The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22
Chapter XXII · Vol. IV, pp. 301–302
1 Paul declareth at large how he was converted to the faith, 17 and called to his apostleship. 22 At the very mentioning of the Gentiles, the people exclaim on him. 24 He would have been scourged, 25 but claiming the privilege of a Roman, he escapeth.
1 Men,a brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
a ch.7.2; 13.15,26,38; 15.7,13; 23.1,6; 28.17. 1 Pe.3.15.
2 (And when they heard that he bspake in the Hebrew1 tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
b ch.21.40.
1 The Jews of Asia had stirred up 'the people' of Jerusalem (ch.21.27), representing Paul as a Hellenist, one who spoke the Greek tongue, and was imbued with Gentilism; but when they heard him speak in the sacred tongue their prejudices were, for a time, arrested.—Such being the wisdom and goodness of God, that the 'confusion of tongues' has often been made a key to open the heart to the gospel.—C.
3 Ic am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, dat the feet2 of Gamaliel, and taught accordinge to the perfect manner3 of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
c ch.21.39; 9.11,30; 11.25; 20.3-23.
d De.33.3. 2 Ki.4.38. Lu.10.39; 8.35. ch.5.34.
2 In countries where the sitting attitude is upon carpets, without forms or chairs, the student literally sits 'at the feet' of his instructor.—C.
e Ga.1.14. Phi.3.5,6. 2 Co.11.22. ch.24.16; 26.4-9; 23.6; 21.20. Ro.10.2,3.
3 The perfect manner. Including both the law of Moses and the tradition of the elders.—C.
4 Andg I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 Ash also the high-priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren,4 and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6 Andi it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
i ch.9.3-5,17; 26.12-15. 1 Co.9.1; 15.8. 2 Co. xii.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 Andj they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not5 the voice6 of him that spake to me.
j ch.9.7. Da.10.7.
5 Did not understand the words, ch.26.14. Ge.11.7; 42.23. De.28.49. Is.36.11. Mat.13.11.
6 In ch. 9. 7 it is said, 'The men stood speechless, hearing a voice;' here it is said, 'They heard not the voice of him that spake to me.' But this presents neither difficulty nor contradiction. In ch. 9. 7 Paul's companions 'heard a voice,' a sound as of thunder, but observed not, through their terror, the words that were spoken. Here there is no mention of their hearing the terrible sound, but merely the fact that they noted not the words of the speaker—in which statement both narratives perfectly coincide.—C.
10 Andk I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
k ch.9.6; 26.16.
11 And lwhen I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.7
12 Andn one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, ohaving a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
n ch.9.10-19; x. Ca.2.8. Ro.10.14-17.
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, pThe God of our fathers qhath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and rsee that sJust One, and shouldest hear the tvoice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be uhis witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
u Jn.15.27. ch.1.8; 4.20; 10.39,41; 23.11; 26.16; 20.21. Lu.24.47,48.
16 And now, why tarriest thou? varise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,8 calling on the name of the Lord.Cited in WSC 94 · HC 71
* Wash away thy sins—symbolically, by water; for water cannot take away sin, inasmuch as it is 'the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, (that really) cleanseth from all sin,' 1 Jn. 1.7. But thus the believing Israelite offered sacrifices for atonement, though 'it was not possible that the blood of bulls or of goats should take away sin,' He. 10. 4, yet were they offered as the types and shadows of that 'one offering of himself,' by which the Saviour 'hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,' He. 10. 14.—C.
v Mat.3.11. Mar.1.4. Lu.3.16. ch.9.18; 2.38; 3.19. Tit.3.5. 1 Co.6.11. 1 Ti.1.13. He.10.22. 1 Pe.3.21. Ro.10.13. 1 Co.1.2.
8 See note * in first column.
17 And it came to pass, that, xwhen I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a ytrance;
x ch.9.26,28. Ga.1.18.
y ch.10.10. Nu.24.4. Re.1.10. 2 Co.12.1,2.
18 And zsaw him saying unto me, aMake haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
z ver.14.
a Mat.10.14,23. Ec.9.10.
19 And I said, Lord, they know bthat I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 Andc when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
c ch.7.58; 8.1.
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, eAway with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 Theg chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade hthat he should be examined9 by scourging; that he might know1 wherefore they cried so against him.
g Ge.22.14. De.32.36. Ps.46.1. Ro.8.28.
h ch.16.22,23,37. Jn.19.1; 18.23. He.11.35. ver.25,29.
9 Scourged to make him confess his crime.
1 Being ignorant of the Hebrew, the chief captain could neither tell what Paul said, nor what the people charged against him. He therefore proposes recourse to that most cruel and unwarrantable measure, the torture, by which the accused is compelled to bear witness against himself—a practice at utter variance with the humane law of Moses, by which 'two or three witnesses' were required for every criminal charge—a practice by which the Inquisition succeeded, for a time, in sustaining an anti-christian system, but by which it finally brought down the wrath of a merciful but righteous God upon the countries by which its enormities were tolerated and patronized.—C.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, iIs it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
i ch.16.37; 25.16; ver.27,28.
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, jTake heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
j ch.16.38,39; ver.29.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.2
A.M. cir. 4065. A.D. cir. 61.
2 The fact of Paul's being a 'free-born citizen of Rome,' did not arise from his having been born in Tarsus, for though it was a free city, yet it was not a colonia or municipium, and consequently its inhabitants were not Roman citizens. In all probability one of Paul's ancestors had rendered important services to the state, and had received as his reward the status of citizenship. It was of immense advantage to the apostle. A Roman citizen could not legally be fettered or imprisoned without open trial; neither could he be scourged. Any infringement of his rights subjected the magistrates who were guilty to severe punishment.—P.
Notes
Reflections.—With great prudence, temper, courage, and faithfulness, ought the cause of Christ to be maintained against its most malicious opposers.—Blind bigots are in general inflamed against it and its candid professors with the most outrageous and murderous zeal.—But God's grace strangely changes the most furious and obstinate tempers. And yet men often have gospel light shining all around them, and are never thereby converted to Christ or instructed in his truth.—Even when conversion is begun in a miraculous manner, God leads to the ordinary means of his own appointment to carry it on, and render such persons acquainted with his will and their work. And while baptism solemnly admits them into his church, effectual fervent prayer recommends them to God.—When notorious sinners are converted, their former opposition to Christ sticks fast in their remembrance, and lies heavy on their heart; and sometimes God, in merciful chastisement, returns it on their head. But if Jesus install ministers in their office, he will take care of them, and direct their course where they shall be truly successful, when others would have rejected them. And wonderful is the wisdom of his grace in accepting the most distant and unlikely, while others wilfully harden themselves in their sins.—Great is their wickedness who are enraged at the extending of God's redeeming kindness, even to the most despicable and infamous sinners, and who shut their eyes against the most evident appearances of God's Word and Spirit.—Seasonably he raises up protectors where his servants are in imminent danger.—And for their own safety saints ought to insist on their civil privileges, that, while they stand up for his truth, God may own them, and give them further opportunities of defending his and their righteous cause.