READY TO DIE FOR JESUS IN JERUSALEM, Sarah Barry
PAUL ADDRESSES THE MOB
Passage: Acts 21:37~22:16  
Key verse: 22:15
Paul Speaks to the Crowd(A)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(B) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness(C) some time ago?”(D)
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(E) in Cilicia,(F) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned(G) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[a]:(H) 22 1 “Brothers and fathers,(I) listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(J) they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew,(K) born in Tarsus(L) of Cilicia,(M) but brought up in this city. I studied under(N) Gamaliel(O) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(P) I was just as zealous(Q) for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted(R) the followers of this Way(S) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(T) 5 as the high priest and all the Council(U) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(V) in Damascus,(W) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(X) 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Y) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light,(Z) but they did not understand the voice(AA) of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(AB) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(AC)
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(AD) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(AE) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(AF) has chosen you to know his will and to see(AG) the Righteous One(AH) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AI) to all people of what you have seen(AJ) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AK) and wash your sins away,(AL) calling on his name.’(AM)
Footnotes
- Acts 21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2
Cross references
- Acts 21:37 : 22:3-16pp — Ac 9:1-22; 26:9-18
- Acts 21:37 : S ver 34
- Acts 21:38 : Mt 24:26
- Acts 21:38 : Ac 5:36
- Acts 21:39 : S Ac 9:11
- Acts 21:39 : S Ac 6:9
- Acts 21:40 : S Ac 12:17
- Acts 21:40 : S Jn 5:2
- Acts 22:1 : Ac 7:2
- Acts 22:2 : Ac 21:40; S Jn 5:2
- Acts 22:3 : Ac 21:39
- Acts 22:3 : S Ac 9:11
- Acts 22:3 : S Ac 6:9
- Acts 22:3 : Lk 10:39
- Acts 22:3 : Ac 5:34
- Acts 22:3 : Ac 26:5
- Acts 22:3 : 1Ki 19:10; S Ac 21:20
- Acts 22:4 : S Ac 8:3
- Acts 22:4 : S Ac 9:2
- Acts 22:4 : ver 19, 20
- Acts 22:5 : Lk 22:66
- Acts 22:5 : S Ac 1:16; 2:29; 13:26; 23:1; 28:17, 21; S Ro 7:1; 9:3
- Acts 22:5 : Ac 9:2
- Acts 22:6 : Ac 9:3
- Acts 22:8 : S Mk 1:24
- Acts 22:9 : Ac 26:13
- Acts 22:9 : Ac 9:7
- Acts 22:10 : Ac 16:30
- Acts 22:11 : Ac 9:8
- Acts 22:12 : Ac 9:17
- Acts 22:12 : Ac 10:22
- Acts 22:14 : S Ac 3:13
- Acts 22:14 : S 1Co 15:8
- Acts 22:14 : Ac 7:52
- Acts 22:15 : Ac 23:11; 26:16
- Acts 22:15 : ver 14
- Acts 22:16 : S Ac 2:38
- Acts 22:16 : Lev 8:6; Ps 51:2; Eze 36:25; Jn 3:5; 1Co 6:11; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22; 1Pe 3:21
- Acts 22:16 : Ro 10:13
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Order is restored (21:37-40)
The Roman soldiers arrived and protected Paul. When Paul spoke to them in Greek they listened. They gave him permission to address the crowd. But Paul spoke to the crowd in Aramaic, not Greek. When he did, he got their attention.
2. Paul's message (22:1-16)
In his zeal to serve God, Paul had lived as a strict Pharisee. He had studied under the most famous teachers and was trained in the law. But with all of his zeal and knowledge he only became an enemy of God. When he saw those who believed Jesus, he was determined to eradicate them. Paul testified to the Risen Jesus, the one who appeared to him in a blinding light when he was in the midst of persecuting such Christians. Jesus made Paul new. He gave him the calling to witness to all people-Jew and Gentile-of this Jesus. Paul testified to Jesus who forgives sin and makes new. He was faithful to his calling.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your call, which gives life to all who receive it. Help me to be faithful to my calling.
One Word: Be a faithful witness of Jesus