ACTS CHAPTER 22 PAUL'S DEFENSE

Begin on 2:28:03

Paul’s Defense Before The Jews

1   “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.” Paul begins by using the words brethren and fathers to identify himself as a Jew.

2  And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; *and he said, 3  “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.

Why did Paul address them in Hebrew?  The Hebrew language was known as Aramaic.  By using this native language Paul was attempting to gain recognition as a learned fellow Jew.  Paul introduces himself as a Jew; who was taught the Law by Gamaliel a famous teacher of the law.  He goes on in verse three comparing himself in those days with his fellow Jews listening to him.  We must be on guard not to set ourselves above those we are witnessing to.

4  “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5 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.

What was Paul’s reasoning in recounting his ugly past dealings with those who followed and preached of Jesus?  Once Paul had them silently and listening to him as a Jew not just a rabble rouser.  He could now draw them closer by telling them of his past actions against the Christians.  They could identify with him because of his past.  He undoubtedly felt the change in him would bring about an understanding and perhaps acceptance in the hearts of the listeners.

6  “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, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

We can read about this event in Paul’s life in Acts 9: 1-19.  Here Paul is recounting his miraculous  transformation.  Paul was trying to convince his listeners that he didn’t just decide to change his life style on his own.  He wanted to point to this event as an event orchestrated by God.  Paul continues his life changing story in the next verse.

8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

We may have assumed, up to this point, Jesus appeared to Paul as a vision.   Scripture does not tell us whether or not  Paul saw Jesus.  There is however no doubt he heard Jesus’ voice.  We must take care not to read things into scripture that are not there.  Therefore I am inclined to believe Paul did not see Jesus.  Possibly because the intensity of the light was so bright he and only he was blinded by it.  The intense light might have obscured the vision of Jesus, because no one saw Jesus not Paul nor those who accompanied him.

9  “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.  This is Paul’s view of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

We compare this account with the one reported by Luke in Acts 9:7  “The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.”  Paul states here the men who accompanied him saw the light but were not blinded by it nor did they understand what Jesus told Paul.  As these men probably knew Hebrew, (Aramaic), Possibly Greek. 

Why did they not understand the language spoken here?

We read in Acts 26:14  Paul heard the voice speaking in Hebrew dialect.  Paul was made to understand and his companions were left to wonder; not understanding the voice.

10  “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.’  11 “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.

With a light reported as brighter than the sun Acts 26:13.  The human eye can be burned by exposure to sun light this is called Solar retinopathy  Paul’s retina must been damaged even with just a few seconds of exposure.  Yet Paul did not show anger at being blinded nor was he fearful of what would happen to him.  Our Lord cares for those He chooses to use for His glory.

12  “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, 13  came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!” And at that very time I looked up at Him.

Who was Ananias?  

Ananias was a disciple of Jesus living in Damascus (refer to Acts 9:10).  He had a good report with the Jews in Damascus, keeping all aspects of the Jewish law.  We read in to Acts 9:10& cf; Ananias knew Paul by reputation and was reluctant to go to him.  He change his opinion when it was revealed  Paul was chosen by God to bring the gospel to the Gentile.

14   “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. 15  ‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Jesus had appointed Paul to go to the Gentile (Acts 9:15).  Ananias, knowing Paul to be a Jew, used the inclusive phrase “our fathers” (or ancestors).  Ananias reluctance is understandable because of Paul’s persecution of Christ’s followers.  I believe the Righteous one referred to here was Jesus.  We know this from verse 8 ; Jesus was the one who spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus. 

16  ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

Baptism as we know it was not part of the Jewish culture.  Full emersion and also the washing of cloths were important parts of the Jewish purification. [5]  There disbelief is understandable because the Judaism did not recognize the Holy Spirit.  The command here to wash away sins is given in a figurative sense.  We can not wash away sin with water.

We must be baptized Acts 2:38 in the name of Jesus.    Sin is forgiven by the shedding of the blood of the perfect Lamb 1 Peter 1:19 (Jesus) of God is there only way a our sins are forgiven blood.

17  “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’.

