Paul Addresses the Crowd—From Afflicting Christians to Being a Christian

Acts 21:37 through 22:1-23

• Paul receives permission to speak concerning Jesus Christ.
• Paul shares who he was before having his eyes opened by Jesus Christ.
• Paul shares about the great light that shone around him.
• Paul received his sight and his Christian mission.
• Paul is sent away from the social network and reputation of his past life to preach to the Gentiles.

Paul receives permission to speak concerning Jesus Christ.
“Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” He replied, “Can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” Acts 21:37-38

In the previous post on the verses of Acts 21:33-36, the riot/protest of the mob was so forceful against Paul that he had to be carried inside the barracks by Roman soldiers. In today’s culture, there is a quiet riot [sometimes vocal] against the belief in God, the need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, and embracing the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are basically being carried into our private quarters away from the mainstream culture.

Paul spoke in Greek when he asked the Roman commander permission to speak to him. Greek was basically a “secular” language of that day, and not Hebrew. Hebrew was the language of the Old Testament Jewish culture, but Greek was the language of the New Testament. Greek was used to write the New Testament to reach the general non-Jewish population, a broad audience of Gentiles. The Roman commander was surprised to hear Paul, a Jewish man, speaking the secular language of Greek and not the Jewish language of Hebrew.

Today’s guardians of the atheistic culture would be very surprised to hear Christians speaking their secular language. That language is that of humanism, which is the fig leaf worn by the entity that gives people what to think, feel, say, and do. The words of that secular language is rooted in the definition of humanism, which is “…an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems:”

As we see in the next verses, the Roman commander permitted Paul to speak to the crowds. Likewise, if we spoke the secular language of today’s culture, we too would be able to speak to the crowds. This is why so many TV ministries and the preachers of the churches of today have sermons that leave out the Gospel of Jesus Christ to speak the secular language of humanism. The secular language of today’s culture comes through the beast with two horns like a lamb of Revelations 13:11-12, which is Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit.

After Paul spoke Greek, the Roman commander accused Paul of stirring up a rebellion and leading four thousand assassins out into the wilderness. Because the Jewish culture already painted Paul as being someone who stirs up chaos, the Roman commander stuck with that narrative. And went even further to accuse Paul of plotting to murder as many Romans as he could. The Romans were very much against any type of turbulence within the Roman Empire and would not cut any slack to those who showed themselves to be stirring up trouble.

In today’s culture, we could speak in the secular language of humanism, the fig leaf of the entity that gives people what to think, feel, say, and do, but if we are known as Christians, then we will be accused of trying to cause more turbulence in the atheistic culture. We would be accused of trying to assassinate the entity that intertwines itself within the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people. We would be called murderers of the entity that gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through today’s culture, which is global. We would be accused of trying to assassinate the grooming of people to the mark of the beast.

“But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.” So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.” Acts 21:39-22:1-2

In today’s world, we literally have to seek permission to speak the Gospel of Christ in public. Cites all across the nation have ordinances that require permits for public speaking in public places. Especially in apartment complexes, public speaking and solicitation is banned. I remember participating in “open airs” in the city park, on street corners, and at a public lake, which is to play band instruments, have born-again testimonies, and preach the Gospel of Christ. All of that has been banned.

After the Roman commander accused Paul of being an Egyptian leader of 4000 assassins, Paul identified himself as being a Jew, not an Egyptian. Paul wanted to speak to the Hebrew Jewish people, his people. Paul spoke to them in the cultural language of the Jewish tradition, even though he used the Greek language to win the non-Jewish people to Jesus Christ. And that is why the Jewish people wanted to kill him. When the Jewish people heard Paul speak in Hebrew, they were very quiet and attentive to what he had to say.

