Southern Christian University
Acts Class
Session 10
James A.
Turner
Hello students.
I think we begin tonight with Acts chapter 21:7. We are still following Paul's journey to Jerusalem with the messengers of
the churches to carry the bounty of those Gentile churches to Jerusalem. Acts 21:7, "When
we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais,
we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. And on the morrow we departed and came unto Caesarea: And
entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven; we
abode with him." It looks like that Caesarea must have been the
permanent home at this time for Philip and his family. You remember that he is the one that carried
the gospel to the Samaritans. He is one
of those seven that were chosen by the brethren as given in Acts 6:1-6 to take care of needs
of the Grecian widows. The apostles laid
their hands on those seven and gave them miraculous gifts of the Holy
Spirit. We read in verse nine, this
man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. Would this
not mean that they had miraculous gifts that would aid them in teaching (I
Corinthians 12:4-11)?. Of course, they would have not have been
teaching in the public assemblies of the church, for that is forbidden by other
references.
From I Corinthians chapter fourteen, it looks
like the tongue speakers in the church at Corinth thought that their gift
was the greatest gift, and they wanted to show off on every occasion even when
it was not appropriate to do so, but Paul told them that the gift of prophecy
was more important. The gift of prophecy
was primarily the ability to teach where they would not otherwise have enough
understanding to teach. Joel 2:28 as quoted in Acts 2:17 it reads, "Upon
my servants and upon my handmaidens will I pour out of my spirit and they shall
prophecy." So that Old Testament passage gives room for
women to have had miraculous gifts in the miraculous
age, which was the childhood age of the church (I Corinthians 13:8-12; James 1:25; Ephesians 4:7-16). The childhood age
of the church is over, and none have miraculous gifts or powers. During the miraculous period today. the apostles could
impart miraculous gifts to others by the laying on of their hands.
Acts 21:10 "And
as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea
a certain prophet, naked Agabus." He is the same prophet that went to that
first Gentile church at Antioch of Syria, chapter eleven, and told the brethren
through the spirit that there was going to come a famine
in Judaea. And those fine brethren at Antioch of Syria
determined to send relief, every man according to his ability before the famine
came on. And they sent it to Jerusalem by the hands of Paul
and Barnabas.
"And coming to us and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his
own feet and hands and said, Thus saith
the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem
bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall
deliver him into the hands of Gentiles."
Jesus was condemned by the chief priests and elders, and they delivered
him to the Gentiles, and in a similar way, this is
going to happen to Paul, that the Jews will hand him over to the Gentiles. "So shall
the Jews at Jerusalem
bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall
deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." They really did not intend to do that, they
had planned to kill him. "And
when we heard these things, both we and they of that place So Luke and the other
messengers of the churches and the brethren at Caesarea tried to get Paul not
to go to Jerusalem. besought
him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What
do ye weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased,
saying, The will of the Lord be done." Notice how they stated that, the will of the
Lord be done. Jesus prayed three times
in the garden, not my will, but thine
be done, and when they saw
that Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, they said, The
will of the Lord be done.
Think how Paul did not count his life dear unto
himself to the point that he wanted to do everything that he could to make
Christ known. And he was ready to go to Jerusalem in spite of all the
testimony coming through the medium of the Holy Spirit. Going back to chapter twenty, he talks about
how that the Holy Spirit was speaking in every city that bonds and afflictions
would abide him. Acts 20:22-24,
"Save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and
afflictions abide me. But I hold not my life of any account as
dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course and the ministry,
which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." And so Paul was determined, even though his
life would be in
danger, to go to Jerusalem.
Acts 22:15, "And
after these days we took up our baggage, and went up to Jerusalem. And there went with us also certain of the
disciples of Caesarea,
bringing with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an early
disciple, with whom we should lodge."
Does that mean that Mnason of Cyprus had more
than one dwelling place? It looks like
he did. So certain of the brethren from Caesarea went with Paul and the
messengers to Jerusalem, bringing with them one
Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with
whom we should lodge. There were a number of
messengers with Paul, and that would indicate that Mnason
must have had a house of considerable size to accommodate Paul and all those
messengers of the church. "And
when we were come to Jerusalem,
the brethren received us gladly." That
shows that the bounty of those Gentile churches was accepted. Paul wrote the book of Romans just before
they left Corinth with the bounty of the churches, and when he wrote that book,
he did not know whether the Jewish people would even receive the bounty from
the Gentile churches or not. Evidently
the breach between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians had become so abrupt
over the matter of circumcision and the keeping of the law that Paul did not
know whether they would accept the contribution, and he asked those Roman
brethren to pray that they would accept it.
I am reading from Romans chapter 15:30, "And
I beseech you, brethren, by the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the
Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." It is characteristic of Paul when he asked
brethren to pray for him to give some specific things that he wanted them to
pray for him about. Notice what he wants
them to pray for him about here, one, that I may
be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judaea. Well, he was, but he was delivered by the
Roman soldiers. "And
that my ministration which I have for Jerusalem
may be acceptable to the saints." The fact
that they received them gladly implies in a very strong way that the
contribution was accepted by the Jewish brethren. "That I may
come unto you in joy through the will of God, and may together with you find
rest. Now the God of peace be with you
all. Amen."
Paul was able to go to Rome, but not in the way
that he thought he would go. He went as
a prisoner when he went, but he must have gone in the fullness of the blessings
of Christ. Looking at verse twenty-nine
there of the reading, "And I know that when I
come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessings of Christ." We will notice when we get to the reading
about that voyage to Rome, that it looks like for a
long time that Paul was discouraged about going to Rome as a prisoner
Back to Acts 21:17, "And
when we were come to Jerusalem,
the brethren received us gladly. And the
day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were
present. And when he had saluted them,
he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles
through his ministry. And when they
heard it, they glorified God, and said unto him, Thou seest,
brother, how many thousands, there are among the Jews of them that have
believed; and they are all zealous for the law and
they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest
all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to
circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs." Some were probably giving a wrong report on
Paul in regard to verse twenty-one there.
Paul did stand up for the Gentiles that circumcision and the keeping the
requirements of the law were not to be binding on the Gentile people, but the
people of Israel had had that law of circumcision for a long time. I do not know of any statement that Paul made
that the Jews were to turn away from circumcising their children, but that was
the report that the apostles and elders had received about Paul. "Teachest
all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to
forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, neither to walk
after the customs." I do not know any statement where he was
teaching the Jews in Gentile territory that they were to cease from
circumcising their male children at eight days old.
Acts 21:22, "What
is it therefore?
This they will certainly hear that thou art come: Do therefore this that we say to thee." So they have advice to give Paul. They thought that their advise
might prevent the Jews from being stirred up against him. "Do
therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on
them. These take, and purify thyself
with them, and be at charges with them, that they may
shave their heads: And all shall know that there is no truth,
in things whereof they have been informed concerning thee, but thou thyself
also walkest orderly, keeping the law." We have already read where Paul had his hair shorn
at Cenchrea because he had a vow, and does this not seem to say that there were
Jewish Christians at this time that were still following certain things in
respect to the Old Testament religion?
