Paul s Defense From the Steps of Antonio. Acts 22:1-30

Transcription

1 1 Paul s Defense From the Steps of Antonio Acts 22:1-30

2 2 Text: Acts 22:1-30, Paul s Defense from the Steps of Antonio 1. Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense. 2. When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5. as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, 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. 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, whom you are persecuting, he replied. 9. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice 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. 11. My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

3 A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 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 has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. 17. When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18. and saw the Lord speaking to me. Quick! he said. Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me. 19. Lord, I replied, these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20. And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. 21. Then the Lord said to me, Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. 22. The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, Rid the earth of him! He s not fit to live! 23. As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24. the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25. As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn t even been found guilty?

4 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. What are you going to do? he asked. This man is a Roman citizen. 27. The commander went to Paul and asked, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? Yes, I am, he answered. 28. Then the commander said, I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship. But I was born a citizen, Paul replied. 29. Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30. The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. (NIV) Introduction: I. Paul preached to the very same people in an attempt to save their souls who had just tried to beat him to death. II. This was not a traditional defense to save his own life, but a defense of Christ to save his enemies souls. III. What would you have done had you been in Paul s place at that time? Commentary: Acts 22:1, 2, Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense. When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: (NIV) I. Brethren and fathers,...

5 5 A. Brethren refers to Paul s Jewish kinsmen. B. Fathers refers to mature Jewish leaders. II. Paul asked the audience to listen to his speech, his defense. A. They did get even more quiet, but this does not mean they were listening with open minds. III. Paul spoke to them in the Hebrew language; that is, in Aramaic, the common language of the people. A. The Aramaic language gained the people s attention. B. Aramaic was the language of all non-greek speakers in that region including those of even the Parthian empire east of the Euphrates. Acts 22:3, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. (NIV) I. Paul said,... A.I am a Jew,... B. I was born in Tarsus of Cilicia,... C. I was brought up in this city, Jerusalem,... D. I was taught by the renowned instructor Gamaliel,...

6 6 E. Gamaliel instructed me according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, and... F. I am and was zealous for God as you all are this day. II. These people were zealous for God and the law, but also rank persecutors of Christ. III. Paul was astute and diplomatic. A. He tried to establish common ground with his hearers. B. Paul did his utmost to convert these sinners, but not everyone can be converted because some are stubborn and willfully determined not to fairly consider the facts of the gospel. Acts 22:4, 5, I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. (NIV) I. Paul further said:... A. I persecuted this way unto the death. 1. Acts 8:3, But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. (NIV) 2. Acts 9:1-4, Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the

7 7 synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? (NIV) 3. Acts 26:9-11, I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. (NIV) 4. 1 Corinthians 15:9, For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (NIV) 5. 1 Timothy 1:13, Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. (NIV) B. I found and delivered into prisons both men and women who followed Christ. C. The high priest and elders are witnesses of these facts because it was from them that I received letters to Damascus to bring Christians to Jerusalem for punishment.

8 8 II. The high priest referenced here could have been either Ananias or Theophilus both of whom could have been present on the occasion. A. Ananias,the son of Nedebgeus, an evil man, had been appointed by a brother of Agrippa I in A.D. 47 who was finally murdered by the Jews. B. Theophilus, the high priest at the time Paul went toward Damascus to persecute Christians, served A.D. II. This is the second time in Acts the events on the Damascus road were discussed. Acts 21:6, About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me (NIV) I. Paul recounted the events on the Damascus road:... A. about noon,... B. as Paul neared Damascus, and... C. a great light from heaven shined about him. 1. This light was markedly brighter than the noon day sun. II. To better influence these prejudiced Jews Paul omitted the statements of Jesus involving Paul s preaching to the Gentiles. A. Acts 26:17, I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them (NIV)

9 9 B. Acts 9:15, But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. (NIV) C. Ananias who baptized Paul in Acts 9:10 is clearly described as a Christian whereas in the present account here he is referred to as a devout man according to the law with a good reputation among the Jews. Acts 22:7, 8, I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me? Who are you, Lord? I asked. I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting, he replied. (NIV) I. Paul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying,... A. Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me? (NIV) II. Paul asked the speaker, Who are you, Lord? (NIV) III. The answer came, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting. (NIV) A. Whatever is done to disciples is done to Jesus, good or bad. B. If prideful man had been asked this question, he would have answered, I am the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, dwelling in light unapproachable. (Coffman) C. Notice what humble Jesus said, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting. (NIV)

10 10 IV. These events were definitely with Paul in mind. Those traveling with him were not principally involved in these events. The sojourners were bystanders only. Acts 22:9, My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. (NIV) I. Those traveling with Paul on the Damascus Road saw the light, but they didn t understand the voice. A. 1 Corinthians 14:2, For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. (NIV) B. Acts 9:7, The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. (NIV) II. Paul asked Jesus, What shall I do, Lord? (NIV) A. Paul here called Jesus Lord for the first time! III. The Lord answered Paul, Arise, and go into Damascus and there it will be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. IV. Because Paul could not see, having been blinded by the light, those who wee with him took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. Acts 22:10, 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. (NIV) I. Paul asked the Lord, What shall I do? (NIV) A. Up until this time Paul was sure he knew what to do.

