22:1-29
“The truth of a testimonial”
I.) Intro.
II.) Vs. 1-21 Before, during & after
III.) Vs. 22-29 Takes a beating & keeps ticking
Intro.
Last week we left Paul about ready to make his defense before the angry mob of Jews in the temple. Now we are told that the Jews from Asia accused Paul of sharing three specific things all of which was evidenced, in their minds eye, by what they falsely believed was his allowing Trophimus in the Temple. Here again based upon 22:28 are the three things they accused Paul of teaching against everywhere:
- The people “He doesn’t like you!”
- The law or the practice “He doesn’t like what you do!”
- The place “He doesn’t like where you do it!”
Now you will recall that it was Paul’s willingness to lay aside his freedoms for truth that had placed him in this situation to begin with. James had received the love offering gladly, glorified the Lord when he heard of all that God had done in saving the gentiles but had some suggestions for Paul based upon the Jews that had believed on Jesus’ “misinformation” concerning what he taught. Based upon 21:21 we are told by James that the Jewish believers thought that Paul was against:
- CULTURE “To forsake Moses”: They believed that Paul was teaching Jews to forsake their ethnic culture. Instead Paul was teaching that a person is not saved on the basis of their culture.
- CEREMONY “Not to circumcise their children”: They thought that Paul taught that Jews should not circumcise their child. Instead he taught that an outward ceremony can not change the heart, only faith in Jesus can do that.
- CUSTOMS “Nor to walk according to the customs”: They thought that Paul taught that it was wrong to have certain customs passed down from their ancestors. Instead he taught that a persons faith is seen in walking in the righteousness of Christ not walking in the customs of our ancestors.
Paul has asked for & been granted an opportunity to give his defense against these charges. What is surprising to me is that Paul does so not on the basis of theological grounds but rather he defends himself & the truth based upon his personal testimony.
I don’t know about you but I kind of like testimonials. I mean the cool thing about a testimonial is that all that it requires is that you have tried the product. You don’t have to understand the product to know how well it works. In fact sometimes when you read the back label of the product it can leave you a bit puzzled. Considered these real life products & labels:
- Sears portable hairdryer: “Do not use while sleeping.” Darn, that’s the time I normally dry my hair.
- Swanson frozen dinners: “Serving suggestion, Defrost.” Really you think so?
- Nytol sleep aid: “Warning, may cause drowsiness.” And I was taking it to stay awake!
- Child’s superman costume: “Warning, wearing this garment does not enable you to fly.” Go ahead & bust my dream!
- Sainsbury’s peanuts: “Warning, contains nuts.” You mean besides the ones that wrote the warning!
Vs. 1-21 Before, during & after
Now like most good testimonials Paul starts with the before, during & after picture to show the Jews what knowing Jesus personally did in his life!
Vs. 1-2 Now remember here that Paul is going to share with the very crowd that had just finished beating him & would of killed him had not the Roman’s stepped in. He starts his defense in an interesting way. Go back to chapter 7:2 & read Stephen’s defense before a hostile crowd that wanted to kill him & you will read the same words, “Men & brethren & fathers”. There that day over 20 years earlier according to 7:58 was a young man named Saul who is the same guy before us in this chapter. Can you imagine what must have been running through his mind?
The word “defense” here is where we get our word apology. Today the word means to say you’re sorry for some wrongdoing on your part but that is not what the word originally meant. Christians use the word apologetics in the same way that Paul uses the word here “to give a defense for the things we believe.” Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 3:15, “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” What follows, as Paul’s defense of the things he believes, is not a theological teaching but rather his personal testimony. Think of this for a moment & it will minister to you. You see most people say, “Oh I can’t talk to people about Jesus I just don’t know the Bible all that well!” Hey, remember in John 9 when Jesus healed the blind man who was in that condition since birth? After Jesus touched him he was told to “wash in the pool of Siloam”. The folks that were from his neighborhood seeing that he was no longer blind sent him to the Pharisees who questioned him on who & how he was healed. They kept telling the (man formally know as the blind man) that Jesus was a sinner to which he replied in verse 25 “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” The guy did not share the theological implications of healing, no he just give his testimony! Folks, nothing speaks louder of the truths of the Bible then it’s proofs seen in your changed life! Is that not great? All of us can testify as to the person & work of Jesus by simply sharing how knowing Him has impacted our lives!
Next Paul makes sure that he speaks to them in their native tongue, which instantly silenced them.
