Assignment for 9.6 to 9.12.09, Acts Chapter 22

[Irving]

Assignment 9.6 to
9.12.09
THE BOOK OF ACTS, CHAPTER 22

PREFACE. Paul, with the permission of the commander, speaks to the
crowd of rioting Jews in Aramaic. He recounts his personal history as
Jew and a Pharisee, taught under the famous Gamaliel, and they listen
until he comes to statement that God had sent him to the Gentiles ,
then the angry uproar resumes. The Roman Commander who had originally
rescued Paul from the crowd of rioting Jews, who might have killed
him, was now ready to torture him to get a confession of what he had
done to so infuriate the crowd. But Paul informed him that he was a
Roman citizen, who, by law, could not be flogged without being found
guilty of something in a proper judicial trial. Now, the commander
determined to get to the bottom of the matter and on the next day
ordered the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul in to stand
before them and state his case for innocence.
CHAPTER 22
Verses 1- 6. Paul speaks to them in Aramaic, which causes the crowd
to grow very quiet. If Paul had spoken to them in Hebrew , they might
have become even quieter because he would have been difficult for many
of them to understand. Paul is speaking to the Jews for the last time.
His words are a monument to his inextinguishable love for Israel.

verses 6-20. Paul recounts his own history and his being called by God
as a Christian missionary. In verse 6 we have the new information that
the event on the road to Damascus occurred at noon. He emphasizes that
he received words right from Jesus’ mouth and that he is an apostle
just as much as any of those who were with Jesus on His three-year
ministry on earth.

verse 22. What enrages the Jews at the end of this address is Paul’s
claim that God would send him to the Gentiles. Although Jews has
always welcomed sincere converts as individuals, e.g., Rahab and Ruth,
the concept of evangelizing broadly was abhorrent to them.

verse 23. As the riot intensifies the commander ordered that Paul be
taken to the barracks.

verse 24. The commander directed a flogging of Paul and an
interrogation to find out why the people were behaving like this.

verse 25. But as they stretched Paul out to flog him, Paul asked the
centurion , “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not
even been found guilty?” Notice how Paul uses his Roman citizenship.
All Roman citizens were not to be subjected to any form of degrading
punishment , such as beating with rods, multiple-strand leather whips
with metal weights on each end (scourges) or crucifixion.

verse 26. Upon hearing this, the centurion reported it to the
commander, asking, ”What are you going to do?”

verse 27,28. The commander is incredulous that a vagabond like Paul
should be a Roman citizen, and he states that he had to pay a high
price for his citizenship. Paul merely answers that he was born a
citizen.

verse 29. Flogging is now out of the question. The commander is
alarmed that he has put Paul in chains.

verse 30. The next day, the commander pursues an investigation of why
Paul was being accused by the Jews. He released Paul and ordered the
chief priests and the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then, he brought Paul and
had him stand before them.

Study Questions for Acts, Chapter
22

1. The great and unfortunate animosity that developed between the
early Christians, most of them converted Jews, arose because the Jews
saw only that the Christians were throwing away 2000 years of
religious teaching, while the Christians were trying to show that
their faith in Jesus as the Messiah was the fulfillment of that very
teaching. What characteristics of human beings made this necessary?

2. Sometimes the Church is taught by the secular world with respect to
justice and mercy. What characteristics, if any, did Roman governance
display to teach the adherents of Judaism? or of Christianity?

3. Paul’s dealings will now involve more time with Roman authorities
and with their Jewish puppets. Do you see how God’s choice of Paul to
spearhead the establishment of the early church was an example of
God’s providence?