Edited March · Web viewThey were called to seal their doctrines with their blood and nobly did they bear the trial. Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant

BOOK OF ACTSChapter 22

22:1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you." Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you.

C. H. SpurgeonMen like to be addressed in their own language; they give the more heed to the message if it is spoken to them in words that they can understand.

A Digression In HebrewWhen Bishop Aylmer saw his congregation inattentive, he would recite some verses from the Hebrew Bible. His audience would stare with astonishment; then he would tell them the folly of listening to an unknown tongue, and neglecting words so easily comprehended.

DEFENSEAn argument made before a court:

Of Jeremiah. Of Peter. Of Stephen. Of Paul.

Against Fact, Not Against LawIf you make a mistake in a matter of factThe Law may excuse the results of your act.But if you've mistaken the law, it's no useTo plead that—the Law won't admit that excuse

22:2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they

kept the more silence: and he saith,)

21:40-22:2 Paul was probably speaking in Aramaic, the common language among Palestinian Jews. He used Aramaic not only to communicate in the language of his listeners, but also to show that he was a devout Jew and had respect for the Jewish laws and customs. Paul spoke Greek to the Roman officials and Aramaic to the Jews. To minister to people most effectively, use their language.

R. C. SproulAccused and attacked by a Jewish mob and now held in Roman custody, Paul stands before the Jews to make his “defense.” As a prisoner battling accusations, he will do much the same on several other occasions as the book of Acts concludes. Paul’s tactics in defending the Gospel and his propagation of it have much to teach us as we seek to “give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Throughout this speech, Paul does everything he can think of to establish rapport with his audience and avoid offending them needlessly. He never compromises the Gospel, but he strives to speak in words that will best reach Jews. He has already taken steps to appease their wrath by speaking in Aramaic, the Hebrew language, and by addressing them as “brethren and fathers,” terms of deep respect. Even in these initial words he shows his love for his people by expressing regard for individuals who moments before had been beating him and crying out for his execution.

Paul’s first assertion concerns his identity. “I am indeed a Jew,” he says, flatly contradicting those who feel he has abandoned his faith and become an enemy of it. He admits he was born in Tarsus, but he goes on to tell them he was brought up in

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Jerusalem and educated under Rabbi Gamaliel, a noted Pharisee who held to and taught strict observance of the law. Hearing these words, “the Jews see him as a Pharisee and an expert in the law of their spiritual forefather,” Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes. Furthermore, Paul was zealous in his service for God, just like them, for he also hated the Christian movement and persecuted its adherents, men and women, to prison and death.

To attest to his zeal, Paul calls as “witnesses” the high priest and the Sanhedrin! He assumes that at least some of the current council members, including the high priest, were serving when he persecuted the church. They can affirm, he says, that his zeal was so great that he sought and received permission from the council to hunt for believers in Damascus and bring them in chains to Jerusalem. But Kistemaker notes that he uses the imperfect tense of the verb to journey to indicate that he could not complete his mission to Damascus. He will explain why in the next segment of his speech.

CharacteristicsHebrew and Aramaic, as cognates or closely related languages, share several formal and phonological characteristics, including the predominance of basic root words with three consonants, the position of word accent, the use of pronominal suffixes, and the use of verbal stems or conjugations to indicate simple, intensive, and causative actions. However, the differences in the two languages show that they are not merely dialectical variations; each language has its own character and integrity.

Only Dead Language RestoredThe adoption of ancient Hebrew characters by Israel marks it as the only dead language in history that has been restored.

Hebrew And Greek PoetryA great deal of elasticity is found in Hebrew and Greek poetry, and they certainly differ from modern English poetry. The Hebrews and Greeks were not concerned with rhythm and rhyme as we do today....We concentrate on accent, but the Greeks stressed vowel length, and the Hebrews dealt with rhythm based on accented and tone syllables. (The system of showing vowel signs and accents in Hebrew was developed in the Middle Ages, so we don't know what Hebrew poetry sounded like when read in Old Testament times.)

Hebrew poetry seldom rhymed, although there are some cases of this in the Bible. Alliteration, assonance, and refrains were used. But the greatest single characteristic of Hebrew poetry is its parallelism. That means that something is repeated or stated in a different way.

Features Of Early ChristiansIn the third century a certain Cyprian, who was later Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his friend Donatus—

"It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people, who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousands times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians... and I am one of them."

22:3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.

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"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today. I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

22:3 Gamaliel was the most honored rabbi of the first century. He was well known and respected as an expert on religious law and as a voice for moderation (Acts 5:34). Paul was showing his credentials as a well-educated man trained under the most respected Jewish rabbi.

22:3 By saying that at one time he was as zealous for God as any of his listeners, Paul was acknowledging their sincere motives behind their desire to kill him and recognizing that he would have done the same to Christian leaders a few years earlier. Paul always tried to establish a common point of contact with his audience before launching into a full-scale defense of Christianity. When you witness for Christ, first identify yourself with your audience. They are much more likely to listen if they feel a common bond with you.

C. H. SpurgeonPaul’s companions could not help sensing that extraordinary light, and though they did not understand what it was, they were alarmed by it. They also heard a supernatural sound, but they could not comprehend what the voice of Jesus said to their leader as he lay prostrate upon the ground.

Four Founders' Golden Rule

Hillel, the Hebrew rabbi, said, "Do not do to thy neighbor what is hateful to thyself."

Socrates, the Greek philosopher, said, "What stirs your anger when done to you by others, that do not do to others."

Confucius, the Chinese sage, said, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

These statements are worlds away from what Jesus said. Their rules are negative and passive. Jesus' rule is positive and active. In essence these wise men said, "Avoid doing to others what you do not want done to you." Jesus said, "Think of something good you wish someone would do for you, then do it for someone else."

R. C. SproulAccused and attacked by a Jewish mob and now held in Roman custody, Paul stands before the Jews to make his “defense.” As a prisoner battling accusations, he will do much the same on several other occasions as the book of Acts concludes. Paul’s tactics in defending the Gospel and his propagation of it have much to teach us as we seek to “give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Throughout this speech, Paul does everything he can think of to establish rapport with his audience and avoid offending them needlessly. He never compromises the Gospel, but he strives to speak in words that will best reach Jews. He has already taken steps to appease their wrath by speaking in Aramaic, the Hebrew language, and by addressing them as “brethren and fathers,” terms of deep respect. Even in these initial words he shows his love for his people by expressing regard for individuals who moments before had been beating him and crying out for his execution.

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Paul’s first assertion concerns his identity. “I am indeed a Jew,” he says, flatly contradicting hose who feel he has abandoned his faith. And become an enemy of it. He admits he was born in Tarsus, but he goes on to tell them he was brought up in Jerusalem and educated under Rabbi Gamaliel, a noted Pharisee who held to and taught strict observance of the law. Hearing these words, “the Jews see him as a Pharisee and an expert in the law of their spiritual forefathers, “Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes. Furthermore, Paul was zealous in his service for God, just like them, for he also hated the Christian movement and persecuted its adherents, men and women, to prison and death.

To attest to his zeal, Paul calls as “witnesses” the high priest and the Sanhedrin! He assumes that at least some of the current council members, including the high priest, were serving when he persecuted the church. They can affirm, he says, that his zeal was so great that he sought and received permission from the council to hunt for believers in Damascus and bring them in chains to Jerusalem. But Kistemaker notes that he uses the imperfect tense of the verb to journey to indicate that he could not complete his mission to Damascus. He will explain why in the next segments of his speech.

What The Law Cannot DoSome people will be shocked by the assertion that there are some things the law cannot do. The law can only reveal sin, but it is powerless to save from sin. It can show us our weakness, but it cannot provide strength. It can only condemn, but cannot justify. The law commands, but does not enable; the law slays, but grace alone can make alive. Grace disposes and gives the needed power. Law is outward; grace is inward.

GAMALIEL (guh may’ lih el) Personal name meaning, “God rewards with good.”

The son of Pedahzur; a leader of the tribe of Manasseh, who helped Moses take the census in the wilderness (Numbers 1:10). Compare Numbers 7:54-59.

A highly regarded Pharisee who was a member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:34). He squelched a plan by the Sanhedrin to kill the apostles by reminding the members that interference with what the apostles were doing might prove to be opposition to God. If the work of the apostles were a purely human work, Gamaliel said, it would come to nothing anyway. According to Acts 22:3, this Gamaliel had been Paul’s teacher. He was the grandson of the great Rabbi Hillel. He died about A.D. 52.

A leading Jewish rabbi in the late first and early second centuries A.D. He was the grandson of the Gamaliel mentioned in the Book of Acts. He is credited with many of the adaptations in Judaism necessitated by the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.

To Theopphilanthropists: Be CrucifiedTalleyrand once received a delegation of theophilanthropists, who consulted him as to the best way of introducing their proposed new religion.

After hearing them he said, "Gentlemen, I refer you to a historical fact which may give you some light as to the best way to establish a new religion in the world. When Christ undertook to establish a new religion, he was crucified, he lay in the grave three days, and arose again and ascended into heaven. If you would succeed, I advise you to do the same."

22:4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both

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men and women and throwing them into prison, "And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Features Of Early ChristiansIn the third century a certain Cyprian, who was later Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his friend Donatus—

"It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people, who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousands times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians... and I am one of them."

PRISON, PRISONERS Any place where persons accused and/or convicted of criminal activity are confined and persons so confined or those captured in war.

Old TestamentImprisonment as a legal punishment is not a feature of ancient law codes. The Mosaic law allowed for a place of custody until the case was decided (Leviticus 24:12; Numbers 15:34), but beginning only in the Persian period does the Bible mention incarceration as a penalty for breaking the religious law (Ezra. 7:26). Prisons mentioned in the Old Testament were under the control of the crown. Joseph was put in a royal prison in Egypt (Genesis 39:20), apparently attached to the house of the captain of the guard (Genesis 40:3). Asa of Judah (2 Chron. 16:10) and Ahab of Israel

(1 Kings 22:26-27) made use of prisons, probably associated with the palace. The experience of Jeremiah, however, provides the most interesting glimpses of prisons and prison life. The royal prisons were apparently not large, as the one in which Jeremiah was initially placed was a converted private house (Jeremiah 37:15). He was confined to an underground dungeon (Jeremiah 37:16), perhaps a converted cistern. Jeremiah later was placed under house arrest in the “court of the guard” (Jeremiah 37:20-21). There, he was available for consultation with the king (Jeremiah 38:14; Jeremiah 38:28), able to conduct business (Jeremiah 32:2-3; Jeremiah 32:6-12), and able to speak freely (Jeremiah 38:1-4). Because the latter enraged the princes, Jeremiah was confined for a time to a muddy cistern in the “court of the guard” (Jeremiah 38:4-13). Persons were confined in royal prisons for offending the king (Genesis 40:1-3), perhaps by political intrigue. In Israel, prophets were jailed for denouncing royal policy (2 Chron. 16:10), predicting ill of the king (1 Kings 22:26-27), and suspected collaboration with the enemy (Jeremiah 37:11-15). Political prisoners in Assyrian and Babylonian prisons included former kings of rebellious nations (2 Kings 17:4; 2 Kings 24:15; 2 Kings 25:27; Jeremiah 52:11). Samson became a prisoner in a Philistine prison (Judges 16:21). Prisoners of war were usually either killed or enslaved. The lot of prisoners was pitiable, sometimes consisting of meager rations (1 Kings 22:27) and hard labor (Judges 16:21). In some cases, prisoners were restrained and tortured by the stocks or collar (2 Chron. 16:10; Jeremiah 29:26). Jehoiachin was clothed in special prison garments in Babylon (2 Kings 25:29). Prison life became a symbol of oppression and suffering (Psalm 79:11), and release from prison provided a

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picture of restoration or salvation (Psalm 102:20; Psalm 142:7; Psalm 146:7; Isaiah 61:1; Zech. 9:11-12).

