Beloved, I have the joy of sharing with you today the above theme from Acts 22:6, 8, 27. “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute” is the terrible answer he heard from heaven. For by touching these weak Christians, by persecuting them to death, it was the Son of God whom he was fighting. But instead of punishing him for his unholy audacity, the Lord, at the same time as He was returning his sight, opened the eyes of his heart (Eph 1:15-20), making this man set apart from birth a faithful instrument for Him. Then the new convert asked two questions that complement each other: “who are you Lord?” and “what should I do Lord?”. The second answer is given to him by Ananias who adds: “And now, what are you waiting for? Arise, be baptized, and washed of your sins, invoking the name of the Lord.”
Three years later, Paul has the privilege of seeing “the Righteous”: “Back in Jerusalem, as I prayed in the temple, I was delighted in ecstasy, and I saw the Lord who said to me: Hurry up, and come out of Jerusalem promptly, because they will not receive your testimony about me.” He himself would have wished to work among the Jews, believing that his testimony would be all the more powerful since he was previously known as a bitter opponent of the truth. For “Lord, they themselves know that I had those who believed in you put in prison and beaten with rods in the synagogues, and that when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I myself was present, joining my approval with that of others, and keeping the clothes of those who made him die.” But he had been set apart for service among the nations (Gal 1:13-17). “Go, I will send you away to the nations…” Let the Lord fix our field of work for us.
Indeed, the Jews still do not receive the apostle’s testimony. And the commander is again forced to remove him from their fury. At the moment when he is going to be put to torture, Paul declares as in Acts 16:35-40 that he was born a Roman citizen. In Philippians 3, having regarded all things as a loss (Phil 3:7-9), he will assert another right of the city, heavenly citizenship (Phil 3:20-21). Because this one, no one has it by birth. And it is not with money that it can be acquired. “And I,” said Paul, “I have it by birth.” For only those who have gone through the new birth possess it (Jn 3:1-8).
Thus, Paul begins his speech in these words: “Men brothers and fathers, listen to what I now have to say to you in my defense. When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they redoubled their silence. And Paul says, “He first confirms to them that he is a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in Jerusalem, “instructed at the feet of Gamaliel according to the accuracy of the law of our fathers,” zealous for God as they were all. Indeed, he recalls how he persecuted Christians, by having them thrown in prison, which the high priest and the bodies of the elders witnessed; how, with their approval, he went to Damascus to bring the Christians to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished.
Finally (Acts 22:6-21), he recounts his conversion in detail that should have convinced the Jews of his reality. For if a man, like an enemy of Christ’s disciples, had been converted in such a wonderful way, it was not by an act of his will, but by the power of God, of that God whom they all still claimed to serve. Who, if not God, could shine a light, like a lightning bolt, on the road to Damascus and make a voice from heaven heard, with an authority that immediately imposed itself on Saul who fell to the ground? Because, to this terrible question: “Saul! Saul! why are you persecuting me?”, he replied, “Who are you, Lord?” It was Jesus the Nazarene that Saul persecuted. His name is Jesus, the name by which he had been known on earth, despised and hated; but it was he who was the Lord, as Peter had told the Jews in Acts 2:36: “Let the whole house of Israel know with certainty that God made Lord and Christ that Jesus whom you crucified.”
Thus Saul had no idea that he was persecuting the Lord, sitting at the right hand of majesty, waiting for the time to exercise his judgments on the earth (Hebrews 1:3 and 13; Psalm 110:1). Jesus’ response also revealed the position of the Christians whom Saul persecuted, hated, and dragged to prison. By virtue of the Lord’s death and resurrection, all those whose place He has taken under God’s judgment, on the cross, are seen in Him, in glory, forming one body of which He is the head. Thus, by persecuting the members of the body of Christ, Saul persecuted Christ himself. It was to proclaim this great truth about the Church, the body of Christ, that the Lord had called Paul to his service. That is why she appears in the first words he addressed to her on the road to Damascus.
After understanding the glory and authority of the one who stopped him, could Paul refuse to walk? If the Jews who listened to him had not been blinded by their hatred of the Lord and His servant, this account would have convinced them that Paul could only obey. But they had resisted the testimony of the perfect Servant; their blindness was the consequence. To go to Damascus, Saul, blinded by the light that had shone before him, had to be led by the hand.
In his account, Paul tells us that at that time, while praying in the temple in Jerusalem, he was ecstatic and saw the Lord, saying to him, “Hurry up, and come out of Jerusalem as soon as possible; because they will not receive your testimony to me” (v. 18). The Jews had rejected Peter’s as well (chap. 3), as if they repented, the Lord would return to establish His reign. As a result, the nation set aside, salvation was announced to the Gentiles. The Lord knew that the Jews would also reject Paul’s testimony. That is why he raised him up to evangelize the nations. Those who have refused the Gospel of grace will not be evangelized again by those who proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom, addressed then to those who have not heard now.