This vision occurred to Paul shortly after his conversion on the road to Damascus see also  Acts 9:26-29.  Paul demonstrates here that he not only did not speak against the Temple but prayed there.  Paul knew all to well the Jews wanted his death, and would have stayed if it were not for this vision.  We read how the Christians assisted Paul in his escape in Acts 9:30

19  “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

Perhaps Paul believed if he told of his past in conjunction with his new self they would be more inclined to listen to him.  As a former persecutor of Jewish believers he was identifying as once being just like his listeners.  Perhaps he felt that if he could persuade a few Jews to convert as he as it happened to him; this would glorify the Lord.  We shall see in the following verses Paul’s attempt to witness to the Jews was not well received.

20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’

By telling the crowd this Paul punctuated his former self as a persecutor.  Paul (aka Saul) began his persecution with this incident Acts 8:1.  Jesus had other plans for Paul as we will read in verse 21.

21  “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

See also Acts 9:15

 

22  They listened to him up to this statement and the they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”

The term “the earth” was translated from the Greek “1093 ge ghay contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):--country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.” [1]

Their fury was aroused by Paul’s statement about being told by Jesus to go to the Gentile.  By relating this vision, he was telling the Jew the Gentile was equal to them in Gods eyes.  This would have been intolerable to Jews, and they cried out for his death.

Jesus had plans for Paul and did not permit his death at this time by using the Roman guard.

23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

The removing of cloaks and tossing of dust in the air was their way of showing anguish and contempt.  The Roman commander did not want a riot to ensue.  The simple solution was to remove the irritant, namely Paul.  The commander desiring to know what Paul had said ordered him to tell him or be whipped.  He would have been beaten with a whip made of long pieces of leather with sharpened metal attached to the ends.

25  But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 27  The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he [Paul] said, “Yes.” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.

Paul asserts his rights as a Roman citizen.  

• “A Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped, nor could he receive the death penalty, unless he was found guilty of treason.
• If accused of treason, a Roman citizen had the right to be tried in Rome, and even if sentenced to death, no Roman citizen could be sentenced to die on the cross.” [4]

We will read in the remaining three verses how Paul satisfied the commander.

28  The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.”

Verses 28-29 “Paul’s father was a *Roman citizen. So, Paul was a *Roman citizen by birth. The soldiers’ leader had paid money to become a citizen. This was not legal. But some people paid money in secret to bad government officials. These bad officials let them become *Roman citizens. This happened often when Claudius (10 *BC – *AD 54) was *Emperor. Perhaps this is why the soldiers’ leader added the name Claudius to his real *Greek name Lysias (see Acts 23:26).

The soldiers did not whip Paul. They left. The soldiers’ leader realized that he had made a serious mistake. But he did not let Paul go free. He still thought that Paul had committed a crime.” [3]

29  Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

They were about to examine him by scourging him.  This was a common practice of interrogating prisoners.  However as we now know Roman citizens had rights under the law.  The commander have purchased his citizen ship feared reprisal for chaining a naturalized Roman citizen.  The commander could have lost his command or worse if Rome found out what he had allowed to happen.

30  But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Even fearing Roman retribution the commander kept Paul in chains over night.  After all he was already in hot water if Rome discovered what had happened.  The commander called for the chief priest to assemble the Sanhedrin who could try and punish Paul.  In this way the commanders hands would be clean of Paul’s blood and the crowd would be appeased.  A win win for the commander. 

CREDITS, LINKS, AND CITATION

[1] –scripture verses from Cross wire Study Bible

[2] -  commentaries by /Jamison-Fausset-brown

[3] – Commentaries By Marion Adams

[4] – Wikipedia.org

[5] – Jewish encyclopedia

ACTS CHAPTER 21

Begin play at chapter 21 at 2:20:51

Paul Mission Ends With a Trip to Jerusalem

1  When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; 2 and having found a  ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.  3  When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload it’s cargo.

Tyre was the seat of shipping commerce for East and West trade routes.

Estimated time in reaching Tyre is about two days.

As it would take some time for the ship to unload it’s cargo; Paul and his followers had time to find the disciples living in Tyre as verse 4 tells us.

4 After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

We don’t know how many disciples resided in that area.  It is believed these disciples may have left Jerusalem after the death of Stephen.  Facing persecution these disciples scattered and some who spoke Greek settled in this area (see Acts 11:19).  Notice the capital “S” in the word Spirit.  This tells us the Holy Spirit was at work.  The disciples were enabled by the Holy Spirit to make a spiritual connection with Paul.  And Paul heard their warnings through the Holy Spirit.

