Mon. Aug. 25th :: Acts 22 :: Your Story

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city.
I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law
of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are
today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death,
arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison…

(Acts 22.3-4)

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When we left Paul he was standing in front of an angry mob preparing to give an account for why he was proclaiming the message of Jesus. And it was the way he did this that I find intriguing.

I find Paul’s speech intriguing because despite the fact that he was an expert lawyer/theologian, when it came time to give his account, Paul simply told his story. When it came time for Paul to speak he didn’t launch into a detailed theological argument (though he was certainly capable), and he didn’t enter into a historical narrative like Peter did in Acts 2. He simply told his story. He gave his testimony.

1) Here’s how I was before Jesus
2) Here’s what happened
3) Here’s what I’m up to now


Of all the methods of evangelism, I suspect this one is still the most effective.

No pamphlets.

No magic questions or one-liners.

No emotional buildup toward an altar call.


Just a regular person telling their regular story of how God changed them.



So here’s a question for you and I:

When was the last time we did that?

When was the last time we simply told our story and asked God to do the rest? It doesn't always result in mass conversions of course. It didn't in this chapter. Yet I suspect God was pleased with Paul nonetheless.