As followers of Jesus Christ, His Gospel is written on our heart, which is our born-again experience. We could leave out the Gospel of Christ, and use scripture verses to speak of humanism, and today’s culture would be attentive. But Jesus says, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:9 Our Lord Jesus also says, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? John 5:44

In later verses, 22:21-23, the Jewish people become aware that Paul is speaking of Jesus Christ, even as he speaks to them in their own language. They want to kill him.

Paul shares who he was before having his eyes opened by Jesus Christ.
“Then he said: “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

Tarsus of Celicia was located in modern day Turkey, and that is where Paul was born as a Roman citizen. His father was Roman and his mother Jewish. Although Paul was born in Turkey, he was raised in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a prominent Pharisee and authority on Jewish laws and teachings. Paul grew to become a “Pharisee of all pharisees” and was rising up in the Jewish power structure. He was eager and motivated to enforce all the laws of Judaism. The Jewish people he was speaking to, who were trying to kill him just minutes before, were very willing to listen to this.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we can recall our life before coming to Jesus Christ, and people are willing to listen to that. They will listen to any part of our life that doesn’t include belief in God through Jesus Christ and embracing the Holy Spirit.

“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.” 22:4-5

Before Paul met Jesus Christ, he persecuted the followers of Jesus, even to their death. He put them in chains to be sent to prisons, whether they were men or women. In fact, the high priests and “city council” of the Jewish leaders gave him arrest warrants for those to be imprisoned and possibly killed.

This is what today’s culture wants to hear us talk about, how we are part of what they are doing, living for today’s atheistic culture and doing our part to eliminate the presence of the Gospel of Christ from the community. They want to hear how we are supported by the community leaders, whether at the workplace, in school, community functions, etc. They want to hear how social approval is upon us. In other words, they want to hear from us that we are living for the entity that replaces the conscience and spirit to give us what to think, say, feel, and do. They want to see how the image of the beast is given life to speak and live through us. They want to hear how we are being groomed to the mark of the beast by what we are given to say and do.

The atheistic culture of today gets riled up when we speak how “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23 They do not want to hear that “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 They do not want to hear that “…by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” Ephesians 2:8 They do not want to hear that Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Our born-again testimony is the contrast between our life without Jesus Christ and the way our life is with Him, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

Paul shares about the great light that shone around him.
“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’” Acts 22:6-8

Paul was journeying to Damascus, with arrest warrants in-hand to imprison Christians. At that time is when a great light shone around Paul [and the Christians at Damascus were spared from imprisonment]. Although Paul was surrounded with a great light at that time, it wasn’t until he arrived in Damascus that his eyes were opened and his sins washed away, Acts 22:12-16. This is meaningful to me because this is part of my growth in Jesus Christ.

When I was born-again in Jesus Christ in 1979 [age 20], I didn’t have a clue that some people were empowered with uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, extraordinary skills and talents, amazing physical abilities, uncanny authority over others etc. Needless to say, I wasn’t included in today’s culture. I was probably in my late 50’s before I began to wake up to that, so needless to say, I have never been included in today’s culture. I am 66 1/2 years of age today.

A metaphorical great light shone around me, years later after being born-again. I would venture to say that this happens with many born-again Christians. The great light shone around me when I realized “something was rotten in Denmark”. That phrase came about in the play, “Hamlet”, referring to a ghost of a king that appeared, which isn’t part of normal life. The light that shone around me was to realize there was a whole community of people responding the same way towards me. Definitely not normal and their “king” must have been a ghost. Their responses felt hostile, cold, and unwelcoming. They wanted me to shun civil society and live the life of the stereotypical Harley Davidson motorcycle person. There was positive social reinforcement when I bought a custom Harley Davidson 883, but negative feedback when I sold the bike and ditched the lifestyle. The light shone around me that revealed how behavioral modification was being used on me to push me out of civil lifestyles and into a deviant society. I couldn’t conform to a lifestyle that was reminiscence of the lifestyle I left when I was born-again.

When the great light shone around me, I began to hear the Holy Spirit, the voice of Jesus Christ, in a much clearer way. The word of God was much more alive to me, and the prophecies of the Bible were the news headlines we read every day and seen through the atheistic culture that surrounds us every day.

