Paul at the Barracks (Acts 22:1-21)
Many years after these other public accounts took place, Paul returned to Jerusalem and participated in taking a vow in the temple. Some Jews had seen a Gentile Christian with Paul near the temple and assumed Paul took him into the temple. Paul was driven from the temple and might have suffered the same fate as Stephen if not for the intervention of a Roman commander. Paul was taken to the Roman military barracks and addressed the hostile crowd from there. Of course, his address to the crowd didn't help; they were as hostile towards him before the address and after the address.
 
Text Observations
AC 22:1 "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you."

AC 22:2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said,

AC 22:3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today. [4] "And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, [5] as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. 

 Paul did his best to build a bridge to  his hearers, speaking the dialect and mentioning several elements from his past that they would have appreciated-- his heritage, his training and his Council-sponsored hostility towards those of the Way.
AC 22:5b From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. [6] "And it came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, [7] and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' [8] "And I answered, `Who art Thou, Lord?' And He said to me, `I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' [9] "And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. [10] "And I said, `What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, `Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.' [11] "But since 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.  Paul recounts his own conversion, while on the way to Damascus to bring followers of the Way back to Jerusalem for punishment. 

A key element here is that this conversion was instigated by Jesus himself. His conversion was not a result of apostolic preaching or examination of the Scriptures, but due to a miraculous event. 
AC 22:12 "And a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing near said to me, `Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him. [14] "And he said, `The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear an utterance from His mouth. [15] `For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. [16] `And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'  Continuing to build the bridge to his hearers, he mentions how Ananias was well-regarded by the Jews as well as a follower of the Way. 

He reiterates the fact that God appointed Paul for his conversion and mission to others. 

Convinced of the truth about Jesus, Ananias commands him to get on with it and be baptized and wash his sins away. 
AC 22:17 "And it came about when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, [18] and I saw Him saying to me, `Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' [19] "And I said, `Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in Thee. [20] `And when the blood of Thy witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the cloaks of those who were slaying him.' [21] "And He said to me, `Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" Paul continues to explain how the Lord sent him away from Jerusalem and to the Gentiles. This serves a response to the question about how a Gentile might be with him near the temple. 

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Comments Copyright © 2002 John Engler. All rights reserved.