Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #227 “The Plot to Kill Paul” (Acts 23:12-16) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our journey through the book of Acts together, this week continuing to look at Acts 23. If you were with us last week, you’ll remember that some unbelieving Jews have just seized Paul and stirred up the crowd against him with false accusations. And that’s a common theme we find regarding the unbelieving Jews Paul comes across. They’re kind of like atoms. They make up everything. And here that leads to Paul being violently beaten, arrested, and taken into Roman custody in Jerusalem. He has addressed the Jewish mob (giving his first defense); and we know that they listened until he shared with them God’s giving him a mission to take the message of salvation to the Gentiles. They react violently to that and he is taken back into the Roman barrack for protection. After that, he is brought before the Jewish governing body known as the Sanhedrin, during which he gives his second defense. But the Sanhedrin is not at all friendly to him. I mean, they had already killed Jesus. And that was a part of an ongoing trend. Jerusalem was one of the first non-prophet organizations, you might say; they killed all those sent to her, as Jesus pointed out. And in the midst of this trial, during which Paul is illegally struck just for saying that he has a clean conscience, he realizes he is probably not going to receive a good verdict from them; and so he, knowing that the council was one part Pharisee and the other part Sadducee (and himself being a Pharisee) emphasizes his having been a Pharisee and that all of this dissension had to do with the issue of the resurrection from the dead, which he knew the Pharisees accepted but the Sadducees rejected. And so an argument breaks out between the two parties and the Pharisees actually end up defending Paul, saying in verse 9 “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And after this Paul is removed because of how violent things had gotten; and he’s taken back to the barracks. Now all of this is incredibly discouraging for Paul, who remember has this deep desire to bring the message of the Gospel to Rome, the epicenter of the empire and a very important strategic target for Christianity. But things are not looking very promising, as he’s sitting there in imprisonment. He doesn’t know it this point, but he’s going to remain imprisoned for the next four years. However that night Jesus comes to Paul and gives him a word of encouragement and a promise. It says…

Acts 23:11 (ESV)— 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

God’s Preserving Promise— Now in reflecting on that promise, it suddenly dawned on me that Jesus never promises Paul that he’s gonna get through all this unscathed or anything like that. He doesn’t even tell him that his endeavors will prove successful. He doesn’t promise a great response after he eventually gets to Rome; only that he is going to grant the desire of Paul’s heart to do the next right thing. Now that next right thing was pretty big for Paul, because it meant that God was going to keep and preserve his life for the time being. And so, in a sense, Paul was greater than all the gods of the pantheon; because while they could be killed, Paul couldn’t. He was more immortal than they could ever be; because the One true God, who has authority over all things, was holding him up. No outside force (no matter how strong) could pluck him out of God’s hand or this next step God had promised Paul success in. And you know, that same God holds you and me. Now He may not promise you tomorrow, but He is every bit in control of your tomorrow as He was of Paul’s. And He will be just as faithful to help you fulfill His plan and purpose through your life as well.

Refocusing on Paul— Now when the controversy between the Pharisees and the Sadducees of the Sanhedrin dies down, we find that they re-focus their attention on Paul. They had gotten to the point where all reverence for God and the desire to do His will and to act in way that was in accordance with His written Word took a back seat to what was really the center of their concern; politics and position. A that being the case, they perceived Paul as being a real threat and were ready to dispense with him. And we will see in our passage today that, just as they had done with Jesus, they begin making plans to murder Paul. It says in…

Acts 23:12 (ESV)— 12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

We’ll See— And so we see that hatred and vengeance is eating them up. And that’s not a good place to be. Somebody recently told me they felt I have an unhealthy preoccupation with revenge. And I said “Well, we’ll see about that.” Okay, kidding. But these guys certainly aren’t. They bind themselves with a very serious oath.

anathematized— Now the phrase bound themselves by an oath is literally translated “anathematized”, which means to curse or condemn. And so they have invoked divine judgment if they fail in their mission to kill Paul. And we see this thing a number of times in scripture…

1 Samuel 14:44 (ESV)— 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

2 Samuel 3:35 (ESV)— 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!”

2 Samuel 19:13 (ESV)— 13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’”

1 Kings 2:23 (ESV)— 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life!

2 Kings 6:31 (ESV)— 31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

Serious Resolve— Yikes! Those are some pretty serious threats and curses. And the last is most like the one we find here in Acts 23. These Jews who have set themselves Paul are absolutely determined, which we see in their resolve to engage in a total fast from all food and drink until their mission is complete. And it’s not a small group of men either. It says in…

Acts 23:13-14 (ESV)— 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.

Going To The Sadducees— Now note that they do not go to the Pharisees. Why? Well, the Pharisees had just sided with Paul during the trial before the Sanhedrin; and so they have shown their willingness to defend Paul. And so these Jews go to those of the chief priests and elders because (remember) the chief priests and elders are of the other party, the Sadducees. These Jews knew that the chief priests and elders would be more likely to join them in this murder plot. Note also they do not go to the scribes because the scribes also were mostly Pharisees. No, they go to those of the Sadducees. And they tell them of their oath and their fast and then give their request, saying…

Acts 23:15-16 (ESV)— 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

Paul’s Family— Now amazingly, this is the only clear reference in the Bible that we have to any of the members of Paul’s family. Romans 16:7 and 11 possibly give us a few others, as he makes reference to Andronicus, Junia, and Herodion as being his kinsmen. But there are no other references. Some scholars believe that when Paul became a Christian he was disowned by his family. His father, probably a wealthy person, very likely cut him off and wanted nothing to do with him. Paul may indicate some of this in Philippians 3:8 when he describes how he had suffered the loss of everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. But, you know, that is the case for a lot of men and women who have chosen to follow Jesus. Families do not always understand, which is why Jesus said…

Matthew 10:35-39 (ESV)— 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Crucified by Family— And interestingly, that is what Jesus Himself had experienced. His own family was at odds with him. John 7:5 tells us that not even his brothers believed in him. Now that eventually changed, as His half-brother James converted and became a very important leader in the Church. Jude (another half-brother of Jesus) also was converted and wrote the book of Jude. But before that Jesus carried the weight of his siblings’ scorn and that enmity against him during much of His life and ministry. And that’s a hard burden to bear. And it’s interesting that Jesus seems in this passage in Matthew to be equating that kind of familial pain to taking up your cross. And keep in mind, that was before He had been crucified on an actual cross, which leads me to make the assumption that before being crucified in the body on the cross, He had first been crucified in a metaphorical sense by his family. And Paul definitely seems to be bearing that same kind of cross now.

Meeting The Folks— I don’t know if any of you every brought your boyfriend or girlfriend home to meet your parents, but that can be pretty tense. You’re wondering if they are going to like her, And if momma doesn’t like her, you’re in trouble. But bringing Jesus home to meet the family is often just as hard (if not worse); and especially in Paul’s culture. Paul had become an outcast for the sake of Christ. I mean it must have been hard. But if that is what needs to happen for you to follow Jesus, then you have to do it. That is just part of what it means to be a Christian. And if we are faithful to suffer like that for Jesus, we will be blessed.

1 Peter 4:12-14 (NKJV)— 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)— 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Sharing in Christs Sufferings & Glory— So let us gladly share in Christ’s suffering, so that we also will share in His glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #226 “The Lord Stood By Him” (Acts 23:6-11) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our study of the book of Acts today.

