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 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. ¹⁴ And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶ I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defence concerning the charge laid against him. ¹⁷ So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.¹⁹ Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. ²⁰ Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. ²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” ²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

²³ So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” (ESV)

Last night I had a dream. In it I was leading a service. There were only a few people at the meeting, and I sensed that they were perhaps unenthusiastic about standing to sing one further song. Then, in what felt like a moment of inspiration, I found myself saying something like this: ‘If what we believe is true, we are dealing with the most astounding realities. Yet often we just want to go home and watch television.’

How wonderfully God gave Paul a platform to preach to the elites of his day! Whatever Festus actually believed, he did grasp the basic and revolutionary message Paul preached and the Jews opposed (19). Many of us in churches are sleepwalking through this resurrection reality. We are not fully awake to the alive-ness of Christ and all that it means. But there was nothing dopey or dozy about Paul.

Once again we can see that the echoes of Jesus’ trial (when He was on His way to death) reverberate through the later chapters of Acts.

But He did not stay dead! The grave could not hold Him.

‘Mark the difference with which these two men regarded our Lord. To the one, He was the supreme object of his affection and his life; to the other, He was “one Jesus.” Notice also that Paul had made clear his belief that Jesus was alive. Evidently the risen Christ had been the burden of Paul’s preaching. Even Festus had come to understand that, although he would not accept it as true.

The Apostle’s audience on the morrow was the most dignified and influential that he had addressed up to this point. As the Lord told Ananias that Saul had been chosen to bear His name before Gentiles and kings and the Children of Israel, so it came to pass. See Acts 9:15 . There is no doubt that Paul was lifted far above the thought or fear of man by the consciousness that the Lord was standing by to strengthen him, so that through him the gospel might be fully known. Let us view every circumstance in our experience as the lamp-stand on which to place the lamp of testimony. It is a good thing to ask, “How far will this promote my Lord’s business?” ‘ F.B. Meyer

Prayer: Lord grant that the truth of your resurrection will captivate my heart and thrill my soul and open my lips

 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.² And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, ³ asking as a favour against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. ⁴ Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. ⁵ “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

⁶ After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.⁸ Paul argued in his defence, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” ⁹ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” ¹⁰ But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.’’ (ESV)

We continue to see these interwoven strands: the malice of the Jews, the capriciousness of the Romans, the providence (protection) of God, and the innocence of Paul.

One of the great joys of reading the Bible is the experience of finding new things in familiar passages. On my most recent re-reading of Acts I have seen something I don’t believe I have seen before. Here it is: in these later chapters of the book, the parallels between Jesus at His trial and Paul at His, shout for recognition. Both were falsely accused, suffering for wrongs they had not done; both were innocent. This is a major example of Paul sharing in ‘’the fellowship’’ of Christ’s sufferings. But amidst everything that was illegal and unjust, in both cases God was working out His larger purpose. He is on the Throne, and He will have His way. Neither the bigotry of religious zealots nor the corruption of Roman rulers can stand in His way.

‘There are times when believers must use the law to protect themselves and the ministry…God’s people are sometimes treated like the guilty even though they are innocent. Remember Joseph, David, Daniel, and Jeremiah, not to mention our Lord Jesus Christ.

In all that happened, God was fulfilling His promise to Paul that he would witness before rulers (9:15) and finally get to Rome (23:11). Being a prisoner and enduring the hearings was hard for Paul, but he used his opportunities wisely. He believed Jesus’ words: “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony” (Luke 21:13).’ Warren W. Wiersbe

PRAYER: Lord, help me to believe deeply that you are in control, even when things seem to go wrong,

But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

²⁴ After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” ²⁶ At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. ²⁷ When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favour, Felix left Paul in prison. (ESV)

In the midst of Paul’s trials, he had a remarkable ‘witnessing opportunity’ with one of the great men of his day. As far as we know, Felix was never converted, but Paul faithfully, and courageously, shared the gospel with him. Reading between the lines, we can see that Felix is not in charge, Rome is not in charge, but God is – working out His purposes, and caring for His servant, meeting his needs.

