Acts 22
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 22
Paul’s Speech to the People of Jerusalem.[a] 1 “Brethren and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defense.” 2 When they heard him addressing them in Aramaic, they became even more quiet than before.
Then he continued, 3 “I am a Jew, born atTarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. As a pupil of Gamaliel, I was thoroughly trained in the Law of our ancestors. I have always been zealous toward God, just as all of you are today. 4 I even persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, sending both men and women to prison in chains, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify. From them I also received letters to our brethren in Damascus, and I set out to bring prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
6 “While I was on my way and drawing near Damascus, around midday a great light from the sky suddenly shone all around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom 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 I asked, ‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told everything that you have been appointed to do.’ 11 I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, and so my companions led me by the hand to Damascus.
12 “A man named Ananias, who was a devout observer of the Law and highly regarded by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to see me. Standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ Instantly, I saw him.
14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear him speak. 15 For you will be his witness[b] to tell all what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’
17 “After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw Jesus there. ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem at once,’ he said, ‘because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 But I replied, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I used to imprison and scourge those who believe in you. 20 And while the blood of your martyr Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by, giving my approval and guarding the coats of his murderers.’ 21 Then he said to me, ‘Go! I am sending you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 Paul Claims His Roman Citizenship.[c] Up to this point, the crowd had listened to him, but then they raised their voices and began to shout, “Rid the earth of this man! He should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks and gave instructions that he be interrogated while being scourged to discover the reason for this outcry against him.
25 But when they had stretched him out and bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing nearby, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and who has not been condemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 Then the commander came to him and inquired, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he answered, “Yes.” 28 The commander responded, “It cost me a great deal of money to acquire this citizenship.” Paul replied, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Then those who were about to interrogate him withdrew hurriedly, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
30 Paul’s First Trial—before the Sanhedrin.[d] Since the commander wanted to learn with certitude what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him on the following day and ordered the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Footnotes
- Acts 22:1 Paul refers chiefly to his conversion and explains it. That event dominated his life: the story is told three times in Acts (9:1-19; 22:1-21; 26:9-18). In speaking to Jews, as he does here, Paul mentions a detail that is omitted in the other two accounts: he received his mission in the temple (vv. 17-21).
- Acts 22:15 His witness: Paul is to be a witness to Jesus’ Resurrection in the same way that the apostles have been, since he, too, has seen the risen Lord (see Acts 1:8; 10:39-41; Lk 24:48).
- Acts 22:22 Luke doubtless recalls this fact to emphasize that the Empire has no reason to suspect Christianity of any subversive intent.
- Acts 22:30 In the last cycle of Acts, each discourse is inserted into a very colorful account. The episode of the affront to the high priest, a man with a poor reputation, is not lacking in irony. In addition, each time there is a “suspense” created that becomes ever more intense. In the present case, the subject of the resurrection stirs discord among the hearers, because it was a matter of dispute within Jewish theology. In fact, belief in the resurrection, with the resultant different fates of the good and the bad, came into existence late in Judaism (2 Mac 7:9, 11, 14, 23, 29, 36; 12:38-46; Dan 12:2f; see Wis 3:1-5, 16). It was accepted by the Pharisees, but the Sadducees tried to combat it, even by ridiculing it (see Mt 22:23-33; Mk 12:18-27; Lk 20:27-38).
As is the case with the other discourses, this one also wishes to make clear that Paul and the Churches are innocent of the accusations of the Jews and the suspicions of the Romans. Then the debate, which at first was carried out on the juridical level, is raised to the level of theological realities.
Acts 22
King James Version
22 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
Acts 22
Legacy Standard Bible
22 “(A)Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the (B)Hebrew language, they became even quieter; and he *said,
3 “(C)I am (D)a Jew, born in (E)Tarsus of (F)Cilicia, but having been brought up in this city, having been instructed at the feet of (G)Gamaliel according to the (H)strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as (I)you all are today, 4 (J)I persecuted this (K)Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons, 5 as also (L)the high priest and all (M)the Council of the elders [a]can testify. From them I also (N)received letters to (O)the brothers, and started off for (P)Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem [b]as prisoners to be punished.
6 “(Q)But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am (R)Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 And those who were with me (S)beheld the light, to be sure, but (T)did not [c]understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘(U)What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been determined for you to do.’ 11 But since I (V)could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “Now a certain (W)Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and (X)well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near, said to me, ‘(Y)Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And [d](Z)at that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘(AA)The God of our fathers has (AB)appointed you to know His will and to (AC)see the (AD)Righteous One and to hear a [e]voice from His mouth. 15 For you will be (AE)a witness for Him to all men of (AF)what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you delay? (AG)Rise up and be baptized, and (AH)wash away your sins, (AI)calling on His name.’
17 “Now it happened when I (AJ)returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I (AK)fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘(AL)Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another (AM)I used to imprison and (AN)beat those who believed in You. 20 And (AO)when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and guarding the garments of those who were slaying him.’ 21 And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away (AP)to the Gentiles.’”
Paul, a Citizen of Rome
22 And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “(AQ)Away with such a fellow from the earth, for (AR)he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were crying out and (AS)throwing off their garments and (AT)tossing dust into the air, 24 the [f]commander ordered him to be brought into (AU)the barracks, stating that he should be (AV)examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out [g]with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it [h]lawful for you to flog (AW)a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.” 29 Therefore those who were about to (AX)examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also (AY)was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had (AZ)bound him.
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
30 But on the next day, (BA)wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he (BB)released him and ordered the chief priests and all (BC)the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
Footnotes
- Acts 22:5 Lit testifies for me
- Acts 22:5 Lit having been bound
- Acts 22:9 Or hear (with comprehension)
- Acts 22:13 Or instantly
- Acts 22:14 Or message
- Acts 22:24 Military leader over 1,000 soldiers
- Acts 22:25 Or for the whip
- Acts 22:25 Interrogation by torture was a procedure used with slaves
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