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
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
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
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 » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 22
Commentary on Acts 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Ac 22:1-30. Paul's Defense from the Stairs of the Fortress—The Rage of the Audience Bursting Forth, the Commandant Has Him Brought into the Fort to Be Examined by Scourging, but Learning that He Is a Roman, He Orders His Release and Commands the Sanhedrin to Try Him.
2. when they heard … the Hebrew tongue—(See on Ac 21:40).
they kept the more silence—They could have understood him in Greek, and doubtless fully expected the renegade to address them in that language, but the sound of their holy mother tongue awed them into deeper silence.
3. a Jew of Tarsus, brought up in this city, at the feet—(See on Lu 10:39).
of Gamaliel—(See on Ac 5:34); a fact of great importance in the apostle's history, standing in the same relation to his future career as Moses' education in the Egyptian court to the work for which he was destined.
the perfect manner of the law of the fathers—the strictest form of traditional Judaism.
zealous—"a zealot."
toward God as ye all are this day—his own former murderous zeal against the disciples of the Lord Jesus being merely reflected in their present treatment of himself.
4. I persecuted, &c.—(See on Ac 9:1,2; Ac 9:5-7).
5. the high priest—still alive.
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders—the whole Sanhedrim.
8. Jesus of Nazareth—the Nazarene. See on Ac 9:5.
9-11. they that were with me—(See on Ac 9:7, &c.)
12. Ananias, a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there—One would not know from this description of Ananias that he was a Christian at all, the apostles object being to hold him up as unexceptionable, even to the most rigid Jews.
13-15. The God of our fathers hath chosen thee—studiously linking the new economy upon the old, as but the sequel of it; both having one glorious Author.
14. that thou shouldest … see that—"the"
Just One—compare Ac 3:14; 7:52.
hear the voice of his mouth—in order to place him on a level with the other apostles, who had "seen the [risen] Lord."
16. be baptized and wash away thy sins—This way of speaking arises from baptism being the visible seal of remission.
calling on the name of the Lord—rather, "having called," that is, after having done so; referring to the confession of Christ which preceded baptism, as Ac 8:37.
17-21. it came to pass, &c.—This thrilling dialogue between the glorified Redeemer and his chosen vessel is nowhere else related.
when I was come again to Jerusalem—on the occasion mentioned in Ac 9:26-29.
while I prayed in the temple—He thus calls their attention to the fact that after his conversion he kept up his connection with the temple as before.
18. get … quickly out of Jerusalem—compare Ac 9:29.
for they will not receive thy testimony … And I said, Lord, they know, &c.—"Can it be, Lord, that they will resist the testimony of one whom they knew so well as among the bitterest of all against Thy disciples, and whom nothing short of resistless evidence could have turned to Thee?"
21. depart for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles—that is, "Enough; thy testimony is not to be thrown away upon Jerusalem; the Gentiles, afar off, are thy peculiar sphere."
22, 23. gave him audience to this word … then … Away with such a fellow from the earth, &c.—Their national prejudices lashed into fury at the mention of a mission to the Gentiles, they would speedily have done to him as they did to Stephen, but for the presence and protection of the Roman officer.
24-26. examined by scourging—according to the Roman practice.
that he might know wherefore they cried so—Paul's speech being to him in an unknown tongue, he concluded from the horror which it kindled in the vast audience that he must have been guilty of some crime.
25. Paul said to the centurion that stood by—to superintend the torture and receive the confession expected to be wrung from him.
Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, &c.—See on Ac 16:37.
27-29. art thou a Roman?—showing that this being of Tarsus, which he had told him before (Ac 21:39) did not necessarily imply that he was a Roman citizen.
28. With a great sum obtained I this freedom—Roman citizenship was bought and sold in the reign of Claudius, we know, at a high price: at a subsequent date, for next to nothing. But to put in a false claim to this privilege was a capital crime.
I was free born—born to it, by purchase, or in reward of services, on the part of his father or some ancestor.
29. chief captain also was afraid, &c.—See on Ac 16:38.
30. commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear—that is, the Sanhedrim to be formally convened. Note here the power to order a Sanhedrim to try this case, assumed by the Roman officers and acquiesced in on their part.