|
ACTS
The continued Life of Jesus
through the Apostles
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
"Stairway Sermon"
Key Verse = Acts 22:22
Acts 22:1 & 2
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(1) "Brethren and fathers, hear my
defense before you now." |
|
|
Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I
now make to you. |
|
|
(2) And when they heard that he spoke to
them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. |
|
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And when they heard him speak to them in the
Hebrew tongue they were the more quiet. And he said, |
|
|
Brethren and fathers
This defense was addressed to the Jews, and Paul
commenced it with an expression of sincere respect for them. Stephen began his
defense with the same form of address. See the notes on Acts
7:2.
Stephen, Sha’ul's Paul former enemy, used the same words to address an
unfriendly audience (Acts
7:2&N); see also 23:1&N. The fact that Sha’ul's circumstances here and his
speech have several other features in common with Stephen's gives a certain
sense of closure (see
Acts 7:58).
(from Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
My defense
Against the charges brought against me. Those charges were that
he had endeavored to prejudice people everywhere against the Jews, the Law,
and the temple, Acts 21:28. In order to meet this charge, Paul stated:
| (1) |
That he was a Jew by birth, and had enjoyed
all the advantages of a Jewish education,
Acts
22:3 |
| (2) |
He recounted the circumstances of his
conversion, and the reason why he believed that he was called to preach
the gospel, Acts 22:4-16 |
| (3) |
He proceeded to state the reasons why he
went among the Gentiles, and evidently intended to vindicate his conduct
there, Acts 22:17-21; but at this point, at
the name Gentiles, his defense was interrupted by the enraged multitude,
and he was not permitted to proceed. What would have been his defense,
therefore, had he been suffered to finish it, it is impossible to know
with certainty. On another occasion, however, he was permitted to make a
similar defense, and perhaps to complete the train of thought which he
had purposed to pursue here. |
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All
rights reserved.)
The Hebrew language
Literally, “in the Hebrew language,” which could have been either the
| Aramaic |
- heard more often in public or the
|
| Hebrew |
- still spoken in public but more often at
home |
(from Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
The Hebrew language was their dearest language. It touched them at the point
of sympathy. Paul had a new hold on them when he spoke in that language. He
knew that, and therefore he chose that language in speaking to them. Paul
showed his wisdom and showed a kindly, loving spirit in the very words of his
choice at this time.
"Hebrew" here is probably a loose expression for Aramaic (so
NIV), the vernacular of much of rural Syria-Palestine and all lands to the
east. It is especially significant for Paul's purposes that Aramaic was the
vernacular of the Jewish nationalists, and that Paul speaks it as well as
they. The tribune would not understand any of what Paul is saying, however;
Aramaic is similar to Hebrew, but bears little relation to Latin and Greek
(from IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by
InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
This typically Greek way to begin a speech reflects the extent to which Greek
culture had permeated Palestine (Greek loanwords even occur throughout
rabbinic Hebrew; Paul's hearers would not automatically associate his words
with Gentile culture). The parallel with Stephen (7:2), who provoked his
audience to martyr him, also builds suspense for Luke's readers.
Those who thought that they had caught a Diaspora collaborator with the
Gentiles must have reconsidered after they heard his fluent Aramaic [Syriac]
(A language related to Hebrew that was the standard international language of
the ancient Near East before Alexander the Great's conquests made
Greek the standard; it was still widely spoken in different forms in
Syria-Palestine and farther east in Jesus' day. Most Jewish people in
first-century Palestine probably spoke both Greek and Aramaic.).
(From IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
When Paul asked for
permission to address the Jews, Claudius consented, hoping that perhaps he
would get enough information for an official report. He never did (see
Acts
23:23-30). Paul spoke to the Jews in their native Aramaic, and this helped
quiet them down. He was never able to finish his speech, but he did get to
explain three important aspects of his life and ministry.
Aramaic
The name is given to a form of Semitic speech, most nearly related to Hebrew
and Phoenician, but exhibiting marked peculiarities, and subsisting in
different dialects. Its original home may have been in Mesopotamia (Aram), but
it spread North and West, and, as below shown, became the principal tongue
throughout extensive regions. After the return from the Captivity, it
displaced Hebrew as the spoken language of the Jews in Palestine In its
eastern form it is known as Syriac
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database
Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
A North Semitic language similar to Phoenician and Hebrew it was the language
of the Arameans whose presence in northwestern Mesopotamia is known from about
2000 B.C.
Old Testament
| Although the Arameans never founded a great
national state or empire, by the eleventh century they had
established several small states in Syria, and their language came
to be known from Egypt to Persia. |
The oldest inscriptions in Old Aramaic are from
Syria around 800 B.C.
In the ninth century official or Royal Aramaic appeared. This was
a dialect known from documents from Assyria and known best from
documents from the Persian empire, for which Aramaic had become
the official court language. Before 700 B.C. Aramaic had begun to
supplant Akkadian as the language of commerce and diplomacy (2
Kings 18:26). Important for biblical history are the fifth century
papyri from Elephantine, the site of a Jewish colony in Egypt.
Official Aramaic continued to be used widely throughout the
Hellenistic period. |
Parts of the Old Testament were written in
Aramaic:
Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26;
Daniel 2:4 b-7:28;
Jeremiah 10:11.
Two words in
Genesis 31:47, Jegar-sahadutha (heap of
witness) are in Aramaic. |
A number of Aramaic words came into common Hebrew usage, and
several passages in the Hebrew Bible show Aramaic influence. |
|
New Testament
| The wide diffusion of Aramaic, along with its flexibility and adaptability,
resulted in the emergence of various dialects. |
| In Syria-Palestine the western group includes Jewish Palestinian Aramaic,
Samaritan, Palmyrene, and Naba-taean. |
| Jewish Palestinian Aramaic words and phrases
occur in the New Testament, such as
The Palestinian Talmud and the Targums
(translations of Old Testament books into Aramaic) also were written in
Palestinian Jewish Aramaic. The eastern (Mesopotamian) group includes
Babylonian Jewish Aramaic, Mandaean, and Syriac. |
|
(from Holman Bible Dictionary. Copyright © 1991 by
Holman Bible Publishers.
All rights reserved.)
From the
Amplified Bible
(1) Brethren and fathers, listen to the defense which I
now make in your presence.
(2) And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they
were all the more quiet. And he continued, |
Acts 22:3-5
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(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. |
|
|
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, yet I
was brought up in this city under the care and guidance of Gamaliel, and trained
perfectly according to the law of our fathers, and was zealous toward God just
as you are also. |
|
|
(4) I persecuted this Way to the death,
binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, |
|
|
And I persecuted this religion to the death,
binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. |
|
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(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. |
|
|
The high priest and all the elders can so
testify about me, for it was from them that I received letters to go to the
brethren at Damascus to bring those who were there bound to Jerusalem to be
punished. |
|
|
Paul had been a leading rabbi in his day
(Galatians 1:13-14), so he was certainly known to some of the people in the
crowd. Note how Paul piled up his Jewish credentials: he was a Jew, a native
of Tarsus, brought up in Jerusalem, trained by Gamaliel, a follower of the
Law, a zealous persecutor of the church, and a representative of the
Sanhedrin. How could his countrymen not respectfully listen to a man with that
kind of record!
