Acts 22
Acts 22:1-30
1 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”
2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:
3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven 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 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’
11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.
14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance
18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’
19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ “
22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”
23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”
27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”
28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.“
29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
There is a testimony of God’s movements, His workings, and His ways, that just doesn’t get the desired response. Instead of gaining new converts, it may have the opposite results. When Paul finally got his chance to speak to this lynch mob, fully knowing their issue with him, he didn’t hold back in the least from sharing the reason for his inclusion of the Gentiles in his followers. You might have thought he would temper his story somewhat to soften their vitriol against him, but he went right to the part they couldn’t stand and further inspired them in their contempt. He did recognize their zeal in passionately doing what they understood to be right before God, though, and in so doing identified with where he had been in persecuting the church. These people, as deceived and dangerous as they were, still needed to hear the truth no matter what that might mean for Paul. We’re not given the metrics on this, but there were surely many who were affected by the uncensored telling of his personal testimony and his boldness to care more for those he was sent to minister to than himself.
The truth of what God is doing in real lives is not necessarily something that people are ready to accept, especially when it challenges what they are already passionate about. Concern about how our story may be received or contested may be cause for reticence and holding back. No matter its reception, though, the simple, honest telling of what God has done for us is what is needed to set people free from their deceptions and bondage. In spite of the most severe responses, the transparency of God’s good news, told from our personal point of perception is just what is needed. In every sharing of what His love has done in our life, there is a potential opening into a heart that can receive that same love, even when it may appear that everyone else is getting a rope. This unveiled sharing of testimony is what will overcome the lunacy the world tries to promote and impose with. It’s upon this testimony that victories for the kingdom will be won as the focus is adjusted from personal welfare to that of the ones Jesus laid down His life for.
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