5  When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city.  After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6  Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again.

Even though Paul’s visit was brief, only one week, the people formed an affectionate bond with him and followed him to the beach where they prayed.  Have you ever noticed how easy it is to form friendships with another Christians?  The bond we share is being bond servants to our Lord Jesus, which makes this friendship such a joy.

7  When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.

The Journey by sea was about 40 miles, it took less time to sail verses walking.

8  On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

The trip southward was about 30 miles.  Paul knew of Philip, who settled in Caesarea about 20 years before (Acts 2:18 & Acts 8:40 ).  

9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were Prophetesses.  10  As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

Who was Agabus?

Agabus (Greek: Ἄγαβος) or Agabo was an early follower of Christianity mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as a prophet. He is traditionally remembered as one of the Seventy Disciples described in Luke 10:1-24. [5]  “This man who had “four virgin daughters” was a  fulfillment of the prophesy  recorded in Joel 2:28 and also in Acts 2:18 .

 

11  And coming to us, he [Agabus] took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”

Agabus prophesied to those present. Paul will be bound by his fellow Jews and like Jesus will be turned over to the Romans for confinement and or punishment.

The demonstration was made quite dramatic by using Paul’s belt to bind his hands.

Later we will see in Acts 21:33 and again in  Acts 28:17 this act did indeed happen.

Why did God permit His servant to be Persecuted this way?

Perhaps it was to test Paul’s courage.

12  When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.  13  then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?  For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14  And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

Paul gently admonishes his audience in verse 13.  Paul was distraught over the outcry of his brethren.

Paul assured his audience that he was ready to suffer and lay down his life if needed.  We read in verse 14 Luke also did not want Paul to go to Jerusalem.  They all came to the conclusion that they wanted what God wanted.

Paul at Jerusalem

15 After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.

The king James translation uses the word

“carriages” or in other words “our baggage.”

A strong indication here that horses or donkey's were used for this journey.

This trip would be Paul’s fifth and last trip to Jerusalem after being transformed from a Jesus hater to a Jesus lover.

16  Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

Mnason was a Greek speaking Jew who remained in Jerusalem after Stevens death.

He would have been in Jerusalem  when the church first started.

Because of this, he undoubtedly had important information about the early church to relay to Luke.

Perhaps relaying the stories about Aeneas and Dorcas found in Acts 9:32-42.

17  After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.  18  And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Paul wanted to report to the church leaders all that God had accomplished during his mission journey as he had done at previous times (Acts 14:27).

He undoubtedly also reported on the actions of the group of Jews who sought to “Judaize” the new church.

19  After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had Done among the Gentiles though his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21  and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

Paul must have felt anxiety know what had been prophesied about what would happen to him in Jerusalem.  Although Paul was ready to die if necessary he expected the same Jewish faction who had been causing problems would be their waiting to cause problems.  To this end Paul pointed out the respect and adherence to the law the Gentile converts had.

  

22 “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.  23  “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify  yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law.  

The vow spoken of here was undoubtedly a Nazirite vow.  Vows were taken very seriously.

We do not know the reason for their promise (vow).  These men had to purify themselves before making a sacrifice in the temple and Paul was to help them.  Once purified they must remain so for 30 days, as we see in the next slide.  “They had to make themselves ‘clean’ to God. For 30 days, they did not drink wine. They did not touch anything that was not ‘clean’, for example, a dead body. They did not cut their hair.  After 30 days, they offered *sacrifices in the *Temple. They cut their hair. They burned the hair with the *sacrifices. They also had to offer other gifts to God. This cost a lot of money. People had to stop work for 30 days. They had to buy the animals and other gifts. Many people could not afford it. So, often, a richer person would also join in with them for *purification. The leaders asked Paul to do this. This was to show that he also obeyed Moses’ *Law.” [3]

25 “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.”

This verse referred to the decision handed down by the council concerning the subject of Gentile circumcision was broached ( Acts 15:19-29 ).  The early church Jews still believed God was for them and them alone and therefore the Gentiles must become Jews.  We will see in verse Paul wasted no time complying with the wishes of the church leadership.