Modern-Day AgonyChristians in modern-day Chad, Africa, were being persecuted for refusing to participate in old tribal initiation rites they say are pagan. Reliable sources reported the tortured deaths of pastors, evangelists, and other church leaders who declined to commit acts counter to their faith: drinking chicken blood offered to idols, handling fetishes, and the like. The accounts told of persons buried alive with just part of a leg left above ground or—for slower death—with only the head exposed, a terrifying warning to others who resist.

The persecution originated when President Francois N'garta Tombalbaye launched a cultural revolution assertedly to rid the nation and its four million inhabitants of unwanted foreign influences and to establish an identity with the country's past. But church leaders reportedly met and agreed to oppose the rites, and some church groups say they would not readmit members who take part. The evangelical churches in Chad number more than 1,500 congregations with tens of thousands of members.

New TestamentIn New Testament times, persons could be imprisoned for nonpayment of debt (Matthew 5:25-26; Luke 12:58-59), political insurrection and criminal acts (Luke 23:19; Luke 23:25), as well as for certain religious practices (Luke 21:12; Acts 8:3). For some of these offenses, public prisons were also employed (Acts 5:18-19). John the Baptist was arrested for criticizing the king (Luke 3:19-20) and seems to have been held in a royal prison attached to the palace (Mark 6:17-29). Later, Peter was held under heavy security, consisting of chains, multiple guards, and iron doors (Acts 12:5-11).

Paul, who imprisoned others (Acts 8:3; Acts 22:4; Acts 26:10), was often in prison himself (2 Cor. 11:23). His experiences provides the most detail on prisons in the New Testament world. In Philippi, he and Silas were placed under the charge of a lone jailer, who “put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:23-24 NRSV). Excavations at Philippi have uncovered a crypt revered by early Christians as the prison and adorned with frescos depicting Paul and Silas in Philippi. If the identification is correct, the crypt’s small size eliminates any doubt that when Paul and Silas sang hymns, “the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25 NRSV). Perhaps the crypt, originally a cistern, served only as the “innermost cell” (Acts 16:24) for maximum security or solitary confinement. In Jerusalem, Paul was held in the barracks of the Roman cohort (Acts 23:16-18). After his transfer to Caesarea, he was confined with some freedom in the headquarters of Roman procurators and was allowed to receive visitors (Acts 23:35; Acts 24:23). As he and other prisoners were transferred to Rome by ship, Paul was again given some freedom (Acts 27:1; Acts 27:3); but when shipwreck became imminent, the soldiers resolved to kill them all lest they should escape (Acts 27:42-43). While awaiting trial in Rome, Paul remained under constant guard in a kind of house arrest (Acts 28:16-17; Acts 28:30), met his own expenses, and was free to receive visitors and preach the gospel “openly and unhindered” (Acts 28:30). Paul considered his imprisonment as for Christ (Ephes. 3:1; Ephes. 4:1; Phil. 1:13-14; Philemon 1:1; Philemon 1:9). The situation for prisoners remained dismal in New Testament times, and concern for such persons is a virtue expected by Christ of every disciple (Matthew 25:36; Matthew 25:39; Matthew 25:43-44). It is Satan who

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will be imprisoned during the millennium (Rev. 20:1-3; Rev. 20:7).

Hitler And the ChurchWhen Adolph Hitler began his conquest of the world, he quickly recognized that there was one formidable power which stood between him and his goal of controlling the government—the confessing church and the men who were the spiritual descendants of Martin Luther. To neutralize the criticism of the church, Hitler spoke of himself as a believer and sought to win the church's support for a White Paper—a position paper outlining the supremacy of the Arian or white race, denouncing Jews as inferiors.

Few men, however, would compromise. Hitler knew they had to be destroyed. Thousands of German pastors were among those sent to the concentration camps, including an outspoken German minister by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In prison, Bonhoeffer had time to reflect on the true nature of the Gospel and what it costs to be a Christian. Out of that experience came Bonhoeffer's book, The Cost of Discipleship.

Religious Broad-MindednessThe trend today is toward broad-mindedness. Many insist that we should ignore our differences in theology, and major on points where we agree. Strangely this attitude is confined to religious matters.

We want bankers who are narrow-minded to the extent that two plus two equals four, not three. We insist on a pharmacist following exactly the doctor's prescription. This is true narrow-mindedness. We commend it in matters of lesser importance—finances and health. But many condemn it in the supreme matter of soul salvation.

22:5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in

Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Epigram On PrisonThe warden of a Midwest prison sent a note around to inmates asking for suggestions on the kind of party they'd recommend to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The prisoners all had the same idea—OPEN HOUSE.

COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM The name given to the meeting described in Acts 15:6-22. The purpose of the council was to determine the terms on which Gentile converts to Christianity would be received into the church. The occasion of the meeting was a significant turning of Gentiles to Christ as a result of missionary activity by Barnabas and Paul. Some maintained that all Gentile converts must submit to circumcision and observe the whole of the Mosaic law. Paul and Barnabas, however, contended that imposing such requirements on Gentiles was unreasonable. The solution proposed by the Jerusalem council was that Gentile believers would not be required first to become Jewish proselytes, but that they would be asked to refrain from idolatry, from sexual misconduct, and from eating blood.

Poor Governor Pliny!7


Pliny, Roman Governor in Asia Minor in the early Second Century, was so puzzled about the Christians brought before him for trial that he wrote his famous letter to the Emperor Trajan asking for his advice. This was the kind of thing he found himself up against:

A certain unknown Christian was brought before him, and Pliny, finding little fault in him, proceeded to threaten him. "I will banish thee," he said."Thou canst not," was the reply, "for all the world is my Father's house."

"Then I will slay thee," said the Governor."Thou canst not," answered the Christian, "for my life is hid with Christ in God."

"I will take away thy possessions," continued Pliny."Thou canst not, for my treasure is in heaven."

"I will drive thee away from man and thou shalt have no friend left," was the final threat.And the calm reply once more was, "Thou canst not, for I have an unseen Friend from Whom thou art not able to separate me."

What was a poor, harassed Roman Governor, with all the powers of life and death, torture and the stake at his disposal, to do with people like that?

22:6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. "And it came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto

Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

22:6ff After gaining a hearing and establishing common ground with his audience, Paul gave his testimony. He shared how he had come to faith in Christ. Sound reasoning is good, but it is also important to simply share what Christ has done in our lives. But no matter how we present the message, not everyone will accept it, as Paul knew. We must faithfully and responsibly present the gospel, and leave the results to God.

R. C. SproulHaving established that he was just like the Jerusalem Jews in his hatred for the followers of Jesus, Paul now must show what induced him to take a path so different from theirs. The moment has come for him to tell of his conversion and commissioning as an apostle.

In most respects, this account of Paul’s conversion experience matches Luke’s account in Acts 9. One addition is the time of day: “about noon.” Paul tells the Jews that as he was approaching Damascus at the brightest part of the day, he suddenly was struck by an even more brilliant light, a light from heaven. “When Paul speaks about the bright light flashing from heaven, he communicates to his Jewish audience that he experienced a divine encounter,” Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes on his commentary on Acts. “The Jews knew from the Scriptures that light proceeds from God and that it is a feature God employs to reveal Himself.” Furthermore, Paul says he heard a voice repeating his name. “From their knowledge of Scripture, the Jews knew that when God calls people, he often repeats their name,” Kistemaker says. So Paul is asserting to his Jewish audience that he was stopped in his tracks by a manifestation of

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God expressing a personal grievance over his activities.

The surprise for the Jews comes when Paul reveals the identity of the divine personage who stopped him. He relates that he asked, “Who are you, Lord?” indicating that he believed the voice to be divine. But the answer came back, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” The lessons for Paul’s hearers could hardly be clearer: Jesus of Nazareth is divine and He is not at all pleased by persecution of Christians. But there is more. Paul relates that he stammered out another question, “What shall I do, Lord?” to which Jesus told him to go into Damascus and wait to be told about “all things which are appointed for you to do.” Jesus is portrayed as sovereignly controlling the events of Paul’s life and as having a purpose for him.

Paul’s other points emphasize how personal this experience was for him. He alone was blinded, even though his companions saw the light, too. He alone understood the voice, though they all heard it. When it was over, his companions had to lead him by the hand into the city. Jesus had radically altered the direction of his life.

Nature Of LightScience tells us that light is constituted of three rays, or groups of wavelengths, distinct from each other, no one of which without the others would be light. Each ray has its own separate function. The first originates, the second formulates, illuminates or manifests, and the third consummates. The first ray, often called invisible light, is neither seen nor felt. The second is both seen and felt. The third is not seen but is felt as heat.

Cross In Pittsburgh Airport

Pittsburgh's airport is one of the biggest and best-equipped in the nation. Two seconds in flying time from the airport and in direct line with one of its busiest runways is the steeple of Union Church.

"Ever since the terminal opened," said the pastor, William R. Ruschaput, "planes have buzzed the belfry like bees after honey. It got so bad that low-flying jets turned our Sunday evening services into sudden prayer meetings." Reluctant to have their steeple carried away by some careless and unwary pilot, the church topped it with an eight-foot neon-lighted cross.

The church is on the highest point near the airport and the lighted cross can be seen at night by planes all the way from the Ohio border. One of the pilots made this interesting comment regarding the lighted cross: "Most of us are using it as a guide to the field."

HistoryArchaeology cannot contribute much to the study of Damascus, since the continued existence of the city makes excavation difficult, if not impossible. Explorations do indicate settlement from before 3000 B.C. Tablets from the Syrian center of Ebla mention Damascus about 2300 B.C. Thutmose III of Egypt claimed to have conquered Damascus about 1475 B.C. The Hittites battled Egypt for control of Damascus until the Hittites were defeated by the Sea Peoples about 1200 B.C. At this time Arameans from the nearby desert came in and took control of an independent Damascus, gradually establishing a political power base.