"They have been informed concerning
thee, but that thou thyself also walkest orderly,
keeping the law. But as touching the
Gentiles that have believed, we wrote you in judgment that they should keep
themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is
strangled, and from fornication." They
are referring to that letter that they wrote at the conclusion of that
conference at Jerusalem, as we studied about in
Acts chapter fifteen, that we wrote to them that these are the necessary things
for Gentile Christians to abstain from.
And remember in that letter that they also said that we did not send out
those men teaching that doctrine, that you have got to be circumcised and keep
the law of Moses in order to be saved. They also sent two of their members to tell
them by word of mouth.
Acts 21:26, "Then
Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself
with them, went into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of
purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them. And when the seven days were almost completed It must have been on
the sixth day that these Jews caused a riot, and were about to kill Paul. the
Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude,
and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel help: This is the man, that teacheth
all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: And moreover he brought Greeks also into
the temple, and hath defiled this holy place." That was a lie, he had not brought Greeks into
the temple, but some of them supposed that he had. Is it not strange when people want to find
something against a person, it is strange sometimes what they can suppose they
have done. "For
they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus
the Ephesian." Trophimus, going back to Acts twenty, was one of the
messengers of the churches, as stated there, from Asia. And, of course, Paul was at Ephesus for three years, so he
is from the city of Ephesus. "whom
they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple." But Paul had not carried Trophimus,
the Ephesian, into the temple. "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: And they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him
out of the temple: And straightway the doors were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him,
tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that
all Jerusalem
was in confusion."
The soldiers were quartered in the palace
adjoining the Jewish temple, and so news goes up to the chief captain that all Jerusalem was in confusion. It looks like that the chief captain must
have known what the Jewish people would do when they got that mob spirit, that
they would kill him if he did not do something immediately.
Acts 21:32, "And
forthwith he took soldiers and centurions and ran down upon them, A centurion is over a hundred soldiers, and
so does that mean that about two hundred soldiers? Luke used centurions in the plural there and
when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul." Do you think they would have left off beating
him if the chief captain and the centurions and the soldiers had not come
down? I think not. "Then the
chief captain came near and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound
with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done, and
some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: And when he could not know the certainty for
the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence
of the crowd. For the multitude of
the people followed after, crying out, Away with him." Meaning we want that man put to death, away with
him. And notice there in verse
thirty-five, as he went up to the stairs of the castle where the soldiers
stayed, that he was borne of the soldiers.
I get the idea that they were probably pushing him up above them on
their shoulders so that the people could not harm him. "For
the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away
with him. And as Paul was about to be
brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief
captain, May I say something unto thee?
And he said, Does thou know Greek?"
Paul was reared at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, and Cilicia was Gentile territory. He grew up in that Gentile territory, and
thus knew how to speak the Greek language, and then he was later educated at
the feet of Gamaliel in Jerusalem, and by his natural
ability he could speak Greek and Hebrew, and plus as an apostle, he had
miraculous abilities in regard to other languages. "Art thou
not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up the sedition, and led
out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins? But Paul said, I am
a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia,
a citizen of no mean city: And, I beseech thee, give me leave to
speak unto the people, and
when he had given him leave, Paul standing up on the stairs, beckoned with
the hand unto the people. And when
there was made a great silence, he spake unto
them in the Hebrew language." This makes at
least the second time that we have read about Paul that he beckoned with the
hand. I believe I mentioned when we read
that the first time, that I get the idea that Paul was somewhat a master of
assemblies, that he could beckon with his hands in such a way that the people
would take notice, and he would be saying in substance, I have something
important to say to you, and get the attention of the people. And he got the attention of those who had
been trying to kill him. "and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,
Chapter Twenty-two
Brethren,
and fathers, hear ye my defense which I now make unto you." So Paul makes a defense before that mob of
people who had been trying to kill him. There
is not room for much doubt that they would have killed him had he not been
rescued by the Roman soldiers. "And
when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew
language, they were more quiet:
And he saith, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the
law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day." Do you remember from Acts chapter five that
the Sanhedrin court was ready to kill those apostles, but how Gamaliel, who was also a member of the Sanhedrin, told them
about how that there had been attempts in the past to lead away people, and
those attempts came to nothing? He also said, if it
is of God, you need to be careful. You
cannot fight against God, and they heeded his advice, and beat them, and commanded them not to
teach anymore in the name of Christ. "Brought up in this
city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to
the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye
are all this day." He
is saying, I was once zealous, trying to destroy the Christian religion just
like you are today. I was reared and
instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers. He was a Pharisee, as he states in chapter
twenty-three, the son of a Pharisee, and he was very zealous, he thought,
for God.
Well, he was zealous, but not according to
knowledge. "Even
as ye all are this day. And I persecuted
this Way unto the death." Going back to Acts8:2-4, And
devout men took Stephen out and buried him. And
Luke says, as
for Saul he made havoc of the church committing both men and women to
prison. And they were all scattered
abroad from Judaea,
and they went everywhere preaching the word.
And so he is talking about that day when he had persecuted the church
and carried that persecution, as we read in Acts nine, even to foreign
cities. "I
persecuted this way unto the death." There
is no telling how many people Paul had a part in seeing that they were put to
death because they were Christians.
"Binding and delivering into prison both
men and women. As also the high priest
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: From whom also I received letters unto the
brethren, and journeyed to Damascus,
to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem,
in bounds to be punished. And it came to
pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus
about noon,
suddenly there shown from heaven a great light round about me." You remember we read about this in the ninth
chapter of Acts, and we read about it here.
And we will read
about it again, I believe, in chapter twenty-six. "And I fell
unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me beheld indeed the
light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake
to me. And I said, What
shall I do, Lord?" And so here Paul is repeating what happened
on that occasion. He asked Jesus of
Nazareth as to what he should do.
Meaning, What shall I do to be saved?
He had thought that Christ was an imposter. But Christ appears to him, and when he asked,
"Who art thou, Lord?
He said, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." And so as stated here,
Saul, as he was called then, asked Jesus the question, What
shall I do, Lord? But notice that Jesus did not tell him what
to do in order to be saved. The gospel
had been given into the hands of earthen vessels (I Corinthians 4:7) even during the
miraculous days of the church. "And
the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus
and there it will be told thee of all things which are appointed of thee to
do."
Some preachers today would say, Saul, you do not
have to do anything, you have believed, and as soon as a person believes on
Jesus, he is saved. But
Jesus told him to go on into the city, and there he shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee
to do. Christ has appointed
that every man is to do some things in order to be saved. when Peter preached
that first sermon on Pentecost, it says, with many
other words did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this
crooked generation (Acts
2:40). There is something that each individual must
do in order to save himself or herself!
