Context of Paul’s message at Jerusalem Acts 21:37-40
This message occurs at the conclusion of Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul had met with his key leaders to prepare for his exit and the conclusion of his third journey (Acts 20). He was ready to begin the next segment of his ministry, Jerusalem and Rome.
Paul began this new phase of ministry by meeting the elders in Jerusalem and reporting to them all the Lord had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. They told Paul that in Jerusalem thousands of Jews believed in Jesus. These Jews misunderstood Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles so they asked about what they should do about this. To keep the Christian Judiazers calm they suggested Paul and his companions go through a seven day ritual purification ceremony. So to calm those who would appose Paul he and his companions shaved their heads and went through the purification rituals. Part of the ritual was to go to the Jewish temple and make an offering.
After the seven days were over some Jews saw Paul at the Temple. The assumed that Paul had brought Gentiles into the Temple so the whole city was aroused about this. They seized Paul at the Temple, dragged him out beat him and tried to kill him. Paul had been warned by the Holy Spirit that this kind of treatment was coming (Acts 20:23).
Because of the uproar the soldiers took Paul to the barracks to get his story. The soldiers had to carry Paul to the barracks to keep him from being killed. Paul spoke to the soldiers in Greek and told them he was a Roman citizen. This gave him the total attention of the soldiers. Paul made a request to address the crowd. The soldiers granted this request. When Paul addressed the crowd, he switched his language to Aramaic. This quieted the crowd. They finally stopped shouting “get rid of him” and now they listened to Paul.
Paul’s message Acts 22:1-21
He told them he was a Jew born in Tarsus, brought up in Jerusalem and that he studied the law under Gamaliel. He told them he also persecuted to death believers in Christ, and dragged men and women off to prison for following Christ. This path of persecuting Christians led him down the Damascus Road wear he told them he himself met the resurrected Jesus Christ.
He told them he was blinded by the light in Damascus and was instructed by the Lord to wait there. It was Ananias who was a devout follower of the law and highly respected by the Jews of Damascus who met Paul (then Saul) and baptized him. Paul regained his sight when he first met Ananias. He told Paul at that time he was chosen of the Lord to be a witness.
After this Damascus experience Paul told them he was in Jerusalem and had a vision. He was told then to leave Jerusalem because he would not be accepted there or that Paul’s testimony would not be accepted there. He told the crowd of his involvement in Stephen’s martyrdom before he came to Christ.
Then Paul told the crowd the Lord said to him, “Go I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” They listened to Paul until he said this and then they raised their voices and demanded he be put to death.
Results of Paul’s message
They had do take Paul to the barracks and the soldiers were about to flog him. Paul brought to them that he was a Roman citizen. That citizenship got him out of being flogged. Paul would be speaking again the next day to the Sanhedrin so the soldiers could find out just what he was being accused of (Acts 22:22-29).
Conclusion
Paul had run an amazing race from the time he met Jesus on the Damascus Road to the time he addressed the crowd in Jerusalem, that wanted to kill him that day. He had started churches from Jerusalem to Illyricum (Romans 15:23). His goal was to faithfully finish the race.
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).
There was much more ahead for Paul in his race of faithfully following the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we study the life of Paul and discover how the Lord can use a faithful follower. As long as we are on this earth we are in the race. As long as we are running the race, we must finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given us. Until our dying breath we must testify to the good news.
