“Acts 22:1-16”

Friday, February 12, 2016

“‘Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.’ And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And I answered, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.” And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, “What shall I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to me, “Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.” But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, “Brother Saul, receive your sight!” And at that very time I looked up at him. And he said, “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”
---End of Scripture verses---

As Paul made his defense, he addressed his (hostile) audience as “brethren and fathers” (verse 1). This is exactly the same way that Stephen (who Paul mentioned ironically enough in verse 20) undoubtedly addressed some of the very same components of this crowd before they turned on him and murdered him (Acts 7:2). Paul spoke to them in reasonable, respectful and affectionate tones. Once again, he was concerned for them. Paul wrote of his Jewish kinsmen in Romans 10:1-2, “Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” He even went so far as to write that, “I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2-3). Paul loved the people who desperately wanted to throttle him, just like Stephen did, just like Jesus did.

Paul really got there attention when he spoke to them in “the Hebrew dialect” (verse 2). It was the Asian Jews who had initially stirred up this commotion (Acts 21:27), and they were probably amazed, not likely having realized his credentials until this point. He further certified his national heritage by stating that he had been taught at the feet of the highly respected Pharisee and teacher of the Law, Gamaliel. It was Gamaliel who had talked some sense into the council when they were so enraged at the Apostles that they wanted to kill them all (Acts 5:33). Gamaliel very prudently warned his fellow council members to, “Stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

What Paul is doing here is telling people about who he was before he came to Christ, and then he’s going to tell them about his conversion and about how coming to Jesus had completely changed his life forever for the better. Paul is essentially saying to Christ’s enemies here, “Hey look, I used to hate these Christians and their Leader even more than you did! Just ask your leaders (verse 5) and they will vouch for me about how much I hated and persecuted Jesus and His followers and wanted to kill them (verse 4). I was actually on my way to arrest Christians in Damascus and extradite them back to Jerusalem, but then the most amazing thing happened to me! Jesus himself appeared to me and stopped me in my tracks (verses 6-9). He blinded my with the most dazzling light, but now I see things more clearly than I ever have before in my life.” Paul thought he was the one doing the pursuing, but he didn’t realize that he was actually being pursued the whole time (Philippians 2:12).

Paul liked to tell people the story of his personal conversion, and about how Jesus had lifted him up from the crooked path of ruin and destruction and placed his feet squarely upon the only road that leads to happiness and heaven. One good way to help people to see that Jesus can help make their lives better is to paint for them the “before and after” Christ picture of your own personal life. Paul often utilized this effective evangelistic tool in his dealings with the people he met. He loved to give people the personal “testimony” of all the positive changes that had been brought about by Jesus in his life. But no conversion story is complete unless you tell someone the one thing that everyone needs to “do” (verse 10) in order to have their sins forgiven and be saved. In his conversion story, Paul recounted to his audience that Ananias had told him, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (verse 16). Paul was held completely accountable before God for all of his sins until the point in which he was baptized in order to have them washed away by the blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5).

Every “conversion story” is a unique and interesting account. But without baptism “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), there is no true conversion and salvation (Mark 16:16).

Please read Acts 22:17-30 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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