"And
when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them
that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a
devout man according to the law, well-reported of by all the Jews that dwelt
there, came unto me, and standing by me, said unto me, Brother Saul, receive
thy sight. And in that very hour, I
looked up on him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, to know his
will, and see the Righteous One, and hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast
seen and heard." I think
when we read from chapter nine, that we turned and read this reference and also
the reference in Acts twenty-six where Paul repeats about the time of his
conversion. And all three accounts
emphasize that the Lord appeared to him to make him an eyewitness. "And now why tarriest
thou?
Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his
name." Now Ananias did not
need to say to Saul, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, like they said to the Philippian
jailer as recorded in Acts sixteen, because Saul had seen the Lord in the way, and he did not tell
him to repent, for he had gone without food and had been praying for three days
showing his repentance. He had not been
baptized for the remission of his sins, and so he told him what to do to complete
his obedience to the first principles of the gospel and receive salvation. "And
now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on his name."
Do you remember Romans the tenth chapter where
Paul quotes from Joel 2:32, when that time came
when God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and verse thirty-two there
reads, "And whosoever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved." And then he raises
the question, How shall they call on him whom they
have not believed? And how shall they
believe on him whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? Which shows that in order for sinners to call upon the name of the
Lord in such a way as to be saved, they first must be taught the gospel. They must at least know and believe those
three primary facts of the gospel that Paul speaks of in I Corinthians 15:1-4, "For
I delivered unto you first of all how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures; that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures." Every
person must have those basic facts of the gospel preached to them. They must believe those facts (John 3:16, 8:24; Hebrews 11:6), and they must repent
of their sins (Acts 2:38, 17:30), and then they must
be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38, 8:35-39), and then baptism puts alien sinners into Christ
(Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-7), and into his
church which is his spiritual body (I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:4-6). And so Ananias
says to Saul, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on his name." And think of the many
thousands today in our American society that want to still contend that baptism
is a none essential, that it has nothing to do with the forgiveness of sin. Well, this passage reads and wash
away thy sins, calling on his name. Well,
somebody says, You know there is nothing in the water to wash away a man's
sins! Absolutely not, other than Christ
has commanded it (Mark 16:16) in order to apply his
blood.
In II Kings chapter five we read about Naaman
who was captain of the Syrian army that had leprosy. And a little Jewish maiden told his wife that
if he was with the prophet in Israel, he could be cured of his leprosy, and so
the king sent him to the prophet Elisha, and Elisha just told his servants to tell him to go down to the
Jordan river and dip seven times. At
first that captain was ready to go away in a rage. He said, I thought the prophet would do some
great thing, that he would come out and lay his hands on me and I would be
cured of my leprosy. Some today are like Naaman, they want to tell the Lord how they want to be saved! And he wanted to know if the rivers of Damascus were not cleaner and
better than the old muddy river Jordan. The servants told him, if he had told you
some great thing to do, would you not have done it? And they convinced him he ought to go and
when he dipped that seven times, his leprosy was gone. Was there anything in that old muddy river Jordan to cleanse him from
leprosy? Absolutely
not. And there is nothing in water that cleanseth. It is the
blood of Christ that cleanseth, but it is at the
point of baptism that an alien sinner applies the blood of Christ. His blood was shed in his death, and baptism
is a likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-7, 6:17-18). And it is at the point of baptism that the
alien sinner applies the blood of Christ which cleanses him from all sin.
Acts 22:17, "And
it came to pass that when I had returned to Jerusalem, while I prayed in the
temple, I fell into a trance, and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get
thee quickly out of Jerusalem: Because they will not receive of thee
testimony concerning me." You see that Paul
was reasoning, they know how I persecuted the church, and surely I can do a great
work here in Jerusalem. But the Lord tells him otherwise. "While I
prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying unto me, Make
haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: Because they will not receive of the
testimony concerning me. And I said,
Lord, they themselves know that I am imprisoned and beat in every synagogue
them that believed on thee: And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was
shed, I was also standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them
that slew him." Do you remember that the latter part of Acts
seven shows that to
be the case? "And
he said unto me, Depart: For I will send thee far hence unto the
Gentiles." So the Lord said, leave Jerusalem, and I have work among
the Gentiles for you. "Depart,
for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles."
Acts 22:22, Well,
notice verse twenty-two, "And they gave him
audience unto this word, and they lifted up their voices, and said, Away with
such a fellow from the earth: For it is not fit that he should live." And again that away means
that this fellow ought to be killed.
Remember how sharp that division was between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews looked upon the Gentiles as being
heathens, and that it was wrong to go into a Gentile person's house. And so they said, Away
with such a fellow from the earth. Kill Him!
But they had given him audience until he mentioned about God telling him
that he would send him to the Gentiles, and then they are really stirred up. They lifted up their voice, and said, "Away
with such a fellow from the earth: For it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and threw off their
garments, and
cast dust into the air. And the chief
captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined
by scourging; that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him."
And that process was continued by some police
officers, for centuries, to try to beat the truth out of a man by scourging
him, by giving him a severe whipping. " that
he might know for what cause they so shouted against him. And when they had tied him
up with thongs. Ready to beat him, and that would have been a severe
beating. Paul
said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful
for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" Again Paul appealed to his right of
citizenship, and it prevented him from receiving a scourging. And remember back there in chapter sixteen
when the magistrate sent to tell Paul and Silas that they were free to go, that
Paul said, They beat us, being Romans uncondemned, and they put us out privily, nay verily let
them come and take us out. And so Paul did occasionally appeal to the
rights of his citizenship, but he never did carry it to the extreme. "And when
the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain, and told him saying, What art thou about to do for this man is a Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I
am a Roman born."
Nowhere does the Bible tell us just exactly what
that meant. Does it mean that his father
or his grandfather or some of his ancestors back there had done something that
the government really approved of, and as a result they were made free? But all men can do is just speculate because
the Bible doesn't tell us. "They then that
were about to examine him straightway departed." Those that were about to give him that severe
beating. "They
departed from him. And the chief captain
also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound
him." He had gone contrary to the law, even by
having him bound and ready to scourge him.
"And on the morrow desiring to know the
certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded
the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down,
and set him before them." All of the council would refer to the highest
court, the Sanhedrin court, and so Paul is to make his defense before the highest
court of the Jews. Chapter twenty-three
tells us about making his defense before the council, how he divided that
council, and again they were about to kill him when he was rescued by soldiers
again. But we will count chapter
twenty-three as the beginning place for our second period of this Class Session. Thank you.
A brief recess was taken.
Chapter Twenty-three
We are ready to begin with chapter twenty-three. Paul is making his defense before the Jewish
council, the Jewish Sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jews. "And
Paul looking steadfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before
God in all good conscience until this day."