White Absorbs Heaven's LightIf a thing reflects no light, it is black; if it reflects part of the rays, it is blue or indigo or red; but, if it reflects them all, it is white.

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We shall seek, not to absorb, but to reflect, the light from heaven. Thus we shall become pure and spotless, like the "white robes," which the saints wear in glory

22:7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

What Have You Suffered?We do not know who it was who had this dream, quoted in the Presbyterian Survey. But the unknown dreamer could be any one of us, could it not?

I saw in a dream that I was in the Celestial City—though when and how I got there I could not tell. I was one of a great multitude which no man could number, from all countries and peoples and times and ages. Somehow I found that the saint who stood next to me had been in Heaven more than 1,860 years.

"Who are you?" I said to him. (We both spoke the same language of heavenly Canaan, so that I understood him and he me.)

"I," said he, "was a Roman Christian; I lived in the days of the Apostle Paul, I was one of those who died in Nero's persecutions. I was covered with pitch and fastened to a stake and set on fire to light up Nero's gardens."

"How awful!" I exclaimed.

"No," he said, "I was glad to do something for Jesus. He died on the cross for me."

The man on the other side then spoke: "I have been in Heaven only a few hundred years. I came from an island in the South Seas—Erromanga. John Williams, a missionary, came and told me about Jesus, and I too learned to love Him. My fellow-countrymen killed the missionary, and they caught and bound me. I was beaten until I fainted and they thought I was dead, but I revived. Then next day they knocked me on the head, cooked and ate me."

"How terrible!" I said.

"No," he answered, "I was glad to die as a Christian. You see the missionaries had told me that Jesus was scourged and crowned with thorns for me."

Then they both turned to me and said, "What did you suffer for Him? Or did you sell what you had for the money which sent men like John Williams to tell the heathen about Jesus?"

And I was speechless. And while they both were looking at me with sorrowful eyes, I awoke, and it was a dream! But I lay on my soft bed awake for hours, thinking of the money I had wasted on my own pleasures; or my extra clothing, and costly car, and many luxuries; and I realized that I did not know what the words of Jesus meant: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

New TestamentJesus was persecuted and finally killed by the religious and political establishments of His day (Mark 3:6; Luke 4:29; John 5:16; Acts 3:13-15; Acts 7:52; passion stories). He fleshed out the liberating passion of God (Luke 4:16-29) and came into conflict with the religious institutions of the cult by healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6), criticizing the Temple activities (Mark 11:15-

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18), and the law (Matthew 5:21-48). Jesus pronounced God’s salvation upon those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10-12). In an evil world, disciples are to expect persecution (Matthew 10:16-23; Mark 4:17; Mark 13:9; John 15:20; John 16:2), just as was the case with the prophets in the Old Testament (Matthew 5:12; Matthew 23:31; Luke 11:47-51; Acts 7:52; Hebrews 11:32-38). Paul (1 Cor. 4:11-13; 2 Cor. 4:8-12; 2 Cor. 6:4-10; 2 Cor. 11:24-27; Galatians 5:11; 1 Thes. 2:2; 1 Thes. 3:4; Acts 17:5-10; Acts 18:12-17; Acts 21:30-36; Acts 23:12-35), as well as Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60), James (Acts 12:2), and Peter (Acts 12:3-5), together with many anonymous martyrs experienced the truth of the Johannine saying: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20; see Acts 4:3; Acts 5:17-42; Acts 8:1; Acts 12:1; Rev. 2:26; Rev. 2:9-10; Rev. 2:13; Rev. 2:19; Rev. 3:8-10; Rev. 6:9; Rev. 16:6; Rev. 17:6; Rev. 18:24; Rev. 20:4). Whole epistles and books like 1 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation were written to encourage Christians in a situation of persecution (1 Peter 3:13-18; 1 Peter 4:12-19; 1 Peter 5:6-14; Hebrews 10:32-39; Hebrews 12:3; Rev. 2-3). Something like a theology of persecution emerged, which emphasized patience, endurance, and steadfastness (Romans 12:12; 1 Thes. 2:14-16; James 5:7-11); prayer (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14; 1 Cor. 4:12); thanksgiving (2 Thes. 1:4); testing (Mark 4:17) and the strengthening of faith (1 Thes. 3:2-3); experiencing the grace of God (Romans 8:35; 2 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 12:10), and being blessed through suffering (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 3:14; 1 Peter 4:12-14). For Paul, persecuting Christians could be a living and visible testimony to the crucified and risen Christ (2 Cor. 4:7-12).

There seems to be an element in religious fanaticism (Paul before his conversion: 1 Cor. 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Galatians 1:23; Phil. 3:6; Acts 8:3; Acts 9:1-2; Acts 22:4) which breeds intolerance and can lead to persecution. Christians should repent of this element in their own history and must be radically committed to the abolition of all persecution.

Modern-Day AgonyChristians in modern-day Chad, Africa, were being persecuted for refusing to participate in old tribal initiation rites they say are pagan. Reliable sources reported the tortured deaths of pastors, evangelists, and other church leaders who declined to commit acts counter to their faith: drinking chicken blood offered to idols, handling fetishes, and the like. The accounts told of persons buried alive with just part of a leg left above ground or—for slower death—with only the head exposed, a terrifying warning to others who resist.

The persecution originated when President Francois N'garta Tombalbaye launched a cultural revolution assertedly to rid the nation and its four million inhabitants of unwanted foreign influences and to establish an identity with the country's past. But church leaders reportedly met and agreed to oppose the rites, and some church groups say they would not readmit members who take part. The evangelical churches in Chad number more than 1,500 congregations with tens of thousands of members.

Famous People With Bleak Starts Einstein could not speak until he

was four years old, and did not read until he was seven.

Beethoven's music teacher said about him, "As a composer he is hopeless."

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When Thomas Edison was a young boy, his teachers said he was so stupid he could never learn anything.

When F. W. Woolworth was 21, he got a job in a store, but was not allowed to wait on customers because he "didn't have enough sense."

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because he was thought to have "no good ideas."

Caruso was told by one music teacher, "You can't sing. You have no voice at all."

An editor told Louisa May Alcott that she was incapable of writing anything that would have popular appeal.

22:8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked." 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. "And I answered, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

A Letter To Roman SenateThe following is a translation of a letter sent by Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate during the Roman empire period.

"There appeared in these days a man of great virtue, named Jesus Christ, who is yet among us; of the Gentiles accepted for a prophet of truth; but his disciples call him the Son of God. He raiseth the dead, and cureth all manner of disease. A man of stature somewhat tall and comely, with a very reverend countenance, such as the beholder must both love and fear.

"His hair the color of a chestnut full ripe, plain to the ears, whence, downward, it is more orient, curling and waving about his shoulders. In the midst of his forehead is a stream or partition of his hair, after the manner of the Nazarites; forehead plain and very delicate; his face without spot or wrinkle, beautiful, with a lovely red; his nose and mouth so forked as nothing can be represented; his beard thick, in color like his hair, not over long; his look innocent and mature; his eyes gray, quick, and clear.

"In reproving, he is terrible; in admonishing, courteous and fair-spoken; pleasant in conversation, mixed with gravity. It cannot be remembered that any have seen him laugh, but many have seen him weep; in proportion of body most excellent; his hands and arms delectable to behold; in speaking, very temperate, modest and wise; a man of singular beauty, surpassing the children of men."

NAZARETH, NAZARENE (Nahz’ uh reth; Nahz uh reene’) Place name meaning, “branch.” Nazareth did not enjoy a place of prominence until its association with Jesus. It does not appear in the Old Testament. As He became known as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Matthew 26:71; Luke 18:37; Luke 24:19; John 1:45; Acts 2:22; Acts 3:6; Acts 10:38), His hometown became fixed in Christian memory. Nazareth was located in lower Galilee about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. It lay in the hill country north of the Plain of Esdraelon. The hills formed a natural basin with three sides, but open toward the south. The city was on the slopes of the basin, facing east and southeast. Cana was about five miles to the northeast. A Roman road from Capernaum westward to the coast passed near Nazareth.

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It was a small village in Jesus’ day, having only one spring to supply fresh water to its inhabitants. Today, the spring is referred to as “Mary’s well.” The modern city has about 20,000 citizens, mainly Moslems and Christians. The angel went to Nazareth to announce to Mary and Joseph the coming birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-28). Following Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and the sojourn in Egypt, Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23), where Jesus grew from boyhood to manhood (Luke 2:39-40; Luke 4:16), being stamped as a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23), apparently a midrashic play on the Hebrew term netser, “shoot” in Isaiah 11:1. Nazareth did not possess a good reputation, as reflected in the question of Nathanael, himself a Galilean (John 1:46). The early church received similar scorn as the Nazarene sect (Acts 24:5). Such lack of respect was likely due to an unpolished dialect, a lack of culture, and quite possibly a measure of irreligion and moral laxity. Jesus was rejected by His townspeople near the beginning of His public ministry, being cast out of the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30; see also Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6).

Christianity Is ChristNo personality in history stands above Jesus Christ. Agnostics and atheists have found fault with Christian ideas, but they can never find fault with the Person of Jesus Christ. They have transcendent methods, ideas, and followers. But Christ stands at the turning point of time. Men everywhere must bow to His superiority. Since Christianity is Christ, those who wish to be a Christian must accept and follow Him as a Person. He

and He alone is able to meet every need of the human race.

An ObservationThe present trend of interest in the supernatural did not happen by chance. Satan really does not want a supernatural-rejecting world. He wants the world to be religious, but in his sense of that word.

Satan wants a religious world, but which rejects Christ and God's offer of personal relationship through Christ. In order that his true nature and plan could not be discovered, Satan's first step must be to discredit the Bible and true Christianity.

Hence, in Satan worship, the rites are held opposite to Christian beliefs. They have the upside-down cross, reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards, an altar containing a dead baby, sign and costume of a goat, etc. Even in the seemingly "innocent" study of Transcendental Meditation, the effect is spiritually disastrous. A three-year study of TM has been made. The conclusion: "TM tends to make a person skeptical of God, doubt any concept of life after death, and discard any belief one had before one delved into it."

22:9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. "And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Recipe For Better UnderstandingOne cupful of listening when the person speaks: measure words carefully.

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Add a heaping teaspoonful of sympathetic consideration.

Sift together to get a smooth batter for a consistent reply. Use generous amounts of long-suffering and forbearance, tempered with mercy.

Cook on front burners: keep temperature low and do not boil. Add a pinch of warm personality and clear unhurried speech. Season to taste, using possibly a dash of humor to bring out a good flavor.

