Paul & You - Not That Different

Chapter 22

21:40-22:6 - finding commonality - Paul is a genius. First, he is multi-lingual (which isn't as big a deal as it seems to us in America today) and he chooses to go with Aramaic. Second, he finds another commonality - zeal for the law and being a Jew. He mentions that he was under Gamaliel in verse 3 - the same Gamaliel we see in chapter 5. All of this is disarming to his listeners (at least initially). What can we learn from this? I think I notice first the differences between myself and someone who is not a follower. Instead, I should seek to pursue common ground.

vv.14-15 - hardly any difference - as I read what Ananias said to Paul, this thought rang through my head: Chris, that's true of you as well...there's not much difference between Paul and you. Of course, my reaction to that was, "of course there's a HUGE difference between Paul and myself - we're not even close." If we look at these observations and challenges God gives Paul through Ananias, I do believe they apply to us. First, the observations:

1. Paul was chosen by God - there's no question the Bible teaches that you are chosen as well (see Eph. 1:11)


2. Paul was chosen to know God's will - again, this applies to us as well


3. Paul was chosen to see the Righteous One - Paul (when he was Saul) may have seen Jesus in Jerusalem, but he never really saw Jesus on the road to Damascus (he saw a light and was blinded). The word "see" used in this verse can also be defined as "to see with the mind" or "to become acquainted with by experience." This is true of us in relation to Jesus - we can "see" Him in His church, we can "see" Him in our own lives, and we can "become acquainted with Him by experience" almost anytime we are obedient.


4. Paul was chosen to hear words from His mouth - Paul actually did hear Jesus's voice on the road to Damascus. We probably won't hear His voice audibly, but we can hear His voice through His Word and through the Body of Christ.

Now the challenge: you will be my witnesses to all men of what you have seen and heard. Certainly, Paul took this challenge and excelled with it (understatement). This is a challenge, however, that we can pursue as well. Notice the challenge is not to build the church or "win souls" (both of which are God's job). Our challenge is to tell people simply what we've experienced. How are we doing at that?

v.16 - Does water wash away sins? - this can be a confusing verse, on the surface. However, it doesn't make sense if we look a little closer. First, the idea that a physical act (going under water) can have a spiritual impact (forgiveness of sins; making one justified before God) is a bit of a stretch. Second, the agent of spiritual cleansing is "calling on His name," a phrase he uses at the end of the verse. Paul didn't believe that water baptism is the agent of spiritual cleansing - it was the public evidence that you had been spiritually cleansed. We know he believes this from passages such as 1 Cor. 6:11 and 1 Pet. 3:21. We also know he believes this from his own salvation experience - he was changed/transformed/cleansed through his experience on the Damascus road. Later, he was baptized to give public evidence of what had happened on that road.

vv.23-29 - God using our circumstances - I'm first struck (no pun intended here) by the fact that the Roman soldier was going to flog Paul because of this disturbance. Flogging was terribly severe - some died from it, many were crippled from it. All this because the Jews got in a tizzy. I doubt this Roman soldier even understood or could prove that Paul was an instigator (since the conversation was in Aramaic). Man, the Romans were a tough bunch.

The bigger item to note is how God used Paul's heritage and family of origin. Paul was born into a family where his father was a Roman citizen and, therefore, he inherited that citizenship from his dad. Why had Paul been born to that particular family? Because God was overseeing this entire deal and would use it years/decades later at this time. How many times has God done something for us or with us in our past that proves beneficial to us now?