Acts 22:17 meaning
In a defining moment in the life of the Apostle Paul, his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus profoundly altered his mission. After this conversion, Paul returned to Jerusalem, expecting to reach out to the very people he once persecuted. However, it was during his prayers in the temple that the Lord intervened with a crucial direction. The Lord's appearance to Paul was not just a comforting presence but a divine call that confirmed Paul’s apostolic mission to the Gentiles.
This divine message highlighted God's foreknowledge regarding the rejection Paul would face in Jerusalem. Though he approached them with enthusiasm, he was warned that they would not accept his testimony about Jesus. Instead, he was charged to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, expanding the reach of salvation beyond Israel. Thus, Paul's journey illustrates not only his personal transformation from a fierce persecutor to a faithful messenger but also the inclusive nature of the Gospel, which transcends ethnic and cultural boundaries. The Scripture reads, "Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me." (Acts 22:17).
This quick synopsis was AI autogenerated utilizing existing TheBibleSays commentaries as the primary source material. To read a related commentary that has been fully developed, see the list below. If there is an issue with this summary please let us know by emailing:[email protected]
Deeper Commentary Covering this Verse:
- Acts 22:17-21 meaning. After becoming a believer in Jesus, Paul returns to Jerusalem. While praying in the temple, Jesus appears to Paul in a vision and tells him to leave the city because people don’t trust him. Paul agrees; his ministry has not been effective in Jerusalem; the people remember how he persecuted the church and approved of Stephen the Deacon’s murder. Jesus commands Paul to go to the Gentiles far away and preach to them.
Other Relevant Commentaries:
- Acts 10:17-23 meaning. The Holy Spirit Tells Peter to Go with Cornelius’s Servants. Peter wonders what the vision meant. The men from Cornelius arrive at the house where he is staying, and the Spirit prompts him to go away with these men to wherever they will take him; to trust them, because they were sent by the Spirit. Peter obeys. He greets the men, hears how their master was visited by an angel, who told Cornelius to find Peter in Joppa. Peter invites them to stay for the night before they leave. The next morning Peter and a few other Jews head to Caesarea with Cornelius’s servants.
- Acts 17:1-9 meaning. After leaving Philippi, Paul, Silas, and Timothy make their way further west into Macedonia. In the city of Thessalonica, Paul preaches at a Jewish synagogue. For three Sabbaths, he uses the Old Testament to show that Jesus was the Messiah, who was prophesied to die and resurrect. A significant number of the Jews, God-fearing gentiles, and important women believe in Jesus. Other Jews are filled with jealousy. They rouse a mob and tear through the city. The mob alerts the authorities to Paul’s presence in town, that he and his teachings are upsetting other cities in the Roman Empire. They claim that what he teaches is opposed to Caesar, because he is corrupting people into believing in a false king named Jesus.
- Acts 22:6-16 meaning. Acts 22:6-16 continues Paul’s testimony. He relays how the resurrected Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, blinding him and calling him to stop his persecution. In Damascus, a believer named Ananias healed Paul’s vision, baptized him, and told him that God had chosen Paul to preach the gospel.