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22:1 Paul tells his story to the Jews in Jerusalem: his upbringing in Judaism, his persecution of the followers of Jesus, his conversion, and his missionary journeys, especially to the Gentiles. But the people rise up against him: it is clear that they consider that preaching Jesus to the Gentiles, rather than making converts to the entire Mosaic Law, is a betrayal of the tradition.
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THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES -
who he might be and what he had done. 34Some in the mob shouted one thing, others something else; so, since he was unable to ascertain the truth because of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be brought into the compound. 35When he reached the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, 36* i for a crowd of people followed and shouted, “Away with him!”
37Just as Paul was about to be taken into the compound, he said to the cohort commander, “May I say something to you?” He replied, “Do you speak Greek? 38So then you are not the Egyptian* who started a revolt some time ago and led the four thousand assassins into the desert?”j 39Paul answered, “I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; I request you to permit me to speak to the people.” 40When he had given his permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people; and when all was quiet he addressed them in Hebrew.*
Paul’s Defense Before the Jerusalem Jews.*
221“My brothers and fathers, listen to what I am about to say to
you in my defense.” When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew they became all the more quiet. And he continued, 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.a 4I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.b 5Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to
Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.
6“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.c 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’d 8I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’e 9My companions saw the light but did not
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* [21:36] “Away with him!”: at the trial of Jesus before Pilate in Lk 23:18, the people similarly shout, “Away with this man.”
* [21:38] The Egyptian: according to the Jewish historian Josephus, an Egyptian gathered a large crowd on the Mount of Olives to witness the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem that would fall at the Egyptian “prophet’s” word. The commotion was put down by the Roman authorities and the Egyptian escaped, but only after thousands had been killed. Four thousand assassins: literally, sicarii. According to Josephus, these were political nationalists who removed their opponents by assassination with a short dagger, called in Latin a sica.
* [21:40] In Hebrew: meaning, perhaps, in Aramaic, which at this time was the Semitic tongue in common use.
* [22:1–21] Paul’s rst defense speech is presented to the Jerusalem crowds. Luke here presents Paul as a devout Jew (Acts 22:3) and zealous persecutor of the Christian community (Acts 22:4–5), and then recounts the conversion of Paul for the second time in Acts (see note on Acts 9:1–19).
CHAPTER 21
i. [21:36] 22:22; Lk 23:18; Jn 19:15. j. [21:38] 5:36–37.
CHAPTER 22
a. [22:3] 5:34; 26:4–5; 2 Cor 11:22; Gal 1:13–14; Phil 3:5–6.
b. [22:4] 8:3; 9:1–2; 22:19; 26:9–11; Phil 3:6. c. [22:6] 9:3; 26:13; 1 Cor 15:8.
d. [22:7] 9:4; 26:14.
e. [22:8] 9:5; 26:15; Mt 25:40.