Commentary - Acts 22:17-21

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent section of Paul's testimony, we are given a glimpse into the inner workings of God's sovereign calling. Standing before a hostile Jewish mob in Jerusalem, Paul recounts a pivotal and private moment with the risen Christ. This is not just an anecdote; it is a crucial piece of his legal defense and a theological manifesto in miniature. The scene is a divine collision between Paul's lingering, well-intentioned but misguided zeal for his kinsmen, and Christ's unalterable, global purpose. Paul, the former persecutor, argues with the Lord, presenting what he believes is a compelling case for his unique effectiveness as a hometown missionary. The Lord Jesus, with the calm finality of absolute authority, overrules him. The passage reveals the profound truth that God's plans are not subject to our strategic analysis. The Lord's command is not a suggestion to be debated but a decree to be obeyed. It is here that Paul's apostolic commission to the Gentiles is starkly and personally reaffirmed, setting the stage not only for the riot that follows but for the entire trajectory of the Christian faith into the Gentile world.

This is a story of a reluctant ambassador. Paul's heart, even after his conversion, still beat with a patriotic fervor for the salvation of Israel. He thought his testimony, as the ultimate insider-turned-apostle, would be irresistible. But God's thoughts are not our thoughts. The Lord knew that Paul's history would be a stumbling block, not a bridge, in Jerusalem. Therefore, God, in His perfect wisdom, sends him far away. This is a powerful lesson in divine sovereignty and the often counter-intuitive nature of God's mission. He chooses the man, the message, and the mission field, and our role is not to advise Him, but to obey Him.

Outline

Context In Acts

This passage is embedded within the third account of Paul's conversion in the book of Acts. The first is Luke's historical narrative in Acts 9. The second and third are Paul's own testimonies, delivered as part of his defense, first here in Acts 22 to the Jewish mob from the steps of the Antonia Fortress, and later before King Agrippa in Acts 26. The immediate context is a full-blown riot. Paul has been falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple, a capital offense. After being rescued from the mob by the Roman tribune, Paul requests and is granted permission to address the crowd. He speaks in Aramaic, establishing his bona fides as a devout, well-educated Jew. He recounts his zealous persecution of the church, his dramatic encounter with Christ on the Damascus road, and his baptism by Ananias. The testimony we are examining here is the climax of his personal history, explaining why he, a Pharisee trained at the feet of Gamaliel, ended up as the apostle to the Gentiles. This explanation, as we see from the crowd's reaction in the very next verse, is the spark that re-ignites the explosion. His mission to the Gentiles is, for them, the unforgivable offense.

Key Issues

The Reluctant Ambassador

We often think of the apostle Paul as a spiritual battleship, plowing through every obstacle with unstoppable force. And in many ways, he was. But this passage reveals a different side of him. It shows us a man whose personal desires and strategic thinking had to be decisively overruled by a direct command from his King. Paul wanted to stay in Jerusalem. He thought he was the perfect man for the job. Who better to persuade the Jews than the former chief persecutor of the church? His resume was impeccable: a Pharisee, a student of Gamaliel, a man whose zeal for the traditions was infamous. His conversion was a walking, talking miracle. Surely, he reasoned, his testimony would be unanswerable.

But the Lord Jesus had other plans. God's economy is not like ours. We look for the path of least resistance, the most logical strategy. God often chooses the path that most clearly demonstrates His own power. Paul's logic was sound from a human perspective, but it was carnal logic nonetheless. It failed to account for the depth of Jerusalem's spiritual rebellion. The very things Paul thought were his greatest assets for this mission field were, in God's eyes, the reasons he had to go elsewhere. His past made him a traitor in their eyes, not a trophy of grace. So Christ issues a command that is not up for discussion: "Go!" This is a foundational text for understanding missions. The missionary does not choose his field based on his own analysis of his gifts or the apparent needs. The missionary is a man under orders. He is sent. And in this case, the sending is a judgment on those who refuse to hear, and a grace to those who have not yet heard.