Instead of accusing them of participating in a riot he commended them for
being "zealous toward God." (He had used a similar approach with the
Athenians; Acts 17:22.) He admitted that he too had been guilty of having
people arrested and bound, and even killed. The Christian faith was known as
"the way" (Acts 9:2;
19:9,23;
24:14,22), probably a reference to our Lord's
statement "I am the way" (John 14:6).
(From The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.)
The Jewish New Testament Commentary has:
| (1) |
A Jew born in Tarsus
| Sha’ul was born a
Hellenistic Jew; by announcing this he
increases his identification with his Asian accusers. |
|
| (2) |
But brought up in this city.
| He also identifies with the Jerusalemites, probably the
majority. |
|
| (3) |
Trained
| In every detail of the Torah |
|
| (4) |
At the feet of Gamaliel
On Gamli’el himself see
Acts 5:34. Jewish
tradition says nothing about Sha’ul's apprenticeship with the most
distinguished rabbi and scholar of his time. In fact neither the Talmud nor
any early Midrash says anything about him at all — a fact that cries out for an
explanation. In an article called “Paul and the Law—‘All Things to All Men,’”
the Messianic Jewish scholar H. L. Ellison writes of Elisha ben-’Avuyah, who
was one of the great rabbis of the early 2nd century and who is quoted in the
Mishna (Avot 4:20) but later apostatized:
| “He was excommunicated and is almost always referred to as Acher (The Other
One). There was never any danger of tradition's keeping his memory green, for
it told also of how he had deliberately profaned the Sabbath. In other words,
his false teaching had been sterilized and rendered harmless, not so much by
his excommunication but rather by his notorious breach of the law. With Paul,
however, his memory had to be forgotten, for there were no stories that could
be told about him that would neutralize his teaching.” (Included in W. Gasque
and R. Martin, editors, Apostolic History and the Gospel, Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Eerdmans, 1970, p. 199) |
This is because Sha’ul, unlike Elisha ben-’Avuyah, kept the Law all
his life, as the rest of Ellison's article proves and as I have shown at
13:9,
16:3 and
21:21. Aware of this, and heeding the principle that “the
only bad publicity is having your name misspelled,” the rabbis said
nothing about Sha’ul. The principle is still in use; often the
non-Messianic Jewish community's response to Messianic Judaism,
especially the forms of it which are willing to grapple seriously with
relating to the Torah, is to ignore it publicly, to pretend it doesn't
exist—in the hope that it will go away, which it will not.
|
|
| (5) |
I was as zealous for God as all of you are today
| Sha’ul completes the recitation of his credentials by
reminding his hearers that he too knows the Torah and has stood in their
shoes, as zealous as they. |
It is said that a
fool learns from his own experience, but a wise man can learn from the
experience of others. Sha’ul hopes that even among this zealous mob there will
be some who are wise and can profit from hearing where their present path
leads. |
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
Note: Jesus said, ‘Verily, verily, I
say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door: by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.’ John
10:7, 9 (KJV). So from these verses, we see that the only way to God is through the door which is the sacrifice of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Any one
- Jew or Gentile - who tries to make it in using another
way will only find the judgment of God.
(Paul the Learner)
From Barnes' Notes:
| (1) |
Born in Tarsus
|
| (2) |
Brought up in this city
| In Jerusalem, sent there for the advantage of
more perfect instruction in the Law. |
|
| (3) |
At the feet of Gamaliel
| As a scholar or disciple of Gamaliel. The phrase
to
sit at the feet of one is expressive of the condition of a disciple or
learner. It is probable that the expression
arose from the fact that the learners occupied a lower place or seat than the
teacher. On the character and rank of Gamaliel, see the notes on
Acts 5:34.
Paul mentions his having been instructed in this manner in order to show that
he was entitled to the full privileges of a Jew, and that he had had every
opportunity to become fully acquainted with the nature of the Law. |
|
| (4) |
According to the perfect manner
| kata (NT: 2596)
akribeian (NT: 195). By
strict diligence or exact care; or in the utmost rigor and severity of that
instruction. No pains were spared to make him understand and practice the Law
of Moses. |
|
| (5) |
The law of the fathers
| The law of our fathers; that is, the law which
they received and handed down to us. Paul was a Pharisee, and the
law in which he had been taught was not only the written Law of
Moses, but the traditional law which had been handed down from
former times. |
|
| (6) |
And was zealous toward God
| He had a constant burning zeal for God and His
Law, which was expressed not only by scrupulous adherence to its
forms, but by persecuting all who opposed it,
Acts 22:4-5. |
|
| (7) |
And I persecuted
| According to
Acts 8:3
he "made havoc of the church." |
|
| (8) |
This way
| Those who were of this mode of worshipping God;
that is, Christians. |
|
| (9) |
Unto the death
| Intending to put them to death. He did not
probably put any to death himself, but he committed them to
prison; he sought their lives; he was the agent employed in
arresting them; and when they were put to death, he tells us that
he gave his voice against them (Acts 26:10); that is, he joined
in, and approved of their condemnation. |
|
| (10) |
Delivering into prisons
|
| (11) |
As also the high priest
|
| (12) |
All the estate of the elders
| Greek: all the presbytery; that is, the
whole body of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. |
|
| (13) |
Unto the brethren
| The Jewish brethren who were at Damascus. Paul
here speaks as a Jew, and regards his countrymen as his brethren. |
|
(From Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
Of the three accounts of Paul's call, this is the one clearly designed for a
nationalistic Jewish audience. Despite his clear Jewishness, however, his
refusal to compromise God's call to the Gentiles in the end incites the
crowd's wrath. Paul was always sensitive to his audience but never willing to
compromise the gospel. Speeches usually included a narrative component; this
component takes up Paul's whole speech, perhaps because he is not permitted to
complete it.
In ancient statements, "brought up" and "educated" (NASB) normally refer
to different periods in a person's life; thus Paul was raised in Jerusalem
and studied to become a teacher of the
law under Gamaliel I — the famous pupil of Hillel. Although he was born in another country, he can therefore explain
that he is really a Jerusalemite by upbringing and an orthodox Pharisaic
teacher by training. As a son in an educated and perhaps aristocratic home
(his father being a citizen, Paul probably began to learn the
law around his fifth year and other Pharisaic traditions around his tenth
year, and was sent to pursue training to be able to teach the law sometime
after turning thirteen.
People normally sat on chairs (or reclined on couches for banquets); sitting
at someone's feet was taking the posture of a disciple. Paul's model for
"zeal" may have been Phinehas, who killed for God (Numbers
25:13), and his successors in the Maccabees. Within eight years of Paul's speech the
revolutionaries were calling themselves "Zealots," those zealous for God;
this title may thus have appealed to Paul's more nationalistic hearers.
