Bible Study - Acts 22:1-30 - Saul's/Paul's Testimony - Acts 22:1-30 - August 23. 2026

 

Bible Study - Acts 22:1-30 - (Saul’s/Paul’s Testimony) – August 23, 2026

Acts 22:1-30: Christian Standard Bible

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” ² When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic,^[a] they became even quieter. ³ He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,

[Paul (Saul) told his audience that he was zealous to terminate this Christ professing group called, “the Way.” As presented in last week’s study, “the Way” began sometime during the ministry of JESUS while HE was alive and ministering upon earth.

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Thus, those who believed that JESUS was “the Way” to GOD and eternal life in Heaven became believers and followers of JESUS.

The road to redemption had to be revealed. The Law had been the master of those seeking to be in right relationship with GOD. Various sacrifices had to be made to maintain a person’s relationship with GOD. Worship was outward, which was necessary during these early times until GOD could reveal “Grace” through faith in JESUS, HIS ONLY SON, JESUS.

How was that? JESUS fulfilled “THE LAW” and established “Grace.”

There was a paradigm shift going to take place in the religious practice of the Jews and, in fact, the world. This shift would be going from observing “THE LAW” as the path to Heaven to “Grace” through faith in JESUS, GOD’S SON through a person being “Born Again” through faith in JESUS and HIS Passion.

Observing “THE LAW” was mechanical.

GOD’S redemptive plan through faith in JESUS was just that, “redemptive,” “dynamic,” “personal,” “eternal,” and confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, as a person of faith’s eternal guarantee.

God wanted to make known among both the Jews and the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Sin came into the world, as we read in Genesis 3:20-24:

²⁰ The man named his wife Eve^[g] because she was the mother of all the living. ²¹ The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them.

The first animal sacrifice was made to provide clothing for Adam and Eve after they sinned.

²² The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

²⁴ He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.

Sin came into the world and had to be dealt with for GOD’S complete redemptive plan for the people of earth. The sacrifice of an animal, by the shedding of its blood, was a place holder until the shed blood of JESUS could pay, in full, for all sin, for those who place their faith in JESUS as GOD’S only SON.

We take a giant leap to Saul’s conversion experience on the road to Damascus.

Saul/Paul was testifying about his conversion experience after JESUS had been crucified, buried, resurrected, revealed Himself to over 500 people after JESUS was resurrected.

GOD had raised JESUS from the dead on the third day. THE resurrected JESUS revealed Himself to HIS disciples and many others who were alive upon earth at that time. In fact, JESUS revealed Himself to over 500 people following HIS resurrection before HIS resurrected body ascended into Heaven to take HIS seat at the right hand of GOD, HIS FATHER. Why? HIS work upon earth was finished but there was still work to be done.

Colossians 1:27

God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

CHRIST in you is personal and makes a person complete Spiritually.

 

1 Corinthians 15:20

Christ’s Resurrection Guarantees Ours

But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

2 Corinthians 1:22

He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

Ephesians 1:13

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.

Ephesians 4:30

And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.

JESUS intercedes on behalf of all “born again” people when we sin.

Yes, born again believers’ sin and when we do, Satan accuses us before GOD/JESUS. JESUS tells Satan to bug off because the people of faith in JESUS are covered by the shed blood of JESUS, eternally.

When a person places his/her faith in JESUS, a miracle takes place quicker than the twinkle of the eye. The person who places his/her faith in JESUS is “born again” in his/her human spirit.

The Divine Sperm, THE HOLY SPIRIT unites with the human spirit, considered as the spiritual egg, results in the miracle of “Spiritual birth.” Thus, the human person of faith in JESUS is born again, Spiritually.

A person’s second birth is Spiritual, eternal, and his/her citizenship is eternally in Heaven ----

Philippians 3:20 Christian Standard Bible

²⁰ Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This raises many questions: What about aborted babies, unborn fetus, children, mentally challenged, etc.? GOD has a plan for all such issues.

The resurrection and ascension of JESUS into Heaven made ready for the Holy Spirit to indwell the human body. When any person asks JESUS to forgive him or her for his/her sins and asks JESUS to come into his/her heart, it is THE HOLY SPIRIT that unites with that person’s human spirit for that person to be “born again” Spiritually and eternally.

After JESUS ascended into Heaven, JESUS took HIS seat at the right hand of GOD to reveal to Satan and his demons that HE, JESUS, had accomplished and completed the redemptive cycle, such that all who place their faith in JESUS are “born again,” are an eternal Child of GOD, with eternal citizenship in Heaven, and eternal life. The person of faith in JESUS receives THE Holy Spirit as his/her eternal guarantee that he/she has been “Born again”.

1.    2 Corinthians 1:22

it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].

2.    2 Corinthians 5:5 - Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise].

Paul was filled with THE HOLY SPIRIT from the day he encountered JESUS, and throughout his earthly life into eternity.

Did you know that later in Paul’s ministry he went to the third Heaven?

For now, back to Paul’s testimony ---- Saul’s life before his encounter with JESUS on the road to Damascus ----

Paul continues his testimony -----

 ⁵ as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

Paul’s Testimony

⁶ “As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

⁸ “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light,^[b] but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

YES, Saul heard JESUS and called HIM, “LORD.”

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’

That is VERY INTERESTING STATEMENT, “there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do’.”

“you have been assigned to do”!!!

When GOD calls a person of faith, HE has a plan for their lives. -Back to Paul’s testimony -----

¹¹ “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light,^[c] I was led by the hand by those who were with me and went into Damascus. ¹² Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there, ¹³ came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth, ¹⁵ since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

¹⁷ “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten. ²⁰ And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval^[d] and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’

²¹ “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul’s Roman Protection

²² They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!”

²³ As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵ As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷ The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

²⁸ The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

²⁹ So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

Citizenship has its privileges and so does the “Spirit Born” person whose citizenship is eternally in Heaven, through faith in JESUS.

Paul before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him^[e] and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.

Brother Paul, what a powerful testimony and witness of “CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!!!”

The same JESUS that redeemed Paul is also the redeemer of all who place their faith in the risen from the dead JESUS.

Ask JESUS to forgive you for all your sins and for JESUS to come into your heart now, if you haven’t, and forgive you.

If you did, then welcome my Brother or Sister in CHRIST into the eternal Family of GOD through faith in JESUS and the miracle of being “Born Again” Spiritually into GOD’S eternal Family.

Blessings!!!