Bible Study series: Acts 22:1-21. It is an inspirational testimony, and he also changed the church for the better, forever.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn, so the translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 22:1-21
1 “Men, brothers, and fathers! Hear now my defense to you!” 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in the Aramaic dialect, they got even quieter. 3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, being taught in the strictures of the ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way even to death, tying up and putting both men and women in prison. 5 Even the high priest and the entire eldership testify for me; from them I got letters to the brothers and sisters and was going to Damascus, bringing them as prisoners from there to Jerusalem, so they may be punished.
6 It happened to me as I was going and nearing Damascus, at midday: suddenly a very bright light from heaven shone around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 8 I answered, “Who are you, lord?” He said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting” 9 And those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one speaking. 10 I said, “What should I do, lord?” And the Lord spoke to me, “Get up and go into Damascus. And there it will be told to you all the things that have been appointed for you to do.” 11 As I was blinded from the glory of that light, I was being hand-led by my companions and came to Damascus.
12 A certain Ananias, a man very devout according to the law, attested by all the Jews living there, 13 came stood near me and said to me, “Brother Saul, get your sight back!” At that instant, I saw him. 14 He said, “The God of our fathers chose you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear the voice of his mouth, 15 because you shall be a witness for him to all men of the things you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized and be washed from your sins and call on his name!”
17 And it happened that I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I was in a trance 18 and saw him speaking to me: “Hurry up. Leave Jerusalem quickly because they shall not receive your witness about me.” 19 And I said, “Lord, they themselves know that I was in synagogue after synagogue imprisoning and beating those believing in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen, a witness for you, was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and keeping the clothes of the ones killing him.” 21 But he said to me, “Go! I shall send you away, far to the Gentiles!” (Acts 22:1-21)
Comments:
Intro to the speech
This long speech can be divided up into smaller section, as follows:
1.. Paul’s early life (vv. 1-5)
2.. Paul sees the light on the Damascus Road (vv. 6-11)
3.. Ananias prays for Paul (vv. 12-16)
4. Paul’s vision in the temple (vv. 17-21)
For continuity, here is the final pericope (pronounced puh-RIH-koh-pea) or unit or section of Scripture from Acts 21:
37 When they were about to take him into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “May I be permitted to say something to you?” He said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not the Egyptian who ignited a revolt and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the desert some time ago?” 39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man, from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 He allowed it. Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When a great hush took place, he spoke in the Hebrew language, saying …. (Acts 21:37-40)
Further, Paul’s defense fulfills Jesus’s promise that the Spirit will help his witnesses:
11 “And when they bring you before the synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry how or what you will speak in self-defense or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very time what must be said.” (Luke 12:11-12)
This prediction is generic and not to be taken ultraliterally:
14 Put it in your heart not to prepare ahead to defend yourselves, 15 for I will give you speaking ability with words and wisdom which your opponents will not be able to withstand or contradict. (Luke 21:14-15)
No one can contradict Paul’s story, based on a full worldview which allows visions.
1:
“defense”: it is the noun apologia (pronounced ah-poh-loh-gee-ah, and the “g” is hard as in “get”). It simply means “defense,” “answer” or “reply.” Luke will use the term in 24:10; 25:8, 16; 26:1-2, 24 (see also 1 Cor. 9:3; 2 Cor. 7:11; Phil. 1:7, 16; 2 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet. 3:15). The verb is used in Luke 12:11; 21:14; Acts 19:33; 24:10; 25:8; 26:1, 2, 24.
The average church goer is scared of apologetics, with good reason. Often apologists speak over people’s heads inside the church. (One apologist actually said on a skeptical radio show: “I’m not certain God exists.” He meant that he is not 100 percent certain or something like it. Bad strategy for church. Does he want to be pulled off the platform at church in midsentence? Only 30% of Americans have a Bachelor’s degree, and about half have some college, below that watermark. When these defenders learn to break down their message for the laity, and stop coming across as mean, out-of-touch intellectuals, Average Joe Christian will appreciate the apologetics ministry better.