Calling on the testimony of the high priest and
the Sanhedrin may indicate that he trusts their integrity; but unknown to
Paul, a different high priest is now in office anyway (Acts 23:5). (IVP)
(from IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
Paul also describes his former activities in Philippians 3:5 & 6
| Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of
the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; |
| concerning the law, a Pharisee; |
| concerning zeal, persecuting the church; |
| concerning the righteousness which is in the law,
blameless. |
And even though he could say that he was blameless concerning the
righteousness which is in the law, he also confessed that he was the greatest
of sinners, and needed a Savior (1 Tim 1:15 Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.).
Paul the Learner
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK FROM 400 A. D. BY ARCHBISHOP JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Homily 47 - Acts 22:1-5
"He spake unto them," it says, "in the Hebrew tongue, saying, Men, brethren,
and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you." (ch.
22:1.) Mark
his address, at once so free from all flattery, and so expressive of meekness.
For he says not, "Masters," nor "Lords," but, "Brethren," just the word they
most liked: "I am no alien from. you," he says, nor "against you." "Men," he
says, "brethren, and fathers:" this, a term of honor, that of kindred. "Hear
ye," says he, "my"-he says not, "teaching," nor "harangue," but, "my
defense
which I now make unto you." He puts himself in the posture of a suppliant.
"And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the
more silence." (v. 2.) Do you observe how the using the same tongue subdued
them? In fact, they had a sort of awe for that language. Observe also how he
prepares the way for his discourse, beginning thus: "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." (v. 3.) "I
am a man," he says, "which am a Jew:" which thing they liked most of all to
hear; "born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia." |
| That they may not again think him to be of another nation, he adds his
religion: "but brought up in this city." He shows how great was his zeal for
the worship, inasmuch as having left his native city, which was so great and
so remote too, he chose to be brought up here for the Law's sake. See how from
the beginning he attached himself to the law. But this he says, not only to
defend himself to them, but to show that not by human intent was he led to the
preaching of the Gospel, but by a Divine power: else, having been so educated,
he would not have suddenly changed. For if indeed he had been one of the
common order of men, it might have been reasonable to suspect this: but if he
was of the number of those who were most of all bound by the law, it was not
likely that he should change lightly, and without strong necessity. But
perhaps some one may say: "To have been brought up here proves nothing: for
what if thou camest here for the purpose of trading, or for some other cause?" |
| Therefore he says, "at the feet of Gamaliel:" and not simply, "by Gamaliel,"
but "at his feet," showing his perseverance, his assiduity, his zeal for the
hearing, and his great reverence for the man. "Taught according to the perfect
manner of the law of the fathers." Not simply, "the law," but "the law of the
fathers;" showing that he was such from the beginning, and not merely one that
knew the Law. All this seems indeed to be spoken on their side, but in fact it
told against them, since he, knowing the law, forsook it. "Yes: but what if
thou didst indeed know the law accurately, but dost not vindicate it, no, nor
love it?" "Being a zealot," he adds: not simply (one that knew it). Then,
since it was a high encomium he had passed upon himself, he makes it theirs as
well as his, adding, "As ye all are this day." For he shows that they act not
from any human object, but from zeal for God; gratifying them, and
preoccupying their minds, and getting a hold upon them in a way that did no
harm. Then he brings forward proofs also, saying, "and I persecuted this way
unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As
also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders"
(v. 4, 5): (Archbishop John Chrysostom of Constantinople A.D. 400) |
(from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 11, PC Study Bible
formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
(3) I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but reared in
this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated according to the strictest
care in the Law of our fathers, being ardent [even a zealot] for God, as all of
you are today.
(4) [Yes] I harassed (troubled, molested, and persecuted) this Way [of the
Lord] to the death, putting in chains and committing to prison both men and
women,
(5) As the high priest and whole council of elders (Sanhedrin) can
testify; for from them indeed I received letters with which I was on my way to
the brethren in Damascus in order to take also those [believers] who were there,
and bring them in chains to Jerusalem that they might be punished. |
Acts 22:6-11
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(6) "Now it happened, as I journeyed and
came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone
around me. |
|
|
And it came to pass as I drew near to
Damascus, at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about
me. |
|
|
(7) And I fell to the ground and heard a
voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' |
|
|
And I fell to the ground and heard a voice
saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? |
|
|
(8) So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?'
And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' |
|
|
And I answered, saying, Who are you, my Lord?
And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute. |
|
|
(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. |
|
|
And the men who were with me saw the light,
but they did not hear the voice that 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.' |
|
|
And I said, What shall I do, my Lord? And our
Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told to you
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. |
|
|
And 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. |
|
|
Luke recorded Paul's conversion
experience in
Acts 9, and Paul would repeat the account later for Felix and
Agrippa (Acts 26). It is difficult to imagine a comparable crowd today
quietly listening to that kind of a testimony.
About noon
Acts 26:13 has "at mid-day." This circumstance is omitted by Luke in
his account in Acts 9: Paul mentions it as being the more remarkable since it
occurred at mid-day, to show that he was not deluded by any meteoric or
natural appearances, which usually occur at night.
However, people in that day expected miraculous things to happen and were no
doubt fascinated by Paul's story (see
Acts 23:9). Also, Paul was on official
Sanhedrin business when these events took place, which at least gave it some
aura of authority. In his testimony,
Paul affirmed that Jesus of Nazareth was
alive.
| Paul saw His glory |
| Paul heard His voice |
The people listening in the
temple courts knew the official Jewish position that Jesus of Nazareth was an
impostor who had been crucified and His body stolen from the tomb by His
disciples who then started the rumor that Jesus had been raised from the dead.
Of course, Paul himself had believed this story when he was persecuting the
church. The men with Paul saw the bright light, but were not blinded as he
was; and they heard a sound, but could not understand what was being said
(Acts 9:7).
| Imagine Paul's amazement to discover that Jesus was
alive! |
| Instantly, he had to change his whole way of thinking (repentance) and let the
risen Lord have control. |
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006
by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
(6) But as I was on my journey and approached
Damascus, about noon a great blaze of light flashed suddenly from heaven and
shone about me.
(7) And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute Me [harass and trouble and molest Me]?
(8) And I replied, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus
the Nazarene, Whom you are persecuting.
(9) Now the men who were with me saw the light, but they did not
hear [the sound of the uttered words of] the voice of the One Who was speaking
to me [so that they could understand it].
(10) And I asked, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord answered me, Get up
and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you all that it is destined and
appointed for you to do.
(11) And since I could not see because [of the dazzlingly glorious
intensity] of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who
were with me, and [thus] I arrived in Damascus. |
Acts 22:12-16
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(12) "Then a certain Ananias, a devout
man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt
there, |
|
|
And a certain man, Ananias, righteous
according to the law, as testified by all the Jews concerning him, |
|
|
(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. |
|
|
Came to me and said, My brother Saul, receive
your sight. and instantly my eyes were opened and I looked upon 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. |
|
|
And he said to me, The God of our fathers has
appointed you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the
voice of his mouth. |
|
|
(15) For you will be His witness to all
men of what you have seen and heard. |
|
|
And you shall be a witness for him before all
men of all that 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.' |
|
|
And now why do you delay? Arise and be
baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. |
|
|
The background is essentially the same as in
9:4-17, although this
speech emphasizes different features, like Ananias's Jewish piety, which would
commend themselves to Paul's nationalistic hearers.