We have noted before that history does not cause us to have a high opinion of Felix. The way the chapter ends I am left reflecting on the tragedy of many a situation where justice is still denied to the innocent at the whim of someone in power (see v.27 and 25:9). But like us all, Felix was a man of mixed motives. It seems to me he was a volatile mixture of a certain openness to the message; but also of fear, conviction of sin, greed and political self-interest. He reminds me of Herod with John the Baptist. Both men stand as a warning to us that without strict self-examination, and repeated repentance, our lowest motives are likely to win out. May God help us.

Lady Macbeth famously said that she ‘feared’ her husband’s nature. In her case because she saw it as being too full of ‘the milk of human kindness.’ He wasn’t sufficiently ruthless, or so she thought, to grab the kingship for himself. But we all have reason to fear those things in our fallen nature that could dishonour God, damage and destroy others, or bring us down. May we live in radical repentance, gouging out the offending eye, and cutting off the offending hand!

I was deeply touched to read this prayer from Sarah Yardley during the last week – written in the wake of yet another major church scandal:

‘Christ, have mercy.

Keep me holy. Keep me humble.

Expose my unrepentant sin. Convict me of thoughts, desires, behaviors that could shatter my soul and destroy my credibility.

Give me friends who speak to me boldly, clearly, calling me to a deeper holiness. Make me this kind of friend to others. Thank you for the companions who have walked with me all my life with honest, holy love. Let me hate patterns of sin and deeply love people in my life. Christ came for sinners, and I am one.

Break my heart for the layers and depths of the hell we choose when we betray hearts, bodies, lives. I grieve the heartache, despondency, disillusionment, pain. Christ, who entered that hell and took captivity captive, have mercy. Enter into the places that feel like hell today. Lead captives into freedom.

Let the name on my lips be Jesus; the only true hero, the one who is always faithful. Spirit of God, make me more like Jesus. Do not let me delight in sin or deride it casually. Give me holy grief and deep compassion.

Jesus,
Keep me holy,
Keep me humble,
Keep my heart close to you.’

And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defence. ¹¹ You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, ¹² and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. ¹⁴ But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. ¹⁶ So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. ¹⁷ Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. ¹⁸ While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— ¹⁹ they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, ²¹ other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” (ESV)

As Paul began to make his reply there was no flattery. He showed respect, recognising Felix’s longstanding position, but there was no sickening sycophancy layered like butter upon his answer. His conscience was clear. He knew that he was innocent of all these charges brought against him, and that they could not legitimately prove any of them.

Some years ago, as I recall, John White wrote that Christian witness is fundamentally about honesty. Paul said, ”But this I confess to you…” When we ”confess” our sins, we admit what we know to be true of ourselves. It is similarly the case when we confess our faith. We are not hiding who we are and what we believe. We are bringing it out into the open, exposing it to the light of day. Paul saw the Jesus ”Way” as the flowering of everything that was there in bud in the Old Testament. He regarded himself as a true Jew, living in days of fulfilment, and he was happy to say so, whatever the cost.

Regarding verse 16, F.B. Meyer makes the point that Paul had said something similar in 23:1. Then he adds, ‘ Well would it be for us if only we would devote a few minutes at the close of each day to discover whether our conscience accused us of failure in heart, thought, or behavior. The Holy Spirit pleads in the court of conscience. We would be kept from many a fall, if we would be more careful to watch against the little rifts.’

And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. ² And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, ³ in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. ⁴ But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. ⁵ For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶ He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. ⁸ By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

⁹ The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. (ESV)

Tertullus was a clever lawyer. He was also scurrilous. First of all he used flattery. Warren Wiersbe makes the point that if we did not flatter ourselves we would not so easily fall prey to flattery. History shows that Felix was not worthy of these words. In fact, his cruelty and accessibility to bribes, led to a great increase in crime in Judea. He was eventually removed from office and replaced by Porcius Festus

Next, this wily man resorted to slander. See how the way we use words can distort the picture and give a false sense: ”…plague…ringleader…sect…” This was scandalous. May God help us to always use words with accuracy and honesty, and to never seek to subtly malign another’s character.

Paul did not deliberately cause riots, and it was not his fault if there was a riotous response to the message he preached, but such was the hatred of the gospel in many of the Jews in his day. He certainly did not ‘try’ to ”profane the temple” (6). Having begun with flattery, and moved on to slander, the lawyer’s final weapon was outright lies.

