Acts 22 | Daily Bible Reading & Reflection

Acts 22 Devotional: Listen as the Apostle Paul defends his faith before a hostile crowd in Jerusalem. Explore his miraculous conversion story and the sovereign call of God to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Acts Chapter 22. We find ourselves in the middle of a tense moment in Jerusalem. Paul has been seized by a mob, but instead of pleading for his life, he asks for a chance to speak. What follows is one of the most personal and powerful testimonies in the New Testament. Let us listen closely to how God’s grace can turn a heart of stone into a heart of fire for the Gospel.

Acts Chapter 22 Introduction:

The Defense of a Transformed Life

In Acts 22, Paul stands on the steps of the barracks and addresses the Jewish people in their own language. He doesn't start with an argument; he starts with his story. He recounts his life as a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the Church, only to be stopped by a blinding light on the road to Damascus. He describes his encounter with the Risen Christ and his subsequent baptism, where he was told to "wash your sins away, calling on his name."

What can we learn from this today? This chapter is a vivid illustration of Salvation as a gift of God’s grace (Article 6). Paul did not find Jesus through his own wisdom or religious effort; Jesus found him. As your Statement of Faith affirms, salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Paul’s story reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. We also see the Authority of the Holy Spirit (Article 4), who directed Paul to leave Jerusalem and go to the Gentiles. This reminds us that the Church's mission is global and that the Spirit empowers us to be witnesses even in the face of intense opposition. When the crowd reacts with rage to the word "Gentiles," we see the cost of the Gospel, but we also see Paul’s unwavering commitment to the truth of God’s Word.

Bible Verse - Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”

2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Prayer

Ananias said to Paul, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One." As we come to God in prayer, let us ask that we too might clearly know His will for our lives today.

Prayer Theme: "A Witness to All People"

Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the power of a transformed life. We believe that You are the sovereign Lord who can turn even the greatest enemy of the Cross into its greatest advocate. Thank You for the testimony of the Apostle Paul, which reminds us that Your grace is sufficient for every sinner and Your power is made perfect in our weakness.

Lord, I ask that You would give me the same courage Paul displayed. Help me to be ready at any moment to give a defense for the hope that is in me. If there are "Gentiles" in my life—those I have considered outsiders or beyond Your reach—give me Your heart for them. Forgive me for any spiritual pride that makes me forget that I, too, am saved by grace alone through faith. I thank You for the Holy Spirit who dwells in me; guide me today to be a faithful witness in my words and my actions. May I be sensitive to Your leading, even when it takes me out of my comfort zone.

We pray for those in our community who are currently resisting Your call, just as Paul once did. We ask for a "Damascus Road" encounter for them, that the scales would fall from their eyes and they would see Jesus as the Righteous One. We lift up our brothers and sisters across the world who are facing hostile crowds and legal trials because of their faith; grant them the wisdom and the peace of Christ as they stand for the Truth. May Your universal Church continue to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, trusting in Your sovereign protection and Your eternal promise. Amen.

Daily Application Question

Paul was not afraid to share his "before and after" story with a crowd that hated him. If someone asked you today how Jesus has changed your life, what are the three most important things you would want them to know?

Frequently Asked Questions about Acts 22

Why did the crowd get angry when Paul mentioned the "Gentiles"? Many in the Jerusalem crowd believed that God’s blessings were exclusively for the Jewish people. The idea that God would send a Messiah to save the Gentiles on equal terms was offensive to their religious pride.
What does it mean to "wash your sins away, calling on his name"? This phrase refers to the outward sign of baptism as a reflection of the inward reality of salvation. It is not the water that saves, but the "calling on his name" (faith in Christ) that results in the forgiveness of sins.
Why did Paul mention his Roman citizenship at the end? Roman citizens had specific legal protections, including the right to a fair trial and protection from being flogged without a conviction. Paul used his earthly citizenship as a tool to further his mission and protect his ability to continue preaching the Gospel.

Thank you for joining us for Acts 22. May you walk today with the boldness of a witness and the humility of one who has been found by grace. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow as the plot against Paul thickens in Acts Chapter 23.

Navigate the Journey

Previous: ← Acts Chapter 21 | Next: Acts Chapter 23 →

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