This second report of Sha’ul's coming to trust in Yeshua.
| Chananyah (Ananias), an observant follower of the Torah who was highly regarded by
the entire Jewish community, or: “...who [see character] is witnessed to by all
the Jews living there.” In other words, the fact that he was a Torah-true Jew
can be verified by whoever wants to do so. This fact about Chananyah, not
reported at 9:10-17, is relevant for Sha’ul's present audience. (Another
instance of Sha’ul's appealing to objective verifiability is when he answered
those who doubted whether Yeshua had actually been resurrected; see 1
Corinthians 15:5-8&NN.) |
| The Tzaddik, or “the Righteous One”; see
7:52&N, where Stephen too used
this term for Yeshua the Messiah. At
Isaiah 53:11 God speaks of “my righteous
servant,” who will “make many righteous.” |
| Immerse yourself, Greek baptisai; the verb is in the middle voice, which
means that it has reflexive force. If the word were in the passive voice here,
“be immersed” would be appropriate. Jewish practice in the mikveh, for
proselyte baptism as well as for other ritual purifications, is
self-immersion, in contrast with the common present-day Christian baptismal
practice of being immersed by someone else. |
(from Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
Note Paul's wisdom as he identified himself with Ananias, a devout Jew who
kept the Law and who called him "brother." Note also that Ananias attributed
Paul's great experience to "the God of our fathers." In quoting Ananias, Paul
gave reason for his listeners to accept his salvation experience and his call
to service. Paul had seen "the Just [Righteous] One," which was a title for
Messiah (see Acts 3:14;
7:52). Paul was now commissioned by God to take His
message to "all men." This would include the Gentiles, but Paul did not say so
until later. Acts 22:16 in the King James Version seems to suggest that
baptism is required for the washing away of our sins, but such is not the
case. In his Expanded Translation of the New Testament, Greek scholar Kenneth
Wuest puts it "Having arisen, be baptized and wash away your sins, having
previously called upon His Name."
We are saved by calling on the Lord by faith (Acts 2:21;
9:14), and we give
evidence of that faith by being baptized. According to
Acts 9:17, Paul was
filled with the Spirit before he was baptized; and this would indicate that he
was already born again it is the "calling," not the baptizing, that effects
the cleansing.
Certainly many of Paul's listeners knew about the new "Christian sect" that
had sprung up, the baptisms that had taken place, the stoning of Stephen, and
the miracles that these "people of the way" had wrought. Paul was not speaking
to ignorant people, because these things had not been "done in a corner" (Acts
26:26).
(From The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.)
Five things about Paul here:
| 1. |
He was chosen of God |
(Acts 22:14; Gal 1:15-16) |
| 2. |
He was chosen to know God's will |
(Acts 22:4) |
| 3. |
He was chosen to see Jesus |
(Acts 22:14,
18; 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8; 2 Cor
12:1-4) |
| 4. |
He was chosen to hear His voice |
(Acts 22:7,
14) |
| 5. |
He was chosen to be a special witness to
all people |
(Acts 22:15; Gal 1:15-16) |
(from Dake Annotated Reference Bible © 2007 by Dake Publishing. All rights
reserved in U.S.A. and Other Countries.)
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK FROM 400 A. D. BY ARCHBISHOP JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Homily 47 - Acts 22:6-16
"How does this appear." As witnesses he brings forward the high-priest himself
and the elders. He says indeed, "Being a zealot, as ye": but he shows by his
actions, that he went beyond them. "For I did not wait for an opportunity of
seizing them: I both stirred up the priests, and undertook journeys: I did not
confine my attacks, as ye did, to men, I extended them to women also: "both
binding, and casting into prisons both men and women." |
| This testimony is incontrovertible; the (unbelief) of the Jews (is left)
without excuse. See how many witnesses he brings forward, the elders, the
high-priest, and those in the city. Observe his defense, how it is not of
cowardly fear (for himself, that he pleads), no, but for teaching and
indoctrination. For had not the hearers been stones, they would have felt the
force of what he was saying. For up to this point he had themselves as
witnesses: the rest, however, was without witnesses: "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. And 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. And I fell unto
the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou
Me? And I answered, Who are Thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of
Nazareth, Whom thou persecutes." (v. 6, 7, 8.) |
| Why then, these very things ought to have been held worthy of credit, from
those that went before: otherwise he would not have undergone such a
revolution. How if he is only making a fine story of it, say you? Answer me,
Why did he suddenly fling away all this zeal? Because he looked for honor? And
yet he got just the contrary. But an easy life, perhaps? No, nor that either.
Well but something else? Why it is not in the power of thought to invent any
other object. So then, leaving it to themselves to draw the inference, he
narrates the facts. "As I came nigh," he says, "unto Damascus, about noonday."
See how great was the excess of the light. What if he is only making a fine
story, say you? Those who were with him are witnesses, who led him by the
hand, who saw the light. "And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and
were afraid; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me." (v. 9.)
But in another place he says, "Hearing the voice, but seeing no man." (Acts
9:7.) |
| It is not at variance: no, there were two voices, that of Paul and the Lord's
voice: in that place, the writer means Paul's voice; as in fact (Paul) here
adds, "The voice of Him that spake unto me. Seeing no man:" he does
not say, that they did not see the light: but, "no man," that is, "none
speaking," And good reason that it should be so, since it behooved him alone
to have that voice vouchsafed unto him. For if indeed they also had heard it,
(the miracle) would not have been so great. Since persons of grosser minds are
persuaded more by sight, those saw the light, and were afraid. In fact,
neither did the light take so much effect on them, as it did on him: for it
even blinded his eyes: by that which befell him, (God) gave them also an
opportunity of recovering their sight, if they had the mind. It seems to me at
least, that their not believing was providentially ordered, that they might be
unexceptionable witnesses. |
| "And he said unto me" it says, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou persecutes."
(comp. ch. 9:5.) Well is the name of the city (Nazareth) also added, that they
might recognize (the Person): moreover, the Apostles also spoke thus. (ch.
2:22; 4:10;
10:38.) And Himself bore witness, that they were persecuting Him.
"And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they
heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. And 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. And 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. And one Ananias, a devout man
according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight.
And the same hour I looked up upon him. Enter into the city," it says, "and
there it shall be spoken to thee of all that is appointed for thee to do." (v.
10-13.) |
| Lo! again another witness. And see how unexceptionable he makes him also. "And
one Ananias," he says, "a devout man according to the law,"-so far is it from
being anything alien!-"having a good report of all the Jews that dwelt"
(there). "And I in the same hour received sight." Then follows the testimony
borne by the facts. |
| Observe how it is interwoven, of persons and facts; and the persons, both of
their own and of aliens: the priests, the elders, and his fellow-travelers:
the facts, what he did and what was done to him: and facts bear witness to
facts, not persons only. Then Ananias, an alien; then the fact itself, the
recovery of sight; then a great prophecy. "And he said, The God of our fathers
hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see That Just One."
