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This account of Paul’s vision in the Temple is new information that was not found in the earlier part of Acts. In Acts 9, Ananias tells Paul that God is sending him to the Gentiles. But in Acts 22, Paul does not say Ananias told him about his commission, but God himself tells Paul this while Paul was worshiping in the temple. This is a significant change Paul may have made to appeal to the audience: Jews who worship in the Temple. Paul emphasizes this vision because he was in the Temple praying when he received it. How could he now be accused of desecrating the Temple?
Paul says that he “fell into a trance.” This word “trance” is usually translated as “amazed” or “astonished”, but in this passage and in Acts 10-11, it is clearly used to describe a state of viewing something supernatural, such as Peter’s divine calling. There may be a reason for using this phrase here, to parallel what happened to Paul with what eventually happened to Peter in Acts 10.
The content of this vision is a warning that he will not have success among the people of Jerusalem. Because of this, scholars often draw parallels between Paul’s experience here and Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 6. Both occur while they are praying in the temple, and both are told they will not have success. But this is where the parallels end. Isaiah remains in Jerusalem and continues his ministry, knowing that a righteous remnant remains in the city. Paul is explicitly told to leave the city.
When did Paul receive this vision (in the chronology of Acts)? Acts 9:29-30 indicates Paul came to Jerusalem briefly and tried to reason with the “Grecian Jews.” This threatened Paul’s life, and the brothers helped him leave for Tarsus. However, Luke does not tell us that Paul was warned in a vision. Galatians 1:18-21 mentions a trip to Jerusalem three years after his conversion. This is either the same trip as Acts 9:29-30 or another later trip. Acts 9 is not very clear in chronology, but three years may have passed before he finally went to Jerusalem to meet the apostles.
The Lord tells Paul that he has been sent to the Gentiles. While Paul objects to this commission based on his approval of Stephen’s execution, the Lord sends him “far away” to the Gentiles.
Hearing that Paul was sent to the Gentiles gets the Jews to demand that he be killed (22:22-29). Why? Because they shout and throw dust cloaks into the air, it appears that they take Paul’s speech as blasphemy. Rather than accomplishing his goal (reconciliation with the Jewish crowd), he has angered them even more. The seeds of the nationalistic rebellion against Rome are already present in Jerusalem in the late 50s. The revolt begins only about eight years after Paul causes a riot in the Temple. The nationalistic fervor that fuels the rebellion is already at work in the Temple.
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