ACTS 22 1 "Brethren
and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”
2 And when they heard that
he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then
he said: 3 “I am
indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the
feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law,
and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
4 I persecuted this Way to
the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
5 as also the high priest
bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also
received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains
even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “Now it happened, as I
journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from
heaven 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
So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of
Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9
“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they
did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
10 So I said, ‘What shall I
do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there
you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’
11 And since I could not
see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were
with me, I came into Damascus. 12
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good
testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
13 came to me; and he stood
and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I
looked up at him. 14
Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know
His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.
15 For you will be His
witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now why are you
waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name
of the Lord.’ 17
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the
temple, that I was in a trance 18
and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for
they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’
19 So I said, ‘Lord, they
know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
20 And when the blood of
Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his
death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21 Then He said to me,
‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 And they listened to him
until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such
a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”
23 Then, as they cried out
and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered
him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined
under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.
25 And as they bound him
with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you
to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
26 When the centurion heard
that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for
this man is a Roman.” 27
Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He
said, “Yes.” 28 The
commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul
said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29
Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and
the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and
because he had bound him. 30
The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by
the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests
and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before
them.
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