(v. 14.) It is well said, "Of the fathers," to show that they were not Jews,
but aliens from the law, and that it was not from zeal (for the law) that they
were acting. "That thou shouldest know His will." Why then His will is this.
See how in the form of narrative it is teaching. "And see That Just One, and
hear the voice of His mouth. For thou shall be His witness unto all men of
what thou hast seen and heard. And see," he says, "that Just One." (v. 15.) |
| For the present he says no more than this: if He is
Just, they are guilty. "And hear the voice of His mouth." See how
high he raises the fact! "For thou shall be His witness-for this,
because thou wilt not betray the sight and hearing (i.e. "prove
false to")-" both of what thou hast seen, and of what thou hast
heard:" by means of both the senses he claims his faith,
fullness-"to all men. And now why tarries thou? arise, and be
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on His name." (v. 16.) |
(from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 11, PC Study Bible
formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
(12) And one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well
spoken of by all the Jews who resided there,
(13) Came to see me, and standing by my side said to me, Brother Saul, look up and
receive back your sight. And in that very instant I [recovered my sight and]
looking up saw him.
(14) And he said, The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to
come progressively to know His will [to perceive, to recognize more strongly and
clearly, and to become better and more intimately acquainted with His will], and
to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from
His [own] mouth and a message from His [own] lips;
(15) For you will be His witness unto all men of everything that you have seen and
heard.
(16) And now, why do you delay? Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His
name, wash away your sins. |
Acts 22:17-21
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(17) "Now it happened, when I returned
to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance |
|
|
And it came to pass that when I returned here
to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, |
|
|
(18) and saw Him saying to me, 'Make
haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony
concerning Me.' |
|
|
I saw a vision, saying to me, Make haste and
get quickly out of Jerusalem; 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. |
|
|
And I said, My Lord, they know that I
imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in 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.' |
|
|
And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was
shed, I also was standing by and was in accord with his slayers, and was in
charge of the garments of them who stoned him. |
|
|
(21) Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I
will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'" |
|
|
Then he said to me, Depart; for I will send
you afar to preach to the Gentiles. |
|
|
The Lord tells Sha’ul to leave Jerusalem because the Jewish people
there will not respond to his message. Sha’ul immediately trots out his Jewish
credentials, objecting that the Jews of Jerusalem ought to accept what he says
now because they know how diligently he opposed the believers in the past (vv.
4-5). But Yeshua repeats his command, “Get going!”. Why won't the Jews
of Jerusalem hear Sha’ul? Because a believer's having opposed the Gospel in
the past is not what makes a nonbeliever believe. On the contrary, the
believer's faith now outweighs everything else about him. No matter how
reasonable his beliefs seem to himself now, a believer cannot substitute his
own stormy process of coming to faith for that of someone else.
Therefore, in instructing Sha’ul to get on with his task of evangelizing the
Gentiles Yeshua is saving Sha’ul years of fruitless endeavor which
would have been the outcome of following his own natural desire to devote all
his energy to winning his Jewish brothers (Romans 10:1 "my heart's desire
and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved"). Sha’ul's earthly
wisdom would not have led him to the specific mission Yeshua had designed for
him. The Lord knows better than we how we can best serve him. Moreover, the
book of Acts shows that Sha’ul experienced no small measure of success with
Jews as well.
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
And saw him
Evidently, the Lord Jesus Acts 22:14. He had received his
commission from him, and he now received a distinct command to go to the
Gentiles.
They will not receive
The inhabitants of Jerusalem, probably including
both Jews and Christians.
| The Jews would not listen to him because he had become,
in their view, an apostate, and they would hate and persecute him. |
| The Christians would not be likely to receive him, for
they would remember his former persecutions, and would be suspicious of
him because he had been so long in Arabia, and had not sooner connected
himself with them (Acts
9:26). |
See the notes
on , "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself
to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he
was a disciple."
In every synagogue
Beating, or scourging, was often done in the
synagogue. It was customary
for those who were converted to Christianity still to meet with the Jews in
their synagogues, and to join with them in their worship.
Guarding the clothes
The outer robes or garments, which were usually laid aside when they engaged
in running or labor. All this showed
that, though Paul was not engaged in stoning Stephen, yet he was with them in
spirit, and fully accorded with what they did. These circumstances are
mentioned here by him as reasons why he knew that he would not be received by
Christians as one of their numbers, and why it was necessary, therefore, for
him to turn to the Gentile world.
(Acts 7:58;
8:1)
Far from here
Paul traveled far in the pagan nations. A large part of his ministry was spent
in remote countries, and in the most distant regions then known.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
This was the particular calling of Paul. He was the apostle to the Gentiles.
He preached also to the Jews, but to preach and to write the revelation of God
to the Gentiles was his great work. To this end we find him traveling in
| Judea |
Samaria |
Syria |
Phoenicia |
| Arabia |
Cilicia |
Pisidia |
Lycaonia |
| Pamphylia |
Galatia |
Phrygia |
Macedonia |
| Greece |
Asia |
Italy |
Spain |
| the Isles of the
Mediterranean and Aegean seas |
and other lands. No other preached, traveled, and labored like Paul. The
epistles of all the others are mainly Jewish. Next to Jesus Christ
Paul is the great founder of the Christian church in various lands. Jesus is
the foundation — Paul the master builder (1 Corinthians 3:10 "According
to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have
laid the foundation, and another builds on it.").
(from Dake Annotated Reference Bible © 2007 by Dake Publishing. All rights
reserved in U.S.A. and Other Countries.)
After his conversion, Paul had ministered in
Damascus and then had gone to Arabia, perhaps to evangelize and to meditate on
God's Word (Acts 9:19-25; Galatians 1:16-17). When Paul did return to
Jerusalem, the church leaders did not accept him until Barnabas interceded and
got him in (Acts 9:26-29). Note how Paul again emphasized the Jewish elements
in his experience, for the Jews would be impressed with a man who prayed in
the temple and had a vision from God. The Lord told Paul to leave Jerusalem
quickly, because the people would not receive his witness. By obeying this
command, Paul saved his life, because the Hellenistic Jews had plotted to kill
him (Acts 9:29-30). But first Paul debated with the Lord! He wanted to show
the Jews that he was a new person and tell them that Jesus was the Messiah,
and He was alive. If Paul won some of them to the Lord, it would perhaps help
to compensate for all the damage he had done, especially in the killing of
Stephen.
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.)
From the Amplified Bible
(17) Then when I had come back to Jerusalem and was
praying in the temple [enclosure], I fell into a trance (an ecstasy);
(18) And I saw Him as He said to me, Hurry, get quickly out of Jerusalem,
because they will not receive your testimony about Me.
(19) And I said, Lord, they themselves well know that throughout all the
synagogues I cast into prison and flogged those who believed on (adhered to and
trusted in and relied on) You.
(20) And when the blood of Your witness (martyr) Stephen was shed, I also
was personally standing by and consenting and approving and guarding the
garments of those who slew him.