11 11 B. Now his world had been turned upside down. 1. Paul was bewildered! He needed direction in his life. 2. How often is this true in people s lives today! 3. For answers to life s questions, we also must go to the Lord. II. Jesus did not directly tell Paul all he was to do. A. Jesus told Paul to go into Damascus where it would be told him what he was appointed to do. B. In God s grand scheme of things, humans are essential to take the gospel to the lost! Acts 22:11, My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. (NIV) I. Paul was blinded by the supernatural light that was brighter than the noon day sun. II. Those who were traveling with Paul, because of his blindness, led him by the hand into Damascus. Acts 22:12, A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. (NIV) I. Ananias was:... A. a devout man as judged by the law of Moses,...

12 12 B. a man of good reputation among the Jews who were residents of Damascus. Acts 22:13, He stood beside me and said, Brother Saul, receive your sight! And at that very moment I was able to see him. (NIV) I. Ananias went to Paul and said,... A. Brother Saul, Were Ananias and Paul Christian brothers, Jewish brothers or both at this point? B. receive your sight. 1. Ananias performed a miracle here! 2. At that time, in that very hour, Paul s vision was restored. Acts 22:14, 15, Then he said: The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. (NIV) I. Ananias told Paul,... A. The God of our fathers (ancestors) has appointed you to know his will,... B. to see the Righteous One, and... D. to hear a voice from his mouth.

13 13 D. You will be a witness of Jesus unto all men, Jews and Gentiles alike, Paul even here avoided the emotionally charged word Gentiles. 2. The word Gentiles could have reignited the mob frenzy seen earlier in the temple riots. E. of what you have seen and heard. Acts 22:16, And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. (NIV) I. Ananias said to Saul:... A. What are you waiting on? 1. Paul was just waiting for someone to tell him what God wanted him to do. 2. What are you waiting on? B. Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, 1. Hackett, Submit to the rite in order to be forgiven. 2. Vine s Greek Dictionary, Get yourself baptized and your sins washed away Corinthians 6:11, And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NIV)

14 Peter 3:21, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NIV) 5. Titus 3:5, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, (NIV) 6. Galatians 3:27, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (NIV) 7. Ephesians 5:26, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (NIV) 8. Romans 6:4, We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (NIV) 9. Acts 2:38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NIV) C. calling on his name, praying to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.

15 15 Acts 22:17-21, When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. Quick! he said. Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me. Lord, I replied, these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. Then the Lord said to me, Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. (NIV) I. When Paul returned to Jerusalem:... A. while he was praying in the temple, Paul continued to observe Jewish temple worship after he became a Christian. 2. How do you explain this action on Paul s part? B. he fell into a trance and saw Jesus saying to him, This reminds us of the trance of Peter in regard to Cornelius. 2. Acts 10:10, He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. (NIV) 3. Acts 11:5, I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. (NIV)

16 16 C. Quick! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me. (NIV) D. Paul responded to Jesus, Lord, these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. (NIV) E. When Stephen was killed I was standing by and consenting to his death and keeping the garments of those who slew him. 1. Paul thought his marked conversion would persuade the Jews that Christianity was real and that they would believe. 2. Jesus told Paul this was not the case. F. Jesus ordered Saul, Go; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. (NIV) 1. Paul now uses the word Gentiles in this speech for the first time. 2. The hatred, fury and prejudice of these Jews against Gentiles is hard to over estimate! Acts 22:22, The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, Rid the earth of him! He s not fit to live! (NIV) I. When the Jewish audience heard the word Gentiles, they immediately turned again into a riotous mob. A. They began to yell and scream, 1. Away with such a fellow (as Paul).