A False Accusation— You know, I don’t know if you have ever had somebody try to malign your name before. As a pastor, I have been on the receiving end of that a number of times; and it is painful. And usually that kind of behavior comes from somebody who misunderstands you or something you have done or something you are trying to do. And so they speak against you. And that kind of abuse can be hard to take. Now it is one thing when you are dealing with somebody who is honestly mistaken and quite another when you are dealing with somebody who maligns your name knowing that what they were saying against you was false. Well, that is very much the situation we find here in chapters 22-23 of the book of Acts, as Paul is viciously accused by a group of Judaizers who stir up a mob to attack and beat him. Now he is saved by the commander of the Roman troops (a man by the name of Claudius Lysias), who takes him into custody, brings him into the barracks, asks him if he is a particular murderous criminal, hears Paul explain to him who he really is, and then allows Paul to address the crowd, which he then does. And the crowd listens up until Paul says that the Lord had sent him to minister unto Gentiles. At they point the crowd loses it and Lysias again takes him into the barracks; and this time prepares to scourge Paul until he finds out why the crowd is shouting like this against him. But then Paul reveals that he is a Roman citizen. And that shocks Lysias and the other soldiers; because it meant that they had overstepped their bounds in even binding Paul at all. And so Lysias decides to have Paul stand before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court of the land comprised of 71 members, including the high priest. And so Paul is brought before them in an unofficial meeting. And it says…

Acts 23:1-5 (ESV)— 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”
4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?”
5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Paul’s Divinely Appointed Mistake— Now in admitting his mistake, Paul shows that he actually had more respect for the law than Ananias did. He acknowledged his mistake and immediately quoted the exact law of God (Exodus 22:28) that he had unwittingly broken. Now, as I said last week, I believe that although Paul may seem harsh here, he had not knowingly broken God’s law; because he had not recognized Ananias. It may be because Paul had eye problems (which Galatians 4:15 seems to indicate). It may be because none of the Sanhedrin were in official dress, because this was an informal meeting. It may also be because Ananias’ treatment of Paul was so unlawful that Paul never would have dreamed he would actually be the judge in that situation. We don’t know. But what seems to be the case regardless of why Paul didn’t recognize Ananias is that God was being this rebuke of Ananias by Paul. I think God allowed Paul to not recognize Ananias so that Paul could say exactly what needed to be said.

Hypocrites— And you know, what Paul said was very much in line with what Jesus Himself said about the religious leaders He encountered. In Matthew 23:15, He called the Pharisees “hypocrites”. And that was because they were actors. Actors during that time would wear these masks. And “hypocrite” meant (literally) to judge someone from behind one of those masks. And so Jesus was calling them out for being impersonators, frauds, and show-offs as opposed to true followers of God. They were pretending to be holy but it was all a show; just a mask that hid their true selves, which were polluted by sin.

Fitted For Hell— In Matthew 23:15, He referred to each Pharisee as being a "child of hell." He mentioned that the converts they thought they had won over to Judaism they in fact made even worse than them. He says: "twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." Yikes. And “child of hell" was a phrase Jesus took right from the Talmud; it [was a Hebraism for an excessively wicked person who might very easily claim Hell for his mother and the devil for his father. It was one who was fitted and destined for Hell.]

Blind, Fools, Tombs, Full of Sin, Snakes, & Murderers— [In Matthew 23:16, He called them - "blind guides.”… In Matthew 23:17, He called them - “fools." In Matthew 23:27, He called them - "whited sepulchres.”] And that was very similar to what Paul had here called Ananias (a “whitewashed wall). And what was behind Jesus’ calling them “whited sepulchres” was the fact that [On the fifteenth day of the month Adar - right before the Passover feast - the Jews would whitewash all the spots where the graves of the poor were situated in the fields or along the roadsides. They did this practice in order to beautify these graves or to alert the pilgrims to the areas where the dead lay. On their way to keeping the Feast of Passover, they did not want to be defiled through contact with the dead. {And so} Jesus referred to the Pharisees in this manner because - on the outside like the "whited sepulchres" they appeared pure and clean - but on the inside, they were filled with death.] He reiterates that in Matthew 23:28 when He tells them that they are "full of...iniquity." [In Matthew 23:33, He called them "serpents" and a "generation of vipers.”… And in in Matthew 23:34, He prophesied that they were - "murderers" - because they would "kill" the "prophets," "wise men," and "scribes" that He would send unto them.] And that (notably) was what they were here starting to do to Paul.

Not Going To Get A Fair Hearing— Now Paul, in witnessing firsthand Ananias’ haughty attitude and flagrant disregard for the Law in commanding that he be brutally and illegally struck realizes (though perhaps he already knew) that he was not going to receive a fair hearing before the Sanhedrin. And so he decides on a very bold and ingenious strategy; one that shows he was very well aware of the tensions between the Sanhedrin’s two factions: the Pharisees and Sadducees.

A Former Sanhedrin Member?— And I do want to add that this may be because he himself might have been a member of the Sanhedrin back before he became a Christian. We see some indication of this in chapter 26, where we find him giving his defense before Herod Agrippa; because he says I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. Now the literal translation of “I cast my vote” is “I threw my pebble”, which is in [reference to the ancient custom of recording votes by means of colored pebbles.] Well, with whom was Paul voting? Well, very likely the Sanhedrin. Now whether or not that is the case, he knows of their internal tensions, which is why he opts for the strategy that he does. It says in…

Acts 23:6-9 (ESV)— 6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”

The Tide Turns— Now this is quite an extraordinary turn of events. Paul now has a large number of men in the Sanhedrin advocating on his behalf. It truly was a genius move. But what is important for us to realize is that all this wasn’t just some little ploy instigated by Paul to cause a division on some minor point of theology. No, the resurrection of Christ from the dead was (and still is) the central theme of Christianity. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection and an afterlife, but the Sadducees didn’t. And since the high priest and his family were all Sadducees, I simply can’t get over that the fact that the highest spiritual leaders in Israel did not even believe in an afterlife. That just blows my mind. But, you know, that explains why their focus was always on the dangers in the here and now; they never thought from an eternal perspective because they didn’t believe they would survive on into eternity. Some have quipped that that is why they were “sad, you see”. The Pharisees, however, were much closer to the teaching of Christianity, which is why we do read accounts in scripture of some of them being converted (Acts 15:5 and John 3:1). But scripture does not give us a record of a single Sadducee ever coming to faith in Jesus Christ. And that truly is a sad reality. Now what is amazing to me about the next verse is how violent all these supposedly God-fearing men get, to the point where is says in the next verse…

Acts 23:10 (ESV)— 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

A Discouraging Time— Now Paul is no doubt glad to have gotten out of that scrape (by the grace of God). But imagine how discourage he must have felt and the hardness of heart and even the injustice he had experienced in regard to these men that (years prior) he would have looked up to. You know, as I read this, I wonder what it would be like if all my college Bible and seminary teachers came out and denounced me as a heretic and felt it fit that I be killed. I mean, I would be in a bad place. But I love how God always meets us in those low spots and gives us the strength and encouragement we need, which he does here with Paul. It says in…

Acts 23:11 (ESV)— 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

The Lord Stood By Him— Now the phrase we need to grasp and hold onto this week is in the first part of this final verse: “the Lord stood by him ”. Jesus stood for Paul because Paul was standing for Him. That is a theme we find over and over again in and throughout scripture. When you and I are faithful to be a voice for Christ, He will also be faithful to stand with us and (in due time) bring the evil our enemies devise for us on their own heads. They will not stand before him. The liars will be destroyed. They will bear their guilt. They will fall by their own counsels. But He is a refuge for His faithful ones; and He will deliver, exalt, and be a shield for them. Let’s thank Him for that today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #225 “The Whitewashed Wall” (Acts 23:30-23:5) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our study of the book of Acts today. You will remember if you were with us last week that Paul has just (after taking a significant beating) given his first of six defenses that we find in the closing chapters of the book of Acts. And this first defense was given before this angry crowd of people in Jerusalem who had been stirred up into thinking that Paul was against the Law of God and (therefore) anti-Jewish; and hence had to be taken out.

