25 And G1161 as G5613 they bound G4385 G4385 him G846 with thongs, G2438 Paul G3972 said G2036 unto G4314 the centurion G1543 that stood by, G2476 Is it lawful G1487 G1832 for you G5213 to scourge G3147 a man G444 that is a Roman, G4514 and G2532 uncondemned? G178
But G1161 Paul G3972 said G5346 unto G4314 them, G846 They have beaten G1194 us G2248 openly G1219 uncondemned, G178 being G5225 Romans, G4514 G444 and have cast G906 us into G1519 prison; G5438 and G2532 now G3568 do they thrust G1544 us G2248 out G1544 privily? G2977 nay G3756 verily; G1063 but G235 let them come G2064 themselves G846 and fetch G1806 us G2248 out. G1806
The centurion G1543 answered G611 and G2532 said, G5346 Lord, G2962 I am G1510 not G3756 worthy G2425 that G2443 thou shouldest come G1525 under G5259 my G3450 roof: G4721 but G235 speak G2036 the word G3056 only, G3440 and G2532 my G3450 servant G3816 shall be healed. G2390
Now G1161 when the centurion, G1543 and G2532 they that were with G3326 him, G846 watching G5083 Jesus, G2424 saw G1492 the earthquake, G4578 and G2532 those things that were done, G1096 they feared G5399 greatly, G4970 saying, G3004 Truly G230 this G3778 was G2258 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
G1161 There was G2258 a certain G5100 man G435 in G1722 Caesarea G2542 called G3686 Cornelius, G2883 a centurion G1543 of G1537 the band G4686 called G2564 the Italian G2483 band,
Then G1161 the chief captain G5506 came, G4334 and said G2036 unto him, G846 Tell G3004 me, G3427 G1487 art G1488 thou G4771 a Roman? G4514 G1161 He said, G5346 Yea. G3483 And G5037 the chief captain G5506 answered, G611 With a great G4183 sum G2774 obtained G2932 I G1473 this G5026 freedom. G4174 And G1161 Paul G3972 said, G5346 But G1161 I G1473 G2532 was free born. G1080
To G4314 whom G3739 I answered, G611 G3754 It is G2076 not G3756 the manner G1485 of the Romans G4514 to deliver G5483 any G5100 man G444 to G1519 die, G684 before G4250 that G2228 he which is accused G2723 have G2192 the accusers G2725 face to face, G2596 G4383 G5037 and have G2983 licence G5117 to answer for himself G627 concerning G4012 the crime laid against him. G1462
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.