This page offers Bible study questions for Acts 22, with a leader’s answer or discussion note for each one. It works for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal reflection. The questions move through what the chapter says, what it means, and how to live it, so you can use them in order or pick the ones that fit your time.
Acts 22 at a Glance
Paul stands before a crowd in Jerusalem after being seized in the temple. He speaks to them in Hebrew, which quiets them, and tells his own story: his upbringing under Gamaliel, his zeal against the followers of the Way, and his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. He recounts Ananias restoring his sight, his prayer in the temple, and the Lord’s command to go to the Gentiles.
When the crowd turns violent at the word “Gentiles,” the commanding officer orders Paul examined under the lash. Paul quietly asks whether it is lawful to scourge a Roman citizen who has not been tried. The officer realizes his mistake, and the next day he brings Paul before the council to learn the truth.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has read the chapter closely and agreed on what happens. Let people answer from the text before offering any explanation, and return to the verses when answers differ.
Acts 22:1-2
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.” 2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said…
(WEB)
Read these opening lines to set the scene and remind the group that Paul is addressing a hostile crowd. Notice how his first words are an appeal for a fair hearing before he says anything about Jesus.
Acts 22:6-8
6 As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. 7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’
(WEB)
This passage holds the heart of the conversion account. Reading it slowly helps the group hear the question and the identification, which are the center of Paul’s story.
Acts 22:14-16
14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
(WEB)
Ananias’s commission gives Paul his purpose and his next step. Reading it aloud lets the group hear the call to witness and the instruction to be baptized in one flow.
Acts 22:19-21
19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you. 20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’ 21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
(WEB)
Here Paul confesses his past and recounts the command to go to the Gentiles. This is the turning point that sparks the crowd’s anger, so reading it aloud helps the group feel the tension of the moment.
Acts 22:25-28
25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?” 26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!” 27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” 28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”
(WEB)
The exchange between Paul and the officer shows how a single question changes the course of events. Reading it aloud makes the shift from threat to fear clear and invites discussion of the Roman legal setting.
Memory Verse for Acts 22
Acts 22:15
For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
(WEB)
This verse names Paul’s calling in one sentence: he will be a witness of what he has seen and heard. Memorizing it gives the group a short, portable summary of what it means to bear witness to Christ in ordinary life.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you for the way you met Saul on the road and made him a witness of your Son. Thank you for the courage of Ananias, who welcomed a former enemy as a brother. Help us to tell our own stories honestly, to speak with humility when others resist us, and to trust you when our rights or safety are at stake. Give us hearts willing to be changed, and let our lives point others to the Righteous One we have come to know. Strengthen each person in this group to be a faithful witness wherever you have placed them this week. Amen.
