de Biblica1“Irmãos e pais, escutem-me no que vou dizer-vos em minha defesa.”2Quando o ouviram falar em hebraico, o silêncio tornou-se ainda maior.3“Sou judeu, nascido em Tarso, cidade da Cilícia, mas educado aqui em Jerusalém sob o ensino de Gamaliel, a cujos pés aprendi a seguir com muito cuidado a nossa Lei e costumes. O meu anseio era honrar a Deus em tudo o que fazia, tal como vocês procuram fazer hoje.4Assim, persegui os seguidores do Caminho até à morte, prendendo e entregando à prisão tanto homens como mulheres.5O sumo sacerdote pode confirmá-lo, ou até qualquer membro do conselho judaico, pois pedi-lhes que passassem cartas para os irmãos em Damasco, com instruções para me deixarem trazer acorrentado para Jerusalém qualquer cristão que encontrasse, para ser castigado.6Seguia eu pela estrada, já perto de Damasco, quando subitamente, cerca do meio-dia, brilhou em torno de mim uma luz muito forte vinda do céu.7Caí e ouvi uma voz que me dizia: ‘Saulo, Saulo, porque me persegues?’8‘Quem és tu, Senhor?’, perguntei. ‘Sou Jesus de Nazaré, aquele a quem persegues.’9Os homens que estavam comigo viram a luz, mas não compreenderam as palavras.10E eu disse: ‘Que devo eu fazer, Senhor?’ E o Senhor disse-me: ‘Levanta-te, entra em Damasco e aí te será dito o que deves fazer.’11A luz era tão forte que deixei de ver e tive de ser conduzido para Damasco pelos meus companheiros.12Aí, Ananias, homem obediente a Deus, devoto à Lei e que gozava da consideração de todos os judeus de Damasco,13veio ver-me e, chegando-se junto de mim, disse-me: ‘Irmão Saulo, recupera a vista!’ E naquele momento consegui vê-lo.14Então disse-me: ‘O Deus de nossos pais escolheu-te para conheceres a sua vontade, veres o Justo e ouvi-lo falar.15Deverás testemunhar diante de todos os homens aquilo que viste e ouviste.16Agora, não te demores. Levanta-te, vai batizar-te e lava os teus pecados, invocando o nome do Senhor.’17Um dia depois do meu regresso a Jerusalém, quando orava no templo, tive uma visão18em que Jesus me disse: ‘Apressa-te, sai de Jerusalém, pois não acreditarão em ti, quando lhes falares acerca de mim.’19‘Senhor’, respondi, ‘eles sabem, sem dúvida, que meti na prisão e espanquei os membros de todas as sinagogas que criam em ti.20E quando a tua testemunha, Estêvão, foi morta, lá estava eu manifestando a minha aprovação ao tomar conta da roupa dos que o apedrejavam.’21Mas o Senhor disse-me: ‘Sai de Jerusalém, pois vou mandar-te para longe, para os gentios!’ ”
Paulo, o cidadão romano
22A multidão escutou Paulo até ele dizer aquela palavra; mas, ao ouvi-la, todos gritaram a uma só voz: “Fora com esse homem! Matem-no! Não é digno de viver!”23Clamando eles e lançando ao ar a túnica, misturada com terra,24o comandante levou-o para dentro e ordenou que fosse açoitado, para que confessasse o crime, pois pretendia descobrir por que motivo a multidão se enfurecera daquela maneira.25Quando estavam a amarrar Paulo para o açoitar, este disse a um oficial que se encontrava perto: “Será legal chicotear um cidadão romano que nem sequer foi julgado?”26O oficial, ao ouvir isto, falou com o comandante e avisou-o: “Vê lá o que vais fazer! Trata-se de um cidadão romano!”27O comandante foi ter com Paulo e perguntou-lhe: “Diz-me, és cidadão romano?” “Sou, sim!”, respondeu Paulo.28“Também eu”, murmurou o comandante, “e esse direito custou-me muito dinheiro!” Paulo, por seu turno, respondeu: “Mas eu sou cidadão romano por nascimento!”29Os soldados que se preparavam para interrogar Paulo foram-se logo embora, quando souberam que era cidadão romano, e o próprio comandante ficou assustado por Paulo ser cidadão romano e por o ter amarrado.
Paulo é levado ao conselho judaico
30No dia seguinte, o comandante, desejoso de saber ao certo por que razão Paulo estava a ser acusado pelos judeus, tirou-lhe as cadeias e, mandando convocar os principais sacerdotes para uma sessão com o conselho, trouxe Paulo e apresentou-o.
Atos 22
English Standard Version
de Crossway1“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” (At 7:2)2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,[1] they became even more quiet. And he said: (At 21:40)3“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel[2] according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. (Dt 33:3; 2 Rs 4:38; Lc 10:39; Jo 16:2; At 5:34; At 9:11; At 21:20; At 21:39; At 26:5; Rm 10:2; Rm 11:1; 2 Co 11:22; Fp 3:5; Fp 3:6)4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, (At 5:20; At 8:1; At 8:3; At 9:2; At 22:19; At 22:20; At 26:10)5as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. (Lc 22:66; At 9:1; At 28:21; 1 Tm 4:14)6“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. (At 9:3; At 26:12)7And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’8And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ (At 26:9)9Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand[3] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. (Dn 10:7; At 9:7)10And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ (At 16:30)11And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.12“And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, (At 9:10; At 10:22; At 24:14)13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. (At 9:17; At 9:18)14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; (At 3:13; At 3:14; At 9:15; At 9:17; At 22:15; At 22:18; At 26:16; 1 Co 9:1; 1 Co 15:8; Gl 1:12)15for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. (At 4:20; At 22:14; At 23:11)16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ (Sl 51:2; At 2:38; At 9:14; At 9:18; 1 Co 6:11; Hb 10:22)17“When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance (Lc 18:10; At 3:1; At 9:26; At 10:10; At 11:5; At 26:20; 2 Co 12:1)18and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ (At 9:29)19And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. (Mt 10:17; At 22:4; At 26:11)20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ (At 7:58; At 8:1; At 26:10; Rm 1:32; Ap 2:13)21And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” (At 2:39; At 9:15)
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” (At 21:36; At 25:24)23And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,24the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. (At 21:34; At 22:29; At 23:10)25But when they had stretched him out for the whips,[4] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” (At 16:37)26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”27So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.”28The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”29So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. (At 16:38; At 21:33; At 22:24; At 23:27)
Paul Before the Council
30But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. (At 22:24; At 23:28)