2-3:
Paul is becoming all men to all people (1 Cor. 9:19-23). When he was out in the field, in the larger Greek world, he spoke Greek, which he knew fluently. Now he is in Jerusalem standing before a whipped-up crowd of extra-devout Jews, so he speaks their native language.
Paul describes his testimony in his epistle to the Philippians as follows:
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Phil. 3:4-9, NIV)
“this city”: it refers to Jerusalem. So when did his parents send him to Jerusalem? After he reached puberty? At least one scholar says mid-teens.
“at the feet”: disciples of rabbis sat on the floor, while the rabbis were seated on a platform.
“strictures”: it means “most accurate” and “fullest sense.” Paul used to be a super-devout Jew, belonging to the faction of the Pharisees.
We think Paul was raised in Tarsus and went to Jerusalem as a young man (late teens), but e says here he was raised in Jerusalem, but I can’t imagine is was three to five years old or ten eight years old. In short, I don’t know how young he was, but surely it was earlier than eighteen years old. Bruce cites a scholar (J. Klausner) who refers to a passage in the Babylonian Talmud that mentions an unnamed disciple who manifested “impudence in matters of learning” (Shabbat 30b). Klausner thinks that this student was Saul / Paul. I like the connection because it sounds like Saul / Paul, but Bruce dismisses it with “doubtful cogency” (comment on vv. 3-4, note 6).
Finally, Paul’s last two phrases are designed to relate to his audience. He used to be like them. His credentials cannot be disputed.
4:
“Way”: Greek: hodos (pronounced hoh-dohss). It means the “path” or “road.” John the Baptist, through the OT prophet Malachi, launched the idea: “Prepare the way (hodos) of the Lord!” (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23). Jesus said the road (hodos) to life is narrow (Matt. 7:14). And Jesus said he is the way (hodos), the truth, and the life (John 14:16). He is the road way to God.
In this age of pluralism and multiculturalism, don’t be afraid to proclaim the exclusivity of Jesus. You can find some elements in other religions where you can build a bridge (e.g. they also say not to steal), so you do not have to denigrate them through and through. But you will discover that other religions claim exclusivity. Buddhists believe Hindus are wrong; Sikhs believe Hinduism and Islam are shortsighted and deficient. Muslims who know their Quran believe all other religions are wrong and deny, for example, the essential conditions for salvation: the Lordship of Jesus, his Sonship, his crucifixion, and his bodily resurrection. Do I need to keep going on about Islam?
Please see these posts:
Ten Big Differences between Christianity and Other Religions
Jesus and Muhammad: Fifteen Major Differences
“men and women”: If women have a share in being persecuted, do they have a share in ministry? They better.
Women in Ministry: Replies to Objections
5:
“testify”: it is in the present tense, so Paul is using vivid language, as if he says, “Go over there and ask them yourselves, right now!”
“brothers”: the NIV correctly has “associates.” In other words, the leaders of the High Jewish Court (the Sanhedrin) sent letters with Paul to inform their associates in Damascus that he could legally arrest and imprison the Messianic Jews.
You can read about Paul’s persecution of them in Acts 8.
1b And so on that day there was a severe persecution against the church in Jerusalem. Everyone except the apostles was scattered to the region of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men took Stephen up for burial and lamented for him. 3 Saul was devastating the church, going from household to household, dragging off both men and women and putting them in prison. (Acts 8:1b-3)
6:
This is a little glimpse of heaven, which the Father allowed. If we were to go up into heaven right now with our unresurrected, untransformed bodies, we would be overwhelmed. Blinded. Knocked flat.
Glory is related to light, two attributes of God. See the post Do You Really Know God? He Is Glorious
1. The Glory of God in the Old Testament
2. What Is the Glory of God in the New Testament?
3. What Does the Glory of God Mean to Us?
7-8:
Jesus fully identifies with his church. Saul / Paul had been persecuting the church / body of Christ. It’s wonderful—full of wonder—to believe that Jesus identifies with you so deeply that when someone harms you, he harms Jesus. You are part of the body of Christ.