Putin’s Propaganda— Now what really struck a chord with me as I was studying this week was how closely these false accusers were to somebody we all have been seeing a lot of on the news of late: Vladimir Putin. One of the things that has surprised me the most in recent weeks is how effective his propaganda machine is. He has been brainwashing his people with the lie that Ukraine has been taken over by neo-Nazis and therefore an invasion to help free Ukraine from the control of these neo-Nazis is the right thing to do. Now I’m not surprised at his lies (though it is shocking some of the things that he says); but I am surprised at how well he’s able to convince his people. In this day and age with the internet and everything that goes along with that (Facebook, YouTube, etc.) you would think that he wouldn’t be able to stop the free flow of information. But he really is; he knows how to cut his people off from outside influence and perspective; and anything that slips through he labels as Western propaganda. But anything he says is a great gauge of where the truth is because you know that whatever comes out of his mouth, the truth is the complete opposite; and whatever crime he accuses Ukraine and the West of is exactly the crime he himself is committing (sometimes even in a more egregious way).

The Real Lawbreakers— Now why this is relevant to our study today is because of how much those accusing Paul of encouraging law-breaking are themselves breaking the law. I mean Paul has just barely escaped assassination. And, battered and bruised from that, he has taken the stand and makes his first defense. And he does so (like we saw last week) by sharing his own personal testimony of how he had always religiously observed the Jewish law; and what Jesus had to do in his life to bring him into Christianity, which of course is the fulfillment of all their Jewish hopes. And all the people listen to him up until the point where he says that he had a vision right there in the temple in which Jesus spoke to him and told him “…“Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” And at this point they go absolutely crazy and so the commander has Paul taken into the barracks, has him bound, and is prepared to scourge him until he gets the information he wants. But before that happens, Paul decides that now is a good time to mention his Roman citizenship. It says…

Acts 22:25-30 (ESV)— 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. 30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

The Sanhedrin— Now one thing I found interesting about this verse was that it is the next day and yet (despite their being worried that they had bound Paul) we find here that he is still bound. It is only now that he is finally unbound and brought to the council. And this was a meeting, albeit an unofficial one, of the Sanhedrin; the national ruling body of the Jews and the supreme court, comprised of 71 members, including the high priest. The chief priests were [A small group within the Sanhedrin composed of former high priest and members of influential priestly families…] And [They met daily in the temple to hold court, except on the Sabbath and other holy days.] So Paul is before them and it says…

Acts 23:1-2 (ESV)— 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Ananias— Now it's important to note that this Ananias is not the Annas of the Gospels. Nor was he (in reality) the actual high priest. Caiaphas was in fact the acting high priest (serving from A.D. 18-36, after Ananias). But though Caiaphas was the official high priest, Ananias had [retained his title and {still} wielded great influence]. And so Ananias is the one who has Paul struck; this former high priest (who had served from A.D. 6-15). Now Ananias had in fact been [one of Israel’s cruelest and most corrupt high priests.] And [His pro-Roman policies alienated him from the Jewish people]. And we’ll see what that leads to. But this command to strike Paul was [An illegal act in keeping with Ananias’ brutal character. The verb translated “strike” is used of the mob’s beating of Paul (21:32) and the Roman soldiers’ beating of Jesus (Matt. 27:30) {So} It was no mere slap on the face, but a vicious blow.] And one that Paul does not take kindly.

Acts 23:3 (ESV)— 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”

A Whitewashed Wall— And so we see that Paul is outraged by Ananias’ hypocrisy; breaking Jewish law while in the midst of accusing him of showing disregard for the law. And so Paul says to him “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ” Now to understand why Paul calls him a whitewashed wall, we have to look back at Ezekiel 13. False prophets during that time in history had lulled God’s people into a false sense of security. [Phony “peace” promises, while sin continued on the brink of God’s judgment, was a way, so to speak, of erecting a defective “wall” and white-washing it to make it look good. {But} Such an unsafe “wall” was doomed to collapse (v.11) when God would bring his storm, picturing the invaders’ assault (v.11).] And this storm is of wind, flood, and hail. Now [These descriptions are all images belonging to the illustration of the wall, not meant to convey real wind, flood, and hail. The Babylonians were the actual destroyers of Israel’s hypocritical false spirituality.] And so Paul is saying, basically, that God is going to do the same thing to Ananias. Now those around Paul did not take kindly to Paul’s saying this. And so it says…

Acts 23:4 (ESV)— 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?”

Revile— And that word “revile” is a very strong word. It [is the same word used in John 9:28 to describe the Jewish leaders’ insulting remarks to the blind man whom Jesus had healed. Peter {also} used it to speak of the abuse Jesus endured (1 Pet. 2:23). So they see what Paul has just said as a very severe thing because of how saying something like that (knowingly) to Ananias would mean that Paul had disdain not only Ananias, but the office that he held. And so they call him out on it. And Paul is (honestly) taken aback. It says…

Acts 23:5 (ESV)— 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Name-Calling— Now I love Paul’s response. Because (despite just being wrongfully assaulted) he is immediately willing to acknowledge his mistake. And that is all it was. It was not a sin. If name-calling in itself is a sin, then Jesus also was guilty, because he wasn’t afraid of telling people exactly what they were behaving like. Paul is within the realm of right Christian behavior in what he says. Where the problem comes in is in regards to who he has directed it towards. Paul is fully justified in the content of what he says, but immediately admits that (because of the Law) he would not have said it if he had known who it was he was speaking to. Now this begs the question, “How could Paul not know who Ananias was?” Well, Paul [had been gone from Jerusalem for many years and would not likely have recognized Ananias by sight. {Plus remember} That this was an informal gathering of the Sanhedrin {,which} would have meant the high priest would not have been wearing his official garments.] And so it would have been very easy for Paul to not know who he was, especially considering that Ananias’ behavior was so contradictory to what a high priest should do, BREAK THE LAW! But Paul may also have had some trouble with his eyes, as Galatians 4:15 seems to indicate. But whatever the case, Paul says he didn’t know it was the high priest. Now he never says he was wrong in WHAT he said, only in that he had unknowingly said that to God’s high priest. And I love how he uses the word of God to even pinpoint what he had done wrong. He says: …it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”  And he’s quoting right from the Torah, from Exodus 22:28, which says …

Exodus 22:28 (ESV)— 28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

A Deep Respect— And so in all of this, despite his mistake, Paul shows (even in the way he corrects himself) that he truly does have a deep and profound respect for the Law of God. He quotes it verbatim and shows that he himself is willing to submit to it even when he himself is being wrongly treated.

