Chap 22_Acts

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 21:40–22:5 (HCSB) 40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language: 22 1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. 3 He continued, “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today, 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail, 5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem.

V2 they became even quieter when they heard a dispersed Jew speaking Hebrew [Aramaic].

He then aligns himself and his credentials with them. He speaks to them with respect gives his testimony. There is no great oratory, his message is simple, concise. Simplicity without embellishment or emotional push tends to give added support for the truth.

He begins with establishing his credentials.

.....V 3 Gamaliel had died 5 yrs earlier. “Paul probably started to learn the law at age 5 and then Pharisaic traditions about 10 yrs old. in this city at the feet - in Jerusalem and custom was that the student would sit on the floor where his teacher sat higher than him in a seat

V3. He says but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law.....Patriarchal Law. Prior to the giving of the Mosaic law, the whole world was under what is commonly called Patriarchal law. The father of each household was the family priest, so to speak. He led the worship by the offering of sacrifices to God. The Lord communicated directly with the people in various ways....... It is simply a name given to the law that governed all men from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, and for Gentiles from Adam until the Christian dispensation began.

The Gentiles never had the law of Moses, but there are certain fundamental principles that inhere in the nature of our existence and in our relations to one another. Some things are right, and some things are wrong, within themselves. If a man never had revelation from God, he would know that it was wrong to murder his fellow man, or to rob him of his possessions, or in any way to infringe on his rights. Cain sinned in killing his brother and felt his guilt, though we have no record that God had told him not to kill. God’s moral law is the same to all nations…. [T]hey [the Gentiles—EL] did have an idea of right and wrong (1988, p. 57).

This is natural law. Romans 2:12–16 (HCSB) 12 All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. 14 So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them 16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Ro 2:12–16.

The Gentiles’ Patriarchal Law involved all “the law written in their hearts,” plus whatever direct revelation they received from God. Adam, Cain, Noah, and Abraham all received direct revelation from God. These, and all others who were never under the Law of Moses (

In contrast The Law of Moses was given only to the Israelites—and to those Gentiles who suffered themselves to be proselyted (by circumcision

Today, however, all Jews and Gentiles are under one law—the Law of Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22). Ephesians 2:13–22 (HCSB)13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.Why is this the case? Because this new law is universal in scope. It is addressed to “all nations” and is to be obeyed by both Jews and Gentiles

....V3 Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today, .. My zewal was so great I persecuted even onto death of the people of the Way- your high priest and the entire council of elders can testify about my zeal. I even was given official written permission to go out to Damascus to gather prisoners to be brought back for trial for punishment of following the Way.

I was more committed than even you, I had official recognition and sanction and was working against the believers

Not only was I once you, but there is nobody here who could have exceeded in my commitment, my belief. Paul is almost alluding to that he would have been their champion of accusers.

He is an expert to be believed. He does not berate them or chastise them[ they were trying to kill him after all]

NOW-------

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 22:6–21 (HCSB) 6 “As I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

8 “I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

10 “Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.’

11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good reputation with all the Jews residing there, 13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. 15 For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.’

17 “After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state 18 and saw Him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!’

19 “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten. 20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing by and approving, and I guarded the clothes of those who killed him.’

21 “Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

...“As I was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ “I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ “He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’ Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me. “Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.’ “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

.. about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around This was noon the sun is at its brightest - broad daylight. The light, so strong suddenly without warning,[ no thunder, no lightning] surrounded him, enveloped him. With such power Saul fell to the ground.

...saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’From their knowledge of Scripture, the Jews knew that when God calls people, he often repeats their name. For instance, from the burning bush God said: “Moses, Moses” (Exod. 3:4), and in the tabernacle God called the boy Samuel and said: “Samuel, Samuel” (1 Sam. 3:10)

.The light that penetrated into his eyes was accompanied by a voice. A private voice for Saul alone. HIs companions saw the light and saw him on the ground, yet hear nothing.

Saul is hearing a rhetorical question and then a command directly from God. Saul doesn’t shout or show fear or beg but asks “Who are you?, Lord”.