9:
Paul repeats this testimonial two other times: Acts 9 and 26. Here I try to harmonize the three accounts in v. 9.
Acts 9:7 says the companions heard the voice, while here in 22:9 they did not hear the voice. Is this a contradiction? Not in the details. Paul uses the same word for voice or sound (phōnē, pronounced foh-nay, and yes, we get our word telephone from it), and he uses the same verb for hearing (akouō, pronounced ah-koo-oh, and yes, we get our word acoustics from it). In Acts 9:7, the companions hear a sound or voice, but here Paul says his companions did not hear a voice. He is simply saying that his companions did not understand the entire event. It is a lot like the voice from heaven endorsing the Son of God (John 12:28), but the crowd thought it thundered or an angel spoke to him. In 1 Corinthians 14:2, the verb akouō means “understand” tongues. When supernatural events occur, like tongues or a heavenly voice, intellectual understanding can go out the window. So let’s not press the details too hard and nor overinterpret the meaning.
Scroll down to vv. 3-9.
And here is the same story again. Scroll down to vv. 10-18:
The NIV has translated 22:9 correctly with the word understand: “My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.”
Keener agrees: “In Acts 9:7, Paul’s companions receive only partial revelation, but here they do not even hear the voice (22:9), in contrast to 9:7. Since the verb can also mean ‘understand,’ it is possible that they heard a sound but not an intelligible one, just as they saw light (22:9 but not a person (9:7)” (p. 537).
The same verb akouō (pronounced ah-koo-oh), which is usually translated as “hear,” is used in 1 Cor. 14:2, where it can be translated only one way: “understand.”
Getting hung up on discrepancies like these and threatening to throw out the entire Bible is foolish and over-reactive. Your faith is too brittle.
Bock, as usual, is right:
Those present at the incident on the Damascus road saw a light but heard no voice, a probable reference to not comprehending rather than not hearing the voice, since 9:7 indicates a voice or at least a sound was heard. […] It is overinterpretation to suggest that 9:7 says that they did not see the light whereas he it says they did. All that is said here is that they did not see anyone. For those with Saul, there was neither an appearance nor revelation. The point is that the others knew something happened and that Saul did not have a merely inner, psychological experience. Those with Paul, however, did not know exactly what took place. (comment on vv. 9-11)
Where I inserted the ellipses (dots) Bock reminds us that the verb “hear” can take two different cases (accusative or genitive) and may have nuanced different meanings; however, we should not make too much of it because there are too many exceptions to the rule. That is, there is no hard, fast difference in meaning between the verb “hear” and the two cases. Bock’s larger point is right. It does not matter because the basic outcome is the same in Acts 9 and here in 22, namely, that those with Paul knew something significant had happened.
Simple addition:
Including data points in one account
+
Omitting data points in another account
_______________________________
= Differences ≠ Contradiction
= Differences ≠ errors
I urge everyone to see the postmodern critics for who they are and not take them seriously. They turn molehills into mountains and require us to climb their mountain. Don’t “fall” for it.
Finally, I like what Keener further says: “Variations in ancient historians’ own works also suggest that most historians do not trifle over differences of minor detail. The point in any case is selective revelation (cf. 10:40-41 Dan 10:7)” (p. 537).
Exactly.
Was Luke a Careless Historian? Three Accounts of Paul’s Conversion
10:
But more significantly than this quibble and quarrel among Bible scholars is the calling on Paul’s life. He illustrates repentance, apart from the theologians who nitpick the sequence: is it born again first and then faith? Or is it faith first and then born-again? The Bible does not present or demand such precision. Paul got knocked down a persecutor and got up a new man. Now he had to walk out or live out his new life.
“appointed”: its basic meaning is to “arrange,” “place,” “station,” or “assign,” and secondarily to “order, fix, determine, appoint.” Paul was called and had an assignment from the Father himself. Each one of us has our own assignment.
11:
“hand-led”: Saul / Paul was once powerful, but a light knocked him down. Now he was helpless. He had thought he could see. Now he was blind.
“glory of the light”: it can be translated as “the brightness of the light,” but the Greek is the standard noun for “glory.” Once again this shows that light and glory are connected.
