Acts 22:1

1 "Brothers and fathers," Paul began, "listen to me now. I want to speak up for myself."

Acts 22:1 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:1

Men, brethren, and fathers
A common form of address used by the Jews; see ( Acts 7:2 ) but that the apostle should introduce his speech to these people in this manner, after they had treated him so inhumanly, as to drag him out of the temple, and beat him so unmercifully, is remarkable, and worthy of observation, when they scarcely deserved the name of "men"; and yet he not only gives them this, but calls them "brethren", they being his countrymen and kinsmen according to the flesh; and fathers, there being some among them, who might be men in years, and even members of the sanhedrim, and elders of the people, that were now got among the crowd: this shows how ready the apostle was to put up with affronts, and to forgive injuries done him:

hear ye my defence, which I make now unto you;
in opposition to the charges brought against him, of speaking ill of the people of the Jews, the law of Moses, and of the temple, and in order to clear himself of these imputations, and vindicate his character and conduct.

Acts 22:1 In-Context

1 "Brothers and fathers," Paul began, "listen to me now. I want to speak up for myself."

2 When they heard that he was speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said,

3 "I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in Cilicia. But I grew up here in Jerusalem. I was well trained by Gamaliel in the law of our people. I wanted to serve God as much as any of you do today.

4 I hurt the followers of the Way of Jesus. I sent many of them to their death. I arrested men and women. I threw them into prison.

5 The high priest and the whole Council can give witness to this. I even had some official letters they had written to their friends in Damascus. So I went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.