21 And G2532 he said G2036 unto G4314 me, G3165 Depart: G4198 for G3754 I G1473 will send G1821 thee G4571 far hence G3112 unto G1519 the Gentiles. G1484
But G1161 the Lord G2962 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Go thy way: G4198 for G3754 he G3778 is G2076 a chosen G1589 vessel G4632 unto me, G3427 to bear G941 my G3450 name G3686 before G1799 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 kings, G935 and G5037 the children G5207 of Israel: G2474
As G1161 they G846 ministered G3008 to the Lord, G2962 and G2532 fasted, G3522 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 said, G2036 G1211 Separate G873 me G3427 G5037 Barnabas G921 and G2532 Saul G4569 for G1519 the work G2041 whereunto G3739 I have called G4341 them. G846
Then G1161 Paul G3972 and G2532 Barnabas G921 waxed bold, G3955 and said, G2036 It was G2258 necessary G316 that the word G3056 of God G2316 should G2980 first G4412 have been spoken G2980 to you: G5213 but G1161 seeing G1894 ye put G683 it G846 from you, G683 and G2532 judge G2919 yourselves G1438 unworthy G3756 G514 of everlasting G166 life, G2222 lo, G2400 we turn G4762 to G1519 the Gentiles. G1484 For G1063 so G3779 hath G1781 the Lord G2962 commanded G1781 us, G2254 saying, I have set G5087 thee G4571 to be G1519 a light G5457 of the Gentiles, G1484 that thou G4571 shouldest be G1511 for G1519 salvation G4991 unto G2193 the ends G2078 of the earth. G1093
And G1161 when they opposed G498 themselves, G846 and G2532 blasphemed, G987 he shook G1621 his raiment, G2440 and said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Your G5216 blood G129 be upon G1909 your G5216 own heads; G2776 I G1473 am clean: G2513 from G575 henceforth G3568 I will go G4198 unto G1519 the Gentiles. G1484
Delivering G1807 thee G4571 from G1537 the people, G2992 and G2532 from the Gentiles, G1484 unto G1519 whom G3739 now G3568 I send G649 thee, G4571 To open G455 their G846 eyes, G3788 and to turn G1994 them from G575 darkness G4655 to G1519 light, G5457 and G2532 from the power G1849 of Satan G4567 unto G1909 God, G2316 that they G846 may receive G2983 forgiveness G859 of sins, G266 and G2532 inheritance G2819 among G1722 them which are sanctified G37 by faith G4102 that is in G1519 me. G1691
For G1063 I speak G3004 to you G5213 Gentiles, G1484 inasmuch as G1909 G3745 G3303 I G1473 am G1510 the apostle G652 of the Gentiles, G1484 I magnify G1392 mine G3450 office: G1248
That I G3165 should be G1519 G1511 the minister G3011 of Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 to G1519 the Gentiles, G1484 ministering G2418 the gospel G2098 of God, G2316 that G2443 the offering up G4376 of the Gentiles G1484 might be G1096 acceptable, G2144 being sanctified G37 by G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151
But G1161 when G3753 it pleased G2106 God, G2316 who G3588 separated G873 me G3165 from G1537 my G3450 mother's G3384 womb, G2836 and G2532 called G2564 me by G1223 his G846 grace, G5485 To reveal G601 his G846 Son G5207 in G1722 me, G1698 that G2443 I might preach G2097 him G846 among G1722 the heathen; G1484 immediately G2112 I conferred G4323 not G3756 with flesh G4561 and G2532 blood: G129
But G235 contrariwise, G5121 when they saw G1492 that G3754 the gospel G2098 of the uncircumcision G203 was committed unto me, G4100 as G2531 the gospel of the circumcision G4061 was unto Peter; G4074 (For G1063 he that wrought effectually G1754 in Peter G4074 to G1519 the apostleship G651 of the circumcision, G4061 the same G2532 was mighty G1754 in me G1698 toward G1519 the Gentiles:) G1484
That the Gentiles G1484 should be G1511 fellowheirs, G4789 and G2532 of the same body, G4954 and G2532 partakers G4830 of his G846 promise G1860 in G1722 Christ G5547 by G1223 the gospel: G2098 Whereof G3739 I was made G1096 a minister, G1249 according G2596 to the gift G1431 of the grace G5485 of God G2316 given G1325 unto me G3427 by G2596 the effectual working G1753 of his G846 power. G1411 Unto me, G1698 who am less than the least G1647 of all G3956 saints, G40 is G1325 this G3778 grace G5485 given, G1325 that I should preach G2097 among G1722 the Gentiles G1484 the unsearchable G421 riches G4149 of Christ; G5547
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 22
Commentary on Acts 22 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 22
In the close of the foregoing chapter we had Paul bound, according to Agabus's prophecy of the hard usage he should receive from the Jews at Jerusalem, yet he had his tongue set at liberty, by the permission the chief captain gave him to speak for himself; and so intent he is upon using that liberty of speech which is allowed him, to the honour of Christ and the service of his interest, that he forgets the bonds he is in, makes no mention of them, but speaks of the great things Christ had done for him with as much ease and cheerfulness as if nothing had been done to ruffle him or put him into disorder. We have here,
Act 22:1-2
Paul had, in the last verse of the foregoing chapter, gained a great point, by commanding so profound a silence after so loud a clamour. Now here observe,
Act 22:3-21
Paul here gives such an account of himself as might serve not only to satisfy the chief captain that he was not that Egyptian he took him to be, but the Jews also that he was not that enemy to their church and nation, to their law and temple, they took him to be, and that what he did in preaching Christ, and particularly in preaching him to the Gentiles, he did by a divine commission. He here gives them to understand,
Observe,
Now, if they would lay all this together, surely they would see that they had no reason to be angry with Paul for preaching among the Gentiles, or construe it as an act of ill-will to his own nation, for he was compelled to it, contrary to his own mind, by an overruling command from heaven.
Act 22:22-30
Paul was going on with this account of himself, had shown them his commission to preach among the Gentiles without any peevish reflections upon the Jews, and we may suppose designed next to show how he was afterwards, by a special direction of the Holy Ghost at Antioch, separated to this service, how tender he was of the Jews, how respectful to them, and how careful to give them the precedency in all places whither he came, and to unite Jews and Gentiles in one body; and then to show how wonderfully God had owned him, and what good service had been done to the interest of God's kingdom among men in general, without damage to any of the true interests of the Jewish church in particular. But, whatever he designs to say, they resolve he shall say no more to them: They gave him audience to this word. Hitherto they had heard him with patience and some attention. But when he speaks of being sent to the Gentiles, though it was what Christ himself said to him, they cannot bear it, not so much as to hear the Gentiles named, such an enmity had they to them, and such a jealousy of them. Upon the mention of this, they have no manner of patience, but forget all rules of decency and equity; thus were they provoked to jealousy by those that were no people, Rom. 10:19.
Now here we are told how furious and outrageous the people were against Paul, for mentioning the Gentiles as taken into the cognizance of divine grace, and so justifying his preaching among them.