DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY DECEMBER 25
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!
DAILY BIBLE READING
Paul
Acts 22:1-30 Easy-to-Read Version
Paul Speaks to the People
1 Paul said, "My brothers and fathers, listen to me! I will make my defense
to you."
2 When the Jews heard Paul speaking Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then
Paul said,
3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. I grew up in this
city. I was a student of Gamaliel,[a] who carefully taught me everything
about the law of our fathers. I was very serious about serving God, the same
as all of you here today. 4 I persecuted the people who followed the Way.
Some of them were killed because of me. I arrested men and women and put
them in jail.
5 "The high priest and the whole council of older Jewish leaders can tell
you that this is true. One time these leaders gave me some letters. The
letters were to the Jewish brothers in the city of Damascus. I was going
there to arrest the followers of Jesus and bring them back to Jerusalem for
punishment.
Paul Tells About His Conversion
6 "But something happened to me on my way to Damascus. It was about noon
when I came close to Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from heaven shined
all around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
8 "I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The voice said, 'I am Jesus from Nazareth,
the one you are persecuting.' 9 The men who were with me did not understand
the voice, but they saw the light.
10 "I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord answered, 'Get up and go into
Damascus. There you will be told all that I have planned for you to do.' 11
I could not see, because the bright light had made me blind. So the men led
me into Damascus.
12 "In Damascus a man named Ananias[b] came to me. He was a man who was
devoted to God and obeyed the Law of Moses. All the Jews who lived there
respected him. 13 He came to me and said, 'Saul, my brother, look up and see
again!' Immediately I was able to see him.
14 "Ananias told me, 'The God of our fathers chose you long ago to know his
plan. He chose you to see the Righteous One and to hear words from him. 15
You will be his witness to all people. You will tell them what you have seen
and heard. 16 Now, don't wait any longer. Get up, be baptized and wash away
your sins, trusting in Jesus to save you.[c]'
17 "Later, I came back to Jerusalem. I was praying in the Temple area, and I
saw a vision. 18 I saw Jesus, and he said to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem
now! The people here will not accept the truth you tell them about me.'
19 "I said, 'But, Lord, the people know that I was the one who put the
believers in jail and beat them. I went through all the synagogues to find
and arrest the people who believe in you. 20 The people also know that I was
there when Stephen, your witness, was killed. I stood there and agreed that
they should kill him. I even held the coats of the men who were killing
him!'
21 "But Jesus said to me, 'Leave now. I will send you far away to the
non-Jewish people.'"
22 The people stopped listening when Paul said this last thing. They all
shouted, "Get rid of this man! He doesn't deserve to live." 23 They kept on
shouting, ripping off their clothes and throwing dust into the air.[d] 24
Then the commander told the soldiers to take Paul into the army building and
beat him. He wanted to make Paul tell why the people were shouting against
him like this. 25 So the soldiers were tying Paul, preparing to beat him.
But he said to an army officer there, "Do you have the right to beat a Roman
citizen[e] who has not been proven guilty?"
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and told him about
it. The officer said, "Do you know what you are doing? This man is a Roman
citizen!"
27 The commander came to Paul and said, "Tell me, are you really a Roman
citizen?"
He answered, "Yes."
28 The commander said, "I paid a lot of money to become a Roman citizen."
But Paul said, "I was born a citizen."
29 The men who were preparing to question Paul moved away from him
immediately. The commander was afraid because he had already put Paul in
chains, and he was a Roman citizen.
Paul Speaks to the Jewish Leaders
30 The next day the commander decided to learn why the Jews were accusing
Paul. So he ordered the leading priests and the whole high council to meet
together. He had Paul's chains taken off and had him brought in to face the
council.
Footnotes
Acts 22:3 Gamaliel A very important teacher of the Pharisees, a Jewish
religious group. See Acts 5:34.
Acts 22:12 Ananias In Acts there are three men with this name. See Acts 5:1
and 23:2 for the other two.
Acts 22:16 trusting in Jesus to save you Literally, "calling on his name,"
meaning to show faith in Jesus by worshiping him or praying to him for help.
Acts 22:23 ripping . air These actions were signs of very strong anger.
Acts 22:25 Roman citizen Roman law said that Roman citizens must not be
beaten before their trial. Also at 23:27.
