| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| |
|
| 1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you. |
Hear ye my defence – The noble address was a model of skill, logic and eloquence. R1559:5
|
| |
|
| 2 And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says, |
|
| |
|
| 3 *I* am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as *ye* are all this day; |
Of Gamaliel – Saul had received a special course in theology or Jewish Law at Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of that time. R2117:3
An advanced school or seminary, attended by few except the sons of the rich, implying that Paul's parents were rich. R4355:2
The custom was that the pupils would ask questions and get the views of the teachers. R5553:1
Zealous toward God – Paul was zealous toward God long before his conversion from Judaism to Christianity. R1671:6
His heart being in a right attitude of loyalty. R2823:5
|
| 4 who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women; |
Persecuted this way – He had a religious zeal which led him to persecute Christ and his followers, the Church. R2823:3,5
The Lord's people. F339
|
| 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished. |
Went to Damascus – Armed with authority for the apprehension of the Lord's followers, accompanied by others who seemingly were under his command as a police force. R2823:6
|
| 6 And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me. |
A great light – Evidently a supernatural one, because the light was far brighter than the sun at noon. R2969:4
Exceedingly bright light, glaringly brilliant. R2824:1
Round about me – Saul himself was evidently the center of the manifestation. R2117:5
|
| 7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
|
And I fell – Immediately prostrated himself. R2824:1
Unto the ground – Seeing Jesus in his glory, unveiled, Saul was smitten to the earth and seriously blinded. R5299:2
Heard a voice – The voice spoke in the Hebrew tongue; whereas those who were with Saul probably spoke in the Syriac or Greek language. R2969:5
Saul, Saul – Hebrew, Saul; Greek, Paul. R2823:2
Persecutest thou me – Fighting the truth ignorantly. R2823:3
Those who touch his saints, touch him; "He is the head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18); "Now are ye the body of R2824:2
"Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me." (Matt. 25:40) R92:4
|
| 8 And *I* answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, *I* am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom *thou* persecutest.
|
Who art thou, Lord? – Paul recognized that this was a lordly, powerful one--yet he wished to make no mistake, he wished to know who thus reproved him, that he might benefit more. R2824:1
Thou persecutest – Those who touch his saints, members of the Body of Christ, touch him. R2824:2
Whoever is a faultfinder and busybody in the affairs of the brethren is doing this against the flesh of Jesus. R5274:3
|
| 9 But they that were with me beheld the light, and were filled with fear, but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me. |
The light – But not the vision which Saul saw representing the Son of Man in his glorified condition. R2969:4
The voice – Only Saul could distinguish the words, which were meant for him alone. R2117:6, 2969:5
The voice was heard by all, but the message by Saul only. R2824:3
|
| 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.
|
What shall I do – I am ready to obey. R2824:3
It meant, I am not more sincere now than I was a moment ago, but the eyes of my understanding have been opened. I am anxious now to undo what I have been heretofore mistakenly doing. R2824:3
We can but admire the promptness with which Saul at once laid down the arms of his opposition, and placed himself on the side of the one whose cause he had so recently persecuted. R2117:6
There is more hope of those who are outspoken in their opposition to the truth, but who, though blinded, are truly consecrated to the Lord, than for some of those who are its very cool and indifferent friends. R2824:5
Appointed for thee to do – This shows us that Paul was in the divine mind and plan beforehand. R2824:4
|
| 11 And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus. |
I could not see – The wonderful light which flashed upon his eyes destroyed his sight. R2824:5
Of that light – Saul was but a man and could not see the fullness of the glory which no man can see and live, but he did see as much of a representation of that glory as was possible. R2824:6
|
| 12 And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt there, |
Ananias – The name Ananias signifies, "Jah is gracious." R2118:6
A devout man – We should always expect that those whom the Lord would choose as his special messengers would be good men, devout men, pious men. 2824:6
A good report – Ananias was esteemed amongst the Jews as a good man. R2824:6
|
| 13 coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And *I*, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him. |
Receive thy sight – His eyes were never restored to their former strength. R2825:1, 2118:2
|
| 14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth; |
Hath chosen thee – "No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him." (John 6:44) R2825:2
|
| 15 for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard. |
Unto all men – Henceforth it was open to all. R3023:5
Seen and heard – We are not to attempt to tell others things which we have not seen and have not heard ourselves. R2825:3
In mental vision Paul was "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Cor. 12:2); granted a glimpse of the R1558:3; A70
|
| 16 And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name. |
Why tarriest thou? – We should urge our friends who see the truth to prompt, full and complete consecration and obedience. R2825:4
Baptized – Greek, baptizo; immersed. 251:5
Which our Lord and his apostles practiced and enjoined upon all followers. R1539:3
Wash away thy sins – This relates to Jews, either natural born or proselyted. R1421:1
Jews were called to repent and to be baptized for the remission of sins against their Covenant. John's baptism was for Jews only, and were, so to speak, transferred from Moses into Christ. R2825:5, 1541:6
|
| 17 And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy, |
|
| 18 and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
|
|
| 19 And *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee; |
|
| 20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him. |
I also – Saul of Tarsus was probably a member of the Sanhedrin, which tried Stephen. R2958:4
Paul tells us that he was a sort of ringleader amongst those who killed him. R2952:3
|
| 21 And he said to me, Go, for *I* will send thee to the nations afar off.
|
Unto the Gentiles – They heard the Apostle in peace and with profound attention up to this point. Then all their prejudices seemed to be aroused with the thought that this man taught that Gentiles could have favor with God equal to the Jews. R3189:3
|
| |
|
| 22 And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live. |
Away with such a fellow – They cried against him in much the same language that they used against the Lord. R3189:3
|
| 23 And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air, |
|
| 24 the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him. |
Examined by scourging – The Roman Colonel commanded that the Apostle must be whipped until he confessed what he had done wrong. R4485:5, 3189:4
That he might know – The Roman commander, not understanding the Hebrew language, had not been able to follow the Apostle's discourse. R3189:3
|
| 25 But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?
|
They bound him – To a bent whipping post. R4485:5
Is it lawful – He did not say, "If you beat me, I will make it a sad day for you!" R5897:6
Paul more than once appealed to the Law for justice. R954:3*
We are at liberty to use any legitimate means for our own deliverance, even as St. Paul took advantage of his Roman citizenship. R5942:3, 4485:6
That is a Roman – Saul's family must have been one of the most influential families of Tarsus to also be a citizen of Rome. R2117:2
|
| 26 And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman. |
|
| 27 And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art *thou* a Roman? And he said, Yes. |
Yea – The Colonel took the Apostle's word for it that he was a Roman citizen; for an untruthful claim would have meant sure death. R4485:5
|
| 28 And the chiliarch answered, *I*, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But *I* was also free born. |
A great sum – Paul's Roman citizenship was worth a great sum. R478:5
|
| 29 Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. |
|
| |
|
| 30 And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty of the matter why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them. |
Council to appear – The point of dispute was a religious one. R4485:3, 5952:1
Paul was afforded another opportunity to witness the Gospel to the Jews, to their most influential Court of Seventy. R4485:6
|