Acts 22:1-29

"Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense." 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language,the silence was even greater.
3 Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. 4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. 6 "As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 "‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. "And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. 10 "I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ "And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’ 11 "I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. 12 A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. 13 He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him! 14 "Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ 17 "After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’ 19 "‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’ 21 "But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’" 22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, "Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!" 23 They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship 24 The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. 25 When they tied Paul down to lash him,
Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?"
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!" 27 So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied. 28 "I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!" Paul answered, "But I am a citizen by birth!" 29 The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.
Devotional (by Derek Young):
I wonder what those around Paul during this passage were thinking at this point. Here is a man that, who not long ago, made a living persecuting Christians. Yet starting in verse 22, Paul is on the receiving end of what he used to call a career. This is truly one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible; it shows Paul’s humility and submission to the Lord, as well as the awesome, saving power of Jesus.
Authored by Paul himself, Romans 5:10 shows the amazing mercy and grace that even he, a persecutor of Christians, has in Christ. It states, "For since we were restored to friendship with God by the
death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life." I tend to believe that while writing this part of his letters to the Romans, Paul is
thinking about the time frame of Acts for inspiration. Paul knows he was saved only by the grace of God and because of this, has put his
complete trust in Him. He went just as far to agree to leave Jerusalem and took a number of whippings, all for the sake of the faith and trust he
had in the Lord.
Fortunately for us, whips are now thought of as inhumane, and we do not face any present danger of being hurt by one. However, when Jesus tells Paul to leave Jerusalem, that is something we can connect a little, or a lot more with. How many times have we felt Jesus tugging on our hearts to do something, despite the thought in the back of our
heads saying "There is NO WAY I could do that"?
It may be as simple as reaching out to a friend, a coworker, or even a stranger and sharing
the Gospel with them. It may be as big and complex as moving to a country across the world for any amount of time. Whatever it may be,
we should rest assured that, in Christ, we have the power to do so. Of our own accord, we can accomplish nothing, but through Christ we can
accomplish all things! If He can set Paul free from his chains and turn him into one of the greatest Christian influences the world has seen, surely he can help me bring that friend to know Him, go on a
missions trip, and do anything else that is in His will.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be open to hear You speaking to me. And give me the courage to do the things You ask me to do and reach out to those around me, especially during this Christmas season. In Jesus name, Amen.