Act 22:3-21, 26:10-20 | PNT | STEP | I am . . . a Jew . In order to refute their charge that he taught against Moses, he calls attention to his Jewish birth, and his education under their venerated doctor of the law, Gamaliel. For the character of this teacher, see PNT . Was zealous toward God . His zeal was like theirs, honest and ardent. Observe how he associates himself with his hearers. It was the first opportunity he had ever had to explain to the people of Jerusalem the reason why he had become a Christian.

‏ Acts 22:3-21

I am . . . a Jew. In order to refute their charge that he taught against Moses, he calls attention to his Jewish birth, and his education under their venerated doctor of the law, Gamaliel. For the character of this teacher, see PNT Ac 5:34.

Was zealous toward God. His zeal was like theirs, honest and ardent. Observe how he associates himself with his hearers. It was the first opportunity he had ever had to explain to the people of Jerusalem the reason why he had become a Christian. I persecuted this way. He did this from his zeal towards God, whom he thought he thus served.

Unto the death. This seems to imply that Stephen was not the only martyr in whose death he was an accomplice. The high priest doth bear me witness. The high priest in A.D. 37, the time Saul of Tarsus was sent to Damascus, was not now high priest, having been deposed by the Romans, but was probably a member of the Sanhedrin at this time. It is also probable that the present high priest personally knew about all facts. There were many present who knew that he had been a commissioned persecutor. Nigh to Damascus about noon. See notes on Ac 9:3-10, where the account of Paul's conversion is given. There the time of day is not mentioned. The light appeared when the sun was at its brightest, and was brighter than the sun (Ac 26:13). Saul, Saul. The Voice spoke in the Hebrew tongue (Ac 26:14).

Why persecutest thou me? By persecuting those for whom Christ died. They heard not the voice. Some have insisted that there is a contradiction between this statement and that of Ac 9:7, but the word "hear" is often used in the sense of "understand". Once the writer heard Abraham Lincoln address a great audience. Some, at a distance, cried out, "We cannot hear". They meant "understand", for they could hear the sound of his voice. I could not see for the glory of that light. In Ac 9:8 we are told that he was blinded, but not the cause. One Ananias, a devout man. We are told he was a disciple in the account of Ac 9:10. Though a disciple, he kept the law strictly. The God of our fathers. Of the Jews.

See that Just One. The Lord Jesus Christ. It was necessary that Paul should see the Lord in order to become a witness. He refers more than once to the fact that he had seen the risen Christ (1Co 9:1 15:8). Arise, and be baptized. Dean Howson ("Acts", p. 501) says that the verb "baptize" in the Greek is in the middle voice, and that a more accurate rendering would be, "Have thyself baptized".

Wash away thy sins. This language shows that Ananias thought that the penitent sinner was to be baptized for the remission of sins (Ac 2:38), and that Paul held the same view. Compare Tit 3:5. Hackett says: ``This clause states the result of baptism in language derived from the nature of the ordinance. It answers to "eis aphesin hamartion" (Ac 2:38), i.e., submit to the rite in order to be forgiven. . . . There can be no question of the mode of baptism in this case, for if it be held that "be baptized" is uncertain in its meaning, "wash away" is a definition that removes the doubt.'' As the final act of conversion, baptism symbolically, is said to wash away sins. When I was come again to Jerusalem. This was three years after his conversion (Ga 1:17,18). He shows in what follows that it was by Divine direction that he had devoted his life to the conversion of the Gentiles, that he would have labored with his own race, but that, while in the temple praying, he had a second vision of the Lord who, a second time, assured him that his work was with the Gentiles.

In a trance. The Greek term "ekstasis", "ecstasy", means a state of mind when the spirit was, as it were, lifted out of the bodily conditions and enabled to discern things unseen. Compare Ac 10:10. Some have held that this trance in the temple is described in 2Co 12:2,3, but this is uncertain. They will not receive thy testimony concerning me. His own countrymen are meant. They regarded him as an apostate. Lord, they know. He recalls the very words of his prayer to show his anxiety to labor with his own race. When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed. See Ac 7:58 8:1. Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. Thus by the command of his Lord his life-work was placed beyond the pale of Israel.

‏ Acts 26:10-20

I gave my voice against [them]. "My vote" (Revised Version). This has been held to indicate that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. This would hardly be doubted were it not that tradition declares that the members of the Sanhedrin had to be married and fathers of a family. Hence, some have held that Paul was a member of some lesser court appointed by the Sanhedrin to try the Christians. I punished them oft in every synagogue. "In all the synagogues" (Revised Version). Scourging was a not uncommon punishment in the synagogue (Mt 10:17 23:34).

Compelled [them] to blaspheme. Terrified them into denying Jesus.

Exceedingly mad. Raging, even fanatical. That he was a terrible persecutor cannot be doubted from his own account.

Even unto foreign cities. Of these Damascus was one (Ac 9:2). As I went to Damascus. Compare Ac 9:1-2. This is the third account of Paul's conversion, the first being in Ac 9:3-18, and the second in Ac 22:4-16. There are a few new details given here: (1) The over-powering glory of the Lord is specially dwelt upon here; (2) we are here told that the voice heard was in the "Hebrew language" (he was now speaking Greek to King Agrippa). In the Hebrew language. This fact that he here states is remarkable. Bengal says: ``The Hebrew tongue, Christ's language when on earth; his language, too, when he spoke from heaven.'' It was in the Aramaic, a Hebrew dialect, that the Savior taught when on earth, and it is a significant circumstance that Paul heard his voice in the same tongue to which Peter, James and John had listened. Not only is this true, but critics hold that the Hebraisms are so prominent in the Book of Revelation as to indicate that the revelations there recorded were made in Hebrew, and afterward translated by John into Greek. See Howson on "Acts", p. 546.

It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. The proverb is here added (Ac 9:5). I have appeared unto thee for this purpose. The mission of Paul to the Gentiles is described as being a part of the Lord's communication. In order that he might be a minister and a witness. It was needful that the apostle of the Gentiles should see Christ. He must be a witness that the Lord had risen. He was chosen for this work before conversion, because he was honest, deeply conscientious, and possessed the great qualities that were needful to fit him for the most important work ever assigned to man. I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. He could still have disobeyed. His will was free, but he could only act in good conscience by obeying Christ. First to them of Damascus. He not only was baptized by Ananias in Damascus, but, after some preparation, he began to preach.

And then at Jerusalem. Where he disputed against the Grecians (Ac 9:27-29).

Throughout the region of Judaea. Just when he preached there we are not informed. Hackett thinks it was when he came up with help at the time of the famine (Ac 11:30).

That they should repent. He preached more than a theory; he preached a new life.