Aug. 7, 8
Acts 22
Act 22:1 "Brothers
and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you."
Act 22:2 When they
heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even
more quiet. He said,
Act 22:3 "I am
indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city
at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of
the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are
this day.
Act 22:4 I persecuted
this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men
and women.
Act 22:5 As also the
high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also
I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring
them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
Act 22:6 It happened
that, as I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon,
suddenly there shone from the sky a great light around me.
Act 22:7 I fell to the
ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting me?'
Act 22:8 I answered,
'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you
persecute.'
Act 22:9 "Those
who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they
didn't understand the voice of him who spoke to me.
Act 22:10 I said, 'What
shall I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise, and go into Damascus.
There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you
to do.'
Act 22:11 When I
couldn't see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of
those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
Act 22:12 One Ananias,
a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews
who lived in Damascus,
Act 22:13 came to me,
and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' In
that very hour I looked up at him.
Act 22:14 He said, 'The
God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the
Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
Act 22:15 For you will
be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
Act 22:16 Now why do
you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.'
Act 22:17 "It
happened that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed
in the temple, I fell into a trance,
Act 22:18 and saw him
saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they
will not receive testimony concerning me from you.'
Act 22:19 I said,
'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every
synagogue those who believed in you.
Act 22:20 When the
blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and
consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed
him.'
Act 22:21 "He said
to me, 'Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the
Gentiles.' "
Act 22:22 They listened
to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said,
"Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn't fit to live!"
Act 22:23 As they cried
out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,
Act 22:24 the
commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks,
ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what
crime they shouted against him like that.
Act 22:25 When they had
tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is
it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found
guilty?"
Act 22:26 When the
centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him,
"Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!"
Act 22:27 The
commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a
Roman?" He said, "Yes."
Act 22:28 The
commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a
great price." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."
Act 22:29 Immediately
those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the
commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a
Roman, because he had bound him.
Act 22:30 But on the
next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the
Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests
and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set
him before them.