Sunday School Lessons: Acts 22

Lesson 26
Chapter 22  Paul’s Defense in Jerusalem

21:40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language,  saying:

That’s how Chapter 21 ended last week.  Today we will examine Paul’s defense in Jerusalem before the gathered, angry crowd.

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

When Paul begins to speak, he says something interesting.  He calls the angry mob “brothers and fathers.”  He calls them brothers because he is one of them—a Jew—and he considers them his brothers.  He also addresses the “fathers.”  This is a title that shows his respect for the men who are older than he is.  Paul understands these people and he wants them to hear the Gospel and believe in Christ.  He is speaking to them as one of them, in their own tongue, and they listen quietly:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

Paul tells all about himself, where he was from, how he had been educated, (Tarsus was, at this time in history, the center of Greek education with the finest Greek university.  But Paul was raised in Jerusalem and was educated by Gamaiel, the most famous and influential Jewish educator at that time.  They could not dismiss Paul as one who was uneducated or as one who did not understand and follow their own Jewish Law.  In fact, Paul tells them that he had been just like them—zealous for God and against this new sect that was developing around the person of Jesus Christ.  He had not only believed as they did, he worked to stamp it out.  Then he begins to tell them about his conversion by recounting all that had happened on the road to Damascus and with Ananias (The first account of Paul’s conversion was in Acts 9; we will find it again in Acts 26):

6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone 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 Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

So far, the crowd is listening.

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

This is the only place in scripture that records Paul’s vision in the temple.  

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For 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 tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.

What had he said in verses 17-21 to make them so angry and call for his death?
Why did the tribune order him to be carried back into the barracks?  Why do you think he needed to “examine” him to find out what was going on that caused the crowd to become a mob  again?

25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”

Paul says two very important things here:  first, he is a Roman citizen and, as such, he is entitled to all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship.  Also, he is uncondemned.  That means that no charges had been brought against him in a court of law and he had not been found guilty of anything.

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.”

Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

The centurion was the one who was preparing to interrogate Paul, but it was the tribune who had ordered the whipping (vs 24).  Even though he had been ordered to whip Paul, the centurion knew that he didn’t dare do it, so he went to the tribune and told him.  The tribune came and questioned Paul himself.  The tribune had had to buy his citizenship, so he was very aware of the difference between a citizen and a non-citizen and probably prized the privileges and also feared being found out and punished.  Once they learned Paul was a citizen, they left him alone!  They had both broken Roman law when they arrested Paul and bound him.

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

Even though they had released Paul, there was still great unrest in the city, so they commanded the Sanhedrin to meet so that they could, in a lawful manner, find out what was going on between Paul and the mob.

Next week, Chapter 23:  Paul’s defense before the courts of the Sanhedrin

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.