(21) And the Lord said to me, Go, for I will send you far away unto the
Gentiles (nations). |
Acts 22:22-24
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(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!" |
|
|
They had given Paul audience up to this word,
and then they lifted up their voices and cried out, Away with such a fellow from
the earth; for it is not right that he should live. |
|
|
(23) Then, as they cried out and tore
off their clothes and threw dust into the air, |
|
|
And as they cried out and cast off their robes
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. |
|
|
The chief captain commanded him to be brought
into the castle, and ordered that he should be examined by scourging, that he
might know for what cause they cried so against him. |
|
|
Throwing dust on one's head was a sign of mourning; removing it from
one's feet meant removing what was unholy (Acts
13:51); here it is probably simply
that they have nothing else to throw at him at the moment (historical
reference: 2
Maccabees 4:41 "some caught up stones, some strong clubs; and some threw ashes
upon Lysimachus"). They may throw off their cloaks for the same reason
(perhaps they also tore them, as one would after hearing blasphemy), although
Luke no doubt records it ironically as indicating their guilt.
(From IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)(From IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
The Messianic
Community in Jerusalem sent Sha’ul home to Tarsus (Acts 9:30), where for some
thirteen years he had the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Later, with this experience behind him, he set out on his travels to reach
non-Jews throughout the Eastern Mediterranean area.
The objection was to Sha’ul's message, which grants Gentiles equality
with Jews as part of God's people; see
Ephesians 2:11-16.
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh
— who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made
in the flesh by hands — that at that time you were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down
the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to
create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.
(NKJV) |
That this was the
objection is proved by
21:27-30.
Waving their clothes gave their anger a visible dimension. Likewise they
probably were throwing dust only because there were no stones handy (compare
Acts 7:58,
John 8:59). My guess, based on thirteen years of living in the Middle
East, is that the dust was not thrown in the air vaguely or ceremonially but
purposefully and vigorously in Sha’ul's direction!
The commander, still convinced Sha’ul must be a dangerous criminal,
since he had not understood Sha’ul's message in Hebrew (v. 2), was determined
to whip the truth out of him.
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
The Lord's command was, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the
Gentiles!" Paul was about to explain why he was involved
with the Gentiles, but the Jews in the temple courts would not permit him to
go on. No devout Jew would have anything to do with the Gentiles! Had Paul not
uttered that one word, he might have later been released; and perhaps he knew
this. However, he had to be faithful in his witness, no, matter what it cost
him. Paul would rather be a prisoner than give up his burden for lost souls
and for missions! When Claudius
saw that the riot was starting again, he took Paul into the barracks for
"examination by torture." The apostle had already mentioned that he was born
in Tarsus, but be had not told them that his citizenship was Roman. It was
unlawful for a Roman citizen to be scourged. We do not know how people proved
their citizenship in those days; perhaps they carried the first-century
equivalent of an ID card.
Claudius must have been shocked that this little Jewish troublemaker who spoke
Aramaic and Greek was actually a Roman citizen. "With great sum I obtained
this freedom," Claudius boasted, indicating that he had gotten his citizenship
by bribing the Roman officials, for it could not be actually purchased. But
Paul was ahead of the Roman captain, for he had been born into freedom and
Roman citizenship, thanks to his father. How Paul's father obtained his
freedom, we do not know. We do know that Paul knew how to make use of his
Roman citizenship for the cause of Christ. The soldiers had made two mistakes,
and they were quick to undo them: they had bound Paul and had planned to
scourge him. No doubt Claudius and his men were especially kind to Paul now
that they knew he was a Roman citizen. God was using the great power of the
Empire to protect His servant and eventually get him to Rome.
Paul's entire time in Jerusalem was one filled with serious misunderstandings,
but he pressed on. Perhaps at this point some of his friends were saying, "We
told him so! We warned him!" For Paul and his associates, it may have looked
like the end of the road, but God had other plans for them. Paul would witness
again and again, and to people he could never have met had he not been a Roman
prisoner. God's missionary did get to Rome and the Romans paid the bill! That
is what happens when God's people are willing to be daring! (B. E. C.)
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.)
Away with such a fellow
Greek: "take such a man from the earth," that is,
"put him to death." It is language of strong indignation and abhorrence. The
reasons of their induction were, not that they supposed that the Gentiles
could not be brought into covenant with God, for they would themselves compass
sea and land to make one proselyte, but:
| (1) |
That they believed that Paul taught that
they might be saved without conforming to the Law of Moses. |
| (2) |
His speech implied that the Jews were more hardened than the Gentiles, and
that he had a greater prospect of success in bringing them to God than he had
in regard to the Jews. |
Cast off their clothes
Their outer garments. Probably they did it now
intending to stone him,
Acts 7:58.
Threw dust into the air
As expressive of their abhorrence and
indignation. This was a striking exhibition of rage and malice. Paul was
guarded by Roman soldiers so that they could not injure him; and their only
way of expressing their wrath was by menaces and threats, and by these tokens
of furious indignation. Thus, Shimei expressed his indignation against David
by cursing him, throwing stones at him, and casting dust, 2 Sam 16:13.
The barracks
The castle of Antonia. He would be there removed entirely from
the wrath of the Jews.
Examined
Examined - anetazesthai (NT: 426)." The word "examine" with us
commonly means "to inquire, to question, to search for, to look carefully into
a subject." The word used here is commonly applied to metals whose nature is
tested, or examined by fire; and then it meant to subject to torture or
torments, in order to extort a confession where persons were accused of crime.
It was often resorted to among the ancients. A common mode has been by the
rack, but various kinds of torments have been invented in order to extort
confessions of guilt from those who were accused. The whole practice has been
one of the most flagrant violations of justice, and one of the foulest blots
on human nature. In this case, the tribune saw that Paul was accused violently
by the Jews; he was probably ignorant of the Hebrew language, and had not
understood the address of Paul; he supposed from the extraordinary excitement
that Paul must have been guilty of some flagrant offence, and he therefore
resolved to subject him to torture to extort from him a confession.
Scourging
By the scourge or whip. This could have been added to those mentioned in 2 Corinthians
where Paul listed the things he had endured.
|
2 Corinthians 11:23-27 |
| In labors more abundant, |
| in stripes above measure, |
| in prisons more frequently, |
| in deaths often. |
| From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus
one. |
| Three times I was beaten with rods; |
| once I was stoned; |
| three times I was shipwrecked; |
| a night and a day I have been in the deep; |
| in journeys often, |
| in perils of waters, |
| in perils of robbers, |
| in perils of my own countrymen, |
| in perils of the Gentiles, |
| in perils in the city, |
| in perils in the wilderness, |
| in perils in the sea, |
| in perils among false brethren; |
| in weariness and toil, |
| in sleeplessness often, |
| in hunger and thirst, |
| in fastings often, |
| in cold and nakedness — (NKJV) |
Notice the mention of "in stripes above measure" and "forty stripes
minus one." The forty stripes minus one is scourging by the Jews, for they
had the law that a scourging could not exceed 40 stripes, so they stopped at
39. The Romans had no such law, so unless they were given a specific number of
stripes as their sentence, the Roman soldier administering the scourging had
no limit in time or number of stripes.