26  Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. 

The regulations of biblical and oral law generally prescribe a form of water-based ritual washing in Judaism for removal of any ritual impurity, sometimes requiring just washing of the hands, and at other times requiring full immersion; the oral law requires the use of un-drawn water for any ritual full immersion - either a natural river/stream/spring, or a special bath (a Mikvah) which contains rain-water. [5]

Once this time of purification was completed, Paul notified the temple priest.  Paul Seized In The Temple

27  When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our  people and the law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled  this holy place.

Seven day required is observed for becoming defiled an example Num 6:9:

‘But if a man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day.’ [4]  
These Jews are thought to be the same Jews who caused the riot in Ephesus.  The Jews in the temple were easily angered believing Paul brought Trophimus into the temple.

29  For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

They recognized Trophimus as a Greek.  Acts 21:29

 It was forbidden for any non Jew to enter the temple.

Non Jews (Greeks) were considered to be unclean and their presents in the temple would defile the temple.  This then became the excuse the trouble makers used to enrage the other Jews.

30  Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

This anger by the Jews was initiated with lies about Paul’s teachings and behavior.

Jews from Asia had falsely accused Paul; saying he brought a Gentile into the inner part of the temple.  The Jews were provoked to forcefully remove Paul  from the inner temple.

 The mobs intent was to be kill Paul, by beating him to death (verse  32).  The Jews were allowed, by Rome, to kill person(s) who violated the sanctity of the temple.

31  While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

The report literally went up to the fortress of Antonia North west of the temple.

This fortress was just steps away from the temple.  The temple could easily be observed from this vantage point.

32  At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

The commander of the fort commanding a thousand soldiers actually rescued Paul from the mob by their very presents.  The mob knew no mercy would be shown them if they continued their actions.

33  Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.

The Romans took immediate action to quell the mob.  They arrested Paul.  Paul was chained by each arm to two soldiers on either side of him.  The Roman authority wanted to get at the core of the disturbance and he questioned Paul.

34  But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

As there seemed to be no clear cut contentious as to the accusations against Paul.

With this amount of confusion the commander could not ascertain what Paul was being accused of.  He therefore removed Paul and brought him into the fortress, for further questioning.

35  When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; 36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “Away with him!” 

Paul must have suffered many blows which rendered him to weak to climb the steps.

Luke reported a crowd making a nearly identical demand of the Romans with Jesus found in (Luke 23:18) see also John 19:15.

37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” *And he said, “Do you know Greek?

At this point I don’t believe the commander knew Paul was a Roman citizen.  He undoubtedly thought he was poorly educated, that is until Paul asked him if he the commander spoke the Greek language.

38  “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”

“Verse 38 Josephus, a writer of *Jewish history, wrote about this *Egyptian. In *AD 54, the *Egyptian led many men to the *Mount of *Olives. He wanted to attack *Jerusalem. But the *Roman ruler Felix ordered soldiers to attack them first. The *Egyptian ran away. The *Roman army caught or killed many men. But the *Egyptian escaped. The army leader thought that perhaps Paul was this *Egyptian.  ‘men with knives’ (verse 38) The *Greek word here is sicarii. ‘Sicarii’ was the name for certain groups of *Jews. These ‘sicarii’ did not want the *Romans to rule them. They wanted to fight the *Romans.” [3]

39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”

Paul immediately replied to the commanders question.  His reply was he was not that person but rather a citizen of Cilicia.  Why would the commander allow Paul to speak to the crowd?  Perhaps he felt Paul could quiet the crowd by answering to their complaint.

40  When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,

The crowd, was amazed, this man, Paul, was given permission and protection by Rome to speak to them.  Paul standing on the steps overlooking the crowd appeared calm in spite of his beating and being bound with chain.  Paul wanted desperately to assure the mob that he too was a Jew; innocent of the accusations against him.

We will read in Act chapter 22:1 “Paul saying ‘Brethren and father, hear my defense which I now offer to you’.”

CREDITS

[1] –scripture verses from:

 Cross wire Study Bible

[2] -  commentaries by /Jamison-Fausset-brown

[3] – Commentaries By Marion Adams

[4] – Wikipedia.org