Acts 22

Today’s chapter can be viewed as a sort of ‘beginning of the end’. It records the first of five defenses that Paul gave before he embarked on his final journey to Rome.

Let’s read it to see what he says.

Bible Passage:  Acts 22

Because the chapter is almost purely the words of Paul yet so inundated with the presence of Christ, I cannot help but recall Paul’s very famous words:

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Cor 11:1)

As he gave his ready defense before men, knowing full well that he was to be ‘deliver[ed] into the hands of the Gentiles’ (Acts 21) and faced almost certain death, what are the Christ-like characteristics we can identify in him and learn from?

Understanding

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today….”   (Acts 22:3)

Although facing rather ridiculous, untrue and unfounded charges, Paul did not lose his temper at the people and rebuke them. Instead, he explained to them that he understood why they were treating him this way and shared that he too was once like them.

This is a really good reminder to us, I guess, of how we should not be so quick to give up on people or be upset at them for their faults. Many a time, we realise that we too, were once guilty of these faults and if so, shouldn’t we be more understanding and patient then?

Paul was human so he understood and empathised with these people because he too, once made the same mistakes they did. However, Christ, although without sin, is a high priest that also understands us and sympathises with our weaknesses. Being His followers, we too must learn this kind of sympathy and patience.

Truthfulness

“…I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished…”  (Acts 22:4-5)

“…So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 22:19-20)

Being understanding did not mean that Paul pandered to his listeners however. Although understanding and non-judgemental, he made it clear that he still had to preach the gospel and make known the truth.

To himself as well as to his listeners, he was completely honest and did not try to absolve himself from the mistakes he committed nor soothe the crowd by assuring they were right. To Paul, it is not he, but the truth, that judges. After all, it is this truth that sets man free and brings salvation. Therefore, even amidst his obvious love and sympathy for his kinsmen, he did not allow these feelings to compromise the truth.

Wisdom

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?” When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.” Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”  (Acts 22:25-27)

Like Jesus, Paul also tempered understanding and truthfulness with wisdom.

The scourging that he would have received had he not used his status as a Roman citizen would most likely had disabled him (he was not a young man at that time) and severely hampered his ability to continue preaching. While we know that Paul was definitely not one who feared for his life, he would have been worried about not being to carry out his commission or fulfil his dream of preaching to the ‘ends of the earth’. He would also be quite sure he had yet to complete his work and should not be stopped in this place.

Thus, he wisely brought up his citizenship at this point to prevent his work from being stopped here and also used it to appeal to Caesar so that he could continue in his defense and preach the gospel to even more people.

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Having seen Paul faithfully imitating Christ even amidst such difficult and dangerous circumstances, shouldn’t we all the more learn and grow to be more like Christ when we are in our present peaceful and comfortable conditions?