¹² When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

¹⁶ Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” ¹⁹ The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” ²⁰ And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. ²¹ But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” ²² So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

²³ Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. ²⁴ Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” ²⁵ And he wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. ²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. ²⁸ And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. ²⁹ I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰ And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

³¹ So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. ³³ When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. ³⁴ On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium. (ESV)

We, yet again, hear echoes of the Jesus story in verse 29.

I found myself wondering about these Jews, ‘As they were unsuccessful, did they never eat again?!’ I thought about how we can tie ourselves up with man-made rules. That point, of course, is true; but then I read that it was not uncommon for Jews to take such oaths. But if they became impossible to fulfill, they were freed from the obligation.

Here we have a fascinating detail about Paul’s sister and nephew. It is the only time they are mentioned in Scripture. Neither are named, but this young man had an important part to play in God’s purposes. The Lord is in the small details, as well as the great.

This story shows that God is in control, and is able to foil every plot of the enemy. We are immortal, as someone asserted, until all God’s will for us is fulfilled. The Lord is able even to move the machinery of a powerful empire in order to protect His own. (When the commander heard about this plot he did not dare keep Paul under his authority. If Paul, a Roman citizen were to be killed, the commander would be blamed for not protecting him. Also, we note that, in writing to Felix, the commander was ‘economical with the truth’. He didn’t let on that he had been going to have Paul flogged!)

Tom Hale says: ‘Antipatris was a town about thirty-five miles from Jerusalem…By morning Paul was no longer in any danger from the Jews in Jerusalem, so only the seventy horsemen escorted Paul the remaining thirty miles to Caesarea…Meanwhile, he ordered that Paul be kept securely in a palace which King Herod had originally built for himself (Acts 12:1,19).’ Can’t you see the irony in that?!

‘What will not unscrupulous men do under cover of religion! It is a pleasing trait that the Roman officer took Paul’s nephew by the hand and led him aside for a private audience. How proudly would the boy recount the whole story to his mother, when he emerged from those grim walls. At nine o’clock that night there was a clattering of horses’ hoofs as seventy horsemen and two hundred soldiers went through the stone-paved streets on their way to Caesarea. Already Paul had begun his journey to Rome. Often afterward, when it seemed as though his life would be forfeited, he must have stayed on the Master’s words, So must thou bear witness also at Rome. What a life-buoy that promise was! And if God had saved him from the mob at Jerusalem and given him the friendship of Lysias, what could God not do for him in the future!’ F.B. Meyer

(You might want to compare Paul’s story with that of Ezra, recorded in the book that bears his name and the eighth chapter. God’s ability to protect is undoubtedly real, but He doesn’t always work in the same ways).

 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ Then a great clamour arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (ESV)

Time and again, in these later chapters of ‘Acts’, there are echoes of the last days of Jesus’ earthly life in Jerusalem. Don’t you hear such an echo in 23:2? We know from history books that Ananias, who was high priest from 47-58 A.D. was a corrupt and evil man. He was indeed a ”white-washed tomb” filled with ”dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). However he appeared to others, he was a hypocrite. To strike a man being questioned was against the rules of the Sanhedrin. It was highly illegal to punish a man who had not yet been determined guilty. It does seem, though, that Paul, who always strove to have a clear conscience, did not realise that it was the high priest who had given the order to strike him.

I have heard it said that this is how you can tell the difference between a Pharisee and a Sadducee: the Pharisees did believe in the supernatural (including the resurrection), but the sadducees didn’t – ‘and that’s why they were ‘sad, you see’! Reading this passage, I thought it displayed Paul’s ingenuity. He was smart, canny, and maybe not a little mischievous. To my mind, this scene is quite funny, all-be-it in a sad sort of way. Knowing the deep divisions which existed between these two main parties, he effectively played the one off against the other, although he nearly got torn apart in the melee. But some of the Pharisees sided with Paul, leading to a stalemate in the Sanhedrin. It meant they couldn’t come to any clear decision about Paul. (By the way, the Sadducees, in addition to being anti-supernaturalists, always tried to keep the peace with the Romans. They didn’t want any disturbance that would result in them losing their positions of authority and influence. They were heavily inclined to protect ‘their turf’).