Serve in individual molds.

SHEKINAH (She kigh’ nahh) Transliteration of Hebrew word not found in the Bible but used in many of the Jewish writings to speak of God’s presence. The term means “that which dwells,” and is implied through out the Bible whenever it refers to God’s nearness either in a person, object, or His glory. It is often used in combination with glory to speak of the presence of God’s Shekinah glory.

Greatest Range Of Human VoiceThe normal intelligible outdoor range of a man's voice in still air is 600 feet. The silbo, the whistled language of the island of La Gomera in the Canaries, is intelligible across the valleys at five miles under ideal conditions. There is a recorded case of the human voice being detectable at a distance of 10-1/2 miles across still water at night.

22:10 " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked." 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' "And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you

to do.' And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

C. H. SpurgeonThese particulars concerning the character of Ananias do not appear in the former part of the narrative. Paul was endeavoring to conciliate his hearers, and therefore he mentioned that Ananias was a devout Jew, having a good report of all his brethren who dwelt in Damascus.

Preaching It As "Truth"A clergyman had a friend who was an actor. The actor was drawing large crowds of people, and the clergyman was preaching to few in the church. He said to his actor friend, "Why is it that you draw great crowds, and I have no audience at all? Your words are sheer fiction, and mine are unchangeable truth." The actor's reply was quite simple: "I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction."

22:11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. "But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 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.

I Wish I were BlindThe hymn writer Fanny Crosby gave us more than 8000 Gospel songs. Although blinded at the age of 6 weeks, she never held any bitterness in her heart because of

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it. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, "I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you."

She replied quickly, "Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?" "Why?" asked the surprised clergyman. "Because when I get to Heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!"

BLINDNESS Physical blindness in the biblical period was very common. The suffering of the blind person was made worse by the common belief that the affliction was due to sin (John 9:1-3). Because of their severe handicap, blind persons had little opportunity to earn a living. A blind man was even ineligible to become a priest (Leviticus 21:18). Frequently, the blind became beggars (Mark 10:46). The possibility of a blind person being mistreated was recognized and forbidden by God. The law prohibited the giving of misleading directions (Deut. 27:18) or doing anything to cause the blind to stumble (Leviticus 19:14).

22:12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. "And a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there.

R. C. Sproul

As Paul continue to relate the events of his conversion, he comes to his meeting with Ananias. Here we find significant details that Luke does not include in his account in Acts 9. Paul mentions some important points about Ananias himself and some important things Ananias said that are not recorded elsewhere. Not surprisingly, these new details are useful to Paul as he seeks to reach his Jewish audience.

Ananias, he notes, was “a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there.” Paul could hardly lift Ananias higher in the eyes of pious Jews. He was devout in his obedience to God’s law and, despite his conversion to Christianity, he still was on good terms with the Jews of Damascus. He came to Paul and addressed him as “Brother Saul,” one Jew speaking to another. And by his command Paul received back his sight. Paul’s audience knows that the restoration of eyesight is a sign of the Messiah; they may also know that Jesus healed unseeing eyes. Thus, Paul paints a picture of Jesus working through a devout Jewish Christian to help him.

Ananias, Paul says, also was used by Christ to tell him more about the “things which are appointed for you to do.” He began by asserting that Paul had been chosen by “the God of our father,” another indication that it is the Jews’ God who is dealing with Paul. He had been chosen, Ananias said, to “know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” All of this had occurred on the Damascus road, where Jesus appeared to Paul, spoke to him, and revealed His will; not that he should destroy the Christian movement, as Paul had believed, but that he should be “His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” Dr. Simon Kistemaker comments, “On the basis of seeing and hearing Jesus, Paul became an apostle. When he saw

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Jesus and heard His voice, he understood the will of God. For Paul, the, proclaiming the resurrected Jesus to all men everywhere became the equivalent of doing God’s will.”

Lastly, Ananias urged Paul to call on Jesus for cleansing from all his sins and to be baptized as a public confirmation of that spiritual cleansing. And so he took on himself the name of Jesus because of the dramatic intervention of Jesus in his life.

ANANIAS, disciple Assumed Paul could not become a

Christian. Showed love to Paul despite his

feelings. To Have Popularity Or RespectThere is a difference between being popular and being respected. It is highly desirable to be both, but if a choice must be made, it is far better to be respected. For it is possible to be popular without being respected, and it is equally possible to be respected even though unpopular.

Popularity can come and go quickly. One can be popular by letting others always have their own way regardless of whether or not their way is fair and reasonable. One can be popular by behavior which delights the crowd until the crowd tires of that particular style of behavior. And one can be popular in the best sense of the word through a gracious personality and conduct that is pleasing and admirable.

Respect is hard-earned and consequently more lasting.

22:13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. came to me, and standing near said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive

your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him. Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

Saul of Tarsus Before his conversion.

26:1 Argued and debated with

Stephen. Persecuted the church. Violent

persecution. Discussed. 8:1

Was a tent-maker by trade. Acts 18:1

Was born and reared in Tarsus, in Cilicia.

Was born a Roman citizen. Acts 22:25

Was known by the name of Saul.

Was taught by the great teacher Gamaliel.

Epigram On Seeing Hearing a hundred times is not

as good as seeing once. To be blind is bad, but worse is

it to have eyes and not to see.

22:14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. "And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear an utterance from His mouth. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

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God's Look At Christ In UsDonald Grey Barnhouse says: "If we look through a piece of red glass, everything is red; through blue glass, everything is blue; through yellow glass, everything is yellow; and so on.

The glorious truth is that when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God looks at us through Christ. He sees us in all the white holiness of His Son. That is the great New Testament doctrine of the imputation of our sin to the account of Christ, and His righteousness to our account.

New TestamentGreek philosophy understood righteousness to be one of the cardinal virtues, but New Testament authors show that they understood the word in terms of Old Testament thinking about covenantal relations. Human righteousness in the New Testament is absolute faith in and commitment to God (Matthew 3:15; Romans 4:5; 1 Peter 2:24). The one who in faith gives oneself to the doing of God’s will is righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God (James 2:23). The focus of faith in God is the saving activity of God in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). The human-to-human dimension of righteousness observed in the Old Testament is present in New Testament thought (Phil. 1:3-11), but it seems less prominent, perhaps because of the importance of the New Testament concept of love. At the heart of New Testament thinking about righteousness is the notion of God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:33; Acts 17:31; Romans 1:17; Ephes. 4:24; James 1:20). Interpreters debate whether the phrase “righteousness of God” is a subjective genitive, meaning “God is righteous,” or an objective genitive, meaning “God gives

righteousness.” This grammatical distinction is more than a point about subtle linguistic nuance. In the New Testament, especially in Paul’s letters, “the righteousness of God” is the key to understanding the salvation of humanity. Interpreters who take “the righteousness of God” to mean “God gives righteousness” see salvation as a God-created human possibility. Righteousness is that which God requires of humanity and which God gives as a gift to the person of faith. In this line of thought, faith is the condition for the reception of the gift of righteousness from God. God acts in Christ, and, in turn, humans react by having faith. Then God gives them righteousness or reckons them, on the basis of their faith, as if they were righteous. On the other hand, interpreters who understand “the righteousness of God” to mean “God is righteous” contend that salvation is purely the work of God, God’s saving activity in keeping the divine side of the covenant of creation. God acts in Christ, and part of that action is the creation of faith on the part of human beings who otherwise have no faith. Thus “the righteousness of God” is the power of God at work saving humanity (and the whole of creation), through the creation of faith in sinful persons. The line between the camps of scholars holding these different interpretations of “the righteousness of God” is sharply drawn, and the debate over the validity of these interpretive options continues with intensity.

Hawaii: "Land In Righteousness"The instructive motto of the State of Hawaii is a result of the influence of the Protestant missionaries who first came to Hawaii in 1820.

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It expresses a great truth in the Hawaiian language: Ua mau ke ia o ka aina i ka pono, which means, "The life of the land is preserved in righteousness."

22:15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

C. H. SpurgeonThese two things were necessary; first, he was to be baptized on profession of his faith in Jesus, and then, he was to have in his soul a vivid consciousness that his sins were all washed away. This was not baptismal regeneration, for he was already regenerate. It was, however, the obedience to the Lord’s command, which brought with it a sweet reassurance of the forgiveness of his sins.

Talking Or Doing?You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. --Acts 22:15

A talented young Christian artist painted a picture of a forlorn woman and child out in a storm. His portrayal moved his heart so deeply that he laid down his palette and brush, declaring, "I must go to the lost, instead of painting them."

He soon began working in the city slums and studying for the ministry. That young British artist was Alfred Robert Tucker (1849-1914), who served as a missionary in Uganda and eastern Africa for 20 years.All of us must get out of the rut of just talking about missions and witnessing, but doing nothing about it.

Pastor Horace Bushnell (1802-1876) wrote:

"The following are excused from giving or going: Those who believe the world is not lost and does not need a Savior. Those who wish the missionaries had never come to our ancestors, and that we ourselves were still heathens. Those who believe that it is 'every man for himself' in this world, and who, with Cain, ask, 'Am I my brother's keeper?'

Those who believe they are not accountable to God for the money entrusted to them. And those who are prepared to accept the final sentence, 'Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me' (Matthew 25:45)."What are you doing for Christ?

When The Lord says go,how can we say no?

To Meet Christ Is BetterLarry McKenzie, polio poster boy, whose picture and story were used by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to help thousands of other stricken children, made his testimony as a Christian count in helping others.

In his tour of the country in behalf of the polio drive, the Christian lad frequently told of his love for the Lord Jesus. Now his testimony has been printed in a tract, "Rise Up and Walk," published and distributed by the American Tract Society.

Says Larry in his tract, "I met many famous people on my tour—President of the United States, J. Edgar Hoover, chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others, but I think often about the time I will meet the Lord Jesus, and until then I really want to serve Him any way I can."

22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' 'And now why do you delay?

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Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.' And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Christian BaptismJohn’s baptism prepared repentant sinners to receive Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit and of fire. (Note that Jesus did not do the water baptizing; His disciples did—John 4:1-2.) Jesus’ baptism and the baptizing by His disciples thus connected baptism closely with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus comes into a life, the Holy Spirit comes with His saturating presence and purifies. He empowers and cleanses the believer in a spiritual baptism. The main differences between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism lie in the personal commitment to Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ baptism (John 1:33). A thorough study of the Holy Spirit is helpful to understand what “baptism with the Holy Spirit” means (John 1:33). The sequence of baptism and the coming of the Spirit into individual lives will show some differences (Acts 8:12-17). The usual sequence of events is: the Spirit comes into a person’s life at conversion, and then the believer is baptized. The Holy Spirit is the gift who comes with salvation (Acts 2:38) and is its seal (Ephes. 4:30). The Holy Spirit saturates the new Christian’s life. Or we might say that Jesus baptizes the new Christian by plunging the person into the Holy Spirit’s presence and power (John 14:16-17; Acts 11:15-16). To be baptized is to clothe oneself with Christ (Galatians 3:27 NRSV, NIV). Baptism refers to the suffering and death of Christ (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50). Christian baptism is in a sense a sharing of this death

and resurrection and all that brought Christ to those events (Romans 6:1-7; Col. 2:12). Baptism shows that a person has died to the old way of life and has been raised to a new kind of life—eternal life in Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Col. 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:11). The resurrection from the water points to the Christian’s resurrection also (Romans 6:1-6).