Was Paul Right?— Now some say that Paul was wrong in what he said. Personally, I think God used Paul’s eye problems to prevent his recognizing Ananias so that Paul would say exactly what needed to be said. I think it was important to God for all Christians since this time to read this passage and see this very accurate exposition of who Ananias was and how Paul’s character stood in marked contrast to it. Furthermore, I feel that God honors Paul’s curse; because God did strike Ananias; and He did so through his own people. Because of his pro-Roman policies, at the outset of the revolt against Rome in A.D. 66, the Jewish people end up murdering him. And then of course Rome sweeps in and destroys Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70. Now in light of that, listen to the words of Ezekiel 13 that Paul borrows from to curse him and see if this doesn’t fit. Just listen. It says…

Ezekiel 13:10-16 (ESV)— 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,[a] 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.

Let Us Proclaim— Now what we learn from all of this is very simply that the world is not friendly to those who proclaim the name of Jesus. There will always be people (even religious people) who will set themselves against us. And yet (as we will see) God stands with Paul. And God will stand with you and me as well. And so let us not shrink from proclaiming His name so that even in biting us the world may taste and see that the Lord is good.

Lechem Panim #224 “Paul’s Greatest Evangelistic Tool” (Acts 22:3-29) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today.

Law Themes— Last week, in our study of Acts, we came to Paul’s being seized by an angry mob shortly after he had come to Jerusalem. And he is preparing to make his defense before the crowd. But as I was pouring over this text, I tried to keep in mind the context. Paul (in the context of Pentecost, during which remember the Jews who have gathered here in Jerusalem are celebrating the giving of the Mosaic Law) is being accused of being anti-Jewish/anti-Law. And so he’s not just making a case for Christianity; he’s showing that (despite what his accusers are saying) he and the message of Christianity are not anti-Jewish or anti-Law. No, Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism and the Jewish hopes of a Messiah. As Jesus Himself said in…

Matthew 5:17 (ESV)— 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Judaisms— Now keeping that context in mind helped me to see some things in this passage I had not noticed before; because interwoven throughout Paul’s testimony are language and phrases that would be significant to a Jewish audience and would signify that he was not against them or the Law in any way. And the first, as I’ve said before, is the fact that he speaks to them in their own language. But as we move through his defense, we’ll see other ways Paul hooks his audience; with Hebrew language, phrases, and in the details he chooses to emphasize. And his very first line is just full of them. Look with me at verse 3 and following, where he says…

Acts 22:3 (NKJV)— 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city {(Jerusalem)} at the feet of Gamaliel {(a great Jewish rabbi who was the most revered Jewish teacher of that era)}, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law {(the literal translation here is “ancestral law”)}, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

Pentecost— Now what festival was it? Pentecost, a festival focused on the Law. And here is where Paul is about to start sharing his testimony, like he had back in chapter 9. But we are going to see some different details emphasized that compliment the earlier account but at the same time are more directly relevant to these people in this context. Now listen as he begins to bridge into his testimony. He says…

Acts 22:4-6 (NKJV)— 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

A Great Light— Now keep in mind that light in the Old Testament is almost always connected with the presence of God. And so in his testimony (more so than in chapter 9) Paul emphasizes the light, saying that it was a great light and that it came at noon, which further emphasizes its brightness. Furthermore he says…

Acts 22:7-13 (NKJV)— 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ {Note that Saul is Paul’s Jewish name.} 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.

"a devout man according to the law"— Now note how Paul does not mention Ananias’ conversation with God, when God commanded him to go to Saul. He skips that and instead adds a detail that would be significant to this audience; that Ananias was “a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there”.

Acts 22:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers {(there it is again)} has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. {(This detail of Paul’s being Jesus’ witness to all men is new.)} 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized {(another new detail)}, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Ananias’ Importance—  Now we know from Paul’s defense before Herod Agrippa that God also gave this commission of reaching all men directly to Paul (26:17), but it was important for this Jewish audience to hear that a respected Jew had shared with him this vision he had had of Paul’s future ministry. Paul continues…

Acts 22:17-21 (NKJV)— 17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

The Vision of Paul While Praying— Now this whole description of Paul’s having a vision while praying in the temple and God’s telling him to leave Jerusalem is also new. [Luke’s earlier description of the circumstances surrounding Paul’ departure from Jerusalem is from a different perspective. The brothers heard about a plot against Paul and escorted him to Caesarea, from where he was sent off to Tarsus (9:29-30).] But, as F.F. Bruce points out, “this is not the only place our narrative where divine direction and human action coincide.” Now the Jews seem somewhat receptive until the last phrase where Paul says Jesus told him “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.” It says…

Acts 22:22-24 (NKJV)— 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air {(which were both expressions of horror at blasphemy)}, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging {(in other words, torture)}, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

Almost Scourged— This [planned flogging was probably the Roman brutal scourging with a whip that had thongs weighted with rough pieces of bone or metal. It could cause great harm and even leave people crippled for life.] Now I love how Paul never just spills all the details of who he is. He waits for the opportune moment when sharing those details will have the greatest impact and work to his advantage the most. He keeps his Roman citizenship a secret until this precise moment, where it says…

Acts 22:25 (NKJV)— 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

Serious Trouble— And of course it wasn’t. Romans citizens could be scourged for crimes, but never as a method of inquiry before they had even had a trial. And so the centurion immediately recognizes they could be in serious trouble, having already going beyond what they were allowed to do to an uncondemned Roman citizen. And so it says…

Acts 22:26-29 (NKJV)— 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”
27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”
He said, “Yes.”
28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” {In other words, he had paid a bribe to acquire Roman citizenship. However, Paul’s was much more legitimate, as it says…}
And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”
29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

A Different Approach— Now what really jumped out at me about this passage was how different Paul’s approach to sharing his faith was from what I might have gravitated towards, especially if I was some highly-educated theological and philosophical mastermind, as he was. I would have tried to present a logical, systematic case for the truth of Christianity. But it’s interesting that Paul doesn’t do that. What does he do? He simply tells them his personal testimony; what God did in his life to bring him to faith in Christ; the dramatic change in who he was that could be explained in no other way than that he had encountered the One he was proclaiming.

A Higher Degree— You know, over 12 years ago I graduated from Wesley Biblical Seminary. And I remember I walked down the aisle of that school and was presented with a shiny new laminated and bound certificate. And you know what it says? “Master of Divinity.” That’s a pretty cool title. But I have to be honest with you; never once in all my years of ministry did I ever feel like a master of divinity. If seminary taught me anything, it was how much I don’t know and still have yet to grasp about the divinity of God. But there is something that is within my grasp (and yours as well); take that same title and let’s make a very slight modification. How about “Mastered by Divinity”? Now that’s something I can have and know I have; to know that God has met me on the Damascus road of my life and mastered me to where all of who I am (my core identity, like Paul’s was) is completely changed. That is the degree that people might throw their robes off and fling dust in the air about, but one they cannot refute or argue with.

Your Testimony— Have you ever written out your personal testimony and/or do you have it ready to share at a drop of a hat? If not, that is your assignment this week. Take time to prepare your testimony, memorize it, and be ready to share it. That will be one of the greatest tools you ever use in your witnessing.

The Greatest Chapter— And if you do not yet know Jesus Christ, I invite you to simply ask Him to come into your life today; to forgive you of all your sins and to make you a child of God. And He will. And you also will have a story to share; the greatest chapter in your life; the moment you said yes to Jesus. May every one of us come experience that initial and then a daily encounter with Jesus Christ. May He so transform us that our lives will be the greatest evidence we can give of the validity of the Gospel message. Amen.