That is a statement that Paul affirms several times, that he had gone
according to a good conscience, but he had surely done wrong back there
when he was persecuting the church, and having Christians put to death. You cannot find a better example of a man
having a good clear conscience and doing wrong than you have in Paul. Now our conscience is given to assist us in
making right decisions, and we are not to go contrary to our conscience. If we do, we sin, as taught in Romans 2:13-15 and 14:20-23, but the conscience
by itself is not sufficient. It must be
educated. It must be taught what is
proper for a person to do. Turn to I
Timothy 1:12 where Paul talks
about that God had mercy on him because what he did, he
did it ignorantly in unbelief. There is a big difference
between a man doing wrong ignorantly and doing wrong and knowing that he is
doing wrong. "And
I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me
faithful, appointing me to his service though I
was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: Howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief. And the
grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with grace and love which is in Christ
Jesus. Faithful is the saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for
this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth
all of his longsuffering, for an example of them that should thereafter believe
on him unto eternal life." So Paul
says that the Lord had mercy on him because he did it ignorantly in unbelief,
and another reason that the Lord could show that by saving him, that he could
save the chief of sinners. And so the
Lord can save the chief of sinners. So Paul
here affirms before the court that I have lived before God in all good
conscience until this day. "And
the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by
to smite him on the mouth. Then said
Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited
wall: For sittest thou to
judge me according to the law, and commandest me to
be smitten contrary to the law?" Now this
comes as near of Paul going to the extreme in defending his citizenship as any
passage you will find. But it looks like
he gets control of himself immediately.
I get the idea that he really got stirred up there for a few seconds, and
rightly so, but at the same time, he admits that he had done the wrong thing
and apologizes. Of course, the high
priest had done wrong, and what Paul has said is true, but he ought not to have
done what he did, and immediately he apologized for it. "And
they that stood by him said, Revilest thou God's high
priest? And Paul said,
I knew not brethren, that he was high priest: For it is written, Thou shalt
not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." That
is from from Exodus 22:28.
Acts 23:6, "But
when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees,
he cried out in the council, Brethren." It
looks like he does this
deliberately to divide the council. Paul, knew how that
those two sects fought against each other, and how that on many occasions they differed
in a big way "But when Paul perceived that one part
were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees."
Remember that Paul is a Pharisee. "He cried
out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: Touching the hope and resurrection of the
dead I am called in question. And then
when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the
Sadducees:
And the assembly was divided." So he
divides the court by saying, "Touching
the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am called in question. For the
Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: But the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great clamor: And some
of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit has spoken to him or an
angel." The Pharisees were very naturally divided
against the Sadducees because they did not believe in the
resurrection of the dead, or life after death, nor in spirit or angel.
Acts 23:9, "And
when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain fearing lest
Paul should be torn in pieces by them commanded the soldiers to go down and
take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle." So a second time he is rescued by Roman soldiers. You see the chief captain surely thought that
he was in great danger. I guess he had
enough experience of that court of the Jews to know how that they could divide
and how angry they could get, and what they would do if they got angry. And the
night following the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer: For as thou hast testified concerning me at
Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness of me at Rome." Do you think that Paul must have been very
much discouraged for the Lord to give him that message? And the night following, the Lord stood by
him and said, Be of good cheer. And
remember how Jesus, on several occasions, spoke those words to his
disciples. "For as thou hast testified concerning me
at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." So that shows that the Lord had been pleased
with the way he had testified for him at Jerusalem and promises that he's
going to go to Rome. "So
must thou bear witness also at Rome." And Paul may have been reasoning that I will
never get to go to Rome. Remember that he had planned to go to Rome after he had carried
that bounty to Jerusalem. "And
when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse,
saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul." Consider how many times the unbelieving Jews
persecute and plan to kill Paul? "And
they were more than forty that made this conspiracy: And they came to the chief priests and
elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a
great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul." I believe those fellows had a long fast or
else they went against their vows. About
forty of them vowed that they would not eat or drink until they had killed
Paul.
Acts 23:15, "Now
therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him
down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case more exactly: And we, before he comes near, are ready to
slay him. But Paul's sister's son heard
of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle, and told
Paul. And Paul called unto him one of
the centurions, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: For he hath something to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief
captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring
this young man unto thee, who hath something to say to thee. And the chief captain took him by the hand,
and going aside asked him privately, What
is it that thou hast to tell me? And he
said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul tomorrow unto the
council, as though they wouldest enquire somewhat
more exactly concerning him. Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for there
lie in wait for of them more than forty
men, who have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor to drink till
they have slain him:
And now are they ready, looking for the promise from thee. And the chief captain let the young man go,
charging him, Tell no man that thou hast signified
these things to me." This chief captain
recognized how determined they were to kill Paul, and look how many men that
start out carrying Paul to Caesarea. "And
he called unto him two of the centurions, and make
ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea; and horsemen
threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred; at the third hour of the
night." So four hundred and seventy
men leave at the third hour of the night to carry Paul on the way, or at least
part of the way to Caesarea.
Dont you know that this means that the chief
captain recognized that his life was in great danger for him to take four
hundred and seventy men when they first started out at the third hour of the
night, and he bade them provide that, " they
might set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this form: Claudius Lysias (he was the chief captain) unto the
most excellent governor Felix greeting.
This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be slain of them when
I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was
a Roman." He lied there, he
was even ready to examine him by scourging when he learned that he was a
Roman. "And
desiring to know the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth
before their council: Whom I found to be accused of questions of
their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of
bonds." So when Lysias
examined Paul, he didn't find that he had done anything worthy of death or, for
that matter, any reason why he should be bound.
That would mean that he had done nothing wrong. "And when
it was shown to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to
thee forthwith, charging his accusers also to speakagainst
him before thee. So the soldiers, as it
was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. But on the morrow they left the horsemen to
go with him, and returned to the castle."
So would not that mean that four hundred of them returned back to the
castle, and the seventy men carried him on to Caesarea. Of course, they had traveled far enough then
that Paul wouldn't be in danger or not likely to be. "And when
they came to Caesarea,
and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him. And when he had read it, he asked of what
province he was. And when he understood
that he was of Cilicia;
I will hear thee fully, said he, when thine accusers
are also come. And he commanded him to
be kept in Herod's house." And so after Paul was delivered to Felix, he
inquired where he was from, and he was from Cilicia. And he said, I will hear you when your
accusers come, referring again to the Jewish court.
Chapter Twenty-four
"And
after five days the high priest Ananias. He is the one that commanded them to smite
Paul contrary to the rules of the court.
came
down with certain elders, and with an orator named Tertullus,
and they informed the governor against Paul." Instead
of putting their case personally against Paul, they have an orator to present
their case for them and then they enter in accusing him. "And when
he was called Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,
Seeing that by thee we enjoy much peace, and that by thy providence evils are
corrected for this nation. We accept it
always, and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. But that I be not
further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few
words. For we have found of this man a
pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrection among all the Jews
from throughout the world, and the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: Who moreover hath said to profane the
temple of whom also we laid whole.
From whom thou wilt be able by examining him thyself to take knowledge
of all these things, whereof we accuse him."
So what do they accuse him of?