See the post Do You Really Know God? He Is Glorious
As noted in v. 6, if we were to see the glory of God without our resurrected and transformed bodies and eyes, we would be knocked flat and blinded.
Dreams and Visions: How to Interpret Them
12:
It is stunning that Christian outreach came to Damascus so soon after the resurrection, but persecution has a way of scattering the flock, where sheep will reproduce in other, new areas.
Ananias was a Messianic Jew, because he received Yeshua (Jesus) as his Messiah. Yes, Ananias was a mighty devout man, but he was at first scared to approach Saul / Paul.
13:
Ananias simply commanded. He did not pray a flowery prayer: “O thou distant God way up in heaven! If only thou condescendest and darest to hear thy humble servant’s prayer! Pretty please, give thou Saul his sight back!” No. Other ways to translate the one Greek verb in the imperative mood is “Look up!” “Recover your sight!” “See again!”
This healing was instant. Sometimes it is not (Mark 8:22-26).
14:
“chose”: God reached down his hand and anointed Paul to fulfill a mission. Yes, God has prehandpicked you also to do good works that he has appointed beforehand that you should do (Eph. 2:10).
Some theologians focus on words such as this and grind it into dust. They say that God prehandpicks some, but not everyone. However, God wants everyone to be saved and come to repentance (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). Yet some simply resist God’s call and can resist it throughout their lives. Human freewill is God’s gift to humanity, and freewill is strong. Humans cannot strut into God’s kingdom without a call in some form (even a dream) and a drawing by the Spirit towards God, but they have enough freewill to say no.
A sound alternative translation of “prehandpicked” is “appointed.”
“The Righteous One”: this is Jesus. He is righteous in the same degree that the Father was. Jesus shares this attribute with the Father, while Jesus was on earth. The term has a Messianic designation: Acts 3:14; 22:14; 1 John 2:1; Luke 23:47; Matt. 27:19, 24; and in the OT: 2 Sam. 23:3; Is. 32:1; 53:11; Zech. 9:9. In literature outside the Bible it is the same: 1 Enoch 38:2 and 46:3. In Is. 53:11, the servant of the Lord will be the righteous one. All in all, this is high Christology.
See my post: Do I Really Know God? He Is Righteous and Just.
Paul was called to see him and hear him. Paul writes that others saw the resurrected Lord, but Paul saw him last of all, and last does not mean the visitations were closed, because he got more of them (1 Cor. 15:3-9).
Renewalists believe that all believers can see Jesus, either in dreams or visions or in person. But the main warning is that you have to surrender your dream or vision or personal visit to Scripture. It has stood the test of time for two thousand years; you have not. It is inspired in a special way; you are not. It is infallible; you are not. If you are prone to receive visions, stay in a Bible-based church and check them out with the Bible-educated leaders and Bible-educated, trusted laity.
“hear the voice of his mouth”: it could be translated as “hear words from his mouth.” That is, Paul’s teaching came from revelations from the Lord. His gospel was founded on Christ, even though he was not an earlier follower of Jesus during is ministry.
15:
Paul saw and heard revelations about Jesus. Personally, I have no doubt that he learned from Jesus himself that the law was fading away and salvation came through faith alone and grace alone. Yes, he also studied Scriptures, as we see in Rom. 4, but Jesus launched him down this road. Recall that the resurrected Jesus spent a lot of time telling the two disciples the history of the Bible through the Messianic eyes (Luke 24:27). Jesus did the same with Paul in one of his visions.
16:
The verbs are in the middle voice, so they could be translated “get yourself baptized and get yourself washed from your sins.” No, Paul did not self-baptize, but Ananias led the way into the water.
Conversion first. Water baptism second. Water does not save, but Jesus does. Salvation goes beyond initial justification or initially being declared righteous. It involves one’s whole life. And being water-baptized for the washing away of sins means that water symbolically washes away one’s sins.
