Day 315: Paul Speaks to the Crowd

Paul’s Powerful Story — Speaking the Truth in Chains (Acts 21:37–22:29)

Have you ever had to speak up for yourself when people misunderstood you? In Acts 21:37–22:29, the Apostle Paul gets a chance to speak for himself after a wild and violent scene. He uses this moment not to defend his reputation—but to tell people how Jesus changed his life.

Let’s break it down and see what happened.

Paul Asks to Speak

Paul had just been arrested after a riot in the temple (Acts 21:18–36). As the Roman soldiers were taking him into the fortress, Paul asked the commander if he could speak. The commander was surprised that Paul spoke Greek—he thought Paul might be an Egyptian rebel who had caused trouble before.

But Paul explained, “I’m a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a well-known city. Please let me talk to the crowd.”

The commander allowed it.

Paul Shares His Testimony

Standing on the steps, Paul raised his hand to quiet the crowd. When they heard him speak in Aramaic (a common local language), they became even more silent and curious.

Paul began telling his story:

  1. His Background

    • “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus but raised in Jerusalem.”

    • “I studied under Gamaliel (a respected teacher) and followed the law carefully.”

    • “I was very passionate about serving God—so passionate that I persecuted Christians.”

  2. His Mission to Arrest Christians

    • Paul said he used to arrest Christians and send them to prison.

    • He got letters from religious leaders to go to Damascus and arrest more followers of Jesus.

  3. His Encounter with Jesus

    • “On the way to Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.”

    • “I fell to the ground and heard a voice say, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’”

    • “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ and the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’”

    • “The men with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice.”

  4. His Blindness and Healing

    • Paul was blinded by the light and led into Damascus.

    • A man named Ananias, a devout Jew, came and prayed for him.

    • Paul’s sight was restored, and he was baptized.

  5. His Call to Preach

    • God told Paul that He had chosen him to know His will, see Jesus, and tell others what he had seen and heard.

The Crowd Listens—Until One Word

Up to this point, the crowd listened closely. But then Paul said something that made them furious:

“God told me, ‘Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

At that word—Gentiles—the crowd erupted in anger. They shouted:

“Away with him! He isn’t fit to live!”

They threw off their cloaks and threw dust in the air, a sign of outrage.

Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship

The Roman commander ordered that Paul be taken inside and whipped to find out why the people were so angry.

But as they prepared to beat him, Paul calmly asked:

“Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t had a trial?”

This shocked the soldier. Roman citizens had legal rights, and one of them was protection from being punished without a trial.

The commander rushed to Paul and asked, “Are you really a Roman citizen?”

Paul replied, “Yes, I was born one.”

The commander had paid a lot of money to become a citizen, but Paul had it by birth. Immediately, they stopped the beating, and the commander became afraid because he had almost broken Roman law.

What We Can Learn from Acts 21:37–22:29

  1. Your story matters
    Paul used his personal story—his testimony—to show how Jesus can transform anyone. You don’t need fancy words. Just tell people what Jesus has done in your life.

  2. God can use your past
    Paul once hurt Christians. But God used even that past to help others understand how powerful His grace is. No matter your background, God can use you.

  3. Speak with boldness and respect
    Paul was bold, but he wasn’t rude. He showed respect for the law and used wisdom when he mentioned his Roman citizenship.

  4. The gospel is for everyone
    The crowd got angry when Paul mentioned Gentiles. But this shows us how radical God’s love is—Jesus came to save all people, not just one group.

Final Thought:

Paul didn’t waste a moment—even in chains, he looked for a chance to tell people about Jesus. Whether people listened or not, he stayed true to the mission God gave him.

May we be just as bold in sharing our faith, no matter the situation.

Acts 21:37-22:29 (WEB)

21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, “May I speak to you?”
He said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Aren’t you then the Egyptian who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”
39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”
40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”
2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet.
He said, 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
6 “As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’
9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me. 10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’ 19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you. 20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’
21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”
23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air, 24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that. 25 When they had tied him up with straps, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”
26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”
27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”
He said, “Yes.”
28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.”
Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”
29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.