BEFORE
Vs. 3-5 Now remember what they had accused Paul of teaching everyone everywhere against in 21:27?
- The people “He doesn’t like you!”
Paul shares the before part of his testimony: In their own language he shares:
- “I am a Jew”: They said they he taught everyone everywhere against “the people”, that is the Jews. Paul’s first answer is, “I am a Jew!” “Why would I speak against my own ethnicity?”
- “Born in Tarsus”: Now we can’t be sure here but it’s a safe bet that the reason he brings up his birth place is because of the Hellenists or Greek influenced Jews. You will recall that this is the same group that Paul had been from that killed Stephen. In other words he says, “I’m one of you!”
- “Brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law”: At some point Paul was sent to Jerusalem to study under the famed Gamaliel who had only died a few years earlier. Every Rabbi was sort of classified by how his students called him. They would say “Rab” or teacher. Or if they held him in a little higher regard they would say, “Rabbi” or my teacher. Now if they really held him high regard they would call him, “Rabban” or our teacher. Gamaliel is one of seven in all of Judaism that every received that title. His nickname was “The beauty of the Law”, this guy was an expert on the law & he was Paul’s teacher. So Paul is telling them, “Man I had the best teaching concerning the law that any Jew could ever have.”
- “Was zealous toward God as you all are today”: Now that’s an interesting statement made by the man whom they had just beaten. Paul is sharing that like them he too considered his study of the law more then an intellectual exercise. His convictions concerning the Law led him to do just what they had done persecute those whom he believed was against the truth. “Man, I used to do just what you did to me to others!”
Vs. 4-5 The word “I” here in verse 4 is more emphatic it is literally “I who!” Now Paul shows that prior to meeting Jesus He exceeded their zeal for the law by putting to death those that followed Jesus. He bound both men & women for trial so that they would be executed for following Jesus, in chapter 26:10 Paul says that he cast his vote against them so that they were put to death. This must have sounded incredible as they looked at this beaten & bloodied man before them. So he adds, “You can go ask the High Priest, elders & the council as they gave me letters to pursue the Christians all the way to Damascus to bring them to trial.” Paul had been a member of the Sanhedrin; he had been a part of all this. You get Paul’s point? They accused him of speaking against the Jews & he shares that he once pursued the Jewish Christians to death & the Jewish leadership knows it. One week earlier he had been in the house of Philip who was one that he had pursued. You see where he is leading them as they stared at him listening to this story? “What happened to you to change you from being the hunter to the hunted?”
When you & I share our testimony we need to do it in such away that leads people write to where Paul had brought these folks, wanting to know what had caused the change. Yes, share about what you once did & what a sinner you were, tell them how you were opposed to Christianity if you were. So that they will be thinking, “What happened to you to make you change from being like us to who you are now?”
DURING
Vs. 6-16 What else did they accuse Paul of speaking against?
The law or the practice “He doesn’t like what you do!”
You see how this fits? Paul is going to share with them what or in this case Who changed him in how he practiced the law. Now if you’re looking at this section, as I am, as a guide on how to share your testimony look at the amount of time Paul spends in sharing Who & how he was changed compared to what he once was! In three verses he shares his BEFORE now when it comes to the DURING he shares in 11 verses what God had done. I think that is always a good ratio! Notice Paul’s points in his conversion:
- Vs. 6 “It happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus”: First Paul makes it very clear that it was God who initiated this not him. Paul was still on his mission to persecute Jewish Christians. He was not looking to change nor was anyone forcing him to do so quite the opposite. In other words Paul was still practicing his brand of the law when this took place.
- Vs. 6b-8: Summing this up Paul says that what changed him was an encounter with the Living God in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul came to realize from encountering Jesus that even though he was “sincere” in his faith & practice of the law he was going against the very One who is the Word of God! I think you always have to question what a person believes if what they believe precludes them from ever being wrong! Paul had been living according to what he believed was true & while in the practice of that God showed that he was wrong. Can you imagine the shock & horror that must of came upon Paul as he heard the words of Jesus? He was exercising the law to rid the world of Jewish followers of Jesus. Notice the detail here, “about noon”. In other words in was the brightest time of the day when God’s glory shown around him & he fell to the ground. “Saul, Saul, WHY!” That is what Jesus wants all folks apart from him to look at, WHY! “Dale, why are you going against me?” You see folk’s come up with all sorts of reasons don’t they? “Well, you just can’t trust Christian’s their all hypocrites!” What’s your reason for not obeying Christ?
