21
Acts

Paul's Defense: His Conversion and Mission

Acts 21:37-22:21
37As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the military officer, "If it is permitted for me to say something to you." Then he said, "Do you know Greek?" 38"No. Therefore you are the Egyptian who before these days caused trouble and led the four thousand men of the assassins out into the deserted place." 39Then Paul said, "I am a man, a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I therefore ask you to permit me to speak to the people." 40When the officer permitted it, Paul stood on the stairs and signaled with his hand to the people. When great silence had come, he called out in the Hebrew language, saying,
Chapter 22
1"Men, brothers and fathers, hear now my defense to you." 2When they heard that he was calling to them in the Hebrew language, they granted still more quietness, and he asserted, 3I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strictness of the ancestral law, and being a zealot for God just as all of you are today, 4and I persecuted this way to the point of death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons, 5as the high priest and all the council of elders also bear witness to me. From them I also received letters to the brothers toward Damascus, and I was going to bring those who were there bound to Jerusalem so that they might be punished. 6It happened to me as I was traveling and approaching Damascus about noon that suddenly a sufficient light from heaven shone around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 8I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are pursuing." 9Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me. 10I said, "What shall I do, Lord?" And the Lord said to me, "Arise, go toward Damascus, and there it will be spoken to you about all things which have been appointed for you to do." 11Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. 12There was a certain man named Ananias, devout according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there; 13he came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Saul, brother, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and looked at him. 14He said, "The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will and to see the just one and to hear a voice from his mouth." 15"because you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard." 16"And now why do you delay? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name." 17When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, 18and I saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' 19I replied, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in the synagogues,' 20'and when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing by, approving, and guarding the garments of those who were killing him.' 21And he said to me, "Go, for I will send you out far away to the Gentiles."

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