Today, Paul’s born-again experience is like many people who come to God through Jesus Christ for the first time. A great light shines around them, and they realize something is “rotten in Denmark”. They know they don’t want to be part of destructive lifestyles but are not quite at the point where their eyes are open and their sin is washed away. The Holy Spirit speaks softly within their heart, soul, and mind, asking why be such a pain to someone else, why is there so much senseless hostilities, and why be involved in persecuting the good and decent things in the world. One can hear the quiet voice of Jesus asking, “…why are you persecuting Me?’” People begin being acquainted with Jesus of Nazareth, a decent man from a town where nothing good could come, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:45-46

The blinding light is enough to make a person stop the unGodliness that they are doing and to reconsider other options.

“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.” Acts 22:9

Like Paul, I knew the past acquaintances of mine saw the light and were afraid. These were people who realized they were on the road that leads to the imprisonment of Christianity. But they always knew “...something was rotten in Denmark…” in that their cultural heritage was being destroyed by something alien and ghostly to the American culture. They embraced gun ownership and vowed to fight for their freedom. I found my freedom in Jesus Christ, not guns and physical aggression. Whereas past acquaintances did not hear the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ, I did! “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish…” John 10:27-28

“So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.” Acts 22:10-11.

Like Paul, my eyes were not completely opened to Jesus Christ or to the Holy Spirit working in my life, even after being born-again. However, in obedience to Him, I continued to walk in the path where I would be explained everything that I need to do, it is all found in the word of God.

For the many people who know there is “...something rotten in Denmark…” and have seen the great light shining around them, the next step is to be obedient to the word of God. The Holy Spirit will reveal all things to you from within the Bible and from the Holy Spirit within your heart. Your eyes will be opened and your sins washed away. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Paul received his sight and his Christian mission.
“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.” Acts 22:12-13

Ananias was a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, who was Jewish and once devoted to the laws of Judaism. He had a good reputation with the Jews who were with him in Damascus, those whom Paul intended on arresting for their Christianity. Before Paul’s conversion, he was called Saul. Ananias brought Saul from the point of where he realized that “…something was rotten in Denmark…” to where his eyes were opened to see Jesus Christ clearly. From that point, Saul is called Paul.

As described in the previous verses of Acts 22:6-11, our born-again experience begins when we see a great light shining around us, in essence making us say, “...something is rotten in Denmark…” From there, we need to be obedient to the word of God to be explained what we are to do next. That next step is to find someone who is knowledgeable in the word of God and has a good reputation within the body of Jesus Christ. To find a person like that is to find help in receiving our sight, to be able to see Jesus, the Christ, and Son of God.

In today’s world, it’s extremely difficult to find someone who truly lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is willing to open our eyes to see Jesus as the Savior of the world. Even the churches have abandoned the Gospel of Christ, the one place where anyone should be able to hear the message of the Cross. The world is filled with wolves in sheep clothing, causing the planted Gospel seed to be choked out. The masses of today’s culture live for the beast with two horns like a lamb, Revelations 13:11-13, which is Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit. We need to read the word of God for ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:6

Click here for a description of today’s churches, Ezekiel 33:30-33

“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’” Acts 22:14-16

Ananias revealed that Paul was chosen to know the will of God, which was for Paul to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles [non-Jewish] Acts 22:21. The Christians of today know Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was not one of the Twelve Apostles, but he said this, “Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:8-9 As followers of Jesus Christ, our mission is to bring the testimony of Jesus Christ to all peoples, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

When a new Apostle was being chosen to replace Judas, the Judas who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, a clear description was given as to what an Apostle is. An Apostle had to be somebody who were with the other Apostles when Jesus Christ was among them. An Apostle had to be someone who was with the other Apostles from the time Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist to the day when Jesus ascended into Heaven. The Apostle had to be a witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Matthias was that chosen Apostle. “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” Acts 1:21-22

