Acts 22:21 kjv
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Acts 22:21 nkjv
Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' "
Acts 22:21 niv
"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' "
Acts 22:21 esv
And he said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
Acts 22:21 nlt
"But the Lord said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'"
Acts 22 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:3 | I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse... | God's promise of universal blessing through Abraham |
| Isa 42:6 | "I am the LORD; I have called you... I will make you a covenant for the people, a light for the Gentiles" | Prophecy of the Servant as a light to Gentiles |
| Isa 49:6 | "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." | Isaiah's Servant is a light for all nations |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." | Jeremiah's calling to the nations |
| Zech 8:23 | "In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold... 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" | Gentile inclusion in future kingdom |
| Mal 1:11 | "For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations..." | God's global worship and glory |
| Matt 28:19 | "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them..." | The Great Commission to all nations |
| Mark 16:15 | "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." | Jesus' command to global evangelism |
| Luke 2:32 | "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." | Simeon's prophecy about Jesus |
| John 10:16 | "And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also..." | Jesus speaks of gathering other sheep (Gentiles) |
| Acts 1:8 | "But you will receive power... and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem... and to the end of the earth." | Witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth |
| Acts 9:15 | "But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.'" | Paul's specific calling to the Gentiles by Jesus |
| Acts 13:2 | "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" | Holy Spirit commission to missionary work |
| Acts 13:47 | "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" | Paul and Barnabas affirming their Gentile mission |
| Acts 15:7-9 | Peter recounting God giving Gentiles the Holy Spirit without discrimination. | God showing no partiality towards Gentiles |
| Acts 26:17-18 | "I will deliver you from your people and from the Gentiles... to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God..." | Jesus reaffirms Paul's Gentile mission during trial |
| Rom 1:5 | "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations..." | Paul's calling for faith among all nations |
| Rom 11:11 | "...so that through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous." | Gentile salvation provoking Israel |
| Rom 15:16 | "...a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God..." | Paul as a priest serving the Gentiles |
| Gal 1:16 | "...to reveal his Son in me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..." | Paul's personal account of his Gentile call |
| Eph 3:8 | "...to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," | Paul entrusted with Gentile evangelism |
| Col 1:27 | "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." | The mystery of Christ revealed to Gentiles |
Acts 22 verses
Acts 22 21 Meaning
Acts 22:21 details a direct, divine command given to Saul (Paul) by the Lord Jesus Christ. It signifies Paul's explicit commissioning as an apostle to the non-Jewish world, called "Gentiles," a mission that would take him to distant lands. This instruction solidifies the universal scope of the Gospel, extending God's saving grace beyond the people of Israel to all nations.
Acts 22 21 Context
Acts 22:21 is spoken by Paul (formerly Saul) during his defense before a Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. Paul, having been arrested after being wrongly accused, is recounting his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus and subsequent events, specifically an additional vision he received in the Temple in Jerusalem. He is attempting to explain his actions and his message, especially concerning the inclusion of Gentiles, which was a deeply contentious issue for many Jews. The crowd, largely Jewish, was intensely nationalistic and zealous for the Mosaic Law and the traditions of their fathers. This statement, directly quoting Jesus' command to minister to Gentiles, was the precise trigger that caused the crowd to erupt in violent opposition, proving the extreme cultural and religious tension surrounding his mission.
Acts 22 21 Word analysis
And he said to me: This identifies the speaker as Jesus Christ and the recipient as Paul (Saul at the time of the vision). It emphasizes a direct, personal communication from the divine authority. This revelation occurs in the Temple (Acts 22:17), which for a devout Jew like Paul, underscored its divine origin and significance.
‘Go’ (πορεύου – poreuomai): A strong imperative command, signaling an immediate and necessary action. It implies a change of direction and purpose, moving away from his previous life and focus. It suggests embarking on a journey or mission.
‘for I will send you’ (ἐξαποστελῶ – exapostellō): This Greek word signifies a sending out with authority, a deliberate and specific commission for a task, often from a superior to an inferior. The "I" (Jesus) is emphasized, underscoring the divine sender and the divine origin of Paul's apostleship. This is a divine mandate, not a self-chosen path, reinforcing Paul's claims later in his epistles (e.g., Gal 1:1). The dual emphasis ("Go, for I will send you") highlights the divine compulsion and authority behind the mission.
‘far away’ (μακράν – makran): This adverb literally means a great distance. It conveys the vast geographical scope of the mission. It suggests traveling to distant, unfamiliar territories, far from the Jewish homeland and its cultural influence. This also implies leaving behind what is comfortable or familiar.
‘to the Gentiles’ (τοῖς ἔθνεσιν – tois ethnesin): This plural noun (ethnē) specifically refers to "nations" or "peoples" distinct from the Jews, typically those who do not worship the God of Israel. For a Jewish audience, this was highly provocative. It designated the primary recipients of Paul's message and ministry, fundamentally shifting the focus from Jewish exclusivity to a universal outreach. This challenged deeply ingrained ethnic and religious boundaries and identity, making it the most inflammatory part of Paul's testimony to his Jewish hearers (Acts 22:22).
Word-groups analysis:
"And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you’": This entire phrase underscores the absolute authority of the sender, Jesus, and the inescapable nature of the commission for Paul. It’s not an invitation but a definitive assignment rooted in divine power. The sequence is clear: a command ("Go") backed by the promise and power of divine commissioning ("I will send you").
"far away to the Gentiles": This phrase defines the parameters and profound challenge of Paul's mission. "Far away" emphasizes the physical and perhaps even cultural distance Paul would traverse, while "to the Gentiles" names the unexpected, previously excluded target audience, radically broadening the scope of salvation beyond Judaism. This designation also implies the need to bridge immense cultural, religious, and social gaps.
Acts 22 21 Bonus section
The significance of this commissioning occurring in the Temple adds another layer of meaning. The Temple was the very heart of Jewish identity, worship, and the Mosaic covenant. For Jesus to command Paul to a mission "to the Gentiles" from within this sacred Jewish space highlights the new covenant's transcendence of ethnic and ritual boundaries, marking a pivotal moment in redemptive history where the epicenter of God's activity was moving beyond the confines of Jerusalem. This Temple vision is also recounted in Acts 9:15 and 26:17-18, emphasizing the centrality and consistent nature of Paul's divine commission across different narratives.
Acts 22 21 Commentary
Acts 22:21 encapsulates the very essence of Paul's calling and the expansion of the early church beyond its Jewish origins. Spoken by Jesus during a pivotal vision to Paul in the Temple, it establishes the divine authority for his radical ministry. The twofold command "Go... I will send you" stresses the divine impetus and nature of Paul's apostleship, removing any doubt that this was his own initiative. The mission, to be conducted "far away," underscores the global reach God intended for the Gospel. Most profoundly, the destination "to the Gentiles" shattered centuries of Jewish particularism, signaling that God's grace and salvation were freely extended to all nations. This message, liberating for the world, was, paradoxically, intensely offensive to Paul's Jewish audience in Jerusalem, demonstrating the profound paradigm shift Christ initiated. It affirms that salvation through Christ is not ethnically bounded but universally offered.