From the Amplified Bible
(22) Up to the moment that Paul made this last statement,
the people listened to him; but now they raised their voices and shouted, Away
with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!
(23) And as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and
throwing dust into the air,
(24) The commandant ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, and
that he be examined by scourging in order that [the commandant] might learn why
the people cried out thus against him. |
Acts 22:25-29
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(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?" |
|
|
And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul
said to the centurion who stood over him, Is it lawful for you to scourge a
Roman citizen who is 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." |
|
|
When the centurion heard that, he went to the
chief captain and said, Be careful what you do; for this many is a Roman
citizen. |
|
|
(27) Then the commander came and said to
him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?"
He said, "Yes." |
|
|
Then the captain came and said to him, Tell
me, are you a Roman? Paul said, Yes. |
|
|
(28) The commander answered, "With a
large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a
citizen." |
|
|
And the captain answered, saying, I
obtained Roman citizenship with a great sum of money. Paul answered, But I was
born to it. |
|
|
(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. |
|
|
Immediately those who were ready to scourge
him left him alone, and the captain was afraid when he found out that he was a
Roman citizen, because he had bound him. |
|
|
Is it lawful?
Even had Paul not been a Roman citizen, the tribune would have no
authority to try a provincial belonging to another jurisdiction (Acts 21:39), after
he had quelled the unrest. But it was legal to scourge slaves or aliens to
extort confessions or to determine the truth concerning a situation. Paul had
experienced Jewish synagogue beatings and lectors' rods. But this scourge is
with the flagellum - leather thongs into which pieces of metal or bone were
woven. It could easily lead to the victim's death, and would certainly scar
and probably maim him. Centurions were sometimes left to supervise executions
and related duties. But the Porcian and Julian laws exempted Roman citizens
from such beatings without trial. Paul's citizenship excluded him from being
tortured for information, and together with his being untried, it excluded him
from punishment.
(From IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
As in Philippi (Acts16:36-40) Sha’ul makes full use of his legal
rights not merely to save his hide but also to protect the honor of the
Gospel. Both whipping him and binding him in chains (v. 29) would violate his
rights as a Roman citizen. Since Sha’ul had not been charged, nor had the
commander been informed of grounds for a charge, whipping Sha’ul prior to a
trial would have been a misuse of authority for which the commander would have
been liable. By questioning the whipping Sha’ul was saving the commander as
well as himself an unpleasant experience.
Sha’ul's “Yes” is certainly true; summary death awaited anyone falsely
claiming Roman citizenship.
(from Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
From The Bible Exposition Commentary
I was once called to be a character witness in a child custody case involving
a man who had served tune in prison. This was a new experience for me, and I
was completely unprepared for the first question the attorney asked me:
"Reverend, do you think that a man who has been a prisoner is fit to raise a
child?"
"That depends on the man," I replied bravely. "Some of the greatest men in
history have been prisoners - John the Baptist, John Bunyan, and even the
Apostle Paul."
"Simply answer yes or no!" said the judge curtly, and that was the end of my
sermon. |
| "Paul the prisoner" (Acts 23:18) was the name the Roman soldiers used for the
apostle, a designation he himself often used (Ephesians 3:1;
4:1; 2 Timothy
1:8; Philemon 1,9). Paul was under "military custody," which meant he was
bound to a Roman soldier who was responsible for him. Prisoners under "public
custody" were put in the common jail, a horrible place for any human being to
suffer (Acts 16:19-24). |
| Paul's friends could visit him and help meet his personal needs. It is sad
that we don't read, "And prayer was made fervently by the church for Paul"
(see Acts 12:5). There is no record that the Jerusalem church took any steps
to assist him, either in Jerusalem or during his two years in Caesarea. This
is an exciting chapter, and in it we read of three confrontations that Paul
experienced. |
Having discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen, the Roman captain now had two
serious problems to solve.
| 1. |
First he needed to let the prisoner
know what the official charges were against him, since that was
Paul's right as a Roman citizen. |
| 2. |
Second, he also needed to have some
official charges for his own records and to share with his
superiors. |
He was sure that Paul had done something
notorious, otherwise why would so many people want to do away with him? Yet
nobody seemed to know what Paul's crimes were. What a plight for a Roman
official to be in! |
| The logical thing was to let Paul's own people try him, so the captain
arranged for a special meeting of the Jewish council (Sanhedrin). This group
was composed of seventy (or seventy-one) of the leading Jewish teachers, with
the high priest presiding. It was their responsibility to interpret and apply
the sacred Jewish Law to the affairs of the nation, and to try those who
violated that Law. The Romans gave the council permission to impose capital
punishment where the offense deserved it. |
(From The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.
Used by permission.)
I was born a citizen
The freedom or privilege of Roman
citizenship. From this it would seem that the privilege of being a Roman
citizen might be purchased, unless perhaps he refers to the expenses which
were necessarily attendant in passing through the proper forms of becoming a
Roman citizen. The argument of the tribune in this case is this: "I obtained
this privilege at a great price. Whence did you, Paul, thus poor and
persecuted, obtain the means of becoming a Roman citizen?" Paul had informed
him that he was a native of Tarsus (Acts 21:39); and the chief captain
supposed that that was not a free city, and that Paul could not have derived
the privilege of citizenship from his birth.
[But I was free born] I was born a Roman citizen, or I am such in virtue of my
birth. Various opinions have been formed on the question in what way or for
what reasons Paul was entitled to the privileges of a Roman citizen. Some have
supposed that Tarsus was a Roman colony, and that he thus became a Roman
citizen. But of this there does not appear to be sufficient proof. Pliny says
(v. 27) that it was a free city.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Scholars note that one could achieve Roman citizenship in several ways:
| 1. |
Born to a Roman father (so Paul) |
| 2. |
A citizen of a Roman colony (A city either
literally founded by the Romans or given honorary privileges as if it
had been; its citizens were thus treated as citizens of Rome itself.). |
| 3. |
A retired auxiliary soldier |
| 4. |
Part of a municipal aristocracy or other
group honored by Rome |
| 5. |
Most common — after being born in Rome or
in a colony — a slave freed by his or her owner |
(from IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
Appian says that it (Tarsus) was endowed with the privileges of a free city by Augustus
Caesar after it had been greatly afflicted and oppressed by wars. Dio Chrysost.
Says to the people of Tarsus, "He (Augustus) has conferred on you everything
which anyone could bestow on his friends and companions, a country (that is, a
free country), laws, honor, authority over the river (Cydranus) and the
neighboring sea." Free cities were permitted in the Roman Empire to use their
own laws, customs, and magistrates, and they were free from being subject to
Roman guards. They were required only to acknowledge the supremacy and
authority of the Roman people, and to aid them in their wars. Such a city was
Tarsus; and, having been born there, Paul was entitled to these privileges of
a free man.