Lechem Panim #223 “Paul Before Lysias” (Acts 21:31-22:2) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today.

Paul’s Show of Solidarity— If you’ve been with us recently, you’ll know that in our study of the book of Acts we have at last come to Paul’s arrest here in chapter 21. He’s trying to build bridges and discredit false rumors that are spreading about him and Christianity. It says in….

Acts 21:27-22:24 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

“Beaten by Peacekeepers"— Some time ago on the news following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we saw a large number of Russian protestors who chose to stand up and peacefully yet publicly demonstrate their opposition to the war against Ukraine. But of course they don’t have freedom of speech like we do here and so Putin has been having these people quickly arrested, sometimes beaten, and then carried away to prison, where many of them could spend up to ten years. And one image that was emblazoned on my mind was that of one of these protestors (a man) being picked up and held off the ground by a few of these so-called “peace-keepers” as another “peace-keeper” ruthlessly beat him with a black baton. And the man was being held in such a position that he couldn’t cover himself in any way. All he could do was receive blow after blow.

Beating Paul— Well that is the condition we find Paul in at the opening of our passage today. The unbelieving Jews have stirred the crowd into a frenzy and they are beating him. And they have no intention of stopping. They are intending to beat Paul to death; no trial, no imprisonment; no, they want Paul dead. Paul (and the message he bore) was, in their minds) to dangerous for him to be allowed to live. Now thankfully God intervened before they were able to carry out their plan. It says in…

Acts 21:31 (NKJV)— 31 Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

The Commander Comes— Now around the temple was built Fort Antonia. And they were supervising constantly to make sure that no riot would brake out in Jerusalem and particularly the temple. Now [The commander of the troops at this time was {a man by the name of} Claudius Lysias (23:36). He was commander of a regiment (a special group, part of a legion) of Roman soldiers and was the senior Roman official in Jerusalem.] The word [“commander” (Greek, chiliarch ) {means that he} was responsible for 1,000 soldiers (a regiment)…and he was stationed at the Fortress of Antonia.] It says in verse 32 that…

Acts 21:32 (NKJV)— 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Battered & Bruised— Now you can imagine how badly shaken, battered and bruised Paul is at this point. He probably has to be picked up off the ground. But he’s obviously a great physical threat to everybody around him, because it says in…

Acts 21:33-34a (NKJV)— 33 Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; {then it says} and he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.

Absentee Accusers— By the way, its interesting how the initial instigators of all of this are now curiously silent if not altogether absent. They’ve stirred the pot and are the true cause of the riot, but now seem to have withdrawn. So you have this mob (this large body without a head) that doesn’t even know why they are there. And because of that, the commander cannot figure out either who Paul is or what he has supposedly done. And so it says in…

Acts 21:34b-37 (NKJV)— So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. 35 When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!” 37 Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?”
He replied, “Can you speak Greek? {This surprised the commander because Greek was the language of cultured, educated men, not common criminals as he had at first assumed Paul to be. It was an indication that he was from out of town. And yet Paul could be a troublemaker from somewhere else. Greek was commonly spoken in Egypt, so Lysias thinks he may be a then well-known Egyptian troublemaker. And so he asks Paul…}

Acts 21:38 (NKJV)— 38 Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

“The Egyptian”— Now this Egyptian to whom the commander is referring had tried to lead a revolt against Rome (21:37-38). He had taken a large number of people up to the Mount of Olives and promised that the walls of Jerusalem would fall at his command and that the Romans would be driven out. However, Governor Felix swept in with a bunch of Roman troops and routed the Egyptian and his followers, with the loss of many lives; and yet the Egyptian had escaped. So the commander had thought (probably because of the violent animosity of the crowd) that Paul was this Egyptian.

The “Assassins”— Now Lysias describes the followers of this Egyptian as “assassins”. And these “assassins” that he is referring to were actually a terrorist group that had arisen during the time when Felix was governor. Their strong Jewish nationalism caused them to fiercely set themselves against not only Rome, but also against those of the Jews who collaborated with Rome. And the latter were, in fact, the primary targets of these assassins. Now the word “assassin” (Sikariōn) actually derives from the Latin word for dagger (sica). And that was for good reason, because what these assassins would do is they would mingle with the crowds and quickly and stealthily stab their victims. And after they did this, they would do one of two things. Sometimes they would simply melt away into the crowd. Other times they would be so brazen as to feign shock and actually join the mourners in order to escape being detected. I mean, these were scary guys. And they would be particularly active during the Jewish festivals like Pentecost. And so this reaction from the crowd coupled with the fact that these assassination attempts were common, it would have been very natural for Lysias to assume that the crowd had caught one of these assassins in the act (or maybe even the Egyptian himself). However, Paul quickly dispels that idea. It says…

Acts 21:39-22:2 (NKJV)— 39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”
40 So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, 22:1 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.

Their Own Language— Now speaking to them in their own language caused them to get even more quiet because it showed them that he was likely not a Diaspora collaborator with the Gentiles, whom many of them may have supposed him to be. And he addresses them in a words that shows solidarity with them. He calls them “Brethren and fathers”, just as Stephen had done in 7:2. And here Paul says “hear my defense”.

Six Defenses– And the Greek word is apologia. Paul is making an apology for the Christian faith. Now that doesn’t mean what it would mean today; that he says “I’m sorry”. No, apology comes from the Greek word apologia and means to “make a defense” or “to state the case for”. It is where we get our word Apologetics. That is what is behind the admonition in 1 Peter 3:15 to “be ready to give an answer to every man who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have”. Well, that is what we will see Paul do in and throughout the remainder of the book of Acts, as we will find him giving six separate defenses of both himself and of Christianity. The first is before an unruly mob here at Jerusalem (21:27ff.), the second is before the Sanhedrin in 22:30ff, the third before Felix in 24:1ff, the fourth one before Festus (25:1-12), the fifth one before Herod Agrippa (25:13ff), and the sixth one before the Jews at Rome (28:17-28). And so here we find the first one. He stands on the stairs and makes an apologia to them in their own language. And next week we will see what he says.

The Fruit of Suffering— But you know, one of the things that we will continue to see as we move through these final chapters in the book of Acts (which focus on Paul’s ministry in chains) is the truth that God will often use our greatest trials; our greatest tribulations; our greatest hardships to produce some of his greatest fruit. Mind you that it was during his imprisonment at Rome that Paul wrote four New Testament books; Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And you know, that makes me wonder if Satan didn’t regret the many persecutions he had helped instigate towards Paul; because of just how much fruit came out of those persecutions. I mean whenever Satan sought to crush Paul (and really many of the early Christians) through imprisonment, persecution, and even death, all that he ever succeeded in doing was helping to scatter the seed that would further expand and strengthen the Church. And Paul’s life stands as one of the greatest demonstrations of that principle. And that is a principle that is true for you and me as well. It is often through our hardships that God can produce the greatest fruit for His kingdom. And so I want to encourage you, whatever hardship you might be going through now, don’t linger in discouragement. Know that God is using that hardship for His glory; and that that hardship (if you let it) will draw you nearer to Him and help to bring about His amazing plans and purposes for your life and for the lives of others. And one day those sufferings will hardly even be remembered. I love what Paul himself writes in…

Romans 8:18 (NKJV)— 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Let’s Trust— Let us look forward to that future glory as we lean on God in the present and trust in Him and in His perfect plan for our lives. Amen.

