Acts 21:16 – 22:1-29 – Testifying while
in Trouble
Paul arrived in
Jerusalem and found James and other elders.
Many Jews were believers now, but still were zealous for the law. They believed in circumcision. They had heard that Paul taught to turn away
from Moses’ Law and that Jewish Christians should not do circumcision, but this
was not true. Paul taught that it did
not matter to God, if they were circumcised or not. James and the others were going to go through
seven days of purification rites by having their heads shaved and invited Paul
to join them. Paul was free from Jewish
law, but agreed to take part in the purification rites in the temple. Paul’s actions showed loyalty for the Jewish
vows and was supporting James and the others.
As we learned earlier in 1 Corinthians, Paul believed in becoming all
things to all people. “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one
under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the
law.” – 1 Cor. 9:20
Obeying customs is
doing it for the sake of tradition and because it’s always the way things have
been done. But obeying the Word of God
is obeying God because it’s the right thing to do and He requires it of us.
Is there some
custom you are obeying just because of tradition, but need to obey God instead?
As a result of
Paul being in the temple at Jerusalem, word spread that he had brought a
Gentile into the temple, which he had not.
This offended the legalistic Jews and they stirred up the crowd against
him. They seized and dragged him from
the temple trying to kill him, but Roman troops stopped them and took him to
prison. Roman law didn’t allow people to
be killed without a trial.
Why did God allow these accusations and physical harm come to Paul? Maybe He wanted his faith to be strengthen and show His glory not only to Paul but to others. Maybe He wanted this to be a witness for others. We don't really know all the reasons why God allows things to happen, but God always has a plan and nothing can stop Him. He is an Unstoppable God!
Paul was allowed
to speak to the crowd. He told them his
story. He told of his life before
Christ, his conversion and God’s plan for him to spread the message to the
Gentiles. He told them he was a Jew and
was not against the Jewish religion. In
the past he had been very eager to obey God thinking it was ok to arrest and
persecute Christians. Then he told them
of his conversion on the road to Damascus.
Paul told them that God wanted the Gentiles to know Him, too and they
didn’t have to be a Jew. This made the
crowd very angry again and again they tried to kill him. Paul told them he was a Roman citizen. It was illegal to flog a Roman citizen so he
was brought before the Sanhedrin for trial.
Who do you
need to tell your story of salvation?
Principle:
God calls His people to witness to what they have seen and heard.
Acts 22:30 – 23:11 – The Questions
Paul was brought
before the Sanhedrin. He said, “My brothers, I have filled my duty to God in all good
conscience to this day.” – Acts 23:1.
Paul’s quality of Paul’s life was with
God. He lived a godly life and obeyed
God in all things. He never made excuses
for the truth. When the priest told one
standing near to him to strike Paul on the mouth, Paul didn’t let that go. He called him a “whitewashed wall” which
means hypocrite. The priest was sitting
in judgment but he himself violated the law.
Paul was submissive to man under God when he was told that Ananias was a
high priest. Paul backed down and
submitted to his authority. Paul was
submissive to man under God. He quoted Ex. 22:28 – “Do
not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” They couldn’t find any reason to kill Paul,
but still kept him in prison.
Can you say you have fulfilled your duty to
God?
Paul was alone
in chains, but a believer is never really alone. God was with Paul and comforted him. God is always with us. God told him, “Take
courage! As you have testified about me
in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome.” – Acts 23:11. Paul’s work was
not done yet.
How are you
being persecuted?
Can you admit
you are sorry for something you’ve said?
How has God
been a comfort to you?
Where do you
need God’s comfort in your witness?
When trouble
comes, where do you turn?
Will you
testify in trouble?
Principle:
God has a purpose for the trials of believers.
Acts 23:12-35 –The Plot
The Jews were so
angry with Paul because he was preaching to the Gentiles. Maybe they felt superior - after all they
were God’s chosen and he had called them hypocrites. They thought he wasn’t obeying the law and
taught others the same. So they formed a
conspiracy to kill Paul. More than 40
men vowed to not eat until they had killed Paul. God allowed Paul’s nephew to hear of the
murderous plot. He then warned Paul and
the Roman commander. Since the commander
had a low opinion of Paul’s enemies, he believed the story and removed Paul
from Jerusalem to Caesarea. The commander
sent a letter to Governor Felix who kept Paul under guard in Herod’s palace so
no harm would come to him until the truth was known. He said he
would her Paul’s case. In our next study
we will see the response of Felix.
God allowed all
this to happen. Paul never wavered. He was bound, beaten, and despised by his
countrymen. Still with all his
difficulties he had not failed or disobeyed God’s Word. He was prepared for suffering. He knew God’s purpose for his life and
nothing was going to stop him. He used
every situation as an opportunity to serve God.
How are you
using your trials to serve God?
Principle:
God protects His people so they can do His work.
Join me here
next week for our study of the book of Acts. -- I
encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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