Acts 22:18

"“When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance"

Key Reflection

In Acts 22:18, Paul recounts his experience of receiving divine revelation upon his return to Jerusalem. While praying in the temple, he entered a trance—a state that might have been induced by intense prayer and reflection. This event underscores the dramatic nature of his conversion, as it marks a pivotal moment where Paul directly experienced a divine message, setting the stage for his transformative journey and eventual ministry.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. And saw him. Evidently the Lord Jesus, Ac 22:14. He had received his commission from him, and he now received a distinct command to go to the Gentiles. For they will not receive. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, probably including both Jews and Christians. The Jews would not listen to him, because he had become, in their view, an apostate, and they would hate and persecute him. The Christians would not be likely to receive him, for they would remember his former persecutions, and would be suspicious of him, because he had been so long in Arabia, and had not sooner connected himself with them.

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