With a large sum
The tribune or commander is either a former slave who acquired enough funds to
buy his freedom (as often happened), or he bought his citizenship by a bribe,
which was common under the preceding emperor, whose name he took (Acts 23:26).
He had to be a citizen before he could be part of a legion; to have the status
of a tribune, he must have had a powerful patron or been one of the rare
individuals who toiled his way up through the ranks to this position.
(from IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
Because he had bound him
Preparatory to scourging him. The act of binding a
Roman citizen with such an intent, untried and uncondemned was unlawful.
Prisoners who were to be scourged were usually bound by the Romans to a pillar
or post; and a similar custom prevailed among the Jews. That it was unlawful
to bind a man with this intent, who was uncondemned, appears from an express
declaration in Cicero (against Verres): "It is a heinous sin to bind a Roman
citizen; it is wickedness to beat him; it is next to parricide to kill him,
and what shall I say to crucify him?"
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Upon these words, the soldiers who were about to torture Paul at once drew
back from him. The tribune was stricken with fear because he had
initiated an illegal procedure against a Roman citizen.
(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1962 by
Moody Press. All rights reserved.)
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK FROM 400 A. D. BY ARCHBISHOP JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Homily 48 - Acts 22:21-30
See how he thrusts himself (into danger), I came, he says, after that vision,
"to Jerusalem. I was in a trance," etc. Again, this is without witness: but
observe, the witness follows from the result. He said, "They will not receive
thy testimony:" they did not receive it. And yet from calculations of reason
the surmise should have been this, that they would assuredly receive him. For
I was the man that made war upon the Christians: so that they ought to have
received him. Here he establishes two things:
| 1. |
They are without excuse, since
they persecuted him contrary to all likelihood or calculation
of reason. |
| 2. |
Christ was God, as prophesying
things contrary to expectation, and as not looking to past
things, but fore-knowing the things to come. |
|
| How then does He say, "He shall bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and
children of Israel?" (Acts 9:15.) Not, certainly persuade. Besides which, on
other occasions we find the Jews were persuaded, but here they were not. Where
most of all they ought to have been persuaded, as knowing his former zeal (in
their cause), here they were not persuaded. "And when the blood of Thy martyr
Stephen," etc. See where again his discourse terminates, namely, in the
forcible main point that it was he that persecuted, and not only persecuted
but killed, nay, had he ten thousand hands would have used them all to kill Stephen. He
reminded them of the murderous spirit heinously indulged (by him and them). |
| Then of course above all they would not endure him, since this
convicted them;
and truly the prophecy was having its fulfillment: great the zeal, vehement
the accusation, and the Jews themselves witnesses of the truth of Christ! "And
he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 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." (v. 21,
22.) The Jews would not endure to hear out all his
harangue, but excessively fired by their wrath, they shouted, it says, "Away
with him; for it is not fit that he should live." And as they cried out, and
cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, the tribune commanded him
to be brought into the castle, and bade that be should be examined by
scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him." (v. 23,
24.) |
Whereas both the tribune ought to have examined whether these things were
so-yes, and the Jews themselves too -
Or, if they were not so, to have ordered
him to be scourged, he "bade examine him by scourging, that he might know for
what cause they so clamored against him." And yet he ought to have learnt from
those clamorers, and to have asked whether they laid hold upon aught of the
things spoken: instead of that, without more ado he indulges his arbitrary
will and pleasure, and acts with a view to gratify them: for he did not look
to this, how he should do a righteous thing, but only how he might stop their
rage unrighteous as it was. "And 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 un-condemned?" (v. 25.) Paul lied not, God forbid: for he was a
Roman. |
If there was nothing else, he would have been afraid (to pretend this), lest
he should be found out, and suffer a worse punishment. (See Sueton. Vit. Claud.
§25.) And observe he does not say it peremptorily, but, "Is it
lawful for you?" The charges brought are two, both its
| being without examination, |
| and his being a Roman. |
They held this as a great privilege, at that time: for they
say that (it was only) from the time of Hadrian that all were named
Romans, but of old it was not so. He would have been contemptible
had he been scourged: but as it is, he puts them into greater fear
(than they him). Had they scourged him, they would also have
dismissed the whole matter, or even have killed him; but as it is,
the result is not so. |
| See how God permits many (good results) to be brought about quite in a human
way, both in the case of the Apostles and of the rest (of mankind). Mark how
they suspected the thing to be a pretext, and that in calling himself a Roman,
Paul lied: perhaps surmising this from his poverty. "When the centurion heard
that, he went and told the tribune, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for
this man is a Roman. Then the tribune came, and said unto him, Tell me, art
thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the tribune answered, With a great sum
obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway
they departed from him which should have examined him: and the tribune also
was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him."
(v. 26-29.)-"But I," he says, "was free born." So then his father also was a
Roman. |
| What then comes of this? He bound him, and brought him down to the Jews. "On
the morrow, because he would have known the certainty whereof 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."
(v. 30.) (Archbishop John Chrysostom of Constantinople A.D. 400) |
(from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 11, PC Study Bible
formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
(25) But when they had stretched him out with the thongs
(leather straps), Paul asked the centurion who was standing by, Is it legal for
you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned [without a trial]?
(26) When the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to
him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen!
(27) So the commandant came and said to [Paul], Tell me, are you a Roman
citizen? And he said, Yes [indeed]!
(28) The commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship [as a capital
investment] for a big price. Paul said, But I was born [Roman]!
(29) Instantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from
him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that [Paul] was a
Roman citizen and he had put him in chains. |
Acts 22:30
| From the
NKJV |
From the
Peshitta |
|
(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. |
|
|
The next day, because he desired to know the
truthfulness of the charges which the Jews had brought against Paul, he unbound
him and commanded the high priests and all their council to appear before him,
and he took Paul and brought him down and set him before them. |
|
|
The only way the commander can now find grounds for holding Sha’ul is to
receive an accusation from others, in this case the Sanhedrin.
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All
rights reserved. Used by permission.)
The Sanhedrin was the highest religious court of Jewish Palestine. The
Pharisees and
Sadducees disagreed on many points. The Pharisees had less
power and representation on the council, but some of them (like the
aristocratic Simon son of Gamaliel I) would have had some power.
Because Paul's offense is clearly a religious one related to the
temple, the perplexed official is going to try to ascertain the charge by
consulting the Sanhedrin.
(From IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener
Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All
rights reserved.)
He summoned a meeting of the Sanhedrin, or
Great Council of the nation. He did this, as he was prevented from scourging
Paul, in order to know what he had done, and that he might learn from the Jews
themselves the nature of the charge against him. This was necessary for the
safety of Paul and for the ends of justice. This should have been done without
any attempt to torture him in order to extort a confession.
He brought Paul down from the elevated castle of Antonia. The council
assembled commonly in the house of the high priest.
He brought the prisoner to their bar, that they
might have an opportunity to accuse him, and that thus the chief captain might
learn the real nature of the charge against him.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
From the Amplified Bible
| (30) But the next day, desiring to know the real cause
for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and
all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him
before them. |
(End of Chapter Twenty Two)
Bibliography
|