Verse by Verse Commentary

17 “Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

Paul begins this part of his story by grounding it in a place of unimpeachable piety: he was praying in the temple. This is not incidental. He is speaking to a Jewish crowd that has just tried to kill him for allegedly defiling this very temple. He is making it clear that he is no despiser of the temple or the customs of his fathers. He returned to Jerusalem after his conversion (cf. Gal. 1:18) and went to the center of Jewish worship to pray. It is here, in this most Jewish of places, that he receives the most un-Jewish of commissions. The "trance," or ekstasis in the Greek, signifies a state where his physical senses were suspended, and he was wholly receptive to a divine revelation. God is about to interrupt Paul's prayers and redirect his life.

18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’

The vision is of the Lord Jesus Himself. The message is direct, urgent, and contains no room for negotiation. "Hurry." "Get out." "Quickly." The reason given is not that Paul is in danger, though he certainly was. The reason is that his mission there will be fruitless. "They will not accept your witness about Me." This is a divine verdict on the spiritual state of Jerusalem. The city's heart is hardened. Christ, speaking from heaven, declares the outcome of Paul's proposed ministry before it even begins. This is not a prediction of probability; it is a statement of settled fact. The sovereign Lord knows the hearts of men, and He knows that these particular men will reject the testimony He has prepared for them.

19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

Here we see the apostle arguing with his Lord. It is a stunning moment. Paul's response is essentially, "Lord, with all due respect, I think you are misreading the situation." He presents his case, and it is a logical one. His argument is that his dramatic turnaround is precisely what makes his testimony so powerful. "They themselves understand," he says. Everyone in Jerusalem knew who Saul of Tarsus was. They knew his zeal. They knew he was the chief enforcer for the Sanhedrin. For such a man to now be preaching the faith he once tried to destroy should have been the most compelling proof imaginable. He is laying out his credentials as the ideal witness for this specific audience.

20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and guarding the garments of those who were slaying him.’

Paul doubles down on his argument by citing the most notorious example of his former life. He brings up the martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Paul was not just a passive observer; he was an accessory to the murder, giving his hearty approval and even assisting by watching the coats of the executioners. He is saying, "Lord, I was complicit in the murder of your first martyr. My hands are metaphorically stained with his blood. If you can change me, you can change anyone. My story is the ultimate proof of your power to save. They will have to listen!" It is a passionate, logical, and thoroughly human plea.

21 And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

The Lord's reply is sublime in its brevity and absolute authority. He does not debate Paul's points. He does not dismantle his logic. He simply ignores the argument entirely and repeats the command. "Go!" The discussion is over. The time for human reasoning has passed. The King has issued His decree. And then comes the reason, which is not a reason to be debated but a purpose to be fulfilled: "For I will send you far away to the Gentiles." This is the great reversal. The very city that should have been the epicenter of the gospel will now be bypassed, and the mission will be redirected to the nations they despised. Paul's testimony was not meant for Jerusalem; it was destined for Rome, for Corinth, for Ephesus, for the ends of the earth. His calling was not to persuade the intractable but to bring light to those sitting in darkness. This command is the marching order for the rest of Paul's life and, in many ways, for the history of the Christian church.

Application

There are at least two major points of application for us in this text. The first has to do with our own plans and ambitions, even our plans for ministry. Like Paul, we can construct very logical, compelling, and seemingly spiritual arguments for why God should do things our way. We can analyze our gifts, survey the needs, and present God with a five-point plan for success. But God is not obligated to follow our script. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. The great challenge of the Christian life is to submit our logic to His lordship. It is to hold our plans loosely and to listen for the simple, authoritative command: "Go." And when that command comes, our only righteous response is obedience, not debate. We must be willing to be sent where we do not want to go, to a people we do not feel equipped to reach, all on the basis of His sovereign decree.

Second, this passage is a sobering reminder of the reality of spiritual hardness. Jerusalem had been given more light than any city in history. The Son of God had walked its streets, taught in its temple, and performed miracles in its sight. They had rejected Him, and now they were rejecting His messengers. There comes a point when God, in judgment, gives a people over to their unbelief. He stops sending prophets and instead sends His messengers elsewhere. We should never presume upon the grace of God. We should never assume that because we have Bibles on our shelves and churches on our corners that we are immune to this kind of judgment. The warning to Jerusalem is a warning to every nation, every city, and every individual: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." For the day may come when He simply says, "Go," and sends His witnesses far away.