Paul addresses the Jews
1 ① “Brothers and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defense.” 2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became more quiet. So he went on. 3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city where I was educated in the school of Gamaliel, according to the strict observance of our Law. And I was dedicated to God’s service, as are all of you today. 4As for this way, I persecuted it to the point of death and arrested its followers, both men and women, throwing them into prison.
5The High Priest and the whole Council of elders can bear witness to this. From them I received letters for the Jewish brothers in Damascus and I set out to arrest those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. 6But as I was traveling along, nearing Damascus, at about noon a great light from the sky suddenly flashed about me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 8I answered: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me: ‘I am Jesus the Nazarean whom you persecute.’ 9The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10I asked: ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord replied: ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told all that you are destined to do.’ 11Yet the brightness of that light had blinded me and so I was led by the hand into Damascus by my companions.
12There a certain Ananias came to me. He was a devout observer of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who were living there. 13As he stood by me, he said: ‘Brother Saul, recover your sight.’ At that moment I could see and I looked at him. 14He then said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear the words from his mouth. 15From now on you shall be his witness before all the pagan peoples and tell them all that you have seen and heard. 16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by calling upon his Name.’
17On my return to Jerusalem I was praying in the Temple, when I fell into a trance 18and saw him. He spoke to me: ‘Get ready to leave Jerusalem without delay, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19I answered: ‘Lord, they know well that I imprisoned those who believed in you and had them beaten in every synagogue, 20and while the blood of your witness Stephen was being poured out, I stood by and approved it and even guarded the cloaks of his murderers.’ 21Then he said to me: ‘Go, for I am sending you far away to the pagan nations.’”
22Up to this point the crowd listened to Paul, but on hearing the last words, they began to shout, “Kill him! He does not deserve to live!” 23They were screaming and waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air. 24So the commander ordered Paul to be brought inside the fortress and questioned after flogging, to find out why they made such an outcry against him.
25But when the soldiers had strapped him down, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”
26On hearing this the officer went to the commander and said, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen.” 27So the commander came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” answered Paul. 28The commander then said, “It cost me a large sum of money to become a Roman citizen.” Paul answered, “I am one by birth.”
29Then those who were about to question him backed away, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
Paul appears before the Sanhedrin
30The next day the comman derwanted to know for certain the charges the Jews were making against Paul. So he released him from prison and called together the High Priest and the whole Council; and they brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
- Acts 22,1 Paul here gives personal witness. He will stress he is still faithful to the religion of his fathers: but he has not been able to prevent Christ, the Lord, from imposing himself on him. Paul will quote Gamaliel (Acts 5:34); and then a Christian Jew very faithful to the Law, Ananias (v. 12). The crowd listens. The reaction comes when Paul says that the pagans will share the privileges of the Jews. The pagans: our enemies, impure people and enemies of God! The same affirmation had been decisive in the condemnation of Jesus (Mt 21:42).