How wonderful that Paul should have been given the special visitation described in verse 11. Although Paul would remain a prisoner in Israel for the next two years, he could live at peace, knowing that he would get to Rome. N.B. ”the facts about me”. Luke, the historian was interested in investigating and communicating ”facts” (see Luke 1:1-4; also 2 Peter 1:14-18). Jesus, being the great fact of history, impinges on every other knowable fact. We look at them all in and through Him…

”…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col.2:3

²² Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” ²³ And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵ But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” ²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” ²⁹ So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. (ESV)

They listened to Paul up to the point where he mentioned his special calling to the Gentiles. That certainly added fuel to the fire of their prejudices, which stemmed from a fundamental misunderstanding of their own Scriptures.

Flogging was one of the worst forms of punishment the Romans had in their armoury, after crucifixion itself. Many a person did not survive the harsh beating, administered with a whip that had bits of metal or bone attached to the end. It was so awful that Romans were exempted from it. It was a punishment for the rest, but it was illegal to flog a Roman citizen. The mind boggles at the ruthlessness of the Romans, that they could consider treating Paul like this when they didn’t know for sure what he had done. Anyway, the tribune didn’t reckon on Paul being a Roman citizen. But he was – by birth – so his father must have been a Roman citizen also. This piece of information changed everything. Here was another occasion where Paul judiciously made use of his Roman citizenship. He was not unwilling to suffer for the gospel, but this would have been needless (see Acts 16:35ff).

Tom Hale’s comments are wise, helpful, and possibly timely. He writes:

‘We can see from Paul’s example that when trouble comes to us it is proper for us to use any reasonable and legal means to escape from that trouble. If we are innocent of some alleged wrongdoing, we need to say so; we need to defend ourselves. We should use all legal means to avoid punishment for crimes we did not commit. Christians in this world have the same legal rights as anyone else, and it is appropriate to claim those rights in a humble and respectful way. However, Christians must remember that they must not put their faith in any legal system but in God alone. Even if we do not obtain justice from men, we shall always obtain justice from God (see 1 Peter 2:19-23…)’

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” ³⁹ Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defence that I now make before you.”

² And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. ⁴ I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

¹⁷ “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (ESV)

What a turnaround in the life of this man! We are forcefully reminded of Paul’s (Saul’s) murderous antagonism towards Christ and His church (22;4/20; see also 26:9,10) in his pre-conversion days. The repetition of Paul’s testimony in ‘Acts’, each time emphasising slightly different details, underlines the great significance of his story. By the way, note the words in verse 9, and also in verses 14,15. This was a very personal experience. Saul was the only one in the party who clearly heard and understood the voice of Jesus. God had a distinct purpose for him. Oh the breath-taking wonder of the doctrine of election!

When we share our testimony, it helps to try to establish common-ground with our listeners. Note that Paul spoke in their language (22:2. Because some of Paul’s travelling companions were from Greece, they expected that he would speak Greek); he also stated his impressive Jewish credentials, and showed that he shared a similar zeal as themselves (22:3). In addition, it was significant that a ”devout” Jewish man, of very good standing, should be the messenger to inform him of his special calling (22:12-16)

‘Here was a fact, which to the Apostle was the greatest of all facts, namely, that he had seen Jesus Christ, and had been transformed by what he had seen and heard. No light thing could have revolutionized his life. His zeal for the Old Covenant and his persecution of the Christian sect were guarantees of his anti-Christian bias. He was not shallow or fickle, or likely to be moved by anything less than an imperative revelation.

We must obey a step at a time. God says much to us directly, but He loves to employ servants like Ananias, who live in immediate touch with Him. Paul never forgot that salutation, Brother. Be very careful how you treat young converts; they need the kindest and most sympathetic handling as they step out into their new life.’ F.B. Meyer

With regard to the last paragraph of our reading, Tom Hale writes, ‘Christ knows who will accept Him and who will not.’ Yes indeed, the wonder of election. Who knows, there may be an unlikely looking ‘apostle’ just up the road from you.