Lechem Panim #222 “Paul Is Seized” (Acts 21:27-30) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. If you were with us last week, you will remember that Acts 21 marks a major transition in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. Ever since he had been converted all the way back in Acts chapter 9, he has been free to evangelize all over the Mediterranean world. He had been imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23ff), but only for a very short period of time, as God sent an earthquake that tore the jail apart and set Paul and Silas free. However, in today’s passage we are entering into a whole new stage of Paul’s ministry, as he is arrested here in Jerusalem and will this time remains a prisoner. From here on out he would be an “ambassador in chains”, as he calls himself in Ephesians 6:20.

Finishing The Vows— Now you will remember that Paul has just arrived in Jerusalem along with a group of men from the gentile churches he helped start. And he is delivering the offering collected by those churches to help the needy in Jerusalem. So he does that and tells the elders of all that God had done through them. And there is great joy. However, the elders of the church want to help Paul discredit the false claims of the Judaizers, who claim that he is teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. (21:21). And so they ask Paul to take four men under his wing who are just finishing up a Jewish Nazirite vow and to be purified with them (made ceremonially clean) and to sponsor their ceremony and sacrifices. And he agrees to do that in order to prove that he wasn’t suddenly anti-Law.. It says in…

Acts 21:26 (NKJV)— 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

Paul Spotted— And so Paul was coming to the end of everything that he had to do as regards these Nazirite vows. But as he was in the temple, he is spotted by some of his Jewish opponents. It says in…

Acts 21:27-29 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

Asia?— And so we see that Paul is spotted by these Jews from Asia. Now that word Asia doesn’t mean China or anywhere like that. It means Asia Minor, where Paul had been ministering. These Jews were most likely from Ephesus, because that is where Trophimus had come from; and they recognize him! And so they stir up the the crowd against Paul and have him seized.

Paul Doesn’t Lash Back— But you know, that is something that Paul faced all of his ministry; and not just from people who misunderstood, but from men who willfully and deliberately twisted his words or just simply made up stories about him in order to malign and discredit him. But Paul doesn’t lash back; he doesn’t return hate for hate; anger for anger. He doesn’t malign them or even get defensive. He refutes the accusations, but does so in a spirit of love, with gentleness and respect. That is one of the things we can learn from Paul. When we feel hurt or misunderstood at work, at home, or even at Church, it can be so easy to react in a spirit of defensiveness and anger. But when we respond like Jesus did (with that spirit of love and forgiveness) we can often diffuse those situations and (even if still persecuted) be a testimony to the eyes of others who may be watching.

A Capital Offense— Now the thing they accuse Paul of is bringing Trophimus (a Gentile) into the Temple. They had seen Trophimus with him at one or more other times and just assumed (because of the false label of law-breaker that they had already put on him) that Paul must have done this thing. Now, if true, that would be a very serious crime, because no Gentile (non-Jew) was allowed within the temple under penalty of death. Now there was an outer court they could go into, but that was as far as they could go. Then further into the Temple complex was the court of women where Jewish women could go, then the inner court for the men. Only priests could go into the Temple itself and only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies. So Gentiles were on the farthest rung out. In fact, for them to go any further meant certain death. In fact, [In the temple, separating the court of the Gentiles from the other courts, stood a wall beyond which no Gentile was allowed to go (note Eph. 2:14). On the wall was this solemn inscription {(in both Latin and Greek)}: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” {And they meant it. And whereas normally the Jews were not permitted to execute anyone without Roman consent,} The Romans had granted the Jewish religious leaders authority to deal with anybody who broke this law, and this included the right of execution.] And some of these warning signs have now been uncovered by archaeologists.

The Perfect Accusation— Now this was the perfect accusation, because whereas before these Jews could not touch Paul in Ephesus because of the Gentiles, here they have Paul surrounded by Jews. Some estimates run as high as 2 million because of the celebration going on there at that time, which was what, by the way? Pentecost, [the Old Testament Feast of Harvest {also} sometimes called the Feast of Weeks, and sometimes called the Day of First Fruits.] Many of these 2 million Jews had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Pentecost. And what did Pentecost celebrate? The giving of the Law by God to Moses {(they believed)} fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt. And so there is a spirit of devotion and love for the Law; a spirit of celebrating the Temple and its sacredness. And so what could be better than accusing Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple!!!???; something that would be sure to churn the stomachs of every one of the Jews there!

Paul Wouldn’t Have Done This— Now Paul of course didn’t do that. And that’s because he wouldn’t undo in one day everything he had done in seven days to show that he still loved and respected the Law of God. Plus, he would never have done that to Trophimus; putting him in a position where he would most certainly be killed. But even if that were true, it wouldn’t have been Paul’s head, it would have (according to the Law) been Trophimus’ because he was the Gentile, not Paul. Paul had ever right to go into the temple and ultimately Trophimus was responsible for his own actions. But of course Trophimus is not the target of the unbelieving Jews; it’s Paul who is the target.

Three Accusations— Now notice that they level against him this accusation, but also three others. They say in verse 28 that Paul is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place. So they accuse Paul first of being against his own people; in other words, he’s anti-Jew. That is a pretty hard claim to make, seeing that Paul was Jewish. But that is what they say. And by the way, this is the same attitude that exists today in the hearts of many Jews in and throughout the world. They see Christianity as absolutely antithetical to what it means to be a Jew; so much so that they will often disown any Jew amongst them who becomes a Christian. And that is because they perceive any Jew who accepts Christ as one who is trying to break with Judaism and their heritage, not realizing that Jesus is the fulfillment of all their Jewish hopes; He’s the Messiah!
    Now next, the Jews accuse Paul of being against the Law and against the Temple. It is pretty hard to see how they can possibly make this claim because (when you think about it) [all the evidence was against them. Paul had Timothy circumcised before taking him along on that second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–3). Paul had taken a Jewish {Nazirite} vow while in Corinth (Acts 18:18), and it was his custom not to offend the Jews in any way by deliberately violating their customs or the law of Moses (1 Cor. 9:19–23).] Furthermore we see in this very passage that he is willing to come alongside these four men who have undertaken a Nazirite vow, sponsor their practice of the Jewish ceremony involved in the completion of that vow, and himself undergo the necessary rituals in order to make himself ceremonially clean and fit to do so, in keeping with Jewish law. And furthermore, the whole reason he was in Jerusalem to begin with was to observe the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which was a celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses. So their accusations really have no anchor in reality.

Became A Mob— Nevertheless, these unbelieving Jews stirred up the whole crowd (v.27). And that word translated stirred up actually means “to confuse”. The crowds were driven into confusion by these unbelieving Jews. And so they become a mob, which (as you know) is a body of people without a head. It is driven by pure emotion, rage, and group-think. It says…

Acts 21:30 (NKJV)— 30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

Hate By Association— And next week we will find out what happens to him. Now I want to make one observation with you before we close today. And that is this: ultimately it was not Paul on trial, it was Jesus. All these events happened right near where Jesus himself had been tried and then crucified. In fact, in verse 36 they cry out against Paul “Away with him!”, the exact same thing the crowds in that place (27 years earlier) had cried out against Jesus. You see, the two are connected. Paul was ultimately hated because of his association with Jesus. The Jews who opposed him were not doing so because they were offended by Paul. Paul was a very likable guy. He loved everyone tremendously, he gave generously, and he spoke the truth in love (which we will see later even in this very chapter, even after he is beaten nearly to death). No, the people weren’t offended by him, but by the NAME he was proclaiming; the name of Jesus.