Number one, he is a pestilent fellow; number two, he is a mover of
insurrection, causing trouble among all the Jews throughout the world; three,
he is the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; and four, he tried to
profane the temple, and when he did, we laid hold on him. So they bring four charges there against
him. And Tertullus
says, "That whom thou will be able by
examining him thyself to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse
him." He is guilty of all of them. "And the
Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so." And so the chief priest Ananias
and the elders had the orator to present the charges, and then they also affirm
that those charges were true. Remember
that the chief captain Lysias had already said in
that letter to Felix that he had not found anything against Paul that made him
worthy of death or of bonds. Dont you
guess that Felix has had enough experience with the Jewish people, that he is
somewhat set on notice that Paul is not guilty of all of these things?
Acts 24:10, "And
when the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, Paul answered, Forasmuch as I
know that thou hast been for many years a judge unto this nation, I cheerfully
make my defense." So Felix had been governor long enough that
Paul says you know something about what I will be telling you about. "Seeing
that thou canst take knowledge that it is not more than twelve days since I
went up to worship at Jerusalem." Now they had called him a pestilent fellow, a
mover of insurrection among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader
of the sect of the Nazarenes, and one who assayed to profane the temple. Paul is glad to answer their charges. "Seeing that thou canst take knowledge,
since it was not more than twelve days that I went up to Jerusalem to worship." And remember that it must have been on that
sixth day that he was standing at purification for those men that took seven
days for them to fulfill their vow.
"And neither in the temple did they find
me, disputing with any man, or stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor
in the city:
Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me." So Paul denies their charges, and said they
cannot prove any of them. "Neither
can they prove to thee things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee." He does pick up on that charge that he is a ring
leader of that sect of the Nazarenes. "But this I
confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the
God of our fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and which
are written in the prophets:
Having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall
be a resurrection, both of the just and the unjust." Do you guess the Sadducees were with them on
this occasion when he said that, that there will be a resurrection both of the
just and to the unjust?
Acts 24:16, "Herein
do I also exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offense toward God, and
men always." Note again that good conscience that Paul
had, he exercised himself to have a conscience void of offense toward God and
men always. "Now
after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and bring offerings." I believe verse seventeen ought to put us on
notice that the bounty carried by those messengers of the churches were not for
saints only because here Paul speaks of bringing alms to my nations and
offerings. And let us turn to II
Corinthians nine, and I think the reference there indicates that it was to be
for others beyond the saints. In II
Corinthians nine, Paul is teaching that they would be richly blessed for their
making up a bounty to send to Jerusalem. Picking up with verse ten, "And
he that supplieth seed to the sower
and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and
increase the fruits of your righteousness; you being enriched in every thing to
all liberality, which worketh through us thanksgiving
to God. For the ministration of this
service not only for the needs of the saints, but aboundeth
also through many thanksgiving unto God; seeing that through the proving of you
by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto
the gospel of Christ, and for your liberality of the contribution unto them,
and unto all."
See, that is showing that it went beyond the saints. Some few years ago, some brethren were
teaching that the church is to help saints only. But notice that a number of these churches
had joined together in this effort to supply the needs of the people of Judaea. For the liberality of your contribution unto
them and to all, and that is surely beyond members of the church. "And
while they themselves also with supplication on your
behalf, long after you for reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for
this unspeakable gift."
Back to Acts 24:17, "Now
after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. Amidst which they found me purified in the
temple, with no crowd, nor with tumult.
But there were certain Jews from Asia who ought
to have been here before thee." They brought
the charges against me that I profaned the temple, and if I did that, they
ought to be here to testify against me.
"Who ought to have been here before thee
and to make accusation, if they had ought against
me. Or else let these men themselves, say what wrongdoing they found, when I stood
before the council. Except it be for
this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching
the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day. But Felix had a more exact knowledge
concerning the Way. (The Christian way) deferred
them, saying, When Lysias the chief captain shall
come, I will determine your matter." This shows that governor Felix sees that Paul
is not guilty, but he smoothes things over with the Jewish council by saying
that when Lysias the chief captain comes down, I
will determine your matter, and he gave order to the centurion that he should
be kept in charge, and should have indulgence and not to
forbid any of his friends to minister unto him." Surely that shows that Felix recognized that
he was not guilty. "But
after certain days Felix came with Driscilla his
wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith
in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned of
righteousness, and of self control." It
is said that both of them were to the contrary, of righteousness and self
control, especially Felix. He engaged in
all kinds of wrongdoings and did not exercise self-control. "And as he
reasoned of righteousness, and self control, and the judgment to come, Felix
was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time,
and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me." Why was Felix terrified? Paul had presented that God has appointed a
day in which he is going to judge the world.
And if a man has not taken those steps to be a righteous man before God
and exercise self-control, he will be doomed then, and so we read that Felix
was terrified. There are those today, that when they hear plain teaching are terrified,
but they make the same mistake that Felix and his wife Drusilla made, when
I have a more convenient season, I will call thee unto me. But that convenient season, as far as the
Bible says, never came. A convenient
season, to turn away from the lust of the flesh and following
the way of the world, which is Satans
way, does not come very convenient for most people. But they ought to be ready to listen to the
Lord's invitation and turn from that broad way that leads to destruction and
turn to the Lord (Matthew 7:13-14). Remember Jesus gave that great invitation, Come
unto me all ye that are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I
am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my
yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30). The Bible tells us that the way of the transgressors
is the hard way, and to follow the Lord is the easier way and it will give men
eternal salvation, but Felix brushed it aside.
The great majority of the people today brush
aside the Lords way and choose the broad way that becomes the hard way even in
this life and then it is eternal destruction
from the presence of the Lord of from the glory of his power (II Thessalonians 1:8-10) into an eternal lake
of fire (Revelation 20:14-15,
21:6).
There are
seven references in the Revelation which speak of them, that
dwell upon the earth. Please
read them: Revelation 3:10, 6:9-10, 8:13, 13:8, 13:14, 17:1-2, 17:6. When you read all of
them together they are Satans followers who are interested in the here and
now. They are earth dwellers! Are you an earth dweller or a heavenly dweller
(Hebrews 11:13-16, 13:12-14). How do you spend
most of your time, energy, talents, money, and other material things
(Colossians 3:1-3)?
Back to Acts 24:26, He
hoped with all that money would be given him of Paul, whereof also he sent for
him the oftener, and communed with him." You
can see that Felix was a politician looking for all the spoils of office that
he could get. I guess he reasoned that
if Paul brought
all of those gifts to his people, then he can surely raise a lot of money for
his release, and if they will give me a lot of money, I will release him. And for that reason, he called Paul and
talked with him on several different occasions. There was no money raised for
Pauls release because that would have been wrong. Felix goes out of office and leaves Paul
bound. "But
when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius
Festus: And desiring to gain favor with the Jews,
Felix left Paul in bonds." If Felix had been a man of high moral
standards like he should have been, he surely would have released Paul, but he
wanted to show the Jews a favor, so he left him bound.
Chapter Twenty-five
As soon as Festus comes into office, the Jews go
to him and ask him a favor, and again they are laying a plot to kill him on the
way. They wanted him to send Paul down
to Jerusalem.. See, Paul is at Caesarea, and they want him to
send him down to Jerusalem for them to try him, and
again they made a plot to kill him in the way.
