ACTS LESSON 49

    In the last lesson, we saw Paul standing on the stairs, bound,
speaking in his own defense. He expounded on how he had been a zealous
Jew. He had even persecuted the Christians himself, until the Lord had
encountered him on the road to Damascus and turned his life completely
around. These people listened, but didn't like his message that God
had sent him to the Gentiles. We will pick up here in Acts 22:22 "And
they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their
voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is
not fit that he should live."

    The fact that the Gentiles would be allowed to be part of the
family of God, was something they would never accept. Their pride in
being God's chosen family would not allow them to believe God would
have anyone else. They wanted to do away with Paul for even suggesting
such a thing.

    Acts 22:23 "And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes,
and threw dust into the air," Acts 22:24 "The chief captain commanded
him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined
by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him."

    This casting off their clothes showed their wild fury against
Paul. The throwing dust in the air was their way of saying that their
great anger was of God. The captain saw that there was no chance of a
fair trial with this mob, so he brings Paul on into the castle.

    Acts 22:25 "And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the
centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is
a Roman, and uncondemned?"

    They possibly had already bound him to beat him, when Paul told
them he was a Roman citizen. Many times this type of scourging caused
people to die. Paul, of course, would try any thing to keep from being
beaten so severely. He did not lie, he was a Roman citizen. It was
against the law to scourge a Roman citizen without a trial and
conviction. Paul was wise to inform them that he was a Romam.

     Acts 22:26 "When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the
chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a
Roman."

    This was the proper thing for this centurion to do. The captain
certainly would not want to cause a problem with his superiors for
scourging a Roman citizen without a trial. He probably enjoys being
captain and does not want to endanger his job.

    Acts 22:27 "Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell
me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea."

    Yes, he is a Roman. Yes, he is a Jew. Yes, he is a Pharisee. Yes,
he is a Christian. Paul, in his own words says, that he was all things
to all people that by all means he might save some. To this captain
who had great respect for Roman citizens, he was a Roman citizen.

    Acts 22:28 "And the chief captain answered, With a great sum
obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born."

    You see, this captain wanted Roman citizenship so much that he
raised a large sum of money to purchase his citizenship with. You can
imagine his amazement when Paul tells him that he was a Roman by
birth. The marvelous thing is that until God is through with Paul on
this earth, no one can destroy him. If he needed to be a Roman, God
had made him to be one from birth. It was through Paul's father, he
was a Roman.

    Acts 22:29 "Then straightway they departed from him which should
have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he
knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him."

    A Roman citizen was greatly feared, as well as being respected in
Jerusalem in these days, because Rome was very powerful at the time.
To anger Rome, could cost this captain his station in life of chief
captain and perhaps, his head as well. This so called prisoner, Paul,
really had the chief captain afraid that he had already over-stepped
the limits. The eloquence of Paul as a speaker when he brought his own
defense verified to this captain that he was no ordinary man.  A man
of that day that could speak two languages and had been taught in the
school by Gamaliel certainly was no ordinary citizen. Paul, also, had
been an officer when he led his men in capturing the Christians.  We
see that not the prisoner here is afraid, but his captor. It seems
this chief captain had no idea what to do with him, so they (the
examiners) left and there was nothing more to do, but to take these
chains off his hands and legs.

    Acts 22:30 "On the morrow, because he would have known the
certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from
[his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to
appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them."

    The mob has been disbanded, the beating of Paul stopped, even the
chains have been removed. This chief captain sends for the rulers of
the temple to come and tell him exactly what charges they have against
Paul. This chief captain wants to quickly get this out of his hands.
The scene is set. Paul is before them to be questioned.

    Let us go back now and review what these charges are, before we
get into chapter 23. The only charges they have brought against him is
that they say he has taught both Jew and Gentile that they are not to
keep the law of Moses anymore, and that circumcision of the men is no
longer to be done. Paul has been teaching that Christianity does not
require these outward shows of faith.  Perhaps, one confusing thing to
them, and to us, is if Paul teaches this, why is he observing feasts,
circumcising Peter, taking a Nazarite vow, and sacrificing in the
temple?  The only explanation is that he is doing these outward things
to satisfy the Jews, so they will allow him to teach in the temple and
in the synagogues.

                           Acts 49 Questions


1.  Who spoke in defense of Paul?
2.  What did he expound on?
3.  When had Paul stopped persecuting the Christians?
4.  Why did these Jews not like Paul's message?
5.  What did they cry out after his speech?
6.  What one word describes these Jews' problem?
7.  In verse 23, what things did they do to show their displeasure?
8.  Where did the chief captain command Paul to be brought?
9.  What did he tell the men to do with Paul?
10. How did they bind Paul?
11. What did Paul say to the centurion?
12. When the centurion heard this, what did he do?
13. What did the captain ask Paul?
14. What was the difference in Paul's citizenship?
15. How was Paul a Roman?
16. What did the examiners do, when they found out that Paul was a
    Roman?
17. Why was the chief captain afraid?
18. What were some of the things that should have told the captain
    that Paul was no ordinary citizen?
19. Why did the captain call the high priest and counsel to come and
    talk to Paul?
20. What had the captain done to show more respect for Paul than at
    the beginning?
21. Really, what were the charges against Paul?
22. What was probably confusing to them, as well as to us, about Paul?
23. Why do you suppose Paul still sacrificed?

                                 Notes