Washing Away Sins?Question: Please explain Acts 22:16, "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Answer: This verse does not teach that the washing away of Paul's sins was to be accomplished through his being baptized. He is commanded to do three things: (1) arise, (2) be baptized, and (3) have his sins washed away.

The verbs are all aorist imperatives. They are followed by the participle "calling" which may modify all three verbs, meaning that Paul called on the name of the Lord simultaneously with his rising, being baptized, and having his sins washed away. This doesn't yield good sense, however, and therefore it seems best to take the participial phrase as instrumental in usage.

Other examples of this use may be seen in Acts 16:16; Matthew 6:27; 1 Tim. 1:12. The text would then read, "Rise up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, by calling on the name of the Lord." It is the "calling on His name," not the rising up or the being baptized, that brings forgiveness

22:17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance "And it came about when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

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http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ac+22%3A16

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=1Ti+1%3A12

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mt+6%3A27

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Ac+16%3A16


And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

R. C. SproulPaul concludes his defense before the Jerusalem Jews by relating an incident that has not appeared in Luke’s chronology thus far. It concerns and event that occurred in Jerusalem itself. Scholars are divided as to whether this event occurred during Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion or at a later time. But for Paul’s purposes, it does not matter which visit it was; he is simply trying to show that he wanted to be in Jerusalem but was not allowed to stay.

Having come to Jerusalem, he says, he was doing what any devout Jew would do, praying in the temple. Again, he shows that he is obedient to Jewish practices and is no desecrator of the temple. As he was praying, he adds, he fell into a trance in which he saw “Him,” evidently “the Lord,” speaking to him. The Greek word here translated “trance” is ekstasis, it also is used in Scripture to describe experiences of Peter and John. In such states, Dr. Simon Kistemaker notes, the apostles received instructions for their individual ministries. In Paul’s case, the instructions are a warning: “Get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.” Jesus knew the danger confronting Paul and warned him of it with a vast understatement, for the Jews (who were not directly named) not only would not receive Paul’s testimony, they would reject it emphatically and seek to kill him for propagating it.

But Paul testifies that he actually argued with the Lord, debating with Him about his safety. He believed the Jews would remember his persecution of the Christians and, therefore, would give him a hearing rather than move against him hastily. “Paul

the Jew wished to preach the Gospel first to his own people, especially those residing in the city of Jerusalem,” Kistemaker writes. “He divulges that he objected to going abroad. In other words, Paul would rather have continued his teaching ministry in the city, even at the risk of losing his life.”

But it was not just for his safety’s sake that Jesus told him to leave; his divinely appointed mission lay elsewhere. “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles,” Jesus said. Paul’s message should be clear: His love for his people compelled him to preach to them first, but he went to Gentile lands because he was sent there by his divine Lord. He loves his people, but he loves his Lord more.

TRANCE Translation of the Greek term which literally means a change of place. The term came to mean a mental state of a person who experienced an intense emotional reaction to stimuli that were perceived as originating outside the person, the results of which were visual or auditory sensations or other impressions of the senses. Trance is descriptive of an experience in which a person received a revelation by supernatural means (Acts 10:10; Acts 11:5; Acts 22:17). In these instances, the author of Acts, in reference to the experiences of Peter and Paul, seemed to be interested in showing that the trance was only a vehicle for a revelation from God. Luke illustrated that the trances that Peter and Paul experienced “happened” to them and were not self induced. The distinctions between “trance,” “dream” and “vision” are not always clear.

They Used To Call Them DemonsThey used to call them demonsNow they call them spirit guides.

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They used to call them séancesNow they call it trance-channeling.

They used to call it reincarnationNow they call it regression therapy.

They used to call it the occultNow they call it the New Age.

They used to call it religionNow they call it science.

Christian America would never acceptSatanism but...

It's a wolf in sheep's clothing!

22:18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

If In Doubt, GoWhile at the beach in Jacksonville, Florida, one summer, I saw a lifeguard suddenly jump to his feet in his tower. He took the Red Cross flag out of its standard and waved it frantically so they could see him at the main life guard station. He then threw it to the ground, jumped down, grabbed a life buoy and rushed out into the water. With strong strokes he swam toward a man waving for help.

In a few seconds, sirens wailed as an ambulance came up and three other guards swam out to help. They rescued the man and gave him artificial respiration. Scores

gathered around. All were deeply moved as the man was revived. The same scene was repeated several times that day, for the undertow was unusually strong.

Late that afternoon I went to the main station to say thanks as a private citizen for the dedication of these men. When I walked into the station I was struck by a sign on the wall in large red letters which read, IF IN DOUBT, GO! It struck me that this ought to be on the wall of every church and on the table of every heart as we see the multitudes around us and read the command of God to "Go!"

Under OrdersDr. Wilder, a dynamic missionary leader in India, was dining with three naval officers. During the course of the conversation one of the officers remarked, "Why don't these missionaries stay at home and mind their own business?"

Dr. Wilder replied, "Suppose you were ordered to take your battleship to Constantinople tomorrow, would you choose whether to obey or not?"

The officer retorted, "If we are ordered to go, we must go, even if every ship is sunk and every sailor killed."

"Quite right," said the missionary. "I have orders from the divine government: 'Go and preach the gospel to every creature.' "

22:19 " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. "And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in Thee.

21


And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

R. C. SproulAside form denials of the existence of God, the most common objections to Christianity center on the Bible. The reason is obvious: If unbelievers can prove that the God Christians worship is non-existent or that the book that tells Christians the central facts about their faith is untrustworthy, they can ignore the claims of Christianity on their lives. So they raise such objections as: “The Bible is nothing but a book of myths! It’s filled with contradictions! And “The Bible conflicts with science and history.” How should we answer.

The Bible is frequently called a book of myth. Rudolf Bultmann, a twentieth century New Testament critic, called his program of biblical scholarship “demythologizing.” He and other critics have seen the Bible as mythological largely because of its supernatural elements. It is assumed that miraculous events just cannot occur. But the Bible asserts that the events recounted on its pages were real. It claims to be giving sober truth. And, in comparison to ancient stories that are clearly mythic, the Bible is already demythologized. Many of the bizarre narrative forms in mythology are strikingly absent in the Bible.

Another common objection is that the Bible is full of contradictions. It does seem to have discrepancies and variations in its parallel accounts. But this is hardly surprising in a book written over hundreds of years by multiple authors, each of whom chose to emphasize certain facts. However, these alleged contradictions are relatively few in number; the Bible is hardly “full” of them. And thanks to archaeology and other disciplines, apparent contradictions are

regularly being resolved. Thus, there is ample reason to believe the Bible contains no contradictions.

It is also said that the Bible conflicts with science. Not so. The Bible is not a precise scientific textbook; for instance, it uses phenomenological language, such as speaking of the sun rising and setting, which science has shown to be inaccurate. And on some issues, such a whether man evolved by accident or was created purposively, there is stark disagreement with science. But the Bible never conveys information that conflicts with the proven results of natural science.

We can answer these key objections to the Bile, but can we show that it is reliable?

STEPHEN (Stih’ phen) Personal name meaning, “crown.” The first Christian martyr; foremost of those chosen to bring peace to the quarreling church (Acts 6:1-7) and so mighty in the Scriptures that his Jewish opponents in debate could not refute him (Acts 6:10) as he argued that Jesus was the Messiah. Saul of Tarsus heard Stephen’s speech to the Jewish Sanhedrin accusing the Jewish leaders of rejecting God’s way as their forefathers had (Acts 6:12-7:53). Saul held the clothes of those who stoned Stephen to death; he saw him die a victorious death. Stephen may well have been the human agency that God used to conquer him who would become the great Christian missionary. Stephen was in the forefront of those who saw Christianity as much more than a Jewish sect. They took seriously the commission of Jesus to carry the gospel to the whole world and led to the founding of the world mission movement that took the gospel to the whole Roman Empire in the first century. The believers had to flee Jerusalem after Stephen’s death while the

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apostles alone remained there (Acts 8:1).

Like Being Whipped With RosesIn 1651 in Massachusetts, Rev. Obadiah Holmes, because he held a prayer meeting in his home, was ordered to be whipped by Governor Endicot. So severe was the whipping that for days he could lie only by resting on the tips of his elbows and his knees and yet when the last lash had fallen, he looked at his tormentors and through bloodstained lips cried, "Gentlemen, you have whipped me with roses!"

22:20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' 'And when the blood of Thy witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the cloaks of those who were slaying him.' And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

Perpetua's MartyrdomIt was around the year 200 A.D. The Roman emperor Septimus Severus was cracking down on traitors. And those Christians showed a dangerous lack of loyalty. They wouldn't offer incense to the Roman gods—even under threat of death.

Perpetua stunned Roman society when she denied her father's plea that she renounce her faith. Young women, especially in noble families, were expected to obey their fathers. But Christianity established a new family, the church. Perpetua's loyalty to the Body of Christ and to her heavenly Father superseded any obligations to her natural family and her human father.

When the fatal day came, Perpetua and Felicitas left the prison for the arena "joyfully as though they were on their way to heaven," as the eyewitness account puts it. Before a raging crowd, the Christians were thrown to the wild beasts. A mad heifer charged the women and tossed them, but Perpetua rose and helped Felicitas to her feet. She was ready, even eager, to die for the Lord.

"You must all stand fast in the faith and love one another," she called to the other martyrs, "and do not be weakened by what we have gone through!" When the beasts failed to kill the women, soldiers came to finish them off. But the soldier who came to Perpetua was trembling so much that she had to guide the sword to her throat, indicating that she was giving her life willingly.MARTYR The transliteration of a Greek word meaning “witness,” in particular one who gives his life for a cause. In later usage it was applied to those who died because of their faith in Christ rather than recant. The transliteration was used for these persons and the translation “witness” came to be used for those who testified of Christ but were not put to death.

Origin Of Word "Martyr"The word "martyr" originally meant simply witness, but as the early witnesses sealed with their own blood their testimony to the faith, the first meaning was readily merged into the second.

At Lyons, A.D. 177, those who had been scourged, branded, and exposed to wild beasts, humbly disowned the name "martyrs," preferring to confine that exalted title to Christ (Rev. 1:5; Rev. 3:14) and to say of themselves: "We are but mean and lowly confessors."

