Acts 22:17-30
“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
But the mention of his mission to the Gentiles creates a fresh furore. Taken inside to be questioned under torture. Paul is strapped down , and about to be flogged, when he declares his Roman citizenship.
The story here differs in emphasis from the account in chapter 22. The goads are the pressures compelling Paul to a complete change of direction in life.
Why?
Paul's life changed for the appearance before him and show the vision to him.
The Lord send Paul to the gentiles for God loves everyone in the world, not only Jews.
But Jews refuse to listen Paul's explanation, so they raised their voices and shouted.
To be a Roman citizen has better treatment before Roman commander, so to be God's kingdom's citizen has better treatment before the Lord either.
How?
How great to be a citizen of God' nation.
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