Acts 22:1-20

40 God acts in marvelous ways. Human opposition works out his purposes quite as effectively as human help. What better means could be devised to get all Jerusalem as well as representatives from the dispersion together to hear this final testimony to the Messiah and His kingdom? Such an assemblage could not be called and there was probably no building large enough to hold them. It seems almost incredible that Paul should be granted an opportunity to speak to them, as Roman law and Roman soldiers were usually excessively strict and severe.

Thus, in a few minutes, the whole situation is changed. We would naturally expect him to speak Greek, for all would have understood him, but, with fine tact, he speaks to them in the language the people of the covenant would best understand, which was associated in their minds with all that was sacred in the Judaism they fought for. It was the nearest approach to the language of their sacred Scriptures. It was the language of Jew with Jew, just as Yiddish is with one class today.

3 We cannot help admiring the opening words of the apostle. His gesture had stopped the tumult. His language had quieted them. Now his words are calculated to draw them into sympathy with him, as he shows them that he understands perfectly why they are persecuting him, for he himself had outdone them in his desire to stamp out the heresy which he now defends. Indeed he had witnesses among their leaders who could testify that he had received authority from them to carry his persecution to outside cities.

4 "The way" on the lips or the apostle meant the true faith and the correct life. Apparently it was a phrase of the disciples' own choosing. "The Path" of Buddhism is an interesting parallel.

6 Never before had the apostle such an opportunity to tell of his meeting with the Messiah to his own people. We may gather much from his address concerning the status of the believers in Judea at this crisis. The offense of the cross had ceased. They were regarded simply as another Jewish sect. The crowd made no demonstration against the mention of Jesus as Messiah. Myriads of them believed that and the rest tolerated it.

9 The apparent discrepancy between this and the first account of his call (Act_9:7) is readily explained. The men with him heard a sound but did not recognize it as the voice "of Him Who is speaking to me." The Greek word means both voice and sound. They gazed at the light, but not at the One from Whom it radiated.

10 With admirable tact Paul presses such points as were calculated to win his audience, but omits whatever would rouse their ire. The Lord Himself had told him that he was to be sent to the nations (Act_26:17) and this was confirmed by Ananias (Act_9:15). Yet he carefully refrains from any mention of the nations at this time. The wisdom of this is confirmed when they refused to hear him further, once he had mentioned the nations (21).

12 In the same spirit he introduces Ananias as "a pious man according to the law," omitting all mention of his belief in the Messiah. He speaks of "the God of our fathers," and baptism, and the familiar prophetic formula of "invoking His name."

17 Nothing is said here of Paul's sojourn in Arabia (Gal_1:17-18), and the fact that he did not return to Jerusalem for three years after his call. What most concerned his hearers was that he did return and with the fullest confidence that those who knew so well of his malignant zeal against the followers of Jesus would not fail to believe his testimony concerning Him. He even argues the point with the Lord Himself. How could they refuse to listen when they knew perfectly how madly he had carried on his persecution and had even taken part in the murder of Stephen?

18 That this is a solemn witness against the Jews is evident from the statement of the Lord that they would not receive Paul's testimony no matter how anxious he was to win them. Paul is here being used in the land as he afterward was in Rome to the dispersion to give the apostate nation a solemn intimation that God was through with them for a time and was now about to take up the nations.