Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Acts
Book: Acts
Chapter: 22
Overview:
Paul's account of his
Conversion.
(1-11) Paul directed to
preach to the
Gentiles.
(12-21) The rage of the Jews,
Paul pleads
that he is a Roman citizen.
(22-30)
1-11 The
Apostle addressed the enraged multitude, in the
customary style of respect and good-will.
Paul relates the
history of his early
Life very particularly; he notices that his
Conversion was wholly the act of
God. Condemned sinners are
struck
Blind By the power of
Darkness, and it is a lasting
blindness, like that of the unbelieving Jews. Convinced sinners
are struck
Blind as
Paul was, not
By Darkness, but
By Light.
They are for a time brought to be at a loss within themselves,
but it is in order to their being enlightened. A simple relation
of the
Lord's dealings with us, in bringing us, from opposing,
to profess and promote his
Gospel, when delivered in a right
Spirit and manner, will sometimes make more impression that
laboured speeches, even though it amounts not to the full proof
of the
Truth, such as was shown in the change wrought in the
Apostle.
12-21 The
Apostle goes
On to relate how he was confirmed in the
change he had made. The
Lord having
Chosen the sinner, that he
should know his will, he is humbled, enlightened, and brought to
the knowledge of
Christ and his blessed
Gospel.
Christ is here
called that Just One; for he is
Jesus Christ the righteous.
Those whom
God has
Chosen to know his will, must look to
Jesus,
for
By him
God has made known his good-will to us. The great
Gospel privilege, sealed to us
By Baptism, is the
Pardon of
sins. Be baptized, and wash away thy sins; that is, receive the
comfort of the
Pardon of thy sins in and through
Jesus Christ,
and lay
Hold On his
Righteousness for that purpose; and receive
power against
Sin, for the mortifying of thy corruptions. Be
baptized, and
Rest not in the sign, but make sure of the thing
signified, the putting away of the filth of
Sin. The great
Gospel duty, to which
By our
Baptism we are bound, is, to seek
for the
Pardon of our sins in
Christ's name, and in dependence
On him and his
Righteousness.
God appoints his labourers their
Day and their place, and it is fit they should follow his
appointment, though it may
Cross their own will.
Providence
contrives better for us than we do for ourselves; we must refer
ourselves to
God's guidance. If
Christ send any one, his
Spirit
shall go along with him, and give him to see the
Fruit of his
labours. But nothing can reconcile
Man's
Heart to the
Gospel,
except the special
Grace of
God.
22-30 The Jews listened to
Paul's account of his
Conversion,
but the mention of his being sent to the
Gentiles, was
So
contrary to all their national prejudices, that they would hear
No more. Their frantic conduct astonished the Roman officer, who
supposed that
Paul must have committed some great crime.
Paul
pleaded his privilege as a Roman citizen,
By which he was
exempted from all trials and punishments which might force him
to confess himself guilty. The manner of his speaking plainly
shows what holy security and serenity of mind he enjoyed. As
Paul was a
Jew, in low circumstances, the Roman officer
questioned how he obtained
So valuable a distinction; but the
Apostle told him he was free born. Let us value that
Freedom to
which all the children of
God are born; which
No sum of
Money,
however large, can purchase for those who remain unregenerate.
This at once
Put a stop to his trouble. Thus many are kept from
evil practices
By the fear of
Man, who would not be held back
from them
By the fear of
God. The
Apostle asks, simply, Is it
lawful? He knew that the
God whom he served would support him
under all sufferings for his name's sake. But if it were not
lawful, the
Apostle's religion directed him, if possible, to
avoid it. He never shrunk from a
Cross which his Divine Master
laid upon his onward
Road; and he never stepped aside out of that
Road to take one up.