Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Acts
Chapter 22: Be Baptized, and Wash Away Thy Sins
Acts 22 records Paul's defense to the raging crowd from the castle stairs, in which he retells his conversion. He was a zealous Jew, taught 'at the feet of Gamaliel,' who 'persecuted this way unto the death,' until the risen Jesus met him on the Damascus road in a blaze of light: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?... I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.' Sent to Ananias, Paul heard the call that has echoed to every sinner since: 'And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' He recounts his commission, 'I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles', at which the crowd erupts, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth.' As the soldiers prepare to scourge him, Paul reveals that he is a Roman citizen, uncondemned, and the alarmed captain releases him. The chapter shows us the risen Lord who arrests His enemies, the Apostolic call to be baptized and wash away sins in His name, and the God who guards His servant even by the rights of citizenship.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Acts chapter 22. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul recounts his conversion and the call to be baptized and wash away his sins, and is spared scourging by his Roman citizenship. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Why Persecutest Thou Me?
The risen Jesus arrests His fiercest enemy.
Be Baptized, and Wash Away Thy Sins
Ananias speaks the Apostolic call to Saul.
Far Hence Unto the Gentiles
At this word the crowd erupts in fury.
A Man That Is a Roman
Paul's citizenship spares him the scourge.
Arise, and Be Baptized, and Wash Away Thy Sins (Acts 22:1-21)
Paul tells the crowd how the risen Jesus met him, and how Ananias called him to be baptized and washed of his sins.
Calling on the Name of the Lord
"Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles."
Word Study
"wash away," Greek apolouo (ἀπολούω). The word means to wash off, to wash away, to cleanse. Ananias tells Saul, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Here baptism, the washing away of sins, and calling on the name of the Lord are joined together in the new birth. This does not teach that water itself removes sin, for it is the blood of Christ that cleanses; but water baptism, received in faith and calling on the name of Jesus, is the appointed means through which God applies that cleansing, the outward act joined to the inward reality. Note the pattern, exactly as at Pentecost: repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. Even Saul, met personally by the risen Lord, blinded by glory, and praying three days, was told he still needed to "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Baptism in the name of Jesus is the Apostolic call to every believer for the washing away of sins.
Explanation
Paul recounts his conversion to the hostile crowd, and preserves the words Ananias spoke to him: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Even the great apostle's sins were washed away in baptism, invoking the name of Jesus -- the identical pattern preached at Pentecost (2:38). His testimony is his defense: he was a zealous persecutor until the risen Christ met him, and was sent "far hence unto the Gentiles." The very word "Gentiles" ignites the mob. Paul's autobiography is a gospel sermon, showing that grace can seize the fiercest enemy and that the door of baptism and the name of Jesus stands open even to him.
Gospel Focus
Standing bound before the very people who wanted to kill him, Paul makes his defense, and it is his testimony. Speaking in Hebrew, he wins their attention and establishes his credentials: a Jew, "brought up... at the feet of Gamaliel," "taught according to the perfect manner of the law," and "zealous toward God," so zealous that he "persecuted this way unto the death." He was no ignorant outsider but the church's fiercest enemy, and the high priest could confirm it. Then he recounts the turning point that no argument could explain away: on the Damascus road, "suddenly there shone from heaven a great light," he fell to the ground, and heard, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" When he asked, "Who art thou, Lord?", the answer changed his life forever: "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." The risen Jesus, whom Paul thought dead and whose followers he was destroying, was alive and glorified, and He identified Himself so fully with His people that to persecute them was to persecute Him. Paul's surrender was total, "What shall I do, Lord?", and he was sent, blind, into Damascus. There Ananias, a devout Jew, came and restored his sight, telling him that "the God of our fathers hath chosen thee" to know His will, to see "that Just One," and to be "his witness unto all men." And then the crucial word: "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Even Saul, converted on the road, met by Christ Himself, praying and fasting three days, was not told his sins were already washed away, but was commanded to be baptized and wash them away, calling on the name of the Lord. This is the Apostolic pattern of the new birth, the same Peter preached at Pentecost: repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus, and the washing away of sins. Paul goes on to recount how, later praying in the temple, the Lord warned him to leave Jerusalem quickly, and, over his objection that the Jews knew his violent past, commissioned him with the words that would enrage the crowd: "Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." The whole testimony exalts the risen Christ who arrests His enemies, the grace that saved the chief of sinners, and the call to every believer to be baptized and washed of sin in the name of the Lord.
Is It Lawful to Scourge a Man That Is a Roman? (Acts 22:22-30)
At the word "Gentiles" the crowd erupts, but Paul's Roman citizenship spares him the scourge.
Away With Such a Fellow From the Earth
"And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them."
Word Study
"uncondemned," Greek akatakritos (ἀκατάκριτος). The word means uncondemned, not yet tried or found guilty. Paul protests, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" Roman law forbade the scourging of a Roman citizen who had not been tried and condemned, and Paul lawfully appealed to this right. It was not cowardice or lack of faith to claim the protection of the law; God has ordained government to restrain evil and do justice, and His servants may rightly appeal to their lawful rights. Paul, who was "ready... to die at Jerusalem," did not seek suffering for its own sake, nor submit to injustice he could lawfully avoid. God used Paul's Roman citizenship, a providence prepared long before, to shield His servant from an illegal scourging and to open the way for him to bear witness before governors, a king, and at last Rome itself. The believer may use every lawful means, while trusting God's overruling hand.
