Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, Acts 22:23

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The tense of the verbs is all wrong in the NKJV. The Greek uses present participles, saying – “And they – howling and hurling their garments and casting dust into the air” (CG).

In the previous verse, the crowd before Paul shouted out for him to be removed from the earth, not being fit to live. With that, it next says, “And they – howling.”

It is a word that signifies clamor. It is properly identified with the loud bay or croaking of animals. Thus, it can signify shouting, shrieking, etc. Plato used it when describing the howling of dogs. These people, who were supposedly the holy nation of the law, had assumed the aspect of unclean canine, yelping as if a pack of rabid Dobermans. Next, it says, “and hurling their garments.”

It is a word found only here in Scripture, rhipteó. It signifies to cast or hurl. In this case, one can see them like a bunch of angry school children ready to fight. They pull their outer garments off and toss them in the air or to the ground, away from their bodies, thus freeing themselves for a rumble. It then adds, “and casting dust into the air.”

It is a metaphor for their conduct about Paul. He is a man of the dust, and they are recommending he be returned to dust. It is a sign of great distress and, at times, mourning. The scene may seem almost comical to us, but what is written here is the customary way of showing both anger and a sense of anguish over what they perceive as blasphemy.

Even today, we can see this type of Middle Eastern rage on TV as people show their offense or revulsion in similar displays. Both acts also have to be considered in light of Paul’s detention by the Romans.

The Jews knew that they couldn’t stone Paul while he was in Roman custody. But showing him that this is what they would do if he wasn’t protected by them, they 1) cast off their clothing, a sign that they were readying to stone him; 2) they threw dust into the air, a sign that if he wasn’t surrounded by Romans, it would be rocks instead of dust.

Both actions are signs that they would gladly fulfill their words of removing him from the earth.

Life application: There is a lot of rage in the world against the gospel. That is becoming more pervasive as time goes by. Nations that were once heralds of the gospel now send government agents to spy on people who simply want to worship Jesus as their forefathers had done.

This attitude results from an internal hatred stemming from their own deviant morals. Christians hold that their ultimate moral standard is based on what God expects of them, not what the government dictates. Thus, it is ultimately an attack against the God who gave man the moral guidelines in the first place.

These people claim they don’t believe in God, and yet they have a vehement hatred for the God they claim doesn’t exist. Their thinking is irrational and violent, just as the Jews in Paul’s time were. They hated that the God Paul proclaimed had a moral base inclusive of Gentile salvation. Thus, they hate His Messiah, who came to represent God.

From there, they hate any messenger of this Messiah. But Jesus stated this would be so –

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:22, 23

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18, 19

This attitude continues today toward those who hold to the words of Scripture. The world hates the message of Jesus because it proclaims a standard of morality that the world does not accept. Scripture also holds a standard of acceptance that most people groups do not want to accept. All people are on the same level of acceptance in Christ, regardless of culture, genealogy, etc. This is highly unpalatable to many.

Hold fast to the word despite this. God is calling out a group of people from this world who will worship Him in spirit and in truth for all eternity. What happens now is a temporary blip on the way to glory.

Lord God, thank You for allowing us to come to You just as we are. The color of our skin, the family line we descend from, the cultural background we possess, and other such distinctions are set aside in Christ. We are accepted by faith in Him. How freeing that is! Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.