Acts 22:19

19 "At first I objected: 'Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail.

Acts 22:19 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:19

And I said, Lord, they know, that I imprisoned
Men and women, that made a profession of the Christian religion, ( Acts 8:3 )

and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee;
in Jerusalem there were many synagogues, and in these scourging and beating of offenders were used; (See Gill on Matthew 10:17).

Acts 22:19 In-Context

17 "Well, it happened just as Ananias said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God,

18 I saw him, saw God's Righteous Innocent, and heard him say to me, 'Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.'

19 "At first I objected: 'Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail.

20 And when your witness Stephen was murdered, I was right there, holding the coats of the murderers and cheering them on. And now they see me totally converted. What better qualification could I have?'

21 "But he said, 'Don't argue. Go. I'm sending you on a long journey to outsider Gentiles.'"