Associated With Christ— And let me tell you, when you get serious about Jesus, you are going to be (in the eyes of the world) guilty by association. People are going to hate you for no good reason. They are going to accuse you of things that have no basis in reality. And that’s because of the truth of what Jesus says in…

John 15:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Emboldened— So ultimately Paul is on trial because his proclamation of the name of Jesus is (as Jesus Himself said it would be) an offense to the world. Now did that stop Paul? No it didn’t. If anything, it emboldened him. And that is because of what he said back in…

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)— 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Willing To Suffer— And so let us be willing to suffer for Jesus, sharing with Him in his sufferings so that we also may share in His glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #221 “Paul’s Attempt To Dispel Rumors” (Acts 21:20-26) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. You know, just recently I had a friend of mine (also a pastor) share with me about a recent cruise he and his family had gone on. He had been a little reluctant to go because of his workload at the church. But he and his family went. And what was interesting about the story he shared with me was not just the cruise (and all the fun things to do while on a cruise), but what God did through him while on that cruise. On three separate occasions God brought people to him with whom he had the opportunity to share the gospel. And he found that God had already been preparing each of them and that they were “ripe for harvest” so to speak. And so he invited them to receive Christ. And all three of them did. Now imagine his church’s surprise on hearing (after he got back) that he (in the midst of his vacation) had the opportunity to lead three people to Christ. What a great report! And I just loved how (even on vacation) my friend didn’t just switch (as is so easy to do) into self-serve mode. No, he was still thinking missionally; who he could reach for Jesus. May we all be like that. And what an amazing story he had to tell because of it. Now in our passage today here in Acts 21, we find that Paul and his companions have at last arrived at Jerusalem. And they have some amazing stories as well. And so they have come before James and the elders and (after delivering the offering collected for the needy church there) share all that God had done through their ministry. And what a great missions report it was! And it says of James and the elders in…

Acts 21:20a (NKJV)— 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.

The Stories— Now Paul’s report was (as verse 19 says) in detail. And what this meant was that he didn’t just run them through the number of conversions, sanctifications, and various other statistics. No, he was sharing with them the stories of what God had done; the personal God-sightings he had had in the lives of those touched by his ministry; how God had moved in amazing ways in and through himself and his team. And the elders are thrilled to hear this. But their joy was also mixed with concern. It says in…

Acts 21:20b-21 (NKJV)— And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads {(which, by the way means tens of thousands)} of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

The Ceremonies Still Observed— Now these Jewish Christians of whom the elders are speaking (who are hearing these false rumors) are still observing all the rituals and customs of the Old Covenant. They had not yet forsaken them. Now they didn’t see any of those things as saving in and of themselves. They did believe in salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone; that issue had already been settled. But their faith was still very intertwined with their Judaism. In fact their faith in Christ drove them to become even more zealously motivated to obey the rites and ceremonies of the Old Covenant; the required feasts, Sabbath regulations, ritual vows (v.23), and dietary restrictions. And that was fine. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) forbade those things being placed upon the Gentiles, but allowed the Jewish believers to continue to observe them. And so this lie being spread by the false Judaizers had a lot of power to cause division in the church. Plus it would hurt the Church’s witness to non-believing Jews, who were hearing that Paul was teaching that to become Christians meant they had to forsake their Judaism, when nothing could be further from the truth.

The Running Lie— Now the underlying Greek word behind the phrase they have been informed in verse 21 is κατηχέω, where we get out word catechism, which is of course is a method of learning by repetition. And so what it signifies is that these lies are being repeated over and over again and really being drilled into the minds of the Jewish believers by these false teachers. It has been said “If you tell a lie loud enough and long enough, eventually everyone will believe it.” And sadly, that’s true in our age as well. Now here, just as with our modern-day politicians, their stories change based upon who their audience is. In Galatia the Judaizers falsely accused Paul of advocating circumcision (Gal. 5:11); but here in Jerusalem they falsely accuse him wanting to do away with circumcision. So they say whatever they know will incite whatever particular group they are speaking to. It’s kind of depressing to note that nothing has changed in 2,000 years. But (as we well know) none of this was true. Even some of the letters Paul had already written (such as Romans and Galatians) confirmed this. But these Jewish believers didn’t all have access to those writings. And even if they did, it is sadly often the case that slander spreads more quickly than truth. It’s as Mark Twain said, “A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.” And sadly that was the case here. So the elders (anticipating a confrontation between Paul and the zealous Jewish Christians) try to get ahead of this and settle the issue before any serious conflict arises. So they say in…

Acts 21:22-24 (NKJV)— 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.

Paul’s Sponsorship— Now these four men were under (as the detail about head-shaving reveals) were under a Nazirite vow, which was a period of separation to God in which the vower was to abstain [from alcoholic beverages and all other products derived from grapes, letting the hair of the head grow long, and avoiding contact with dead bodies.] Paul himself had taken a Nazirite vow earlier in Acts 18 and then in that same chapter he goes up to Jerusalem, where he most likely completed his vow (18:22). And then in the very next verse he began his third missionary journey, which has now just come to a close. And (like Paul was in chapter 18) these four men were likely at the very end of their vow. And so what the elders are likely telling Paul to do is twofold. First, they advise that Paul [participate in the ceremony marking the culmination of the four men’s vows.] That would show that he was not against the rules and regulations they were observing (which were pretty extreme for those undergoing a Nazirite vow. But before he could do that (since he himself has just returned from Gentile lands and was therefore considered by the Jews to be ceremonially unclean) he would have to undergo ritual purification himself. So once again, that shows he is not against the Jewish law. Furthermore, they advise him to [pay the four men’s expenses in order that they might shave their heads. The expenses connected with he Nazirite vow (including paying for the hair-cutting ceremony in the temple and several expensive sacrifices [Num. 6:14ff.]) were considerable, and undertaking them for another was considered an act of piety. That would be further proof that the Judaizers’ charge against Paul were false.]

A Good Compromise— Now the elders weren’t asking Paul to compromise on his beliefs. And Paul certainly didn’t see it that way. They simply wanted him to discredit the claims of the Judaizers in order to preserve the unity of the Church. Paul wasn’t being asked to compromise doctrine (which we know he was never under any circumstance willing to do) but only to demonstrate by performing these Jewish rituals that he was not against them. And they affirm once again the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. They say in…

Acts 21:25-26 (NKJV)— 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

He Does It— And so Paul agrees to all of this, which is (by the way) another demonstration of his remarkable humility, as he was willing to go through all these rituals to try to help keep the peace. He really illustrates the principle he laid down in…

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NKJV)— 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Let Us Love— Now sadly we will see that despite all of this, Paul will still end up in chains. But nevertheless, we see demonstrated in all of this an extraordinary willingness to do whatever it takes (short of doctrinal compromise) to bring people to Christ. And you know, you and I need to have that same mindset. You and I need to be willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to reach people. That may mean uncomfortable situations at home. For others of us it might mean suffering for Christ on the mission field; or maybe allowing you son or your daughter to follow God’s call to go to the mission field. No matter how you look at it, sacrifice is involved. But that is what love is. Love (if it is true love) is ALWAYS sacrificial; it always involves humbling ourselves and doing whatever it takes to be God’s channel of blessing in somebody else’s life. Because every one of us is here today because of a missionary, somebody who was willing to get out of their comfort zone for you. And so let us (like Paul) also be willing to do that for others. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #220 “What GOD Had Done” (Acts 21:17-20) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. In our passage today here in Acts 21, we find Paul returning from his third missionary journey. He has been visiting the churches in Asia Minor and Greece with the purpose of edifying and building them up. And as he is visiting all these Gentile churches he had previously helped to establish, he has been collecting an offering for the Church in Jerusalem; an offering of money that was much needed by the believers there and one which would help solidify the bond between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. Now everyone is warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of how the Holy Spirit of God is revealing through many Christians the fact that awaiting for Paul in Jerusalem are trials and persecutions. And Paul accepts that, but continues onwards because he senses that the Holy Spirit (despite the danger) is compelling him to go; the mission of helping to minister to the needs of and unite the Church is more important than his own personal safety. Here was a man who was utterly and completely sold out in his love for God, his love for the Church, and his desire to pour his life out as an offering to both.