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http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Rev+3%3A14

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Rev+1%3A5


22:21 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' " And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

22:21-22 These people listened intently to Paul, but the word Gentile brought out all their anger and exposed their pride. They were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles, telling them about the one true God. But they had renounced that mission by becoming separatist and exclusive. God’s plan, however, would not be thwarted; the Gentiles were hearing the Good News through Jewish Christians such as Paul and Peter.

Promotes Lie That Jesus Not For Jews

From: The Prince of DarknessTo: Demons on dutyFellow Former-Angels:

One of your best weapons could be destroyed. I command and demand that you intensify your efforts to disseminate "our kind of knowledge" with the brilliantly infernal idea that Jesus is not for Jews.

Some humans will say that's a lie, but if we keep repeating it softly and ever more sweetly, sooner or later they'll believe it....You must understand the strategic importance of keeping those pesky Jews away from Jesus.

Plan "A" was a frontal assault. We almost had complete success with Pharaoh and Haman, but we really took our best shot with that Hitler fellow. It's true that Adolf let us down by not completely wiping out the Jews, but I don't think it was his fault.

Our propaganda forces have already done a terrific job of convincing the Jews that there's some connection between Jesus and the Holocaust.

No human likes to admit it's wrong, so Jews are happy to go on believing Jesus isn't the Messiah. Clouding the whole issue with the Holocaust was my stroke of genius. It helps the Jews view anything having to do with Jesus with fear and suspicion.

We've got a wonderful new breed of Christians who actually think they are doing the Jews a favor by not telling them about Jesus! Pardon me while I laugh for a while, enjoying "our kind of truth."

But wait, it gets better. We even have some influential pastors who are admonishing hundreds and thousands of the Enemy's own people to keep silent about Jesus! They not only preach that the Jews don't need Jesus, they pass along the "suggestion" we planted: that telling Jews about Christ is insensitive and "unchristian".

Once we convince everyone that Jesus is not for the Jews, we'll easily do away with evangelism altogether. After all, if Jesus is not for the Jews, then He is for nobody. But first we have to take care of the Jews. After that, it won't take much to persuade all those church-going people to "respect" Buddhists and Muslims. Soon it'll be considered narrow-minded and archaic to bother anyone about Jesus and the Christians will be left preaching only to themselves. They'll be as useful to the Enemy as an ingrown toenail!

In "light" of all this, I want you to make sure every human in your sphere of influence swallows the line that Jesus is not for Jews. Sugarcoat it any way you have to, but

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remember, this directive comes straight from the bottom. Don't disappoint me—or else!

His Infernal Majesty

Open It01. What personal accomplishment has

been most satisfying to you?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

02. What do you have in common with a friend, a coworker, or a neighbor?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

03. If you told your life story to a group of friends, what would surprise them most?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explore It04. What did Paul ask as he was about to

be taken away? (21:37)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

05. Why was the tribune surprised that

Paul could speak Greek? (21:38)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

06. In establishing his background, what did Paul say? (21:39)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

07. What did Paul request? (21:39)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

08. What language did the apostle use in speaking to the crowd? (21:40)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

09. How did Paul address his audience? (22:1)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What made the crowd quiet down? (22:2)

______________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. What did Paul say about his rearing and training? (22:3)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. What was Paul like before his conversion? (22:4-5)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. How was Paul converted to Christ? (22:6-9)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. How did Paul learn about the nature of his future ministry? (22:10-16)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Who was Ananias? (22:12)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

16. Why did Paul leave Jerusalem? (22:17-18)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. What did Paul’s reply to the Lord show? (22:19-20)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. What did the Lord tell Paul to do? (22:21)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Get It19. Why do you think Paul told his own

story instead of preaching a sermon?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. When is it useful to share your personal experiences with others?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. How did Paul show respect to his 26


audience?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Why is it important to be kind toward and respectful of others?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. How can we show respect to the people around us?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. What gave Paul credibility to his audience?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. How can a Christian gain credibility with non-Christians?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. What are some things you can do to build credibility with your friends and coworkers?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. How did Paul rebel against the Lord?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. When have you rebelled against the Lord?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. How has the Lord’s activity in your life surprised you recently?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. To what kind of service has God called you?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

31. How does God direct us?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

32. How might you have to endure hardship for the sake of Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

33. How can your nationality be helpful in sharing the message of Christ with others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Apply It

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34. What words, gestures, or practices can you use to show respect in how you speak to others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

35. With whom can you share your personal story of faith this week?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22:22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" And they listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!"And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

R. C. SproulWe learn the results of Paul’s “defense” before the Jerusalem Jews. In short, it is not successful. In fact, Paul is unable to finish it, all because of one word: Gentiles.

As soon as Paul mentions that Jesus had said to him, “I will send you far from here to the Gentiles,” the quiet attentiveness of the audience evaporates. They have listened respectfully as Paul has spoken in language

designed to appeal to them, but when he relates that he was sent on a mission not to Jews but to Gentiles, their patience ends. “In the opinion of the Jews, Paul had forsaken the truth of Judaism,” Sr. Simon Kistemaker says in his Acts commentary. “To them, Paul’s statement meant that he considered Jews and Gentiles equal before God. This was totally unacceptable to them.” Their anger revived, they cry out for his death and express their emotions by ripping off garments and throwing dust into the air.

The commander is forced to have Paul taken into the barracks. But his original problem remains; he still does not know the reason for the unrest. He may not have understood Paul’s use of Aramaic or the issues Paul was addressing. Frustrated, still wanting and answers, he orders Paul to be scourged in an effort to make him answer questions about the unrest in the temple. Roman law permits the scourge to be used for questioning suspects or punishing prisoners. It is a whip of multiple leather straps with bits of bone or metal attached. It can tear a victim’s skin horribly and can be fatal.

Though he has endured floggings and beatings, Paul realizes his life is in real danger. But he has a recourse: Roman law, which generally exempts citizens from scourging. But the use of a rhetorical question, he lets the centurion know that he holds citizenship. Realizing the implications, the centurion rushes to Claudius, and the commander in turn comes to Paul. He asks whether Paul is a citizen, to which Paul answers affirmatively. Claudius then notes that he became a citizen by paying a large bribe, but Paul is able to say that his citizenship is inherited. As Kistemaker says, “the commander had to acknowledge that Paul superseded him in status” and he has not treated Paul according to his rights. Thus, the scourging plans are dropped and

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Paul is held in the barracks while Claudius weighs his options.

2 Kinds Of JusticeOne of the key elements of justice is the promptness with which it is dispensed.There are two kinds of justice—that which prevents wrongs and that which remedies them.

How Each Apostle DiedAll of the apostles were insulted by the enemies of their Master. They were called to seal their doctrines with their blood and nobly did they bear the trial.

Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia.

Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city.

Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece.

John was put in a caldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was afterward banished to Patmos.

Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward.

James, the Greater, was beheaded at Jerusalem,

James, the Less, was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, and then beaten to death with a fuller's club.

Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was bound to a cross,

whence he preached to his persecutors until he died.

Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies.

Jude was shot to death with arrows. Matthias was first stoned and then

beheaded. Barnabas of the Gentiles was

stoned to death at Salonica. Paul, after various tortures and

persecutions, was at length beheaded at Rome by the Emperor Nero.

Such was the fate of the apostles, according to traditional statements.

22:23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

The Fickle Crowd And PhocionHidden in the obscurity of time is Phocion, the Greek statesman-general (c. 402-317 B. C.). When he returned from his successful campaign against Philip of Macedon, at Byzantium, mobs crowded the streets of Athens to cheer him. Berated by an aide for failure to show exhilaration at the experience, Phocion said: "They will cheer just as loudly when I am hanged." He never lost his disdain for the mob no matter the honors heaped upon him. He carried his arguments to the people, and once when he addressed the citizens of Athens his speech was interrupted by thunderous cheers. The accolade continued unabated for several minutes and finally Phocion turned to his aides to inquire: "Did I say something stupid?"

His remark following Byzantium was prophetic, for the Athenians forced him to drink hemlock. Later, as though to emphasize his conclusions, the mob repented and raised a statue in his honor.

22:24 the commander ordered Paul to be 29


taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

Practice Makes Perfect On FlyDid you ever go to Mexico, and have you ever watched the mule drivers there? Have you noticed how they can hit a fly on the top of a mule's ear every time, without touching the ear? They could take the ear off just as easily.

Now, how do these mule drivers learn to handle the whip with such matchless skill? Why, they practice, practice, practice! A Mexican boy who hopes to drive mules when he is a man, gets hold of some kind of whip as soon as he can toddle, and wherever he goes he is everlastingly snapping the lash.

FLOGGING Punishment by repeated lashes or blows of a whip or rod(s). The Old Testament recognized flogging as a form of punishment (Deut. 25:1-3) though limiting it to 40 blows so that the neighbor who was punished would not be degraded. Children were disciplined with rods (Proverbs 23:13-14). Floggings were sometimes inflicted unjustly (Proverbs 17:26; Isaiah 53:5). Jesus warned His disciples that they would face flogging (Matthew 10:17; beatings, Mark 13:9) in the synagogue. Paul had believers flogged in his days as a persecutor

of the church (Acts 22:19-20). The apostles were flogged by order of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:40). Paul received the “forty lashes less one” at the hands of the synagogue five times (2 Cor. 11:24). Paul was also beaten with rods three times (2 Cor. 11:25), perhaps at the hands of Gentile officials as at Philippi (Acts 16:22-23).

Flogging RectorArchdeacon Sinclair tells a good story of the famous Dr. Keate, headmaster of Eton. He was a disciplinarian that earned a nickname similar to that which will ever cling to that other great schoolmaster, Bushby, of Westminster, and was called "Flogging Keate."

Finding one morning a row of boys in his study, he began, as usual, to flog them. They were too terrified at the awful little man to remonstrate till he had gone halfway down the row, when one plucked up courage to falter out: "Please, sir, we're not up for punishment—we're a confirmation class!"

"Never mind," said Dr. Keate, "I must be fair all around, and it will do you good." So he went on through the row as usual!

22:25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" And when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?" And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

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22:25-28 Paul’s question stopped the centurion because, by law, a Roman citizen could not be punished until he had been proven guilty of a crime. Paul was born a Roman citizen, whereas the commander had purchased his citizenship. Buying citizenship was a common practice and a good source of income for the Roman government. Bought citizenship was considered inferior to citizenship by birth.

Papillion Guilty Of Wasted LifeIn the movie Papillion, the main character was a criminal who was imprisoned for life for crimes against the French state. The movie portrayed the dreams he had while in prison.

