An Outline Of Acts 22

Introduction: This chapter continues the events of Chapter 21. In the first section, (verses 1-21) Paul makes a defense or gives a testimony of what he had been before and after he met Jesus. The last section describes Paul’s treatment at the hands of the crowd and, fortunately, the Romans who took action to protect him.

1 Paul’s commission arrest and persecute believers

Text, Acts 22:1-5, KJV: 1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

-- Tarsus was a leading city in Cilicia (today’s central region of Turkey). Saul’s family had apparently settled there, living as Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jews, but seemed to have moved to Jerusalem where Saul was educated “at the feet of Gamaliel”.

-- Saul, now Paul, never forgot what he had been before he met Jesus. These first verses describe his commission to persecute believers wherever he found them. He was so successful that many of the disciples/believers fled Jerusalem (see Acts 8:1-3, 11:19-20).

--He doesn’t say it here, but Saul/Paul became a Pharisee (Acts 23:7, Philippians 3:5). The Pharisees were some of the bitterest enemies Jesus faced while He walked the earth. Perhaps he’s hinting at this in verse 3.

--The commission, from the elders and high priest (at the time), was to arrest believers, even in Damascus, and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished. Some believers were cast into prison, and others were martyred, as Paul relates in this passage. The writer of Hebrews (whom I believe was Paul) could be referring to some of this in Hebrews 10:32-36,

2 Paul’s conversion: a vision of Jesus

Text, Acts 22:6-11, KJV: 6 And 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. 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 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And 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. 11 And when 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.

--Damascus was one of the oldest cities in the world and was about 150 miles from Jerusalem, per Alford (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/alford/acts/9.htm). Israel and Damascus had dealt with each other since at least the days of David (2 Samuel 8:6)!

--Of note, Eliezer, one of Abraham’s servants, and one whom Abraham wanted to appoint as heir (Genesis 15:2), was from Damascus.

--Compare this account with the others in Acts 9 and 26. Some commentators, great men indeed, have worked hard to harmonize, for lack of a better word, these three versions of Paul’s testimony. To me it seems Luke recorded what he may have heard from Paul, after, of course, they had met.

--Here, Paul is speaking to the Jews in the language of the Jews (“Hebrew”, verse 1, or maybe Aramaic), giving notice that he had truly seen the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of those in the crowd may have been old enough to remember seeing Jesus Himself during the days of His earthly ministry. Few, if any, could deny the difference Jesus had made.

--Later, Paul would modify or “tailor” his address to Festus and Agrippa. All of these accounts have the same basic truths: Saul was on his way to arrest disciples, Jesus appeared to Saul, and Saul was a changed man because of this.

--(Note: other details and info could be added or modified as the Lord leads.)