And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
Paul was praying in the temple at Jerusalem when Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him to leave the city quickly because its people would not receive his testimony about Him. He answered by reminding the Lord that the Jews there well knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue, for he had been a zealous persecutor of Christ's followers even to death. He offered that well-known record and his complete change as the reason they might listen to and be persuaded by his testimony. He pleaded to remain from yearning love for his brethren and from guilt over his part in Stephen's death, hoping to make amends by boldly vindicating the truth even at the cost of his own life. Christ overruled his plea and commanded him to depart from Jerusalem, appointing and sending him to preach Christ to the Gentiles.
Context and Meaning
Paul was praying in the temple at Jerusalem when Jesus appeared to him in a trance or vision. In that appearance he was told to make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they would not receive his testimony concerning Him. This came after the Jews plotted to kill him, and it was to this command that Paul answered with the words of the verse.
In the verse he reminds the Lord that the Jews, the people and leaders in Jerusalem, knew he had imprisoned and beaten in every synagogue those who believed on Jesus. His former persecution of Christ's followers, even to death, was well known to them. He had been a religious zealot, exceedingly mad against the truth about Jesus, going through the country haling men and women and committing them to prison. Belief of a falsehood had not made him kind, tender, and compassionate.
That well-known record and his dramatic change of allegiance he offered as his reason for thinking the Jews might heed and be persuaded by his testimony. He believed his past conduct made his changed testimony about Jesus especially forceful to them. He thought his former persecution of Christians would make his testimony about his conversion persuasive to his brethren and former associates.
Plea Denied, Gentile Commission
Paul lingered in Jerusalem out of yearning love for the Jews, his brethren and former associates, pleading to be allowed to stay and bring them to the truth rather than leave them. He felt it would be cowardice to flee, and he argued that his well-known change of allegiance would persuade them since they knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue. He offered that record of former persecution as his reason for thinking they might heed his testimony about Jesus.
His eagerness to remain was driven by guilt over his active part in Stephen's martyrdom and death, which he longed to wipe out and make amends for by boldly vindicating the truth Stephen had died for. He felt especially responsible to persuade the Jews because they knew of his persecution of Christ's followers, and he was willing even to yield his own life for the truth in order to settle that guilt. Even dying for the truth, he felt, would not repay his guilt over Stephen.
Christ overruled his plea and commanded him to depart from Jerusalem quickly, because they would not receive his testimony concerning Him. He was directed away from Jerusalem and sent and appointed to carry the truth to the Gentiles and preach Christ among them. God's purpose was that he leave Jerusalem for that Gentile work rather than remain there.
The encounter while he was praying in the temple presented his commission and broad missionary field with great clarity and remarkable distinctness. This stood in contrast to Peter, James and John, who were appointed to preach Christ among their own countrymen at home. To prepare Paul for his extensive and important work, God brought him into close connection and fellowship with Himself and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of the beauty and glory of heaven.
That vision and appointment prepared him to turn to the Gentiles and preach Christ to them when the Jews rejected the message. The direction away from Jerusalem to carry the truth to the Gentiles also led the believers to recognize him as a chosen messenger and to help him escape Jerusalem.
Paul was praying in the temple at Jerusalem when Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him to leave the city quickly because its people would not receive his testimony about Him. He answered by reminding the Lord that the Jews there well knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue, for he had been a zealous persecutor of Christ's followers even to death. He offered that well-known record and his complete change as the reason they might listen to and be persuaded by his testimony. He pleaded to remain from yearning love for his brethren and from guilt over his part in Stephen's death, hoping to make amends by boldly vindicating the truth even at the cost of his own life. Christ overruled his plea and commanded him to depart from Jerusalem, appointing and sending him to preach Christ to the Gentiles.
Context and Meaning
Paul was praying in the temple at Jerusalem when Jesus appeared to him in a trance or vision. In that appearance he was told to make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they would not receive his testimony concerning Him. This came after the Jews plotted to kill him, and it was to this command that Paul answered with the words of the verse.
In the verse he reminds the Lord that the Jews, the people and leaders in Jerusalem, knew he had imprisoned and beaten in every synagogue those who believed on Jesus. His former persecution of Christ's followers, even to death, was well known to them. He had been a religious zealot, exceedingly mad against the truth about Jesus, going through the country haling men and women and committing them to prison. Belief of a falsehood had not made him kind, tender, and compassionate.
That well-known record and his dramatic change of allegiance he offered as his reason for thinking the Jews might heed and be persuaded by his testimony. He believed his past conduct made his changed testimony about Jesus especially forceful to them. He thought his former persecution of Christians would make his testimony about his conversion persuasive to his brethren and former associates.
Plea Denied, Gentile Commission
Paul lingered in Jerusalem out of yearning love for the Jews, his brethren and former associates, pleading to be allowed to stay and bring them to the truth rather than leave them. He felt it would be cowardice to flee, and he argued that his well-known change of allegiance would persuade them since they knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue. He offered that record of former persecution as his reason for thinking they might heed his testimony about Jesus.
His eagerness to remain was driven by guilt over his active part in Stephen's martyrdom and death, which he longed to wipe out and make amends for by boldly vindicating the truth Stephen had died for. He felt especially responsible to persuade the Jews because they knew of his persecution of Christ's followers, and he was willing even to yield his own life for the truth in order to settle that guilt. Even dying for the truth, he felt, would not repay his guilt over Stephen.
Christ overruled his plea and commanded him to depart from Jerusalem quickly, because they would not receive his testimony concerning Him. He was directed away from Jerusalem and sent and appointed to carry the truth to the Gentiles and preach Christ among them. God's purpose was that he leave Jerusalem for that Gentile work rather than remain there.
The encounter while he was praying in the temple presented his commission and broad missionary field with great clarity and remarkable distinctness. This stood in contrast to Peter, James and John, who were appointed to preach Christ among their own countrymen at home. To prepare Paul for his extensive and important work, God brought him into close connection and fellowship with Himself and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of the beauty and glory of heaven.
That vision and appointment prepared him to turn to the Gentiles and preach Christ to them when the Jews rejected the message. The direction away from Jerusalem to carry the truth to the Gentiles also led the believers to recognize him as a chosen messenger and to help him escape Jerusalem.