In one dream, he stood before a tribunal for a crime. He pleaded with the judge that he was not guilty of the crime for which he was being tried. The judge replied that he was not being tired for that crime, but for a crime that is the most heinous crime of the human race.

Papillion asked what crime it was.He replied, “The crime of a wasted life.”Papillion wept, “Guilty, guilty.”The judge pronounced the sentence of death.

Insult Judge To Get JusticeJustice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the United States Supreme Court recalled a personal anecdote connected with the late General Benjamin F. Butler. "General Butler was on his way to Boston to try a case before Judge Shaw. I met him on the train and asked him if I might look at the notes on the case.

Butler acquiesced. To my astonishment I saw written on the top of the page, 'Insult the judge.'

"You see," said Butler in answer to my question, "I first get Judge Shaw's ill will by insulting him. Later in the case he will have decisions to make for or against me. As he is an exceedingly just man, and as I have insulted him, he will lean to my side, for fear of letting his personal feeling against me sway his decisions the opposite way.' "

22:26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman." When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

Paul, the Roman Citizen: Acts 23:23-26:32The Roman Empire was a conglomerate of many peoples, bound together by the military power of Rome and a common second language, Greek. The Romans did not try to impose their own patterns of laws and customs on subject peoples. Instead each national group continued to govern itself to a large extent, using its historic institutions and laws. Thus a Jew in Rome was governed by Jewish law. In fact, Roman law was superior to and superseded the laws of subject peoples. But a non-citizen could not bring a suit in a Roman court: he had to go to his national court for justice. Yet a Roman citizen could bring suit in a Roman court against a native of another nation. In such a case, it’s obvious who would be favored! Roman citizens also had special privileges.

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A noncitizen could be tortured in a judicial examination: a Roman citizen could not even be beaten before being condemned. And a citizen could never be put to death in some of the more brutal modes adopted in the empire. Paul had used his citizenship in earlier situations. He had been beaten (illegally) and imprisoned (illegally) in Philippi (Acts 16). When the local officials learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, they were forced to come in person to apologize and to respectfully usher the missionary party out of their city. In Jerusalem Paul was about to be “flogged and questioned” after the riot his preaching stimulated (Acts 22:1-25). When Paul revealed his citizenship, the “commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains” (Acts 22:29). This position not only led the Roman military commander in Jerusalem to protect Paul, but also gave him an excuse to send him (protected by a detachment of nearly 500 soldiers!) to the provincial seat of government, Caesarea (a port city built by Herod the Great and a center of Greek and Roman culture). Paul was kept there for two years, and had many opportunities to witness to the Roman governor and other royal personages (Acts 24:24-27). When a new governor, Festus, was appointed, the Jewish leaders pressured him, as a favor, to return Paul to Jerusalem. Paul knew that in Jerusalem the Jewish leaders would find a way to take his life. And so he said, “I appeal to Caesar.” This was a legal expression, and the right of a Roman citizen. A citizen who appealed to

Caesar was released from the jurisdiction of lower courts, and could take his case to Rome itself, and to the Emperor’s court. Within days King Agrippa, a grandson of Herod the Great and ruler of northeast Palestine, came to pay his respects to the Roman governor. Festus, confused over the issues raised by the Jews and by Paul’s talk of resurrection, told the king about Paul and arranged for Agrippa’s contingent to hear the apostle. Paul spoke respectfully to him, for the king was a practicing Jew who believed the prophets and was well-acquainted with Jewish faith. Agrippa advised Festus that Paul could simply have been released: there was no substance to the charges against him. But since Paul had appealed to Caesar, he must be sent to Rome! Through the whole ordeal Paul never hesitated to use his citizenship to advantage. It is not wrong for a believer, who is a citizen of both this world and heaven, to use the tools this world provides.

Roman Senate Rejects Christ In PantheonThere are various references in history to the "Acts of Pilate," in which he wrote Tiberius, the Roman emperor, concerning the things which had taken place in Palestine in connection with the crucifixion of Christ. Tiberius then sought to get Christ enrolled as a god, but it was rejected by the Roman senate. Tertullian gives the following account of it:

"There was an ancient decree, that no one should be received for a deity unless he was first approved by the senate. Tiberius, in whose time the Christian religion had its rise, having received from Palestine in Syria an account of such things as manifested our Saviour's divinity, proposed to the senate, and giving his own vote as first in his favor,

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that Christ should be placed among the gods. The Senate refused because he had, himself, declined that honor. Nevertheless, the emperor persisted in his own opinion, and ordered that if any accused the Christians, they should be punished."

22:27 The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?"

"Yes, I am," he answered. And the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes." Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

R. C. SproulAs we return to our study in Acts, we learn the results of Paul’s “defense” before the Jerusalem Jews. In short, it is not successful. In fact, Paul is unable to finish it, all because of one word: Gentiles.

As soon as Paul mentions that Jesus had said to him, “I will send you far from here to the Gentiles,” the quiet attentiveness of the audience evaporates. They have listened respectfully as Paul has spoken in language designed to appeal to them, but when he relates that he was sent on a mission not to Jews but to Gentiles, their patience ends. “In the opinion of the Jews, Paul had forsaken the truth of Judaism,” Dr. Simon Kistmaker says in his Acts commentary. “To them, Paul’s statement meant that he considered Jews and Gentiles equal before God. This was totally unacceptable to them.” Their anger revived, they cry out for his death and express their emotions by ripping off garments and throwing dust into the air.

The commander is forced to have Paul taken into the barracks. But his original problem remains; he still does not know the reason for the unrest. He may not have

understood Paul’s use of Aramaic or the issues Paul was addressing. Frustrated, still wanting answers, he orders Paul to be scourged in an effort to make him answer questions about the unrest in the temple. Roman law permits the scourge to be used for questioning suspects or punishing prisoners. It is a whip of multiple leather straps with bits of bone or metal attached. It can tear a victim’s skin horribly and can be fatal.

Though he has endured floggings and beatings, Paul realizes this life is in real danger. But he has a recourse: Roman law, which generally exempts citizens from scourging. By the use of a rhetorical question, he lets the centurion know that he holds citizenship. Realizing the implications, the centurion rushes to Claudius, and the commander in turn comes to Paul. He asks whether Paul is a citizen, to which Paul answers affirmatively. Claudius then notes that he became a citizen by paying a large bribe, but Paul is able to say that his citizenship is inherited. As Kistmaker says, “the commander had to acknowledge that Paul superseded him in status” and he has not treated Paul according to his rights. Thus, the scourging plans are dropped and Paul is held in the barracks while Claudius weighs his options.

To Various Peoples: God Is...The old Greeks, whose civilization developed along the lines of architecture, painting, and the decorative arts, said: "God is beauty." The Romans, led by the Caesars on a hundred battlefields to victory, until they boasted that the Roman eagles never turned backward, said: "God is strength." The Jew, inheriting from Moses the great lawgiver, said: "God is law." But it was not until Jesus came and truly revealed God, that man could really say: "God is love."

22:28 Then the commander said, "I had to 33


pay a big price for my citizenship.""But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. And the commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen." And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

I Am Roman (American) CitizenIn olden times the words "I am a Roman citizen" protected any man when he uttered them, whether on the banks of the Euphrates or on those of the storied Rhine, whether on the plains of Persia or in the mountains of Spain. Why, in that ancient day to be a Roman was greater than to be a king. I want the announcement "I am an American citizen" to be as the Roman cry in the day of Caesar—a title of nobility, an armor of defense, a sword of protection, a shield for the weak and suffering, the undying glory of this great nation, man's last and best attempt at self-government.

22:29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

End-Time Roman Empire To UniteDaniel 2 and Daniel 7 respectively depict a ten-toed image and a ten-horned beast. Both symbolize the Old Roman Empire, whose end-time stage will see ten king-actors united in power and ruled by the Antichrist.

European nations had a history of almost endless wars against each other. They had been embroiled in seemingly insurmountable divisions. But students of prophecy had stood firm on the revelation that 10 nations of Europe—which was once the geographical, political, and religious boundaries of Rome, will form a strong federation.

Open It01. How do you tend to react under

pressure?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

02. What might make you consider giving up your citizenship?

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03. If you could become a citizen of another country, which country would you choose?

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http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Da+7

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Da+2


04. What rights does your citizenship give you that people of other countries don’t have?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explore It05. How did Paul anger the crowd?

(22:22)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

06. How did the mob express their intense anger? (22:23)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

07. Why did the commander order that Paul be taken away and beaten? (22:24)

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08. Why was the commander confused by what was happening? (22:24)

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09. To what fact did Paul call the centurion’s attention? (22:25)

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10. What was reported to the commander? (22:26)

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11. What did the commander ask Paul? (22:27)

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12. Why did the commander tell Paul that his citizenship had been bought? (22:28)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. How did Paul cap the commander’s comment? (22:28)

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___________________________________

14. Why did the commander become alarmed? (22:29)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Get It15. What was hard for the Jews to

accept?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. What was wrong with the Jewish unwillingness to lead Gentiles to God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. What people do we tend to exclude from the message of God’s grace?

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18. How do we sometimes compromise the Christian faith by clinging to cultural or racial biases?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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19. Why was Paul’s Roman citizenship an asset?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. How did Paul show good judgment in the middle of an extremely stressful situation?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. What about you gives you unique opportunities to talk with others about Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. In what ways can we show respect to others even when they treat us disrespectfully?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Apply It23. For whose salvation will you pray

each day this week?___________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. What do you want to remember the next time you have to deal with a difficult person?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22:30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

22:30 Paul used his times of persecution as an opportunity for him to witness. Even his enemies were creating a platform for him to address the entire Sanhedrin (Jewish council). If we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will see increased opportunities to share our faith, even in the

face of opposition.

R. C. SproulThe Roman commander of the Jerusalem garrison has been frustrated in every attempt to learn why the Jews are furious with Paul. Therefore, he turns to the Jewish authorities for answers. Exercising his authority to order the Jewish council to convene, he releases Paul from his chains and allows him to walk freely with an escort of soldiers to the meeting of the Sanhedrin.

Paul goes in knowing that the Jews willingly accepted the commander’s order that the council convene so that they might accuse him of wrongdoing. The meeting presumably begins with opening remarks, after which Paul is given the floor. Since many of the council members likely had heard his defense the day before, he begins where he was interrupted, asserting that he retains a clear conscience because all he has done has been at God’s command. Despite going among Gentiles, he stands by his claim that he is a faithful Jew. For Paul, there is a higher principle than keeping the purity laws; obedience. But the remark appears to anger the high priest Ananias, who orders bystanders to strike Paul on the mouth. It is unclear whether Ananias deems Paul’s remark improper or thinks Paul is speaking disrespectful. In response, Paul lashes out angrily, actually asking God to strike Ananias. He calls Ananias a “whitewashed wall,” a hypocrite, for he presumes to judge Paul by the law of God but takes to himself a right to have prisoners beaten, which the law nowhere grants. Gasping, the bystanders ask, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” Paul is instantly apologetic, saying he did not know Ananias was the high priest and quoting Scripture to show he admits his wrong.