"Festus therefore having come into the
province after three days, went up to Jerusalem
from Caesarea." Caesarea was the capital of that
province so far as the Roman government was concerned. "And
the chief priest and the principle men of the Jews informed him against Paul,
and they besought him, asking a favor against him, that he would send him to Jerusalem,
laying a plot to kill him on the way.
Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that
he himself was about to depart thither shortly." Now it is thought by many that Paul was at Caesarea for two years. I am not sure whether that conclusion is correct
or not, but if it is, it looks like that Paul did less during that two-year
period of his life than any time after he became a Christian. "That he
himself was about to depart thither shortly." Go back to Caesarea. "Let them
therefore saith he, that are of power among you, go
down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse
him." If he has done anything wrong, let them bring
their charges against him at Caesaria . "And
when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to
Caesarea: And on
the morrow he sat down on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be
brought."
So Festus did as he had promised them, in a few
days, and I will go back to Caesarea, and I will hear his
case there. So the next day, after he
gets back to Caesarea, he sets on the judgment seat, and commands Paul to be
brought in, to be tried by the Jewish council.
"And when he was come, the Jews
that had come down from Jerusalem
stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which
they could not prove. While Paul
said in his defense, Neither against the law of the
Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all." Meaning against the Roman
government. I have not sinned
against the law of the Jews,
I have not sinned against the temple, and I have not sinned against Roman law. "But
Festus desiring to gain favor with the Jews asked Paul, and said, Wilt thou go
up to Jerusalem,
and there be judged of these things before me?"
Forty men had bound themselves under a vow back there, that they would
not eat or drink until they had killed Paul, and Paul was suspicious that they were
planning do such a thing again. But
Festus wants to show the Jews a favor and he wants to know if Paul will go to Jerusalem to be tried of the Jews
there. "Wilt
thou go up to Jerusalem,
and there be judged of these things before me?" Remember he refused to hear the case at Jerusalem back there at the
beginning. He told them he would hear it
at Caesarea, but he wants to show
the Jews a favor.
Acts 25:10, "But
Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat,
where I ought to be judged." Would he
be saying, you ought to render a decision? "I am
standing before Caesar's judgment seat where I ought to be judged. To the Jews, have I done no wrong, as thou
also very well knowest." So Paul was able to see that Festus
recognized that he was not guilty. "If
then I am a wrongdoer, and have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse
not to die: But if none of those things is true whereof
these accuse me." And they surely had not proved anything
against him. "Whereof
these accuse me, no man can give me unto them.
I appeal unto Caesar." Paul was a Roman citizen, and he had a right to
make an appeal before Roman authority, before Caesar, and he appeals his case to
Caesar. "Then
Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed
unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go." It
would be interesting to know what Festus and those Jews said after Paul
appealed to Caesar. But surely Festus
knew that as a Roman citizen he had a right, and he could not deny that right
of Paul to appeal unto Caesar. So after
he talked with the Jews, the Jewish council, he said to Paul, thou
hast appealed unto Caesar, unto Caesar shalt thou go. But Festus is in a peculiar situation. He is now supposed to send Paul to Rome for trial, and he
doesn't even have any charges against him, and that presents a problem. "Now when
certain days were passed, Agrippa the
king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea
and saluted Festus." Dont you know that Festus was glad when king Agrippa comes, he has a prisoner here that he is
supposed to go to Rome for trial, and he does
not even have any charges to specify against him. "And as
they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying,
There is a certain man left inprison by Felix: About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the
chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for sentence
against him. To whom I answered, It is
not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before that the accused have
the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning
the matter made against him. When
therefore, they were come together here, I made no delay but on the next day
sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought. Concerning whom when the accusers stood up,
they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed: But had certain questions against him of
their own religion, and of one Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be
alive. And I being perplexed have to
inquire concerning these things, asked whether he
would go to Jerusalem,
and there be judged of these matters.
But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I
commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar. And Agrippa said unto Festus, I also could
wish to hear the man myself. To morrow,
said he, thou shalt hear him.
Acts 25:23,
And so on
the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were
entered into the place of the hearing with the chief captains and the principal men of
the city. At the command of Festus Paul
was brought in." Now notice that king Agrippa and Festus and
the chief captains and the chief men of the city, there must have been quite a
number of people, the principal men with the chief captains. And so before the Jews and principal men of the
city, Paul is to make his defense before the king. "And Festus
said, King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us." There must have been quite an assembly
present. "Ye
behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both
at Jerusalem,
and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had committed nothing
worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to
send him." He did not have any other choice. He would either send him or release him. "Of whom I
have no certain thing to write unto my Lord.
Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before
thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may
have somewhat to write." Meaning that after you hear the case, maybe
there will be charges that you can specify against him. "For it seemeth to me unreasonable in sending a prisoner, not
withal to signify the charges against him."
That would seem a little strange, wouldn't it, to send the man all the
way to Rome to be tried by the emperor that didn't
have a single charge against him. How
are they going to try him if there are no charges against him?
Chapter Twenty-six
"And
Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand,
and made his defense." And again he stretched forth his hand. Dont you know that he must have gotten
attention from that audience that was assembled there to hear his case. Notice how he
begins, "I
think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before thee this
day concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews; especially
because I know thee to be an expert in all customs and questions which are
among the Jews:
Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently."
So evidently king Agrippa was better acquainted
with the customs and questions of the Jews and in a better position to judge
the matter. "Wherefore
I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My
manner of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own
nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; having knowledge of me from the
first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straightest sect of our
religion I lived a Pharisee." And you
remember that Saul of Tarsus, as he was called back there, had obtained letters
from the chief priest to go to Damascus to bind those that
called on the name and carry them back to Jerusalem and put them in prison,
when they were arrested by that great light from heaven and a voice from the
Lord. "And
now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our
fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes,
earnestly serving God night and day, hope to obtain. And concerning this hope, I am accused of the
Jews, O king. Why is it judged
incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" We will stop there for this period and pick
up 26:9. A brief recess was taken.
Picking up with Acts 26:9, Paul is making his
defense before king Agrippa. King Agrippa had more knowledge concerning
the customs of the Jews and, evidently, about the way of Christ. And Paul says to him, why is it judged
incredible with you, speaking to king Agrippa, if God
should raise the dead. And then he begins
and talks about he had thought back there before the Lord appeared to him, that
he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. We will plan to finish chapter twenty-six,
and then I will get Brother Patterson to come in here and help with the map, so
that I can trace on the map from Paul leaving Ephesus on that third journey,
and going up to Troas, and then over to visit again the churches of Macedonia,
and then he went down to Greece, and stayed at Corinth for three months. We will plan on doing that after we complete reading
chapter twenty-six. "I
verily thought within myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the
name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this I
also did in Jerusalem: And I shut up many of the saints in prison,
having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to
death, I gave my voice against them." So Paul
was surely in that sense a murderer.
