Join us as we examine Acts 22:1-5.
"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you...”
HFPM
Episode 160: Acts 22 Part 1
Brothers and Fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you. When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said, "I am indeed a Jew, born in tarses of Solicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our brothers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women is also the high priest and all the counsel of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished." All right, today we are beginning our study in Acts chapter 22. Let's go back to verses 1 and 2. Brothers and Fathers, hear my defense before you now, and when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent, and then he said, "Paul begins by addressing in Hebrew those in Jerusalem as brothers and fathers." So what's he doing there? His finding common ground, reminding them that they're all fellow Israelites, kinsmen in the flesh. In Acts chapter 7, Steve and the Deacon started his address before the Jews in a similar fashion. Men and brothers and fathers listen. Paul asks them to hear his defense. The Greek word translated as Defense in Acts 22.1 is Apologia. Bible scholar Boyce, remarks that it refers to a formal defense of one's past life for actions, and Christianity these days, those who specialize in defending the faith or called apologists. When Paul began speaking in Hebrew, everybody shut up, ready to listen, mind you, these were people who had just tried to kill him, falsely presuming he had profaned to the temple. Where in Acts 22, Paul's going to try and share his testimony with him, the story of his life before and after, conversion to Jesus. This wasn't his first time doing so, nor would it be his last. This guy relentlessly and repeatedly told people the story of who he was before Christ, his encounter with Jesus, and how that forever changed him. Luke shared Paul's conversion story in Acts chapter 9, at least four more times in the New Testament, we encounter a version of Paul's story from his own words. One here in Acts 22, another in Acts 26, as well as in Philippians 3 and 1 Timothy 1. Remember when we studied Acts chapter 20 a few episodes back, Paul had declared before the Ephesian elders, quote, "But I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord of Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Paul was on mission to share Christ crucified with the world and how Jesus transforms lives to God's glory. Paul never grew weary of sharing his conversion story with others, and neither should we. We are told in Revelation chapter 12 verse 11 that the believers have conquered the devil by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony for they loved not their lives, even to death. If you know Jesus, you have a story to tell that others need to hear. You have a testimony that can impact the lives for the kingdom of God. I've shared my conversion story countless times over the past 18 or so years as a Christian. It never gets old to me. My story is about Jesus and how He rescued me when I didn't deserve it, how He drew me to Himself through His tender love and patience, how He poured His love into my heart, through His Spirit, and adopted me as one of His own in a time of brokenness and despair, when I called on His name and faith, how He brought me rest when I was weary, comforted me when I had spared, gave me assurance when I doubted, how He wiped away my guilt and flooded my soul with forgiveness and peace, how He turned me from dead works to serve the living God, how He continually loves me, intercedes for me, is molding me more and more into His image by His Spirit. Because of His death and resurrection, I have life. I'm not going to go into detail now, suffice it to say I was self-righteous, selfish, and prideful. I sought after men's glory and hoped my good deeds, religious piety, activities and rituals would earn God's favor and cover my sins, but God showed me I was a sinner that my righteousness would never suffice. Jesus and He alone saves. He helped me realize the wages of my sin is death. I was brought low, so He could raise me up. Jesus patiently and lovingly sought me out and drew me to Himself. He stood and knocked at the door of my heart in the darkest of my days. By God's grace, I turned to Him in faith and called upon His name, and He changed me, pouring His love into my heart through His Spirit, who has been given to me. He brought me into His eternal family, into a relationship with Him, the Creator. Now, I have forgiveness and eternal life in Him, and only because of Him and what He did for me. The Apostle Paul certainly knew Jesus as His Lord and Savior. He was zealous to share His conversion story with pretty much anyone who would listen. Paul wanted others to experience the blessing of knowing Jesus as he had. I share that same heart. Do you know Jesus? Have you received Him? Let's keep reading and see what Paul says. Verse 3, "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Silesia, but brought up in the city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our Father's Law, and was zealous toward God, as you all are today." Remember, Paul is speaking to Jews in Jerusalem. He lays common ground. He highlights the fact he is a Jew, from Silesia, but raised in Jerusalem under the tutelage of Gamaliel. Gamaliel was one of the most prestigious rabbis of the day. Paul is telling them, "I was one of you guys. I was zealous toward God just as you all are today." You see, Paul strictly followed the law in step with the teachings of the most learned scholars and Judaism from that day. Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Philippians, "circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless, and that's from Philippians 3, 5-6." Paul was groomed by the spiritual elite of his day to become who he was, a persecutor of the church, and as it pertained to observance of the law and its traditions as they saw it, Paul called himself "blameless." Verses 4 and 5, Paul continues, "I persecuted this way to death, binding and delivering into prisons, both men and women, as also the high priest and all the counsel of the elders testify, from whom I also received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem and bonds to be punished." Paul's zeal was such that he was even responsible for the death of some belonging to this way, or in other words, the death of Christians. Acts 8 verse 1 tells us that Paul approved of the stoning of Stephen the Deacon. Jesus even spoke of such as Saul before his conversion when he warned the disciples in John 16 verse 2, "They'll put you out of the synagogues, indeed the hour is coming, when whoever kills you will think he's offering service to God." Paul thought he was offering service to God in what he was doing. Paul could still remember who he was before as encounter with Jesus. He was trying to grab the angry mobs' attention and relate with them who were trying to do the very thing Paul was guilty of many years prior. Paul wasn't the only one Zealous in his opposition to the way. He had the official approval of the religious elite. He's basically saying here, "Look, don't just take my word for it. The high priest will tell you who I was. The counsel of elders will inform you. And I even received letters from these guys, doing their bidding, going to Damascus to take the Christians over there up to Jerusalem and bonds to be punished." Paul's crusade against the way extended beyond Jerusalem. He'd go anywhere and everywhere to hunt down these disciples of Jesus. Alright, so Paul and communicating this with them, it sounds like he's trying to gain their attention, sympathy, and to some degree respect, so they'd give him an ear. [Music]