Read Part One HERE
A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XXII - I
"I, Paul, looked at the crowd that had gathered at the temple here in Jerusalem..... It was hard to believe they were the same people who only a moment ago had been beating me... They may well have beaten me to death if the Roman Commander had not stepped in... I then began to speak to them in Aramaic....For that is the language they speak... I began to share with them that I too am Jewish as they are....And that I love God just as they do.... I told them as well that I was trained by none other than Gamaliel....Everyone in Jerusalem knows and respects Gamaliel... It is a real honour to have been trained by Gamaliel.... I next shared with them that I was the great persecutor of the followers of Jesus... Because I believed that pleased God....And that I had even gone to Damascus to find these followers of Jesus."....Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn what Paul began to share with the crowd in front of the temple....
ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XXII - I
Paul had been saved from the rioters in Jersualem by the Roman Commander who allowed him to speak to the crowd. And he spoke to them in Aramaic as you can read in Acts 22:2
When they heard in speak in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Paul knew it was important for the people to know who he was and what his background was as you can read in Acts 22:3
Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and just as jealous for God as any of you are today."
Paul wanted these Jewish people in front of him to know that he was one of them for he too was a Jew, like they were. Moreover, he had been trained in the law of Moses. He, furthermore, told them who had trained him in the law of Moses: it was none other than Gamaliel who had trained him. Everyone there would have known Gamaliel for he was a very well known and highly respected Pharisee.
He next shared with them that as a trained Pharisee, he had begun to persecute the followers of the Way, not just in Jerusalem, but all the way to Damascus as you can read in Acts 22:4-5
"I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the High Priest and the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished."
The crowd in front of him listened intently to Paul as he shared these details with them.
Read Part Twelve HERE
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