The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew,(a) they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.

I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.

You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

and saw the Lord

(b)

saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

And when the blood of Your witness

(c)

Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul the Roman Citizen

The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin

(d)

to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

(a)22:2 Or in Aramaic; literally in the Hebrew language

(b)22:18 Literally saw Him

(d)22:30 Or the whole Council

(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

“As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

“Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

“One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice 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 wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

“When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance

and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul the Roman Citizen

They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.