Acts 22:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you."

NIV: "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."

NASB: Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.'

CSB: "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you."

NLT: Brothers and esteemed fathers,' Paul said, 'listen to me as I offer my defense.'

KJV: Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

NKJV: “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”

Paul knows he faces arrest in Jerusalem; the Holy Spirit had warned him (Acts 20:22–23). He comes to James, the half-brother of Jesus, and the other elders to report on his recent success planting a church in Ephesus as well as the health of other churches encircling the Aegean Sea. The elders, in turn, tell him about a rumor that he has been teaching Jewish Christians to not circumcise their sons. The elders ask him to show his devotion to the Mosaic law by taking part in the final ceremony for what was likely a Nazirite vow. Paul agrees (Acts 21:17–26).

Before Paul can fulfill the requirements for the vow, Jews from modern-day Turkey wrongly accuse him. They say he has brought a Gentile into the temple, which would have been an act of defilement and a capital crime. A mob forms and attacks Paul. To save Paul's life, the Roman tribune arrests him. Before the young officer can take Paul too far into the barracks, Paul asks to speak to the crowd (Acts 21:27–40). This is his speech to his fellow Jews—"brothers"—and the elders and priests of the Sanhedrin—"fathers."

When Paul speaks before synagogues, he typically shows how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah who brings the kingdom of God. Here, Paul gives a long explanation as to why his accusers found him in the presence of a Gentile. He starts by identifying himself as a one-time Pharisee trainee and persecutor of the church (Acts 22:3–5). He then explains how he came to worship Jesus (Acts 22:6–16). Finally, he describes returning to Jerusalem after his conversion, particularly how the Jews rejected his new religious state and God commissioned him to reach the Gentiles instead (Acts 22:17–21).

Years before, Jesus warned the disciples about coming persecution. He also told them, "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:19–20). We might wonder why Paul tells the story he does, but apparently, it's by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:1–5 begins Paul's defense against false rumors he brought a Gentile into the temple. He reminds the crowd how much he formerly hated Jesus-followers. Gamaliel, the great Pharisee rabbi, trained Paul in the strict ways of the law. Paul embodied that training by chasing down Christians and imprisoning them. In fact, he chased them far from Jerusalem—as far as Damascus. The incidents described in the early part of Paul's speech are also explained in Acts 9:1–2.

In Acts 22, a young Roman military officer realizes he cannot control Jews who do not wish to be controlled. He has just rescued Paul from a crowd that largely doesn't know why they want to kill Paul. In hopes of gathering information, the tribune allows Paul to speak to the crowd. The crowd listens only briefly, then explodes again. The tribune tries flogging but is foiled by Paul's Roman citizenship. Finally, the tribune schedules a meeting with the Sanhedrin. It does not go well (Acts 23:1–10).

Paul came to Jerusalem to tell the church of his ministry's success with Gentiles. The leaders are more worried about a rumor that Paul no longer respects the Jewish law. Paul agrees to perform a very Jewish ritual, but in the process is falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple. A mob assaults him, and the Roman tribune arrests him (Acts 21:17–36). The tribune tries to uncover the truth by letting Paul speak to the crowd, then almost flogging him (Acts 21:37—22). Next, he will bring Paul to the Sanhedrin, to no avail (Acts 23:1–10).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.