Acts 22 Footnotes

22:3 Paul offered four further facts in temporal sequential order. He was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictest order of the patriarchal law, and was zealous for God. Was “this city” Tarsus or Jerusalem? Most scholars interpret it as Jerusalem since Paul apparently spent much of his youth there (26:4), had relatives there (23:16), and was educated as a Pharisee and hence in Jerusalem.

22:9 Ac 9:7 says Paul’s traveling companions heard the voice but did not see anyone, but here Paul claimed that they did not hear the voice of the One speaking to him. The grammar here supports the idea that Paul’s traveling companions may have heard the voice but did not understand it—or at least did not understand it as the voice of the Lord. The charge that Paul flagrantly contradicted himself is unnecessarily uncharitable and unlikely given Luke’s concern for precision.

22:12 Paul indicated that Ananias was a devout Jew who followed the law, which is confirmed in v. 14.

22:18-21 Paul’s vision in the temple was related only here, though it is still consistent with his treatment in Jerusalem (9:26-29). Mention of ministry to Gentiles revived the crowd’s ire.

22:28 In this episode, in which Paul relied on his Roman citizenship so that he was not punished without due process, we gain insight into how citizenship was secured. In the first century, a number of different ways for gaining citizenship opened, including the payment of huge bribes to appropriate officials, the emancipation of slaves, and the granting of citizenship to entire cities. Other means included people performing honorable or meritorious service for the empire. Whereas the centurion had purchased his citizenship, Paul had inherited his. One of Paul’s ancestors may have performed an important service, perhaps having served in the army or having provided supplies (like handmade tents) for the army.

22:30 This verse indicates that Paul was either released from his chains or released from Roman imprisonment while the Sanhedrin convened in order to try Paul on charges regarding Jewish law. In either case, he remained under the protection of the Romans.