Paul Bears His Testimony to the Jews and is Rejected

Today I read Acts 22 which is Paul testifying to the Jews in Jerusalem about his conversion and how it happened. The Jews completely reject what he says and he is taken away. I have often wondered about different cultures and the way they react to things. For example, Chinese and Japanese when they come up against something surprising or unbelievable, they fall, or sag down towards the ground. The Jews apparently rip and remove their clothing when they are upset. It is very strange to me where these customs and traditions come from. I mean removing your clothing because you are upset? That is just very, very strange. But it is in the Bible all throughout so I can't deny that it is there just because it is strange.

Paul is taken away from the crowd when they reject all of his words and taken by the centurion and has his hands bound and they are preparing to whip him when he asks if it is lawful to beat and bind a man who is a Roman citizen? Then centurion then goes to his chief captain and warns him that Paul is a Roman. The chief captain asks Paul if this is true and admits that he had to pay for his citizenship but Paul admits that he was born free. The centurion then unbinds him and sends away the man who was to scourge Paul.

From a doctrinal standpoint there really isn't anything in this chapter that we haven't already talked about many times and all Paul is doing is recounting his conversion story which we already know about and have talked about in the past. Nothing really struck me as unique about this chapter other than Paul once again doesn't let rejection get him down. He is bearing his testimony to these men and they flat out reject him and send him away to be beaten and whipped and they are not only ok with that fact but happy about it. I know it's a different culture but it is still incomprehensible to be.

But if there is anything we can learn from Paul it is to try and learn from his unconquerable spirit. He never lets the rejection or the manner of it get him down. He's been beaten, whipped and stoned and yet he still willingly came up to Jerusalem when he knew that it might all happen to him again. He truly feared God more than man. That is what I take away from Paul's life. He is a perfect example of doing what is right now matter what. Until tomorrow.