Explanation
The crowd erupts at the mention of the Gentiles, and the Roman commander orders Paul scourged to learn the cause -- until Paul quietly asks whether it is lawful to scourge "a Roman, and uncondemned." His citizenship, held from birth, halts the whip and alarms his captors. Paul does not despise the providential protections God has woven into his life; he uses lawful rights to advance and shield the mission. The apostle who is ready to die for the name is also wise to claim his citizenship when it serves the gospel. God uses even Roman law to preserve His servant for the testimony yet to come before governors and Caesar.
Gospel Focus
The crowd listens quietly until Paul reaches the word "Gentiles." That God would send the gospel "far hence unto the Gentiles," receiving them without their becoming Jews, was intolerable to their national and religious pride, and they explode: "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." The same cry once raised against Jesus is raised against His servant; the offense of the gospel is that grace is free for all nations. Casting off their clothes and throwing dust in the air in a frenzy of rage, they leave the Roman captain baffled as to the cause, so he orders Paul examined by scourging, to force the truth from him. But as they bind him for the lash, Paul quietly asks the centurion, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" The claim changes everything. It was a serious crime under Roman law to scourge an untried citizen. The alarmed centurion reports to the captain, who comes and asks, "Art thou a Roman?" When Paul says yes, the captain notes that he purchased his own citizenship "with a great sum," and Paul replies, "But I was free born", his citizenship was his by birth, a higher standing. At once those about to scourge him withdraw, and the captain himself is "afraid," realizing he had already bound an uncondemned Roman. God used Paul's citizenship, a circumstance of his birth arranged by providence long before, to protect His servant and turn the situation. Paul did not seek suffering for its own sake; ready to die for Christ, he nonetheless lawfully claimed the protection the law afforded, for the believer may rightly use every lawful means while trusting God's hand. The next day, still seeking to learn the true charge, the captain looses Paul and sets him before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, opening the next stage of Paul's testimony. Through the rage of the mob and the machinery of Roman law, God's purpose advanced: the gospel that so offended the crowd was being carried, in the person of its bound but protected witness, ever closer to Rome, exactly as the Lord had promised. The section shows the offense of grace to the proud, the lawful use of one's rights, and the providence of God guarding His servant to fulfill His purpose.
Chapter 22 in Review
Acts 22 is Paul's testimony before the Jerusalem crowd. He recounts his zealous past as a persecutor, and how the risen Jesus met him on the Damascus road, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?... I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." He tells how Ananias restored his sight and called him, "arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord," and how the Lord commissioned him, "I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." At that word the crowd erupts, "Away with such a fellow," and as the soldiers prepare to scourge him, Paul reveals he is a Roman citizen, uncondemned, and is released, then set before the council.
For the Apostolic reader this chapter shines with the grace of God and the pattern of the new birth. Paul's conversion magnifies the risen Christ who arrests His fiercest enemy in a blaze of glory and so identifies with His people that to persecute them is to persecute Him. And Ananias's call to Saul is a clear witness to the Apostolic gospel: even a man met personally by the Lord, blinded and praying three days, was told still to "be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord", the same order Peter preached at Pentecost, repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus, and the washing away of sins. This was not the water itself but the blood of Christ applied through faith-filled baptism in His name, calling on that saving name. If the chief of sinners was called to be baptized and washed of his sins in Jesus' name, so is every believer. The chapter also shows the offense of the gospel to human pride, for the word that grace is for all nations threw the crowd into a murderous rage, and it shows the believer's lawful use of his rights, as Paul appealed to his citizenship, while God's providence, prepared long before, guarded His servant to carry the gospel on to Rome. So behold the grace that saved a persecutor, obey the call to be baptized and washed of your sins in the name of the Lord, do not be surprised at the world's offense at free grace, and trust the God who guards His servants and advances His purpose through every trial.
- The risen Christ so identifies with His people that persecuting them is persecuting Him (22:7-8).
- Even Saul was called to "be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (22:16).
- The Apostolic pattern: repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and the washing of sins (22:16).
- The gospel of grace for all nations offends human pride (22:21-22).
- The believer may lawfully use his rights while trusting God (22:25).
- God's providence guards His servant to fulfill His purpose (22:29-30).
Questions for Reflection
- Does the grace that saved a persecutor give you hope for any sinner, including yourself?
- Have you obeyed the call to be baptized and wash away your sins in the name of the Lord?
- Do you accept that the gospel's freeness will offend the proud?
- Do you trust God's providence to guard and guide you through every trial?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Paul's conversion accounts: Acts 9:1-19; 26:9-18; Galatians 1:11-17; 1 Timothy 1:12-16. Christ's union with His persecuted people: Matthew 25:40, 45; Colossians 1:24. Baptism in Jesus' name for the washing of sins: Acts 2:38; 8:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 3:21. Calling on the name of the Lord: Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32. The offense of the gospel: Galatians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Acts 13:45-46. Government and lawful rights: Romans 13:1-7; Acts 16:37; 25:11. God's providence over His servants: Psalm 34:7; Acts 23:11; 27:23-24. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Paul recounts his conversion: Acts 22:1-21; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:13.
- The crowd's rage and Paul's citizenship: Acts 22:22-30; Galatians 5:11; Romans 13:1-7.