hear from Him. Then spend some time interceding for each of your
family members.