Therefore, the revelation of God’s thoughts manifested the absolute opposition that exists between his thoughts and those of men, demonstrated by the presence of the Lord here on earth. God says of him, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my pleasure.” The men said, “He has no form or brilliance; when we see Him, there is no appearance in Him to make us desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). God had set Paul apart even before he was born (Galatians 1:15) and men say, Take him away, for such a man “should not have lived.”
But when you wanted to get a confession from an accused, you tortured him, so that his suffering would force him to confess to his crime or to reveal what he wanted to know. This was the practice with all martyred Christians to force them to denounce their co-religionists. When Paul had been extended to whip him, he said to the centurion, “Are you allowed to whip a man who is Roman and who is not condemned?” (v. 25). The Romans strictly observed their laws and treated Roman citizens with more respect than nationals of submissive nations; they could not be sentenced unless they had been convicted. Paul knew this, and the Lord used it to prevent him from flogging. The centurion remarked to the chiliarch, “What are you going to do? for this man is Roman.
And the approaching chiliarch said to Paul: Tell me, are you Roman? And he says: Yes. And the chiliarch resumed: I have acquired this bourgeoisie for a great sum. And Paul said, “But I have it by birth” (vs. 26-28). Seeing that Paul was telling the truth, the officer was frightened and caused the executioners to drive away. However, the chiliarch, according to his right, wanting to know what the Jews were accusing Paul of, ordered that the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin assemble to present their grievances. The next day he had Paul untied and introduced him to them. We will see that this appearance results in placing it definitively in the hands of the Romans.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Christ the Light of the World
Isa 9:1 The people who walked in darkness see a great light; On those who inhabited the land of the shadow of death A light shines. Jn 1:4 In it was life, and life was the light of men. Jn 8:12 Jesus spoke to them again, and said, I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life. Jn 12:35 Jesus said to them: The light is still in your midst for a little while. Walk, while you have the light, so that the darkness does not surprise you: he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 2 Co 4:6 For God, who said: The light will shine from the womb of darkness! made the light shine in our hearts to make the knowledge of the glory of God shine on the face of Christ. Eph 5:13, but all that is condemned is manifested by light, for all that is manifested is light. Rev 21:23 The city needs neither the sun nor the moon to enlighten it; for the glory of God enlightens it, and the lamb is his torch.
- Divine Voice of Christ:
-source of joy for friends: Jn 3:29 The one to whom the wife belongs is the husband; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands there and hears it, feels great joy because of the voice of the bridegroom: also this joy, which is mine, is perfect.
-recognized by believers: Jn 10:4 When He has brought out all His own sheep, He walks before them; and the sheep follow Him, because they know His voice.
-experience the life of men: John 18:37 Pilate said to him: Are you therefore king? Jesus answered: You say, I am king. I was born and came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Whoever is of the truth listens to my voice.
-Stop sinners: Acts 9:3-4 As he was on his way, and as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice that said to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
-powerful: Rev 1:15 his feet were like fiery brass, as if he had been ablaze in a furnace; and his voice was like the sound of great waters.
-pleads at the door of the heart, in order to enter it: Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and I knock. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house, have dinner with him, and he with me.
- Identification of Christ with believers
Mt 10:40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Mt 18:5 And whoever receives in my name a little child like this, receives me myself. Mt 25:40 And the king will answer them: I tell you in truth, whenever you have done these things to one of these little ones of my brethren, you have done them to me. Lek 10:16 He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me rejects the one who sent me. Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 1 Co 8:12 By sinning in this way against the brethren, and by hurting their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
- Persecution of Christ
Lk 4:29 And having risen, they drove him out of the city, and led him to the top of the mountain on which their city was built, in order to throw him down. Lk 23:11 Herod, with his guards, treated him with contempt; and, after mocking him and putting him on a bright habit, he sent him back to Pilate. Jn 5:16 That is why the Jews pursued Jesus, because He did these things on the Sabbath. Jn 7:1 After that, Jesus was traveling through Galilee, because he did not want to stay in Judea, because the Jews were trying to make him die. Jn 8:37 I know that you are the seed of Abraham; but you seek to make me die, because my word does not penetrate into you. Jn 10.39 If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.
From all the above, we note that the apostle Paul exposes to the Jews in his defense: “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute” is the terrible answer he heard from heaven. For by touching these weak Christians, by persecuting them to death, it was the Son of God whom he was fighting. But instead of punishing him for his ungodly audacity, the Lord, at the same time as He was returning his sight, opened the eyes of his heart. Hethen recounts his conversion in detail that should have convinced the Jews of his reality. For if a man, like an enemy of Christ’s disciples, had been converted in such a wonderful way, it was not by an act of his will, but by the power of God, of that God whom they all still claimed to serve. For God had set Paul apart even before his birth, and men say: Take him away, for such a man “should not have lived.” Moreover, he was born Roman citizen. Our prayers sustain you all in your efforts to walk by the might of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may be shining in my life right now.
Thank you Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby watering point to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forver and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow on “Paul before the Sanhedrin. “
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.