Vs. 9 Now Paul anticipates their question, “What about those that were with you?” In Acts 9:7 We are told that those with him, “heard a voice but saw no one.” And here we are told that they saw the light but they did not hear the voice. Ah ha, I knew it the Bible is full of contradictions! No, you see the Greek word for “heard” in 9:7 is where we get our word phone & it means to hear a noise. Where as the word here in this passage “hear” means to hear & understand. So the bottom line is that those with Paul heard a sound but not the Word of Life as Paul did. They saw light but they did not see the Light of the World, which Paul did.
Vs. 10 Look at Paul’s response, “What shall I do Lord?” Do you see that? The Lord asked “Why?” & Paul’s repose was “What shall I do?” You will always see when someone has truly been saved by Jesus as they will always say, “What shall I do!” Paul is sharing how he went from Jesus’ adversary to become His ambassador.
Now remember what they accused Paul of preaching against? THE LAW! Well what is the first & most important part of the Law? 22 times in the O.T. they are told to obey the voice of the Lord. In Matt. Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment of the Law & He answered, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” So Paul says, “Hey, I am not against the law in fact I’m here before you because I followed it for the first time 20 years ago!”
- Vs. 10b-16 Paul now share some more of the “during” part of his testimony. Paul asked “what shall I do?” And the Lord responded by give him one small step at a time. Again obedience to the law is one step even though you don’t know every little then. So Paul is showing that he was following the law by obeying the Lord. He went to the house of a devote Jewish man named Ananias who God enabled to give Paul back his sight. As Paul shares the words of Ananias to him we see a fourfold purpose to why the Lord chooses us to follow Him:
- Vs. 14 “should know His will”: Is that not great God has chosen you so that you might personally understand what his pleasurable purpose is for you. Paul would later write in Ephesians 2:10 that, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” That you would understand that you are his work of art for good work!
- Vs. 14 “see the Just One”: That word “see” means to perceive. The Lord has specifically chose you & I that we might see Jesus! In Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians He prays that; “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” That you would grown in the grace & knowledge of Jesus!
- Vs. 14 “hear the voice of His mouth”: God has chosen you to hear the voice of His mouth. And what is the voice of His mouth, well it’s the Word of God. Paul said as much to the Romans when he said, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God wants you to know his voice as Jesus said in John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” That you would continue to follow Him wherever He leads you!
- Vs. 15 “you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard”:
Finally in Ananias’ words Paul says that the purpose of the above is to do just what he was right at that moment doing to them sharing to all men what he had seen & heard.
Vs. 16 So in light of the above what else could Paul have done by obey the law as revealed in the person of Jesus. So Paul was baptized because his sins had been forgiven.
AFTER
Vs. 17-21 Here then is the last thing they had accused Paul of being against.
The place “He doesn’t like where you do it!”
Vs. 17-21 Paul leaves out the three years he was in Arabia & picks up his testimony when he arrived in Jerusalem for the first time since his conversion. Paul is saying, “Hey I’m not against this place it was here that Jesus gave me my mission.” It was again obedience to the Lord that caused Paul to leave Jerusalem & the temple. Paul had reasoned with in himself & then argued with the Lord that he was the perfect one to testify concerning Jesus. “I love this place but Jesus says that I’m not going to affective for Him here!” How ironic this whole scene is when you stop to think about it. They accused of being against the temple but it was his desire to be in the temple that had gotten him beat up! You see Paul thought that his testimony seen in his radical transformation would convince the unbelieving Jews to trust in Jesus, but it didn’t. So Jesus sent him to the Gentiles!
Vs. 22-29 Takes a beating & keeps ticking
Vs. 22-29 Now there is not much need to speak on this part of the text as it is pretty self-explanatory. The Jews could not handle the thought that Gentiles could be saved apart from first becoming Jews as it offended their pride. You see that is exactly what offends people today when you speak about Jesus death on the cross. If you died for all then WHY! Well there can be only one answer ALL are sinners apart from God!
The commander orders Paul to be scourged in order to find out his crime, & Paul says that he is a Roman citizen. So Paul is spared the flogging. What the Jews did not understand was that the fact that Paul was there testifying of the work of Christ proved what he was saying. Folk’s share your story with people! Oh they may not receive it all to well at times but the fact that you have a testimony proves the power of God that you proclaim!