Paul was a blind man whose eyes were opened to see the “Just One”, and to hear the “voice of His mouth”. Paul was truly a sheep of the Good Shepherd, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 As followers of Jesus Christ, we see Him and hear His voice. Paul was definitely a witness to all people, all meaning the Jewish and non-Jewish population of the world. As followers of Jesus Christ, we share our born-again experience with anybody who is willing to listen. Our born-again experience is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

As soon as Paul’s eyes were opened to see Jesus Christ clearly, Ananias said to Paul, “…why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” The moment someone realizes there is something “…rotten in Denmark…”, and their eyes are opened to Jesus Christ, that is the question that should be asked, “…why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Paul is sent away from the social network and reputation of his past life to preach to the Gentiles.
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’” Acts 22:17-18

After Paul’s born-again experience, when he saw the great light, and his eyes were opened to see Jesus Christ clearly, and his sins were washed away, he went to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is about 135 miles from Damascus [where Paul’s eyes were opened]. In Jerusalem, he went to the temple [Jewish synagogue] to pray where he went into a trance and saw the Lord Jesus speaking to Him. Jesus said to Paul, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’”

God does not expect us to share the testimony of Jesus Christ where people are not receptive to Him. Even in today’s churches they do not want to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus says to us, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5 “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” Matthew 10:14-15

“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.’” Acts 22:19-20

Our Lord Jesus wanted Paul out of Jerusalem because He knew they would not receive His testimony. Paul’s reply shows that he may have believed the Jewish people would have listened to him or maybe was validating why Jesus wanted him out of Jerusalem. If the Jewish people would have listened to anyone, it would seem to have been Paul. After all, Paul imprisoned and beat those who believed in Jesus Christ. He also consented to the stoning of Stephen [Acts 7:54-60]. On the flip side, if there was anyone the Jewish people wanted dead it would have been Paul. That’s because Paul used his experience as a “Pharisee of all pharisees” to use the Old Testament to show how Jesus is the Christ and Son of God.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we shouldn’t think that He wants us to share His Gospel with the same people we knew before being born-again. They will associate us as their friends, which are friends who befriend the ways of this world, and we should break-off from them. Friendships that were rooted in the world is far from a guarantee that they will be receptive to the Gospel of Christ. There is a whole world of people who need to hear the Gospel of Christ without having to remain among people who are a part of the past, rooted in sin.

“Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” Acts 22:21-22

After Paul replied to Jesus as he did, hoping to minister to those who knew him before he was born-again, Jesus repeated for Paul to depart from Jerusalem [to come apart from his past]. Our Lord Jesus ardently wants us to leave our past sinful lifestyle and the friends associated with it. God had a different plan for Paul, which was to minister to the non-Jewish Gentiles. Likewise, our Lord Jesus doesn’t want us to remain around friendships rooted in the world but sends us far away from them. There are many people in this world who needs to hear the Gospel of Christ without flirting with friendships of the world, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” James 4:4

Paul was sharing all of this as his testimony to the Jewish people, who were recently trying to kill him [Acts 21:30]. Paul’s testimony is recorded in Acts 21:37-22:22. When Paul told the Jewish people that Jesus sent Him to bring the Kingdom of God to the non-Jewish Gentiles, they wanted to kill him. This is pretty much the reason that the Jewish people conspired to have Jesus Christ crucified. Jesus came exclusively to His own people, the Jewish people, but when they rejected Him, He gave the right to be the children of God to anyone who received Him, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13

The last thing today’s atheistic culture wants to hear is a testimony of someone being born-again through Jesus Christ. Within them, they are saying, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” That’s because conversion to Jesus Christ is to abandon the entity that replaces the conscience and spirit by giving people what to think, feel, say, and do. This entity gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people, and this empowers today’s culture, which is global. The masses of today’s culture are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do.

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelations 12:17

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11