17 It is not fit for him to live. B. They demanded Paul s immediate execution without benefit of trial. Acts 22:23, As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, (NIV) I. The mob cried out,... II. Threw off their garments,... A. in preparation for stoning Paul. B. What Paul did in regard to Stephen, this mob was about to do to him. III. Cast dust in the air,... A. This was evidence of an immature, animalistic, unreasoning mob. IV. Threw quite a fit! A. Wonder what the chief captain and Roman soldiers thought of all this. B. The chief captain determined to find out why this mob twice in one day became so raucous in regard to Paul. Acts 22:24, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. (NIV)

18 18 I. The chief captain ordered Paul to be brought into the castle and scouraged in order to get Paul to confess to what he had done to incite such a riot. A. What about this method of interrogation? B. Paul lived in a brutal society, but so do we. II. This would have been a far more savage beating than Jewish floggings. A. 1 Corinthians 16:22-24, If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. (NIV) B. 2 Corinthians 11:24, Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. (NIV) III. Paul was tied up with thongs. A. There is some archeological evidence that both Paul and Jesus were tied to the same pillar to be scouraged. (Brooks Foss Westcott via Coffman) B. Jesus showed Paul how great things he would suffer for his sake. Acts 22:25, 26, As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn t even been found guilty? When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. What are you going to do? he asked. This man is a Roman citizen. (NIV)

19 19 I. Paul asked the centurian that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourage a man that is an uncondemned Roman. A. Paul had been bound by the chief captain with chains. Now he was bound with leather thongs. B. It was strictly illegal to bind, stretch and scourage a Roman without due process. C. The centurian did his duty and reported Paul s Roman citizenship to the chief captain. D. To bind an uncondemned Roman, much less to order him scouraged, was a serious offense against Rome. 1. This immediately gained the chief captain s attention and presence. 2. The chief captain was now himself in grave danger of punishment for mistreating a Roman. 3. This could have ended the chief captain s military career and made him subject to criminal prosecution. Acts 22:27, The commander went to Paul and asked, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? Yes, I am, he answered. (NIV) I. The chief captain asked Paul, Are you a Roman? Paul answered, Yes. A. Proof would have been available in Tarsus where Paul was born.

20 20 B. Paul s word was accepted because to lie about Roman citizenship was a capital offense. Acts 22:28, Then the commander said, I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship. But I was born a citizen, Paul replied. (NIV) I. The chief captain had paid much money for his Roman citizenship. A. This transaction was before Claudius became emporer (A.D ). Claudius sold citizenships for a pittance. II. Paul replied, I am Roman born. A. How came Paul to be Roman born we do not know for a fact. B. Paul may have gained his citizenship by some outstanding service to Rome provided by Paul s father or grandfather. (Coffman) Acts 22:29, Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. (NIV) I. All plans to bind and scourage Paul ceased and were reversed. II. The chief captain himself was fearful because he had violated Roman law in his ordering Paul bound. Acts 22:30, The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. (NIV)

21 21 I. The next day,... A. because the chief captain wanted to learn the exact nature of the charges against Paul... B. loosed Paul from prison, called the chief priests and council, Sanhedrin, to assemble and... C. brought Paul down from the tower of Antonio and set Paul before them as a defendant.

22 22 Questions on Acts 22: If you had been treated like Paul by the temple mob, what would you have done? What did Paul do? 2. Paul addressed his audience as brethren and fathers. Does this mean it is permissible for us to call religious leaders father? 3. What did Paul say by way of introduction to the temple crowd? 4. How could people be zealous for the law and God while at the same time being intent on killing Paul and opposing Jesus?

23 What did Paul say about his background in verses 4 and 5? 6. Who was the high priest Paul referred to in verses 4 and 5? 7. How did Paul use diplomacy in this speech? 8. Reconcile Acts 9:7 with Acts 22:9. 9. When did Paul become a Christian? Give reasons for your answer.

24 How can it be said that Ananias, a faithful Christian, was a devout man according to the law of Moses and a man of good report among unbelieving Jews? 11. What did Ananias tell Paul in verses 14 and 15? 12. Why didn t Jesus tell Saul on the Damascus Road what was expected of him? Why was Ananias involved? What does this teach today s Christians?... and sinners? 13. How do we get our sins washed away? What place do grace, God s love for us and our love for God have to do with forgiveness of sins? How much do we have to love God for baptism to wash away our sins?_

25 To be saved we must call on the name of the Lord. How do we do that? What is involved in calling on the name of the Lord? 15. Is it wrong for Christians today to participate in Jewish synagogue worship? How do you explain Paul s engaging in Jewish temple worship after he became a Christian? 16. What is your opinion of Jewish religion, prejudices and freedom of religion as described in verse 22? 17. Compare the brutality of Paul s culture with the brutality of our world.

26 How did the chief captain secure his Roman citizenship? How did Paul secure his Roman citizenship? Why was Paul not required to provide proof of his Roman citizenship? 19. In the book of Acts, why did Paul use his Roman citizenship to avoid scourging sometimes but not always? 20. Make a list of all the sufferings inflicted on Paul in chapter 22. Could you have withstood such physical and emotional stress?... without wavering in your Christian service?