Then he said: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia [in Rome], but brought up in this city [Jerusalem] at the feet of Gamaliel [Acts 5:33-40], taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way [Christianity] to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 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. [Acts 7:54-8:3] (Acts 22:2-5)
As we studied in the previous lesson, the Jews in Jerusalem wanted to kill Paul because the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) (Acts 21:27-29)
God had said throughout the scriptures that the Gentiles would be saved also, And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Joel 2:32) He said through the prophet Isaiah, "Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6)
How sad that the Jews were committed the oracles of God (Romans 3:2); to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises (Romans 9:4); yet they refused to believe the Word of the God Whom they were so zealous toward. Jesus said, "Therefore be zealous and repent." (Revelations 319) How sad that His chosen people up to this point still refused, and would try to do to Paul what they had also done to Him.
As we studied in the previous lesson, the Jews in Jerusalem wanted to kill Paul because the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) (Acts 21:27-29)
God had said throughout the scriptures that the Gentiles would be saved also, And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Joel 2:32) He said through the prophet Isaiah, "Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6)
How sad that the Jews were committed the oracles of God (Romans 3:2); to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises (Romans 9:4); yet they refused to believe the Word of the God Whom they were so zealous toward. Jesus said, "Therefore be zealous and repent." (Revelations 319) How sad that His chosen people up to this point still refused, and would try to do to Paul what they had also done to Him.
Paul continued to make his defense to the “Brethren and fathers... Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ [Acts 9:1-9] (Acts 22:6-8)
“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. 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.’ 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. [Acts 9:1-9] (Acts 22:9-11)
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 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. 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. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ [Acts 9:10-19] (Acts 22:12-16)
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 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.’ [Acts 7:54-60] Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’” [Acts 9:23-31] (Acts 22:17-21)
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!” Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 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. (Acts 22:22-24) How sad that the Jews refused to listen to the truth. Jesus had said, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)
Falsely accusing an innocent man, wanting him dead for just speaking the truth, these are the same reasons they scourged and crucified Christ. As Jesus prophecied, Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles [Roman authorities] to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:17-19) But they weren't going to get away with doing the same to Paul so easily, because remember, he was born in Tarsus of Cilicia. 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?” (Acts 22:25)
It was against the law for a Roman citizen to be bound and put in prison before being convicted of a crime, which is why Paul said, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" These Roman soldiers could have been killed for doing such a thing. Remember when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison... (Acts 16:35-40)
Well, the same is true in this case. When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.” Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 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. (Acts 22:26-29)
Falsely accusing an innocent man, wanting him dead for just speaking the truth, these are the same reasons they scourged and crucified Christ. As Jesus prophecied, Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles [Roman authorities] to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:17-19) But they weren't going to get away with doing the same to Paul so easily, because remember, he was born in Tarsus of Cilicia. 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?” (Acts 22:25)
It was against the law for a Roman citizen to be bound and put in prison before being convicted of a crime, which is why Paul said, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" These Roman soldiers could have been killed for doing such a thing. Remember when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison in Philippi, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison... (Acts 16:35-40)
Well, the same is true in this case. When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.” Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 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. (Acts 22:26-29)
Just as God told the prophet Jeremiah, the same could be said about Paul, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) God prepared Paul from the very beginning to become a teacher to the Gentiles. He was born a Roman citizen, born in Tarsus of Cilicia. He was a Jew, so he was able to go to Jerusalem and become educated in the scriptures by the high priest, brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. He was a Pharisee, who persecuted this Way to the death.
But all of his background would serve him well after his conversion, because if he could be changed, he was proof that God could save anyone, no matter what they may have done in their past. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (II Corinthians 5:17) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)
That's why God changed his name from Saul to Paul, because he wasn't the same person anymore; and God does the same with us, if we believe His Word and accept the free gift of salvation through faith in His Son, Christ Jesus. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13) Through faith in Christ Jesus, In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest... (I John 3:10) Our identity is not based on where or under what circumstances we were born nor what we've done, but in Whom we believe!
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