1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, 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. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and 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. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What 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.
11 And when 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. 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The 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. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. (Acts 22:1-21 KJV)
Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem
Paul gives an account of himself to show the Roman commander that he was not the Egyptian rebel he was mistaken for and to convince the Jews that he was not an enemy of their law and temple. His preaching of Christ—especially to the Gentiles—was by divine commission.
He declared that he was a Jew of the seed of Abraham, not a foreigner or traitor. “I am a Jew,” he said, “a man—and one of your own people.” He respected their nation, law, and temple because he belonged to them. He was born in Tarsus, a notable city in Cilicia, and was a free citizen. This was a point of honor among those who looked down on him.
He had received a quality education in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, a respected teacher of Jewish law. His parents brought him there early, intending him to become a Pharisee. The phrase “at the feet of Gamaliel” implies that he was a serious and attentive student. He was devoted to Judaism, following the strictest interpretation of the law. He was zealous toward God, as his audience was (Romans 10:2), sincerely believing that in persecuting Christians, he was serving God (Isaiah 66:5). Paul hoped that just as he had once been zealous under the law, they too might one day be zealous in Christ.
He had been a fierce persecutor of Christians (Acts 22:4-5). He persecuted believers “unto the death,” voting for their execution (Acts 26:10), and worked to frighten others from the faith by imprisoning both men and women. He had full authorization from the high priest and elders to arrest Christians, especially those in Damascus. He carried letters to the synagogues there so they could help him capture converts and bring them to Jerusalem for punishment.
“Such a one,” Paul said, “I was—just like you are now. I understand the heart of a persecutor. And who was I to resist God?” Paul then described how his conversion came not from human influence but from direct divine action. He had no interest in novelty, status, or advantage—becoming a Christian would only bring suffering. He had no contact with the apostles or any Christians beforehand.
While on his way to Damascus, fully committed to persecuting Christians, a great light from heaven shone around him (Acts 22:6), brighter than the sun, and knocked him to the ground (Acts 22:7). This happened at noon, in public, confirming it wasn’t a trick.
Then a voice from heaven called, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He asked who was speaking, and the answer came: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8). It became clear that Jesus, whom he had hated, was alive and speaking from heaven (Hebrews 12:25). His companions saw the light and were terrified but didn’t understand the words spoken to him. Only Paul heard and understood. Since faith comes by hearing, Paul alone was directly transformed.
He did not at once decide to become a Christian. Instead, he asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). He was told to go into Damascus for further instructions. God used a heavenly voice not to give a complete message but to direct Paul to the human means of guidance, just like Cornelius was sent to Peter (Acts 10).
Paul’s temporary blindness was evidence of the overwhelming glory of the light (Acts 22:11). His companions were unaffected because the light had not struck them directly. Paul had to be led by hand into the city. As a Pharisee, he had prided himself on spiritual insight (John 9:40; Romans 2:19), but his physical blindness symbolized his spiritual darkness—until he was brought into the light.
He was confirmed in his conversion by Ananias, a devout and respected Jew living in Damascus. Whether by birth or conversion, Ananias had embraced Christ and lived honorably. Paul’s first Christian contact was someone faithful to Jewish law, showing he was not an enemy of their religion.
Ananias came and healed Paul’s blindness, saying, “Brother Saul, receive your sight,” and Paul immediately regained his vision. Then Ananias said, “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice of his mouth” (Acts 22:14). Paul was uniquely privileged to see and hear Christ after His ascension (Galatians 1:1, 12). Christ, the Just One, reveals God’s will, and those chosen by God must look to Him and listen to Him.
Ananias added, “You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:15). Paul would proclaim the gospel based on firsthand experience. Since he often recounted this story (Acts 26), it likely formed a key part of his preaching.
Ananias urged him, “Be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). Though circumcised, Paul now had to commit to God in Christ through baptism. It symbolized cleansing from sin and entering into relationship with Christ, receiving forgiveness and righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:11). The baptized are bound to call on Jesus in prayer (1 Corinthians 1:2). Ananias pressed, “Why wait?”—covenanting with Christ should not be delayed.
Paul then explained how he was commissioned to preach to the Gentiles, what most upset the Jews. He was praying in the temple when he received this calling, proving his reverence for it. His being called in the temple showed that his Gentile mission was not against the temple—unless the Jews themselves, by unbelief, turned it into a stumbling block.
He saw a vision while in a trance (Acts 22:17-18). Christ told him, “Hurry, leave Jerusalem at once, for they will not receive your testimony about me.” Though Paul believed his former persecution of Christians would give his words credibility, Christ said otherwise. God knew their rejection was certain. Paul still pleaded: “Lord, they know I once imprisoned and beat believers. When Stephen was killed, I was there, consenting and guarding the clothes of those who stoned him.” He thought this past would make his conversion more convincing.
But Christ said, “No, they will not accept your message. Depart, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21). Sometimes God answers prayer not with what we ask, but with something better. Paul hoped to preach in Jerusalem, but Christ had a greater mission for him—to break new ground and preach where Christ had not yet been named (Romans 15:20).
Though Paul longed for Jerusalem, Christ sent him far away. “I will send you” meant that Christ’s Spirit would go with him. His mission would not offend the Jews nearby but would reach distant lands. If the Jews had considered all this, they would have seen Paul had no choice in preaching to the Gentiles. It wasn’t betrayal—it was obedience to a heavenly command.