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"He also came to Jerusalem and offered all the sacrifices that belonged to him, and
omitted nothing that the law required; on which account he ordered that many of the
Nazarites should have their heads shorn. And for the golden chain which had been given
him by Caius, of equal weight with that iron chain wherewith his royal hands had been
bound, he hung it up within the limits of the temple, over the treasury that it might be a
memorial" (Ant. 19:, 6: 1).
The fact that Paul had been apprehended in the Temple, while associating himself
with those who had taken the Nazarite vow, and the fact that he now wore the Roman
chain, would no doubt make some appeal to Herod's son.
The Apostle begins by going over the ground already covered by Acts 9: and 22:--
his early life, his persecuting zeal and the vision on the road to Damascus. At verse 16,
however, he breaks new ground. Truth hitherto unrecorded is now revealed, and as this
new revelation is of vital importance to all who rejoice in the dispensation of the
Mystery, verse 16-18 must be given our closest attention. Let us note first that it is here
for the first time that we are told what the Lord Himself said to the Apostle on the road to
Damascus. It may, perhaps, be objected that this statement is not true, and that in
Acts 9: we can read for ourselves what the Lord said. To make sure about this point, let
us turn to Acts 9::
Verses 1 and 2 record the journey to Damascus.
Verses 3 and 4 record the vision and the voice.
Verse 5 reveals that it is the Lord Who speaks.
Verse 6 tells Paul to go into the city and wait for instructions.
Verses 15 and 16 record what the Lord said to Ananias about Paul, but that is all.
It is clear therefore, that what the Lord actually said to Paul is not recorded in
Acts 9:, and it will be found that this is also true of Acts 22: Chapter 22: records
the words of Ananias (verses 13-15), and we also learn that Paul was to be a witness of
all that he had seen and heard, but it is to Acts 26: that we must turn to learn for the
first time what the Lord actually said to Paul at his conversion and commission.
Two of the new features contained in this record are found in the words "Both", "I
will appear unto thee", and "Now I send thee" in verses 16 and 17, and in the summary
of doctrine contained in verse 18:
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified, by faith that is in Me."
The close association between these words and the doctrine of the epistles to the
Ephesians and Colossians will be obvious.
In contrast with this new commission, recorded here for the first time, is the old
commission to which the Apostle returns in verses 20-23. In these verses he preaches
"repentance", and proclaims "none other things than those which the prophets and Moses
did say should come"--which obviously could not refer to the mystery hid in God.