Finally seeing a way out of this situation, Paul proclaims that he is the heir of a line of

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Pharisees and is on trial for his hope of a resurrection. That immediately alienates the Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection. But the Pharisees, who do believe in a resurrection, are instantly ready to acquit Paul, and they goad the Sadducees by speculating that an angel or spirit has spoken to him. In an almost comical scene, order breaks down and loud arguing commences. But when things begin to turn violent, the Roman commander must intervene again. Paul is taken back to the barracks, his case still not understood.

COURT SYSTEMS The court systems of ancient Israel are not fully described in the Old Testament or in any extra-biblical source. Laws governing the conduct of judges and witnesses, reports about leaders who were consulted for legal decisions, and narratives of judicial proceedings supplement the accounts of Moses’ appointment of assistant judges (Exodus 18) and Jehoshaphat’s judicial reform (2 Chron. 19). Archaeological investigation has not yet discovered court documents from ancient Israel. Legal disputes could be settled at the level of society in which they arose. The head of a family had authority to decide cases within his household without bringing the matter before a professional judge (Genesis 31; Genesis 38). The law codes limit his authority in some cases (Numbers 5:11-31; Deut. 21:18-21; Deut. 22:13-21). When persons from more than one family were involved, the case was taken before the elders of the town, who were the heads of the extended families living together in that place and represented the community as a whole. The elders would serve as witnesses to a transaction (Deut. 25:5-10; Ruth 4:1-12), decide guilt or innocence (Deut. 19; Deut. 22:13-21; Joshua 20:1-6), or execute the punishment due the guilty party (Deut. 22:13-21; Deut. 25:1-3). The elders helped

to preserve the community by seeing that disputes were settled in a manner that everyone would recognize as just. Disputes between tribes were more difficult to resolve. When a Judahite woman who was the concubine of a Levite living in the territory of Ephraim was raped and murdered in Gibeah of Benjamin, several tribes were involved (Judges 19-21). The Levite, therefore, appealed to all the tribes of Israel for justice. The initial attempts at negotiation were rebuffed when the men of Benjamin refused to hand over the guilty persons for punishment. Israel then went to war against the whole tribe of Benjamin, defeated them, and vowed not to let them intermarry with the rest of the tribes. The biblical historian comments regretfully that this sort of thing happened when there was no king to execute the law (Judges 21:25). During the period of Israelite history covered by the book of Judges, special judicial authority was possessed by several individuals appointed by God. The so-called “minor judges” (Judges 10:1-5; Judges 12:8-15) are not credited with delivering Israel from oppression by military means, so their function may have been purely judicial or political. Some scholars have identified their office as “judge of all Israel” in the tribal league, but others have argued that their jurisdiction was over a smaller area. Deborah, and later Samuel, also decided cases. Their judicial activities took place in a limited area (Judges 4:4-5; 1 Samuel 7:15-17). We do not know whether they only heard cases on appeal. The Bible does not say how any of these individuals came to possess their authority as judges. Both Deborah and Samuel were prophets. The other deliverer judges were called by God and possessed by God’s Spirit, so judicial authority was probably also a divine gift. A hierarchical system of courts and judges

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could exist when political authority was centralized. In Exodus 18:13-26 Moses appointed assistant judges to decide the smaller cases so that his own energy could be preserved for the difficult ones. A system in which local courts referred complex cases to the supreme judges is described in Deut. 17:2-13; Deut. 19:16-19. This was not an appeals court to which dissatisfied parties could bring their cases for reconsideration; it was a court of experts who could pass judgment in cases too complicated for the local judges to decide themselves. The court system instituted by Jehoshaphat also followed this pattern (2 Chron. 19:4-11). Although appointed by the king, the judges were responsible directly to God (2 Chron. 19:6). It is not clear whether the residents of Jerusalem went directly to the central court. We only know that Jeremiah was tried in Jerusalem by “the princes of Judah” after being charged by the priests and prophets with a crime worthy of death. The system described in Deut. 17; Deut. 19; 2 Chron. 19 has both priests and secular officials as judges in the central court in Jerusalem. The king possessed limited judicial authority. Despite his supreme political power, he was not personally above the law. Saul’s death sentences on Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:39) and the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22:6-23) were not accepted by the people. Jonathan was not punished, and the priests were finally killed by a non-Israelite. David was led to convict himself of his crimes against Uriah and his mistreatment of Absalom (2 Samuel 12:1-6; 2 Samuel 14:1-24). Unlike Saul, David and Solomon were able to exercise authority to execute or spare persons who represented a threat to their reigns (2 Samuel 1:1-16; 2 Samuel 4:1-12; 2 Samuel 19:16-23; 2 Samuel 21:1-14; 1 Kings 2:19-46). Jezebel used the existing town court to dispose of Naboth and confiscate his vineyard. She and Ahab, however, were punished by God for having

Naboth executed on trumped-up charges even though Ahab was king (1 Kings 21-22). Deut. 17:18-20 places the king at the same level as his subjects with respect to the requirements of God’s law. In Israel the king did not have the authority to enact new laws or to make arbitrary legal rulings contrary to the prevailing understanding of justice. The ideal of the just king who oversees the dispensing of justice for all his subjects was known in Israel. In this role the king himself was the leading example of a just and honest judge and was personally involved in hearing cases as well as appointing other judges. Absalom was able to take advantage of David’s failure to live up to this ideal (2 Samuel 15:1-6). Solomon is the supreme example of the just king, having been granted discernment and wisdom by God (1 Kings 3). The relationship of the king’s court to the rest of the judicial system is uncertain. The wise woman from Tekoah appealed to David, a decision which had been made within her extended family (2 Samuel 14). The Shunammite’s widow successfully appealed to the king of Israel for the restoration of her house and land, which she had abandoned during a time of famine (2 Kings 8:1-6). The famous case of the two prostitutes and their infant sons was brought directly to Solomon without any previous judgment (1 Kings 3:16-28). All of these cases seem to be exceptional. Powerful third parties were involved in the first two cases; Joab set up the audience with David, and the Shunammite had an advocate present in the person of Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. The two prostitutes had no families to settle their dispute. We are not certain, therefore, what these accounts can tell us about how cases usually came to be heard by the king. There are no Old Testament laws which define the process of judicial appeal to the king.

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Priests also possessed judicial authority. The passages about the high court in Jerusalem mention priests alongside the secular judge (Deut. 17:9; Deut. 19:17; 2 Chron. 19:8; 2 Chron. 19:11). Some scholars believe that this division between religious and civil courts reflects the post-exilic period, in which the secular authority was that of the Persian king and Jewish priests administered the law of God (Ezra 7:25-26). Israelite priests, however, possessed a body of knowledge from which they ruled on matters pertaining to the worship of God and the purity of the community. The cult and the judicial system were both concerned with removing blood-guilt from the community (Deut. 21:1-9). We cannot determine how the priestly judges were related to the other court systems or how cases were assigned to the various judges. Actual court procedures may be partially reconstructed as follows. There were no prosecutors or defense attorneys; accuser and accused argued their own cases. The burden of proof lay with the defendant. Physical evidence was presented when necessary (Deut. 22:13-21), but proving one’s case depended primarily on testimony and persuasive argument. The word of at least two witnesses was required to convict (Deut. 19:15). The system depended on the honesty of witnesses and the integrity of judges (Exodus 18:21; Exodus 20:16; Exodus 23:1-3; Exodus 23:6-9; Leviticus 19:15-19; Deut. 16:19-20; Deut. 19:16-21; 2 Chron. 19:6-7). The prophets condemned corrupt judges (Isaiah 1:21-26; Amos 5:12; Amos 5:15; Micah 7:3) and those who supported them (Amos 5:10). Cases brought by a malicious witness giving false testimony were referred to the central court (Deut. 19:16-21). In some circumstances the accused could submit to an ordeal or an oath to prove his or her innocence (Exodus

22:6-10; Numbers 5:11-31; Deut. 21:1-8). If guilty, he or she would be punished directly by God. Casting lots to discover the guilty party was another extraordinary procedure. In both cases reported in the Bible the person identified also confessed his guilt (Joshua 7; 1 Samuel 14:24-46). The judges were responsible to administer punishment, often with the whole community participating (Deut. 21:21). The court systems could only function well when the community agreed with their decisions and cooperated to enforce them. By judging justly, the courts taught God’s law and the principles of divine justice. The courts worked together with the people to restore the community to peace and wholeness under God whenever they recognized the one in the right and imposed an appropriate penalty on the guilty one.

R. C. SproulThe Roman commander in Jerusalem, Claudius Lysias, receives Paul’s nephew’ report of the plot against the apostle without questions. He does not understand all the issues involved in the dispute, but he easily senses the Jews’ red-hot hatred for Paul. Being responsible to protect Paul, a Roman citizen, he realizes the time has come for decisive action. He must send Paul to a more secure place.

He immediately orders that an enormous force of Roman military might be assembled to take Paul to Caesarea and turn him over to Felix, the Roman governor of Judea. Paul will ride horseback with this force, which will set out at about 9 pm. Why such a large force? First, Claudius knows there are at least 40 very determined conspirators, and the plot may have need expanded to include others outside Jerusalem. He wants Paul to be well-protected all along the road. Second, a huge contingent may actually arouse less suspicion among the Jews, since large troop movements are commonplace. Third, the Western text of Acts suggests he also fears

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being accused of taking a bribe to allow Paul to be assassinated. By assembling a large force, he will be able to argue that he did everything possible to protect Paul.

In a letter to the governor, he relates the facts of the case in summary form. However, he tells the governor that he rescued Paul when he learned he was a Roman citizen; actually, he did not discover Paul’s citizenship until he was about to have Paul scourged. Also, he omits a description of the melee before the Sanhedrin. But he does give the governor his opinion on the case, saying that it has to do with Jewish law and Paul does not deserve death or imprisonment. He “appeals to the governor to function as judge on behalf of a Roman citizen,” Dr. Simon Kistemaker says. “In fact, the commander tells Felix that in his opinion Paul is no criminal and ought to be set free.”

The two-day journey is accomplished safely and Paul is given over to Felix’s custody. The governor can send Paul to his native province of Cilicia for trial, but he decides not to, perhaps to avoid troubling the Cilician authorities with a trivial case and antagonizing Paul’s Jewish accusers by forcing them to travel to Cilicia. He promises that Paul will receive a prompt trial. So Paul is kept in Herod’s Praetorium, the governor’s headquarters, to await the arrival of his accusers.

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Documents

Edited March · Web viewThey were called to seal their doctrines with their blood and nobly did they bear the trial. Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant