Acts Acts

Facing The Crowd With His Testimony

Discover Jesus as: Authority Acts 22 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 358 of 730
Downloads

Lesson

Watch on YouTube

Audio Only

Teaching Notes

INTRO

This week we will finish our study of the book of Acts and the Authority given through the Holy Spirit. My prayer as we go through this study is that you’ll begin to live out Acts in your own life.

At the end of Acts 21, the Jews had seized Paul and tried to beat him to death. When the Roman commander arrested Paul, Paul asked that he be allowed to address the crowd that had attacked him. His address begins in Acts 22:1. Constable describes Paul’s speech as “an excellent example of the Holy Spirit giving the Lord’s servant the words to say on the spur of the moment, as Jesus had promised He would do.”1(Matthew 10:16–20; Mark 13:9–11)

TEACHING

Acts 22:1–5: Paul began the address in Hebrew, which quieted the crowd, and offered his defense (v. 1). Paul viewed himself as on trial and pointed out that he was also a Jew from Tarsus who had been educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel about the Mosaic Law (vv. 2–3). Possibly, Paul was a leading rabbi or member of the Sanhedrin (Galatians 1:13–14). He reminded them that he had zealously persecuted the followers of Jesus, which the high priest and council knew about and had even given him letters to take to Damascus to continue the persecution there (vv. 4–5). Paul was establishing his early conduct so that God would get the credit for his transformation.

Acts 22:6–16: In this section, Paul testified about his conversion experience. Paul told of his Damascus road experience and his encounter with Jesus (vv. 6–9). Paul explained that Jesus told him to go to Damascus and told him what to do there (v. 10). Paul also explained that he had been led by the hand there because he had been blinded by a bright light (v. 11). Paul told how Ananias came to him and restored his sight (v. 13). Then Paul explained how Ananias told him that God had appointed him to do His will as a witness for Him to all people (vv. 14–15). Ananias told Paul to get up and get baptized (v. 16).

Acts 22:17–21: Paul told of his encounter with Jesus, in a vision, who told him to leave Jerusalem because no one there would accept his testimony about Christ (vv. 17–18). Paul responded to the vision, that everyone knew who he was and all he had done against the church—no one in Jerusalem would accept his change (vv. 19–20). Jesus responded that He would send Paul far away to the Gentiles (v. 21).

Acts 22:22–30: At this point, the listening crowd began to yell to the Romans to wipe Paul off the earth (v. 22). The Roman commander brought Paul back into the barracks to be beaten with the scourge and to find out why the people were yelling (vv. 23–24). As they stretched Paul out to be whipped, Paul asked if it was legal for them to do that since he was a Roman citizen by birth who had not yet been condemned (vv. 25–28).

The commander was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had him bound (v. 29). The next day, the commander released Paul and turned him over to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin (v. 30).

CLOSING

The thing to take away from chapter 22 is that we all have a story about our conversion and about how God has changed our lives. Paul used every opportunity to tell his story.

  1. Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Bible Study Notes: Acts, p. 440; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.

Questions

  1. Who was Paul’s audience for this message? What had they just tried to do before he began speaking? (Acts 21:30–31)
  2. Paul gave us a great example of how we should share our testimony. What three aspects did he use to share his story (Acts 22:3–5,6–16,17–29)? Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity this week to share your testimony.
  3. What did Paul say, later in his message, that reignited the anger of the Jews? Why do you think this would have caused them to get so angry? Has revealing the Lord’s calling in your life ever angered someone?
  4. What did Paul reveal about himself to the Roman commander? What was the reaction from the commander?
  5. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Acts 22 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Acts 22:14–15

“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.’”

Paul asked the Roman commander to allow him to speak to the mob pressing in around him before being taken to the barracks in Jerusalem. Paul addressed the crowd in the Hebrew language and shared his encounter with Jesus, testifying of his complete transformation and new calling in life. The people listened and yet still considered Paul a disgrace and wanted him killed. They were about to beat him when the commander discovered Paul was a Roman citizen from birth. This unique fact released Paul, even while the Sanhedrin continued discussing what to do with him.

Do you remember the moment you believed in Jesus as your Lord and Savior and how God transformed your life? As a believer, be ready to share your testimony. The world wants to hear tangible testimonies of God’s power. How will others know about Jesus or even want to know Jesus if they don’t hear about the goodness of His love and transforming power working in your own life? Don’t be afraid to share. God will equip you in that moment and give you words to say. If you feel ashamed of your life before Christ, remember, God promises to work all things together for good. Trust Him to redeem your past and use your testimony to encourage and comfort others. It’s time to find your voice and share your journey with others!

“Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of His voice. For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.’”

— Acts 22:14–15

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Matthew 10:18–20 — “You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.”
  • Luke 8:39 — “‘Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.’ And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.”
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 — “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”