January 01, 2013
A new year—2013. As I write on this first day of this new year, I'm going to do something that I've never done before in my three plus years of writing in this journal. What I've always done in the past is to read the passage for each Life Lesson as listed in my New Century Version Bible; read the same chapter(s) in Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV and NIV one day; and then write my thoughts the next day. Last night as I read I should have stopped after reading Acts 21, but I couldn't stop reading, and I read all the way to the end of Acts. And then I knew, instead of taking the eight separate Life Lessons one at a time, I'm supposed to write about the whole story from Acts 21 to Acts 28.
First the background to the story. Acts 20:22–24 tells us that Paul knew he was supposed to go to Jerusalem. He didn't know what to expect when he got there, he just knew he was supposed to go. And so, committed to the cause of Christ, he started on his way. People tried to warn him not to go. In fact, they begged him not to go. They knew there was most likely trouble ahead for Paul, but Paul was steadfast. No matter what—he was willing and ready to go. When they could not persuade him to stay, they quit begging him and said, "We pray that what the Lord wants will be done." (Acts 21:14) There was a quiet acceptance of God's will—no matter what.
Paul travels to Jerusalem and goes to the temple. And just like that, the trouble began. People began to falsely accuse him, assuming he had done something which he had not. They gathered other people with them and led an attack on Paul. They grabbed him and drug him out of the temple immediately closing the doors behind him. They tried to kill him, but the commander of the army heard about the commotion and ran to the place where the crowd was gathered.
When the crowd saw him coming they stopped beating Paul. The commander arrested Paul and had him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who this man was and what he had done wrong. Some in the crowd yelled one thing and some yelled another. Because of all the confusion the commander couldn't determine what their problem was, so he had Paul taken to the army building. The soldiers had to carry him up the steps because the people were determined to hurt him. The crowd was yelling, "Kill him!" Paul, thinking he could explain himself and reason with the crowd asked for permission to speak to them.
Paul said, "Friends, fellow Jews, listen to my defense to you." (Acts 22:1) Paul went on and told them his life story, how he himself had persecuted believers; how he was blinded by the light; how he said, "What shall I do Lord"; how the Lord said to "Get up and go" and he went; what Ananias said to him; how he could physically see again; but more importantly, how his spiritual eyes were opened. God had chosen him to be a witness to all people, "...telling them what you have seen and heard." He told the people (his accusers) how God led his life telling him where to go and when to go. When the crowd heard Paul say that God had told him they would not listen to truth, they again became furious and shouted for his destruction.
The commander did not understand what was going on. He told his soldiers to take Paul inside and beat him so Paul would say why the people were so angry at him. As they were tying him up and getting ready to beat him, Paul asked, "Do you have the right to beat a Roman citizen that has not been proven guilty?" (Acts 22:25) They were shocked to find out he was a Roman citizen. Because he was a Roman citizen they did not beat him.
The commander was still trying to figure out why the Jews were so angry at Paul. At first he thought maybe Paul was the Egyptian who had caused trouble. But that wasn't it—so what was the problem? He called the leading priest and council and arranged a meeting with Paul. Paul looked at them and declared his innocence. The truth made them angry and the high priest ordered that the men standing next to Paul should hit him in the mouth. Paul exposed the hypocrisy and called him "a wall painted white." A fake. A religious unbeliever. He was accusing Paul of breaking the law when he was the guilty one.
Paul tried to defend himself, but more arguing broke out and it turned so violent that the commander was afraid some evil people would tear Paul to pieces. So, he told his soldiers to go get Paul and to put him in the army building as a way to protect him. Paul appeared to be captive, but he was actually being protected. I love what happens next. Acts 23:11 - "The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul." The Lord said, "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." (Acts 23:11) God had a plan and anything that came against it was thwarted. Some of the Jews were so determined to get Paul that they vowed to not eat or drink until they were successful at getting him. But their plan was exposed and Paul was safe.
The commander was still trying to figure out what was going on. Why are they so against this man? He sent Paul to Felix and sent a letter with him. The letter said: "Some of the Jews had taken this man and planned to kill him. But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and saved him. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him before their council meeting. I learned that these people said Paul did some things that were wrong by their own laws, but no charge was worthy of jail or death. When I was told that some of them were planning to kill Paul, I sent him to you at once. I also told them to tell you what they have against him." (Acts 23:27–30) Felix decided to hear his case "when those who are against you come here too." So, Paul was kept under guard in Herod's Palace.
Five days later the high priest and some of the older leaders show up with a lawyer. They had come to make their charges against Paul. Paul was called into the meeting. The lawyer starts out in typical lawyer fashion, flattering and praising Felix for the things he had done and how thankful they are for him... blah, blah, blah. Then he gets into why they are there. Their Plan A attempts to get rid of Paul by killing him was thwarted so now they went to Plan B and attempted to "get him" by manipulating the law against him in front of the Roman Governor Felix. The lawyer tells Felix, "But not wanting to take any more of your time, I beg you to be kind and listen to our few words." (Acts 24:4) And he starts in.
Acts 24:5–8 - "We have found this man to be a troublemaker... stirring up trouble... he was trying to make the temple unclean... but we stopped him. Ask him questions yourself, you can decide if all these things are true." His clients (the high priest and other leaders) all agreed with what he said. All the accusations they made were false but that didn't matter to them. They were out to get Paul and they were determined to do it. They were breaking the same laws they were accusing Paul of breaking but they didn't care. They were tunnel visioned and laser focused.
But remember, while all this was happening, Paul was exactly where God intended for him to be, and the LORD was standing beside him.
Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)
A new year—2013. As I write on this first day of this new year, I'm going to do something that I've never done before in my three plus years of writing in this journal. What I've always done in the past is to read the passage for each Life Lesson as listed in my New Century Version Bible; read the same chapter(s) in Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV and NIV one day; and then write my thoughts the next day. Last night as I read I should have stopped after reading Acts 21, but I couldn't stop reading, and I read all the way to the end of Acts. And then I knew, instead of taking the eight separate Life Lessons one at a time, I'm supposed to write about the whole story from Acts 21 to Acts 28.
First the background to the story. Acts 20:22–24 tells us that Paul knew he was supposed to go to Jerusalem. He didn't know what to expect when he got there, he just knew he was supposed to go. And so, committed to the cause of Christ, he started on his way. People tried to warn him not to go. In fact, they begged him not to go. They knew there was most likely trouble ahead for Paul, but Paul was steadfast. No matter what—he was willing and ready to go. When they could not persuade him to stay, they quit begging him and said, "We pray that what the Lord wants will be done." (Acts 21:14) There was a quiet acceptance of God's will—no matter what.
Paul travels to Jerusalem and goes to the temple. And just like that, the trouble began. People began to falsely accuse him, assuming he had done something which he had not. They gathered other people with them and led an attack on Paul. They grabbed him and drug him out of the temple immediately closing the doors behind him. They tried to kill him, but the commander of the army heard about the commotion and ran to the place where the crowd was gathered.
When the crowd saw him coming they stopped beating Paul. The commander arrested Paul and had him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who this man was and what he had done wrong. Some in the crowd yelled one thing and some yelled another. Because of all the confusion the commander couldn't determine what their problem was, so he had Paul taken to the army building. The soldiers had to carry him up the steps because the people were determined to hurt him. The crowd was yelling, "Kill him!" Paul, thinking he could explain himself and reason with the crowd asked for permission to speak to them.
Paul said, "Friends, fellow Jews, listen to my defense to you." (Acts 22:1) Paul went on and told them his life story, how he himself had persecuted believers; how he was blinded by the light; how he said, "What shall I do Lord"; how the Lord said to "Get up and go" and he went; what Ananias said to him; how he could physically see again; but more importantly, how his spiritual eyes were opened. God had chosen him to be a witness to all people, "...telling them what you have seen and heard." He told the people (his accusers) how God led his life telling him where to go and when to go. When the crowd heard Paul say that God had told him they would not listen to truth, they again became furious and shouted for his destruction.
The commander did not understand what was going on. He told his soldiers to take Paul inside and beat him so Paul would say why the people were so angry at him. As they were tying him up and getting ready to beat him, Paul asked, "Do you have the right to beat a Roman citizen that has not been proven guilty?" (Acts 22:25) They were shocked to find out he was a Roman citizen. Because he was a Roman citizen they did not beat him.
The commander was still trying to figure out why the Jews were so angry at Paul. At first he thought maybe Paul was the Egyptian who had caused trouble. But that wasn't it—so what was the problem? He called the leading priest and council and arranged a meeting with Paul. Paul looked at them and declared his innocence. The truth made them angry and the high priest ordered that the men standing next to Paul should hit him in the mouth. Paul exposed the hypocrisy and called him "a wall painted white." A fake. A religious unbeliever. He was accusing Paul of breaking the law when he was the guilty one.
Paul tried to defend himself, but more arguing broke out and it turned so violent that the commander was afraid some evil people would tear Paul to pieces. So, he told his soldiers to go get Paul and to put him in the army building as a way to protect him. Paul appeared to be captive, but he was actually being protected. I love what happens next. Acts 23:11 - "The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul." The Lord said, "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." (Acts 23:11) God had a plan and anything that came against it was thwarted. Some of the Jews were so determined to get Paul that they vowed to not eat or drink until they were successful at getting him. But their plan was exposed and Paul was safe.
The commander was still trying to figure out what was going on. Why are they so against this man? He sent Paul to Felix and sent a letter with him. The letter said: "Some of the Jews had taken this man and planned to kill him. But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and saved him. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him before their council meeting. I learned that these people said Paul did some things that were wrong by their own laws, but no charge was worthy of jail or death. When I was told that some of them were planning to kill Paul, I sent him to you at once. I also told them to tell you what they have against him." (Acts 23:27–30) Felix decided to hear his case "when those who are against you come here too." So, Paul was kept under guard in Herod's Palace.
Five days later the high priest and some of the older leaders show up with a lawyer. They had come to make their charges against Paul. Paul was called into the meeting. The lawyer starts out in typical lawyer fashion, flattering and praising Felix for the things he had done and how thankful they are for him... blah, blah, blah. Then he gets into why they are there. Their Plan A attempts to get rid of Paul by killing him was thwarted so now they went to Plan B and attempted to "get him" by manipulating the law against him in front of the Roman Governor Felix. The lawyer tells Felix, "But not wanting to take any more of your time, I beg you to be kind and listen to our few words." (Acts 24:4) And he starts in.
Acts 24:5–8 - "We have found this man to be a troublemaker... stirring up trouble... he was trying to make the temple unclean... but we stopped him. Ask him questions yourself, you can decide if all these things are true." His clients (the high priest and other leaders) all agreed with what he said. All the accusations they made were false but that didn't matter to them. They were out to get Paul and they were determined to do it. They were breaking the same laws they were accusing Paul of breaking but they didn't care. They were tunnel visioned and laser focused.
But remember, while all this was happening, Paul was exactly where God intended for him to be, and the LORD was standing beside him.
Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)
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