Bruce is right: “But first he must get himself baptized, as the outward and visible sign of his inward and spiritual cleansing from son. And in the act of being baptized his invocation of Jesus as Lord would declare the dominant power in his life henceforth” (comment on vv. 13-16).
“name”: this noun stands in for the person—a living, real person. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, under the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
17:
“praying”: Christians took over the word and directed it towards the living God. I like to believe that they leaned in toward him and prayed their requests fully expecting an answer. It is not a mere wish or heartfelt payer to a pagan deity.
Prayer flows out of confidence before God that he will answer because we no longer have an uncondemned heart (1 John 3:19-24; Rom. 8:1); and we know him so intimately that we find out from him what is his will is and then we pray according to it (1 John 5:14-15); we pray with our Spirit-inspired languages and our native languages (1 Cor. 14:15-16). But that’s what all believers should do; however, too often theory outruns practice. Pray! For a theology on how to respond when God does not answer our prayers, as when James was executed by Herod, see Acts 12 and the Observations for Discipleship section.
Prayer can be (1) for oneself, like overcoming sins and vices in your heart and mind or receiving wisdom from above (James 3:17) and not being double-minded about receiving it (Jas. 1:5-8), but (2) it is also for the needs of the community. It was coming under attack, so prayers were offered. Praying for boldness to reach out and spread the word is wonderful. We should do it more often. (3) Further, prayer brings down the manifest presence of God. God is omnipresent (everywhere) of course, but his presence can make itself felt and experienced. God showed up and shook the place where they were gathered.
Prayer can be visualized like a pebble in a pond, and the ripples go outward. (1) It starts with oneself and one’s needs; (2) then it goes outward to one’s own family and (3) to the Christian community (your home church). (4) It goes out to evangelism and the needs of the world around the community, (5) and finally to parts around the globe. But this prayer here in Acts varies the order, which you may do, if you like. Prayer is ultimately and most deeply a conversation with God.
What Is Biblical Intercession?
“trance”: It befell him; he did not ginger it up or use soul power.
Renewalists believe this still happens.
Dreams and Visions: How to Interpret Them
18:
Sometimes it is the better part of valor and prudence to leave town (get out of Dodge, so to speak) and not stay there and be hounded and possibly killed. Jesus said to flee during persecution (Matt. 10:23).
Should Christians Fight or Flee Persecution?
19-20:
Saul (Paul) had been beating the Messianic Jews. No doubt it was similar to what he was about to receive from the Romans and what he did receive five times from the Jews in the synagogues (2 Cor. 11:23). Paul in effect is saying, “They know my testimony. I used to be like them—even worse! Surely you want me stay in the holy city and testify about my before-and-after-pictures. Before: I persecuted the Messianic Jews. After: I am one!”
It is amusing how Paul—a knowledgeable Pharisee (or ex-Pharisee)—could argue with his Lord. People with high intelligence believe that they can argue with the omniscient Lord. They don’t realize they will always lose! Just surrender now. He won’t budge.
“believing”: here it is connected to “saved.”
Word Study on Faith and Faithfulness
21:
And sure enough, Jesus did not budge. He commanded Paul without discussion: “Go!” It is a never a good idea to argue with the risen Lord. You won’t win.
Here is the original story:
28 And so he went with them around Jerusalem, boldly proclaiming in the name of the Lord. 29 He was both speaking and debating with Hellenist Jews, but they were trying to arrest him to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. (Acts 9:28-30)
In Chapter 22, here, Paul says he went to the Gentiles, so no doubt when he went home to Tarsus, he ministered to Gentiles, as well as his Jewish family and community.
GrowApp for Acts 22:1-21
Pick two.
1. Paul’s zeal led him to go down the wrong path. What wrong path did you go down before God rescued you?
2. Paul got knocked to the ground in his conversion story. Very dramatic. What is your conversion story? Was it quiet or dramatic or in between?.
3. Ananias, acting as a friend and witness, led Paul to the Lord. Did you have a friend who led you to the Lord? Have you been this friend to someone else?
4. Sometimes your testimony about salvation can be received, other times not so. How have you used wisdom to share your walk with Christ in some contexts and remained silent in others?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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