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From: Acts 22:3-16

Paul Defends Himself Before the Crowd

(He [Paul] spoke to them [the people] in the Hebrew language, saying:) [3] “I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day. [4] I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, [5] as the high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

[6] “As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. [7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ [8] And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but
did not hear 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, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ [11] And when 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.

[12] “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him. [14] And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice 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 wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’”

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Commentary:

1-21. St Luke gives us Paul’s address to the Jews of Jerusalem, the first of three speeches in his own defense (cf. 24:10-21; 26:1-23) in which he tries to show that there is no reason why Christianity should be opposed by Jew or by Roman. Here he presents himself as a pious Jew, full of respect for his people and their sacred traditions. He earnestly desires his brethren to realize that there are compelling reasons for his commitment to Jesus. He is convinced that they can experience in their souls the same kind of spiritual
change as he did. However, this speech is not a closely-argued apologia. His main intention is not so much to answer the accusations levelled against him as to use this opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ, whose commandments validate Paul’s actions. What he is really trying to do is to get his hearers to obey the voice of the Lord.

1. “Brethren and fathers”: the “fathers” may refer to members of the Sanhedrin present in the crowd.

3. Gamaliel (cf. 5:34) belonged to the school of the rabbi Hillel, which was noted for a less rigorous interpretation of the Law than that of Shammai and his disciples.

4. The situation described by Paul is confirmed by 1 Cor 15:9: “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”; Gal 1:13: “You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it”; Phil 3:6: “as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church”; and 1 Tim 1:13: “I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him [Christ]”.

6-11. Paul describes in his own words what happened on the way to Damascus (cf. 9:3-9; 26:6-16). This account differs in some ways from—but does not contradict—the two other versions of the episode, especially that of chapter 9, which is told in St Luke’s words.

Paul adds that the whole thing happened at midday (cf. 26:13), and he says that Jesus referred to himself as “Jesus of Nazareth”. He also include the question “What shall I do, Lord?”, which is not given in chapter 9.

As far as Paul’s companions were concerned, we know that they saw the light (Acts 22:9) but did not see anyone (Acts 9:7): they did not see the glorified Jesus; they heard a voice (Acts 9:7) but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to Paul (Acts 22:9), that is, did not understand what the voice said.

10. Paul addresses Jesus as “Lord”, which shows that this vision has revealed to him the divinity of him whom he was persecuting.
The divine voice orders him to get up from the ground and the future Apostle of the Gentiles obeys immediately. The physical movement of getting up is a kind of symbol of the spiritual uplift his soul is given by God’s call. “This was the first grace, that was given to the first Adam; but more powerful than it is the grace in the second Adam. The effect of the first grace was that a man might have justice, if he willed; the second grace, therefore, is more powerful, because it affects the will itself; it makes for a strong will, a burning charity, so that by a contrary will the spirit overcomes the conflicting will of the flesh” (St Augustine, “De Correptione
Et Gratia”, XI, 31).

“Many have come to Christianity”, Origen says, “as if against their will, for a certain spirit, appearing to them, in sleep or when they are awake, suddenly silences their mind, and they change from hating the Word to dying for him” (”Against Celsus”, I, 46).

Paul’s conversion is an outstanding example of what divine grace and divine assistance in general can effect in a person’s heart.

12-16. This account of Ananias and his role in Paul’s conversion is much shorter than that given in chapter 9 (cf. vv. 10-19). St Paul adapts it here to suit his audience (who are all Jews). He presents Jesus as the one in whom the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled. Like Peter (cf. 3:1 3ff) and Stephen (cf. 7:52) he speaks of the “God of our fathers” and the “Just One” when referring to God and to Jesus respectively.