Acts Chapter 22

“Men, brethren, and fathers, etc.] A common form of address used by the Jews; (see <440702>Acts 7:2) but that the apostle should introduce his speech to these people in this manner, after they had treated him so inhumanly, as to drag him out of the temple, and beat him so unmercifully, is remarkable, and worthy of observation, when they scarcely deserved the name of “men”; and yet he not only gives them this, but calls them “brethren”, they being his countrymen and kinsmen according to the flesh; and fathers, there being some among them, who might be men in years, and even members of the sanhedrim, and elders of…”

“PAUL'S DEFENSE FROM THE STAIRS OF THE FORTRESS--THE RAGE OF THE AUDIENCE BURSTING FORTH, THE COMMANDANT HAS HIM BROUGHT INTO THE FORT TO BE EXAMINED BY SCOURGING, BUT LEARNING THAT HE IS A ROMAN, HE ORDERS HIS RELEASE AND COMMANDS THE SAMHEDRIM TO TRY HIM. (Acts 22:1-30) when they heard . . . the Hebrew tongue--(See on Act 21:40). they kept the more silence--They could have understood him in Greek, and doubtless fully expected the renegade to address them in that language, but the sound of their holy mother tongue awed them into deeper silence.”

“Men, brethren, and fathers - This defense was addressed to the Jews, and Paul commenced it with an expression of sincere respect for them. Stephen began his defense with the same form of address. See the notes on Acts 7:2. My defence - Against the charges brought against me. Those charges were, that he had endeavored to prejudice people everywhere against the Jews, the Law, and the temple, Acts 21:28. In order to meet this charge, Paul stated: That he was a Jew by birth, and had enjoyed all the advantages of a Jewish education, Acts 22:3; He recounted the circumstances of his conversion, and the reason why he…”

“Hear ye now my defence - Which they could not hear before for the tumult. Acts 22:3”

“22:1-21 Paul’s premier defense of his life and faith before his own people in Jerusalem illustrates his flexibility as a missionary, just as his speech to the Greek philosophers in Athens had done (17:22-31; see 1 Cor 9:20-23). Paul begins by recognizing his kinship with his people, explaining his Jewish background and training under the noted rabbi Gamaliel the Elder and describing his zealous desire to honor God in everything, which they shared (Acts 22:1-3). Paul then describes his persecution of Christians (22:4-5), the revelation of Jesus to him on the way to Damascus (22:6-10), and his conversion…”

“brethren: Act 7:2, Act 13:26, Act 23:1, Act 23:6, Act 28:17 my: Greek all, Act 19:33, Act 24:10, Act 25:8, Act 25:16, Act 26:1, Act 26:2, Act 26:24; Luk 12:11, Luk 21:14; Rom 2:15; Co1 9:3; Co2 7:11, Co2 12:19; Phi 1:7, Phi 1:17; Ti2 4:16; Pe1 3:15 Acts 22:2”