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Acts 9:15
But 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:

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Acts 9:15
But 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:

Acts 13:2,46,47
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them…

Acts 18:6
And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shookhis raiment, and said unto them, Your bloodbe upon your own heads; Iam clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

‘Go!
The imperative "Go!" signifies urgency and divine commissioning. It echoes the Great Commission given by Jesus inMatthew 28:19, where the disciples are instructed to go and make disciples of all nations. This command underscores the active and obedient response required from those called by God.

I will send you
This phrase indicates divine initiative and purpose. Paul is not acting on his own accord but is being sent by God, similar to the sending of prophets in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 1:7). It underscores the concept of apostleship, where one is sent with authority to represent the sender, in this case, God Himself.

far away
The term "far away" suggests a mission beyond the immediate Jewish context, indicating a geographical and cultural expansion of the Gospel. This aligns with the prophecy inIsaiah 49:6, where the Servant of the Lord is made a light to the nations, extending salvation to the ends of the earth. It also reflects the fulfillment of Jesus' words inActs 1:8 about being witnesses to the ends of the earth.

to the Gentiles.’”
This phrase marks a pivotal moment in the early Church, highlighting the inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan. It connects to the Abrahamic covenant inGenesis 12:3, where all nations would be blessed through Abraham's seed. Paul's mission to the Gentiles is a fulfillment of this promise and reflects the breaking down of the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, as elaborated inEphesians 2:14-16. This mission also prefigures the universal scope of Christ's salvation, as seen inRevelation 7:9, where people from every nation, tribe, and language stand before the throne of God.

• Paul is recounting his real, historical encounter with the risen Jesus outside Damascus (Acts 9:4–6;Acts 26:15–16).

• “He” is the Lord Himself, personally addressing Paul—underscoring that the direction that follows is not a human idea but God’s clear, authoritative word (John 10:27).

• The setting inActs 22 shows Paul making his defense in Jerusalem; he roots his testimony in what Jesus literally spoke to him.

• The directive is immediate and non-negotiable—mirroring the urgency seen when God told Abram, “Go from your country” (Genesis 12:1) and when Jesus told His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

• Obedience requires leaving familiar territory. Paul had been a devout Jew in Jerusalem; now the Lord pushes him into a new field (Hebrews 11:8).

• The command calls for action, not deliberation. Like Isaiah saying, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8), Paul is expected to respond at once.

• God Himself owns the mission; Paul is not self-appointed. This echoes Jesus’ words, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

• The promise includes both commissioning and continual backing—“I am sending you to open their eyes” (Acts 26:17–18).

• The verb “send” connects Paul with the very definition of an apostle—one sent with authority (Romans 1:1).

• The gospel is about to leap beyond the borders of Judea and even Asia Minor. Paul’s later journeys would take him to Greece, possibly Spain (Romans 15:24, 28).

• “Far away” also highlights the widening circle of God’s redemptive plan announced inActs 1:8—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

• Distance illustrates grace: no place is out of God’s reach (Psalm 139:9–10).

• This fulfills the ancient promise that the Messiah would be “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 49:6;Acts 13:47).

• Jesus had already signaled this in choosing Paul as “My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15).

• Paul embraces the call, later writing that the mystery of Christ is “that the Gentiles are fellow heirs” (Ephesians 3:6) and defending their inclusion against all opposition (Galatians 2:7–9).

• The word removes any hint of partiality; salvation in Christ is open to everyone who believes (Romans 10:12–13).

Acts 22:21 records Jesus Christ personally commissioning Paul to leave Jerusalem and carry the gospel far beyond Jewish territory to the Gentile world. Every phrase underscores divine authority, urgent obedience, and God’s expansive heart for all peoples. The verse affirms that the spread of the gospel to the nations is not a later church invention but the explicit, literal intention of the risen Lord from the very start.

Far hence unto the Gentiles.--The crowd had listened, impatiently, we may believe, up to this point, as the speaker had once listened to St. Stephen. This, that the Christ should be represented as sending His messenger to the Gentiles, and not to Jews, was more than they could bear.