This the question is the same as asked before Exodus 3:6 (HCSB) 6 Then He continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God....Exodus 3:7–8 (HCSB)7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey ....Exodus 3:13–15 (HCSB)Exodus 3:13–15 (HCSB)13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

Exodus: God’s Kingdom of Priests (ii) Moses’ Response and His Objections (3:11–4:17)) God’s reply was in enigmatic form: ‘I will be what I will be’ (’ehyeh ’asher ’ehyeh). Various possibilities exist as to the translation and significance of this name. The verbal form’ehyeh could be translated as a past tense in English, ‘I was’, or as a present, ‘I am’, but as it has already been used as a future in verse 12, it is best to retain the form ‘I will be’

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Exodus 3:11–15) That he is self-existent; he has his being of himself, and has no dependence upon any other: the greatest and best man in the world must say, By the grace of God I am what I am; but God says absolutely—and it is more than any creature, man or angel, can say—I am that I am. Being self-existent

A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments, Vol. I: Genesis–Deuteronomy (Chapter 3) Others interpret it, ‘He who will be’—meaning the Being who was in the fulness of time to appear in the form of humanity as the promised Messiah; while a third class of writers take it rather to refer to God’s manifestation of Himself to His Church—its use in this peculiar form being designed to rouse attention to its deep significance. That this is the import of the name—viz., as describing the revealed relations of God to man—appears, in their view, confirmed by the circumstance that, when the Lord pronounced it from the bush, he proceeded to declare Himself to be “the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.” In two remarkable occasions in the historical development of those revealed relations, Jehovah (the Lord) is identified with Elohim (God)—viz., in the covenant made with man (Gen. 2

..Jesus [God] says that He, Himself if being persecuted. Not threatening the Way or the beleivers ,BUT Saul is coming directly against God.

Jesus the Nazarene, one of the common titles used by Jewish people to emphasize Jesus’ human origin. Paul’s use of the title here is evidence that the human Jesus is now the resurrected Lord and Messiah.

After questioning who, Paul asks what should I do. He doesn’t ask for anything more. He knows. He obeys and goes to Damascus -. No questions. Then he is told to seek Ananias. Explained to him that he is a devout man and has a good reputation with all the Jews.

>> God is using a devout Gentile as the messenger from god and the removal of his blindness. And he is a believer of Christ. This Gentile then tells him God of our Fathers [ this is the Patriarchal God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob] This is pre-Moses.

He says that you will know, will hear and will see the righteous one. Acts 22:15 (HCSB)15 For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard. The verb seen and heard does not denote timeing. But i think Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. This was not the words just heard but Paul will come to know his will, see him[ instead of saying Jesus, it says the righteous on and hear his voice ] I think that the tutoring that is coming up.

Get up! not a second to lose- be baptized and [ a separate command] and wash away your sins by calling on his name. “And can be used in a causitae manner or a conjuction to describe in addition to or added. It does not say that as with Jewish baptism that he is being purified fro something but that his sins will be washed away. This tens means that it is a command that must be done immediately and does not denote any ongoing or repetitive action. This implies that it is good enough, once and forever- it is not like ceremonial cleansing that is repeated whenever there was a need for being made ceremonially clean again.

....came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state 18 and saw Him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!’

But tries to tell the lord that they understand, they know that I persecuted the way. I even condoned and supported the slaying of Stephen [ I am good for this!] Paul is not yet learning what he need s to know.

The match is lit when he mentions “Gentiles”.21 “Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 22:22–29 (HCSB) 22 They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this person off the earth—it’s a disgrace for him to live!”

23 As they were yelling and flinging aside their robes and throwing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be examined with the scourge, so he could discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. 25 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me—are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

28 The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

29 Therefore, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 22:30–23:10 (HCSB) Paul before the Sanhedrin 30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and placed him before them. 23 1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.” 2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?”

4 And those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into the barracks.

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 22:30–23:10 (HCSB)

Paul before the Sanhedrin

30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and placed him before them. 23 1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.” 2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?”

4 And those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into the barracks.

OOOOOOOOOO Acts 23:23–35 (HCSB)

To Caesarea by Night

23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get 200 soldiers ready with 70 cavalry and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Also provide mounts so they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

25 He wrote a letter of this kind:

26 Claudius Lysias,

To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.

27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were about disputed matters in their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or chains. 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.

31 Therefore, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he read it, he asked what province he was from. So when he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers get here too.” And he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.