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Acts 22:1–2. Men, brothers and fathers! listen now to my justification before you. When they heard that he spoke to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. He said . The expression “fathers” is a sign of respect, and the expression “brothers” is an indication of kinship. Look, his word is both alien to flattery and full of meekness. He did not say “gentlemen,” but “brothers,” which was especially pleasant for the people. I am not a stranger to you, he says, and I am not against you. “When he heard that he spoke... in the Hebrew language.” You see how the fact that he spoke the same language as them affected them - they had some kind of respect for this language. Acts 22:3–4. I am a Judean, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, raised in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, carefully instructed in the law of my fathers, zealous for God, like all of you today. I even persecuted the followers of this teaching to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison. This beginning paves the way for speech: “I,” he says, “I am a Jew.” Hearing this was the most pleasant thing for them. But so that they do not again think that he is a Jew by nationality, and not by faith, he adds: “born in Tarsus of Cilicia, raised in this city.” He shows great attention to faith, so that, having left his so far and such a glorious fatherland, he wished to study the law here. He doesn’t just say “at Gamaliel,” but “at the feet of Gamaliel,” thereby indicating constant, unremitting diligence and attention and great respect for this husband. “Instructed in the fatherly law”—instructed not just in the law, but in the fatherly law. So what? You have studied the law perfectly, but you don’t defend it and don’t love it? “Jealous,” he says. Since Paul has already praised himself a lot, he generalizes: “As do all of you today.” But pay attention to how many witnesses he refers to: the elders, the high priest, and the city dwellers. He still has witnesses; but the subsequent content of the speech no longer finds witnesses. Acts 22:5–8. As the high priest and all the elders will testify about me, from whom I took letters to the brethren living in Damascus, I went to bring those there in chains to Jerusalem for torture. When I was on the road and approaching Damascus around noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone 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 of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Lest anyone think that this is fiction, Paul shows that he did everything out of love and jealousy, and not out of vanity. Acts 22:9–13. But those who were with me saw the light and were afraid; but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. Then I said: “Lord! what should I do?" The Lord said to me: “Get up and go to Damascus, and there you will be told everything that is appointed for you to do.” And when I lost my sight from the glory of that light, those who were with me led me by the hand to Damascus. A certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, approved by all the Jews living in Damascus, came to me and, approaching, said to me: “Brother Saul! see." And I immediately saw him. This was with a purpose, since he alone had to listen to this voice. And since rather mediocre people trust their eyesight more, those who were with Saul only “saw the light, and fell into fear; but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.” And the light produced such an effect not for them, but for Saul; That’s why he lost his sight, not theirs; but at the time when the light was poured on him, and they were allowed to look at this light if they wanted. It seems to me that they did not believe due to a special Divine dispensation in order to be such witnesses to events that the Jews could not help but believe. “Those who were with me led me by the hand to Damascus.” The mention of the city is beautifully added so that the Jews would know that Saul was a persecutor. Paul-Saul interweaves the testimony of persons with the testimony of circumstances that happened to himself and to others; the witnesses are priests, elders, and companions. Facts are evidenced by facts, not just by personality. Witnesses - Ananias, an outsider, then - the fact itself, that is, insight. Acts 22:14. He said to me: “The God of our fathers has chosen you so that you would know His will, see the Righteous One and hear the voice from His mouth. He said beautifully: “The God of our fathers,” to show that they are not Jews, but apostates from the law and do not act out of zeal for God. "I saw the Righteous One". He directly speaks so strongly because if Jesus is the Righteous One, then they are criminals. Acts 22:15–18. Because you will be His witness before all people about what you have seen and heard. So why are you delaying? Arise, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.” When I returned to Jerusalem and prayed in the church, I went into a frenzy. And I saw Him, and He said to me: “Hurry up and leave Jerusalem quickly, because here they will not accept your testimony about Me.” For the reason that you will not change it and will not forget what you saw and heard. “What did you see and hear?” The Lord convinces Saul through both senses, that is, through sight and hearing. “For you will be His witness before all people.” Not only before fellow tribesmen, but also foreigners, because witnesses are witnesses for this purpose, to testify not to those who know, but to those who do not know. But this is also a great prophecy; and look - it was fulfilled, because with his deeds, his suffering, his words, Paul truly became a witness to all people. Acts 22:19–22. I said: “Lord! they know that I imprisoned those who believed in You and beat them in synagogues; and when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was shed, I stood there, approved of his murder and guarded the clothes of those who beat him.” And He said to me: “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles." Before this word they listened to him; and then they raised a cry, saying: Destroy such a one from the earth! for he should not live. Why did you say “they know?” He said this without contradicting Christ, but wanting to understand such an incomprehensible thing. But Christ did not explain to him, but only told him to go. "And when Stephen's blood was shed". He reminded them of one brutal murder, when Stefan denounced them at that time, but they could not stand it. Acts 22:23–29. While they were shouting, throwing clothes and throwing dust into the air, the captain ordered him to be brought into the fortress, ordering him to be scourged in order to find out why they shouted against him so much. But when they stretched him with belts, Paul said to the standing centurion: Are you allowed to scourge a Roman citizen, and even without trial? Hearing this, the centurion came up and reported to the captain, saying: look, what do you want to do? this man is a Roman citizen. Then the captain, approaching him, said: Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? He said yes. The commander of the thousand answered: I acquired this citizenship for a lot of money. Paul said: And I was born in it. Then those who wanted to torture him immediately retreated from him. And the commander, having learned that he was a Roman citizen, was afraid that he tied him up. But after all, since they were crying out, they should have been asked, what they suspected of Paul’s words; but the captain simply pleases the authorities and does things to please them, because he was not concerned about how to act more justly, but about how to appease their anger, albeit unfair. “Are you allowed to scourge a Roman citizen, and even without trial?” Paul did not lie when he said that he was a Roman, because his father, for the sake of representation, bought this name for himself with money, since those worthy of being called by this name enjoyed great honor. Paul says this so that if he is punished, they will not treat him with contempt. If he had been punished, the matter would have taken a different turn and he would have been killed; and now, although for no other reason, but for the very fact that he is a Roman, they not only did not punish him, but also released him. Paul considers two crimes in punishing himself: one is that they wanted to punish him without trial, the other is that they wanted to punish a Roman; That's why he brought more fear to them. “And Paul said: And I was born in him.” Look: his father was Roman. Before Paul was born, Cilicia had already come under the rule of the Romans, therefore his father, as having come under their power, had to be a Roman. Paul, according to the prophecy, was bound in Jerusalem, and the prophetic word was fulfilled. What happens next? The commander of the thousand unties Paul and brings him to the Jews. So, it is not a lie that he is a Roman, because the captain was afraid that he was a Roman, that is, a man of noble family. Acts 22:30. The next day, wanting to know for sure what the Jews accused him of, he freed him from his shackles and ordered the high priests and the entire Sanhedrin to gather and, bringing Paul out, placed him before them. You might be interested in: