Acts 22 Study Notes

22:1-2 Paul labeled his address a defense or an apology. This is his first apologetic speech in Acts.

22:3 Paul offered a number of important facts about himself. It appears that Paul spent his youth up to the age of thirteen or so in Tarsus where he was probably educated in the first stage of Greek schooling. Then he went to Jerusalem (this city) and finished his education under Gamaliel. Elsewhere in Acts Paul indicated that much of his youth was spent in Jerusalem (26:4), and that he had relatives there (23:16).

22:4 Paul’s admission that he persecuted this Way to the death indicates that he was more than a passive participant in events such as the stoning death of Stephen (7:58).

22:5-21 This is the second account of Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts (9:7; 26:12-18).

22:5 These facts indicate something of Paul’s social standing and position.

22:9 According to 9:7, Paul’s traveling companions heard the voice that spoke to him on the road to Damascus, but they did not see anyone. In this verse Paul himself said that they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to him. The grammar here supports the idea that Paul’s traveling companions may have heard the voice but they did not understand it, or at least they did not understand it as the voice of the Lord.

22:10 This is the only account of Paul’s conversion that has him asking two questions rather than one.

22:11 Note that Paul was the only one in his party who was blinded by the light.

22:14-15 That Ananias referred to the God of our ancestors shows that both he and Paul served the God of the OT. The term the Righteous One was apparently a messianic designation.

22:17-21 Only this account of Paul’s conversion mentions the temple vision. In his answer to the Lord (But I said), newly converted Paul seemed to expect his dramatic reversal from persecutor to advocate for Christianity would make his testimony powerful among Christian Jews in Jerusalem, but the Lord knew at this point they would not accept him. On early skepticism about Paul’s conversion, see note at 9:26. On the execution of Stephen, see notes at v. 4; 7:58.

22:22-23 Paul’s mention of his commission to the Gentiles struck at the heart of Jewish nationalism.

22:24 The Roman commander knew that Paul spoke Greek, but he also knew that he was a Jew. Thus he assumed it was legal to scourge him as the first step in the interrogation.

22:25 Paul knew it was illegal to scourge an uncondemned Roman citizen; see note at 16:37.

22:26-28 Roman citizenship could be obtained by paying bribes (equal to as much as a year’s wages) to appropriate officials. Sometimes citizenship was granted to entire cities or to individuals who performed meritorious service for the empire. One of Paul’s ancestors may have performed noteworthy service to Rome, including serving in the army or providing supplies for the army, such as making tents. Whatever the origin, Paul had inherited his Roman citizenship.

22:29 The significance of Roman citizenship is made clear, just as it was in Philippi (16:37). Stiff penalties could be handed down for mistreating a Roman citizen in this way.

22:30 Paul was either released from his chains or released from Roman imprisonment while the Sanhedrin convened to try him on charges related to the Jewish law. During this time he remained under the protection of the Roman soldiers.