Acts 21:37-22:29 Paul Testifies About His Experience
21: 37 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 Cili′cia, a citizen of no mean city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:
22:1 “Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet. And he said:3 “I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili′cia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama′li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all 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 bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute 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 hear 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 when 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 Anani′as, 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 in 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 Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to all men 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 quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in thee. 20 And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Depart; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 Up to this word they listened to him; then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he ought not to live.” 23 And as they cried out and waved their garments and threw dust into the air, 24 the tribune commanded him to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by scourging, to find out why they shouted thus against him. 25 But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard that, 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 was born a citizen.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him instantly; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
Paul teaches us here that Christian mission is about individual people who have had a transforming personal encounter with Christ, and in their own way—through their life and perhaps their words—testify to that experience. For most of us that experience is nowhere near as dramatic as Paul’s, and we may not even be able to say when and where and how it all happened. Or maybe it’s not a single event at all. And we may not have the words to express it. But some inexplicable encounter beyond ourselves keeps us coming back to Christ and the Church. And that’s what others are hungry to know about.
Even the hostile crowd is intrigued by Paul’s personal story, and so they were at first silent and attentive as Paul recounted his experience. They understood that he was one of them. He spoke their language and his teacher Gamaliel was a well-known rabbi. Paul had been a bona fide zealot for the Law in a first-century Jewish world where the purity of the tradition and the community was under threat from powerful Greek and Roman influences. So they listened, until Paul crossed the line and said God told him to go to the Gentiles. For the zealots, the Gentiles were the enemies of Israel! Everything the Law proclaimed about Israel being holy and separate was against mixing with idol-worshipping Gentile unbelievers. And so their reaction to Paul was immediate and violent. There was no room for nuance here. The faith and community of Israel had to be urgently protected.
But Paul straddled two worlds. He spoke Greek and had been raised in Tarsus, in Cilicia in Asia Minor, an honored “free city” of the Roman Empire. He knew his rights as a free-born Roman citizen and was unafraid to use them.
Note that this is the second time Acts refers to rabbi Gamaliel. He is mentioned in chapter 5 as being a moderating voice when the Sanhedrin wanted to kill Peter and the apostles.
But a Pharisee in the council named Gama′li-el, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men… let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” (Acts 5: 34-35, 38-39.)
In the Orthodox tradition, Gamaliel together with Nicodemus, another Sanhedrin member, are honored as secret disciples of Christ. Their feast day is August 2, the same day as the translation of the relics of Saint Stephen the first martyr, whose murder Paul approved.
Update
His Beatitude left the Chancery yesterday to join the other members of the Holy Synod of Bishops for a retreat this week at the Monastery of the Dormition in Rives Junction, Michigan.