And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Parallel translations
- WEB “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
- BSB Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- NKJV Then He said to me, ‘Depart,for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
- NASB And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
- NLT “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Christ tells Paul to depart, for he will send him far away to the Gentiles. This is the climactic word that reveals Paul's calling to the nations.
Overview
The commission to the Gentiles is the turning point of Paul's defense and the flashpoint for the crowd's fury. It fulfills the promise that Christ would be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6; Acts 13:47). God's saving purpose reaches beyond Israel to embrace all peoples in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Acts 9:15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
- 1 Tim 2:7Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
- Eph 3:6–8That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
- Rom 15:16That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
- Gal 2:7–8But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
- Acts 13:46–47Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
- Rom 11:13For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
- 2 Tim 1:11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
- Gal 1:15–16But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
- Acts 26:17–18Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
- Rom 16:26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
- Acts 18:6And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
- Rom 1:5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
- Acts 13:2As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 22:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.