Acts 22:1-5

Paul begins his defense before the mob that had just tried to kill him. He has quite the credentials, which I am sure many of them were unaware of. He was one of their own, yet they had tried to kill him based on the word of a few unsettled Jews from Asia.

Notice the honor with which he addresses them—“Brothers and esteemed fathers.” Despite everything they had just done to him, Paul speaks to them with respect. He is basically giving them the background of what brought him to this day. What he has said to them thus far, they have no quarrel with. As he continues, however, we will see their prejudices come out in full color.

What do we say when we are given such platforms to speak? As we will see, Paul uses this opportunity to get as much of the Gospel out as possible, leaving them with some serious things to reflect upon. For instance, what would cause a man of his stature to walk away from such prestige? Some believe that, as a student of Gamaliel, Paul was being groomed for a prominent position within Judaism. What would cause a man like that to walk away from it all, putting his reputation—and ultimately his life—on the line?

The answer was simple: he had encountered Jesus.

Once Paul knew the truth, everything he had once considered gain became secondary to knowing Christ. Yet God did not waste any of Paul’s former training. In God’s hands, even Paul’s past became preparation for his future.

In fact, there may have been no one more uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between the Old and New Covenants. Paul possessed an extensive knowledge of the Law, yet he had also received a firsthand revelation of grace from the Lord Jesus. He understood both sides because he had lived both sides. The man who had once zealously defended the Law would now spend the rest of his life proclaiming the One to whom the Law had been pointing all along.

It is another reminder that God wastes nothing. Our education, experiences, successes, failures, and even the roads we once traveled before knowing Him can become tools in His hands. We may not understand at the time why certain things have been part of our journey, but God sees the finished picture. What looks like an unrelated chapter to us may actually be preparation for a platform He intends to give us later.

The question is: When He gives us that platform, what will we do with it?

Paul used his to point people to Jesus.

To be continued…