Acts — Chapter 22

📖 Acts — Chapter 22 (KJV)

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Red lettering identifies words spoken by Jesus; it is an editorial reading aid. Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.

Acts 22:1 Men, ^Rbrethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

Acts 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Acts 22:3 I am verily a man which am a ^RJew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Acts 22:4 And ^RI persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Acts 22:5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, ^Rand all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, ^Rthat, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

Acts 22:7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, ^Rwhy persecutest thou me?

Acts 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, ^RI am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Acts 22:9 And they that were with me ^Rsaw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Acts 22:10 And I said, ^RWhat shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

Acts 22:11 And ^Rwhen I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

Acts 22:12 And ^Rone Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

Acts 22:13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, ^RBrother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

Acts 22:14 And he said, ^RThe God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

Acts 22:15 For ^Rthou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

Acts 22:16 And now ^Rwhy tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Acts 22:17 And it came to pass, that, ^Rwhen I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

Acts 22:18 And saw him saying unto me, ^RMake haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Acts 22:19 And I said, Lord, they ^Rknow that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Acts 22:20 And when the blood of thy ^Rmartyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

Acts 22:21 And he said unto me, ^RDepart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

Acts 22:22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, ^RAway with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

Acts 22:23 And as they cried out, and ^Rcast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

Acts 22:24 ^RThe 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Acts 22:30 On the morrow, ^Rbecause 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.

📚 Study This Chapter

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 22:1–16 — Paul recounts his encounter with Jesus and Ananias’s ministry

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Paul describes his earlier zeal and persecution, the Damascus-road voice of Jesus, and his loss of sight. He then recalls Ananias’s instruction concerning restored sight, witness, baptism, and calling on the Lord.

Key Truth: Let testimony include honest acknowledgment of the past and received mercy.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 22:17–21 — Paul recalls the temple vision and Gentile commission

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Paul describes praying in the temple, the Lord’s direction to leave Jerusalem, and his own remembered involvement in persecution. The Lord answers by sending him far to the Gentiles.

Key Truth: Receive a redirected calling rather than assuming your own argument must decide it.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 22:22–30 — Hostility meets lawful protection and further inquiry

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

The crowd reacts violently to the Gentile commission, and the officer orders examination by scourging. Paul invokes his Roman citizenship; the officer halts the action and arranges a council hearing.

Key Truth: Use truthful and lawful protections without abandoning faithful witness.

Check What You Remember

Related Scripture (KJV)

1 Timothy 1:13 — Paul later recalls his persecution and the mercy he received.

1 Timothy 1:13 (KJV) Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.

Reflect and Apply

What received mercy could you describe honestly without concealing the need it addressed?

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