I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
Parallel translations
- WEB I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
- KJV And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
- NKJV I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
- NASB I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,
- NLT And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.
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
Paul admits he persecuted 'this Way' to the death, imprisoning men and women. He confesses his former violent hostility to the very faith he now preaches.
Overview
'The Way' was an early name for the Christian movement (Acts 9:2). Paul's candid confession of having persecuted believers underscores the radical nature of his transformation and magnifies God's grace (1 Timothy 1:13-16). The chief opponent of Christ became his chief apostle, a living display of the gospel's power to save the worst of sinners.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Acts 22:19–20‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
- Acts 26:9–11So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
- 1 Tim 1:13–15I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- 1 Cor 15:9For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Acts 16:17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
- Acts 8:1–4And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
- Acts 18:26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him in and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
- Acts 7:58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Acts 19:23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- Acts 9:21All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
- Acts 19:9But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Acts 9:1–2Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
- Acts 24:14I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,
- Phil 3:6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.
- Acts 9:13–14But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
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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 22:4 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
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