Even though he was doing those things with a good conscience, he had a
part in having no telling how many of the people of God put to death. And no wonder he speaks of himself as a chief
sinner inthat reference that we read from I
Timothy. "And
punishing them oftentimes in all of the synagogues I strove to make them
blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even
unto foreign cities. Whereupon as I
journeyed to Damascus
with authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king I
saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining
round about me and them that journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto
me, in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? It is hard for thee to kick
against the goads. And I said, who art
thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But arise, and stand upon thy feet: For to this end have I appeared unto
thee."
Notice that verse sixteen really emphasizes the
fact that Jesus appeared to Saul to qualify him as an eyewitness of him, and to
make him an apostle. "But
arise, and stand upon thy feet: For to this end have I appeared unto thee, to
appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen
me, and of the things which I may appear unto thee." And so the Lord is going to make other appearances
to him. "Wherein
will I appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles,
unto whom now I send thee." And again he is emphasizing the fact that he
was chosen especially as an apostle to the Gentiles, but remember when he went
to Gentile territory, that it was his custom to go first, as we read in Acts
seventeen when he went to Thessalonica, as his
custom was he went into the synagogue of the Jews. At Antioch of Pisidia, he and Barnabas went first
into the synagogue there. And when some
of the Jews were hardened and began to contradict the things that were spoken
by them, they testified against them.
They said, it was necessary that the word of God
should first be spoken unto you, but
seeing ye have thrust it from you, and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal
life, lo we turn to the
Gentiles. So those references show that it was God's
will -- Even as they traveled from place
to place teaching the Gentiles, that it was God's will that the gospel first be
carried to the Jewish people, but he is an apostle primarily to the
Gentiles. "To
open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan unto God."
Before people hear the gospel of Christ, they
are in the darkness of sin and in the power and control of Satan. They are following Satan, and Christ is
sending Paul to the Gentile people to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God. "That they may receive remission
of sins, and inheritance among them that are sanctified by these in me. Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But declared unto them of Damascus
first, and at Jerusalem,
and throughout all the country of Judaea."
And remember after his conversion that he started teaching the Jews in
the synagogue at Damascus. And he did a great job, showing that Jesus,
that Jesus was the Christ. Reading again
from Acts 9:17, "And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying
his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord even Jesus who appeared unto thee
in the way which thou camest hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy
Spirit. And straightway there fell from
his eyes that were scales: And he received his sight and arose, and he
was baptized. And he took food, and was
strengthened." Saul had gone for three days without anything
to eat, he had been praying because he knew that he was a sinner. "And
he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus. And straightway in the synagogues he
proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. And all that heard him were amazed, and said,
Is not this he that in Jerusalem
made havoc of them that called upon this name, and he had come hither, for this
intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and
confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus,
proving that this is the Christ." And so Paul had done a good job back there at the beginning of his
ministry, proving that Jesus was the Christ.
Let us pick up with Acts 26:19 again, "Wherefore,
O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But declared both of them unto Damascus
first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea,
and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works
worthy of repentance." So
Paul taught that first at Damascus, then
at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the country of Judaea, and
also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God. Repentance is a turning, turning from the
wrong way to the right way, turning from the power and control of Satan to the
power and control of God. Turning from
the way of darkness as Paul says in the Colossian letter, translated
them out of the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Acts 26:21, "For
this cause the Jews seized me in the temple and was about to kill me." "Having
therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day, testifying
both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say
should come: How that Christ must suffer, and how that he
first by the resurrection of the dead, shall proclaim both to the people, and
to the Gentiles." Do you remember how it is stated in the
forty-second chapter of Isaiah, that it was not enough that Christ would be
raised up for Israel, but that he would be
also a light for the Gentile people?
Reading again from Isaiah
forty-two verse one, "Behold my servant,
whom I uphold; I have chosen in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit
upon him; and he will bring justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry, nor lift up his voice,
nor cause it to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not
quench; he will bring forth justice and truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he
hath set justice in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith Jehovah,
he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad
the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto all the people upon it, and spirit to
them that walk therein:
I Jehovah have called thee in righteousness." This
whole passage is referring to Christ. "And
will hold thy hand, and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the
people, for a light to the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out
the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of that
prison house." Out of that prison house of
sin and darkness. "I
am Jehovah; that is my name: And my glory will I
not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass,
and new things do I declare: Before they spring forth I tell you of them." That is one of the distinctions between God
and the idol gods, God told the people a long time before it came to pass what
was to come to pass. As stated here in
verse nine, "Behold the former things are come to
pass, and new things do I declare: Before they spring forth I tell you of them."
But reading now from Isaiah forty-nine, picking
up with verse five, another reference about Christ, "And
now, saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be
his servant." And remember he's spoken
of as God's servant in Isaiah forty-two.
"To
bring Jacob again to him. (The
people of Israel) And that Israel
be gathered unto him for I am honorable in the eyes of
Jehovah. And my God has become my
strength. Yea, he saith
it is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant
to raise up to the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preserved of Israel;
I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the
earth." So several references
are talking about how that Christ would be a light to the Gentiles. And here Paul is saying that God had
delivered him from the people and from the Gentiles, that he might be able to
open their eyes, that they might turn from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan under God, that they may receive remission of sins
and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him. We will read verse nineteen again, "Wherefore,
O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But declared both to them at Damascus first,
and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea,
and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works
worthy of repentance. And for this cause
the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me." Now for what cause? Would that not go back to what Paul was
doing, declaring to Jews and Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God,
doing works worthy of repentance? "For
this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me. Having there obtained the help that is from
God." So Paul recognized that his help was from God. Even though the Romans soldiers had rescued
him, he recognized that God was behind his rescue, that God
had worked in his providence, and he was still alive because of God's
special providence.
Acts 26:22,, "Having
therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day, testifying
both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say
should come: How that Christ must suffer, and how that he
first by the resurrection of the dead, should proclaim light both to the
people, and to the Gentiles." Both to the people of Israel and
to the Gentile people. "And
as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud
voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad. But Paul saith, I
am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and
soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom I also speak freely: For I am persuaded that none of these things
is hidden from him; for this has not been done in a corner." All of the teaching and God delivering him
from the people, those things had not been done in a corner. "King
Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest
fain make me a Christian? And Paul said,
I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also
all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds. And the king rose up, and the governor, and
Bernice, and they that sat with them." Remember
that the principal men of the city and the chief captains, they were
present. But king
Agrippa, after he tries Paul, is not able to help Festus to have something to
write in the way of charges.
Back to Acts 26:30,"And
the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another saying, This
man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds."
So they all agreed that this man is not guilty. "And
Agrippa said unto Festus this man might have been set at liberty, if he had not
appealed unto Caesar."
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter twenty-seven begins with that long
journey from Caesarea to Rome where Paul is in prison
for two whole years in his own hired dwelling, but able to preach and teach
those that came unto him in his own hired dwelling, none forbidding him. But now I will get Brother Patterson in here
and try to go over the map. You remember
that in Class Session nine that we followed the journeys of Paul until we got
to Ephesus on that third
journey? And I would like for us to pick
up at Ephesus and follow him on his
journey from Ephesus to revisiting the
churches of Macedonia, and then going to Greece for three months, and
then going to Jerusalem with those messengers
of the churches, carrying the bounty that those Gentile churches had raised for
the poor in Judaea.
And again I would like to first call attention
to Acts eighteen, that
verse twenty-two is the end of the second journey, and verse twenty-three is
the beginning of the third journey.
"And having spent some time there, he
departed and went through the region of Galatia
and Phrygia
in order, establishing the disciples." Which means that he was revisiting those churches again. He revisited those churches at Galatia that he and Barnabas
had established on that first journey as recorded in Acts chapters 13 and 14. He revisited them again on this second
journey, first in company with Silas and then with Silas and Timothy. And as they visited those churches, they were
delivering the decrees from the apostles and elders. They wrote that letter saying they had not sent
out those false teachers, and there were just four things that they bound on
the Gentiles: They
were to keep themselves from the pollution of idols, fornication, things
strangled, and from blood. And in Acts 16:4, "As
they went on the way through the cities."
Those cities where they had
been established, those churches on the first journey. "They
delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and
elders that were at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the
faith, and increased in number daily."
I read that reference again to stress the point
that when Paul revisited these churches on the second journey, that they were
not having any problem in respect to that false teaching by those willful false
teachers that they later have. And when
he revisited them on that third journey, there was nothing said about them having that
problem, but it was after he had visited them
on that third journey, that the problems came up in the churches of Galatia. Those false teachers moved to those churches
and started teaching those Gentile brethren in all those churches of Galatia: Antioch of Pisidia,
Iconium, Lystra and Derbe -- teaching them that the Gentiles had to be
circumcised and keep
the law of Moses in order to be saved.
And the burden of the epistle to the Galatians was that these men are false
teachers, they are willful, false teachers, and if you follow them, you will
lose your salvation in Christ. Remember
Galatians 5:4, "Ye are
severed from Christ. Ye that would be
justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace."
They had already lost their salvation by being led by those false
teachers.
Please remember that Paul had first gone to Ephesus on the return part of
that second journey. He went into the
synagogue at Ephesus, and they wanted him to stay with them longer, but it was
not his will to do so then,
but he told them if it was the Lord's will, he would return to
them, and it was the Lord's will, and after he had gone back and had further
instructed the brethren in the churches, he went to Ephesus. Evidently Ephesus was the place that he
wanted to go on that second journey when he wanted to go into Asia and was forbidden. He wanted to go into Bithynia and the Holy Spirit
prevented him to go there. But passing
by Mysia, he came to Troas where Luke joined them,
and they established the three churches in Macedonia: Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.
Now on this third journey, he goes back and
revisits these disciples, and then he goes to Ephesus. After the uproar caused by Demetrius and the
silversmiths and those of like trade, we read in Acts twenty, that after the
uproar -- Look at Acts 20:1-2, "And
after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and exhorted them,
took leave from them, and departed to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone through those parts, and
had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And when he had spent three
months there. And the plot was
made against him by the Jews. As he was
about to sail for Syria,
he determined to return through Macedonia. Luke is really briefing things there, and
telling about him revisiting the churches of Macedonia and the churches of
Greece, and staying in Greece three months and
ready to sail to Jerusalem with that bounty of the Gentile churches, and
he learned that a plot was laid to kill him.
Reading again from Acts 20:3, "And
when he had spent three months there, the plot was laid against him by the
Jews, as he was about to set sail for Syria,
he determined to return through Macedonia. And there accompanied him as far as Asia Sopater of Berea."
So you see they had a messenger of the church from Berea. "And
of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus." So two messengers from Thessalonica. "Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy." So two from Derbe, Gaius and Timothy.
"And
of Asia, Tychicus
and Trophimus."
And Trophimus, remember as we have already
read, was from Ephesus. And so a representative of
the church from Ephesus. "But these
had gone before and were waiting for us at Troas." And from the pronoun us, we know that Luke
joins the company again. "And
we sailed away from Philippi
after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five
days where we tarried seven days."
So from Philippi Luke goes with Paul to Troas, and they are at Troas for
seven days, which means, we know from Acts 20:7, that they worshiped
at Troas at least one Lord's day, if not two first days of the week.
And then we read about them continuing on the
journey, picking up with Acts 20:13, "And
we going forth to the ship, set sail for Assos." Right here is Assos,
just a little ways from Troas, I guess about ten miles. So they are sailing along the coastline,
going to Jerusalem. "There
intending to take in Paul for so had he appointed intended to go by land." I wonder why he wanted to go by land from Troas to Assos,
but that is what it says, and he did.
"There intending to take in Paul. For so had he appointed, intending himself to
go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene." Mitylene is somewhere along here. That is where Mitylene
is, and they were just traveling down the coastline. "And
sailing from thence, we came the following day over against Chios;
and the next day we touched at Samos, and the
day after we came to Miletus." And it is from Miletus that Paul calls
together the elders from the church at Ephesus and tells them how that
he wants them to be faithful to the Lord and feed
the church of God
which he purchased with his own blood. And so
from Miletus he calls for the elders
to meet him there because he wanted to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost.
Acts 20:16, "For
Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that
he might not have to spend time in Asia: For he was hastening, if it were possible for
him, to be at Jerusalem
the day of Pentecost." Picking
up now with chapter twenty-one. After
he gave that discourse to the elders of the church, they fell on his neck and
kissed him. "And
when it came to pass that we were parted from them. (the Ephesian elders) And
had set sail, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from
thence unto Patara.
And having found a ship crossing over unto Phenicia,
we went abroad and set sail. And when we
had come insight of Cyprus,
leaving it on the left, we sailed unto Syria,
and landed at Tyre." So again they are moving down the
coastline. We have mentioned these
places. And they left Cyprus on the left, and then
they land, the ship lands at Tyre. Verse three, "And
when we had come insight of Cyprus,
leaving it on the left, we sailed on to Syria,
and landed at Tyre: For there the ship was to unlade her
burden. And having found the disciples,
we tarried there seven days:
And these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem. And when it came to pass and had accomplished
these days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all the wives and
children brought us on our way, until we were out of the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed. And bade each together farewell, and went on
board the ship; but they returned to their home again. And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre,
we arrived at Ptolemais, and we saluted the brethren,
and abode with them one day. And on the
morrow we departed and came to Caesarea."
Caesarea is where Paul stayed
during that length of time that he was tried by the chief captain Lysias and governor Felix and Festus and then by king Agrippa, he was at Caesarea. And so on this journey, they go to Caesarea to the house of
Philip. And from there, they start on toward
Jerusalem. Verse fifteen, "After
these days we took up our baggage, and went up to Jerusalem." Where they were received
well of the apostles and elders. So that
completes the third journey. Sometime
later maybe we will find an opportunity to pick up and follow Paul on his journey
to Rome for trial. And we will call this the end of this Class Session. Thank you.