Acts 22:1–2
“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my
defence.” When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was
even greater.
Paul faced intense hostility when he reached Jerusalem. People had heard reports of
his ministry among the Gentiles, and he was accused of telling people to disobey the
Jewish laws. A riot broke out and the crowd cried out for Paul to be killed. The
commander of the Roman regiment was informed that the city was in uproar and so
he sent his troops to get hold of Paul. The soldiers were clearly unsure what to do
with Paul and indeed at first the commander had confused him with an Egyptian who
had led a major rebellion. Paul clarified that he was a Jew from Tarsus and asked for
the opportunity to speak to the crowd. Interestingly, the commander agreed.
This was an incredibly sensitive moment. Many in the crowd were going to hate what
Paul had to say, and he knew it. He needed to tread with extreme care, and we can
learn a lot from the way in which he did it. He began by addressing them as brothers
and fathers, which was the same way in which Stephen had commenced his final
speech (Acts 7:2) But what really impressed them was that Paul spoke in Aramaic,
their own language. That showed great sensitivity and the crowd gave him their full
attention. Paul then launched into his testimony. He made it clear that he was a Jew
and that he had been educated in Jerusalem under the hugely respected Rabbi
Gamaliel. Indeed, he was so committed to his Jewish faith that he had persecuted the
followers of Jesus and was even responsible for the death of some of them. He then
went into the details of his conversion on the road to Damascus and his calling to go
and share the good news with the Gentiles. This triggered a huge reaction and the
crowd shouted that he wasn’t fit to live (Acts 22:3–23).
Paul wouldn’t have been remotely surprised by the crowd’s reaction, but he had
achieved what he set out to do. He had shared his testimony of the way in which
Jesus had transformed his life, and he would never have had that opportunity if he
hadn’t approached his task with care and sensitivity.
Question
How does Paul’s example help you as you share your faith with others?
Prayer
Lord, help me to be as courageous and sensitive as Paul in sharing my testimony with
others. Amen
