Acts 22:1-16 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 22:1-16. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Acts 22:1-15 (NIV)
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
3 “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 was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 as also the high priest and all 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.
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.
9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’
11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
On verses 1-15: Paul had spent years in Jewish synagogues throughout the Roman Empire defending the Christian faith and showing from the Hebrew Scriptures how Jesus Christ is the Messiah who died for our sins, rose from death and reigns forever as Lord. Yet notice that Paul doesn’t go into the Scriptures when defending himself in front of this Jewish audience, many of whom were bent on killing him. Instead, he shares his story, his testimony of how he encountered Jesus. It goes to show that your testimony about the way you encountered God is a powerful tool that you can use as part of defending your faith.
When you’re sharing your testimony, I suggest that you keep in relatively brief. See if you can share your testimony in 3 minutes or less where you cover: (1) what your life was like before you received Jesus, (2) what made you decide to receive Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, and (3) what difference having Jesus in your life has made. Always be ready to share your testimony with others. God can use it in a powerful way.
Acts 22:16 (NIV)
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
On verse 16: Here we see the importance of baptism. Baptism is the next step you take after receiving Jesus into your life. It’s not a graduation but a beginning. It’s not a statement about how good you are, but about how good God is. It’s not you saying you’re a perfect person. It’s you saying you’re a sinner who needs a Saviour and His name is Jesus. It’s not you putting your hope in yourself and what you do, but putting your hope in what Jesus Christ has done for you.
Have you been baptized to evidence your faith in Jesus? For more info on baptism, go to mythrive.info/baptism.
Father, thank You for the beautiful way that You rescued me. May I always be ready to tell that story and may You use my testimony as a powerful tool to lead others to You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