An Ambassador In Chains— And today’s passage is Paul’s last one as a free man. From here on (in his own words in Ephesians 6:20) he will be an ambassador in chains. This passage is a transitional one in that it tells of the events leading up to his arrest. Now you would think that chains would limit (or at least severely handicap his ministry). But instead we will see that despite the intentions of others, those chains will have no effect on his ministry whatsoever. God was able to use him even in his chains. And that is something that God has done (and continues to do) often. If I were to ask each of you to name your favorite verse, I’m sure at least several (perhaps more) of you would say Romans 8:28. It reads…

Romans 8:28 (NIV)— 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Still True— Now this verse is a great source of comfort to any person who is going through any trial or tribulation because it reminds us that God is in control and that whatever suffering we are going through He will go with us and give us victory. But do we really believe that? Do we really believe that in any situation God can bring something good. It is hard to think that way. But it is true. There is no situation you are going through that God cannot bring His glory. But we have to trust Him. We have to believe that He is going to remain faithful to us.

Brengle’s Trials— Lately I have been (with my grandfather) reading through the works of Samuel Logan Brengle, who wrote some of the most helpful books on holiness ever written; such as Heart Talks on Holiness, The Way of Holiness, and When the Holy Ghost Is Come. But what is really incredible about these books is the story behind them. [Brengle was a brilliant young preacher whom God led into the Salvation Army. He became the Salvation Army’s great spokesman for the message of personal holiness. One night a drunken man continually interrupted a service Brengle was leading. Finally, Brengle put the man outside the service. After the meeting was over, Brengle was the last one to leave, so he turned the lights off and stepped into the street. The drunken man was waiting for him. He struck one side of Brengle’s head with a …{brick}…, and smashed the other side against the building. Samuel Brengle was in the hospital for an extended period, hovering between life and death. When he finally began to recover, it was a long time before he could resume his former activities, so the editor of the Salvation Army’s magazine asked him to write] [a series of articles on holiness. These were later gathered and published as a little red book entitled Helps to Holiness. That book would become an international success, and the first of nine by Samuel Logan Brengle, causing him later to remark, “If there had been no little brick, there would have been no little book!”[4] By the time of his death in 1936, Commissioner Brengle was an internationally renowned preacher and worldwide ambassador of holiness. His influence continues today, perhaps more than that of any Salvationist in history other than the founders, William and Catherine Booth.]
    And his story is a reminder to us that [We must believe that God is running our lives. The devil can create minor complications, but God is in control whether you are in a hospital bed like Brengle, in a prison like Paul, or anywhere else. God can and will use your circumstances to accomplish his purposes. He is the only one who can produce fruit out of an apparent disaster.] And (as we will see in the coming chapters) incredible fruit will be produced by God through Paul even in the midst of his chains.

Gentile Companions— Now as Paul comes to Jerusalem, he has with him a group of Gentiles who are representatives of those Gentile churches Paul helped start who have come to actively show love, compassion, and solidarity with the Jerusalem church. And they arrive (most likely) at Pentecost. Now the text doesn’t say explicitly that it was Pentecost, but it being Paul’s plan to arrive at Pentecost coupled with the fact that (as we will see) there are multitudes there in Jerusalem, it would seem that Paul made it back in time to celebrate this very important Jewish feast.

Pentecost— Now [Pentecost means “fiftieth” because this feast was held fifty days after the Feast of …{Passover}…. The calendar of Jewish feasts in Leviticus 23 is an outline of the work of Jesus Christ. Passover pictures His death as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), and the Feast of Firstfruits pictures His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–23). …Pentecost….pictures the formation of the church. At Pentecost, the Jews celebrated the giving of the law, but Christians celebrate it because of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church.] And really it is a celebration of when God took the Law of God and gave it again, not on tablets of stone this time but wrote it upon our heart in and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And Paul is no doubt reflecting about these realities as he himself prepares two celebrate. Now it says in…

Acts 21:17-18 (NKJV)— 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. {Now this was an initial, unofficial reception; the meeting before the meeting, so to speak. But the next verse says…} 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

From Apostles to Elders— Now notice it says James, and all the elders; but it does not mention the apostles. Why? Because they aren’t there anymore. Well, where are they? Well, as you know, they had been very key in the establishing of the Jerusalem Church. And they were the leaders of the Church in the beginning (2:42; 4:35-37; 5:2). But remember, as the Church grew, they recognized the need for assistance in running the whole administrative side of thing; and so they chose seven to serve under them and help with these tasks (6:2-6). Elders are mentioned for the first time in 11:30 and we see that by the time the Jerusalem Council convenes, the elders had taken a very prominent role in the leadership of the Church (15:2,4,6,22,23; 16:4). Now the elders are the full leaders and the apostles are gone. Now where did they go? Well at least one (James the brother of John) had already been killed (Acts 12:2). But the rest (after turning over the leadership of the Church to the elders) had [left the city to engage in missionary work. Elder rule was thus being established as the New Testament pattern of church government (cf. Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5).]

Number of Elders— Now we are not told the number of elders present. Some speculate that there may have been seventy, paralleling the number of members in the Jewish Sanhedrin. And when we consider the enormous number of Christians there in Jerusalem, there were probably at least that and probably more. But however many there were, we see they receive him and his team gladly. Now having a large offering with them no doubt helped. But that wasn’t the only reason; most likely not even the main reason, which is evident in that it is not even mentioned here in the text. No, they focus on (at least at first) what Paul and his team has been up to.

Missionary Sunday— In one congregation I pastored there was an unusually high emphasis placed on missions; and once a month we would have missionaries come to share. But even in a congregation as mission-focused as that, I remember there was a small handful who were very religious about not being in Church on missionary Sunday. They didn’t think we had any business galavanting across the world when there were plenty of local needs right there. It was kind of like a silent protest every month in our Church from these people. But let me tell you, none of them ever visited a foreign country; and so they never saw the need. And the heart cannot feel what the eye has not seen. Now there were other people who would never miss a missionary Sunday. And you could see in their eyes this hungry eagerness to hear about all that God was doing and were eager to support and come alongside those missionaries. And often these were people who had gone on missions trips before; and so they knew. These elders were like the latter group. They were hungry to hear from Paul and his team.

Key Characteristics— Now in and throughout Paul’s ministry, we have seen demonstrated quite a number characteristics that made him a truly godly man. We talked about his powerful preaching, his powerful teaching, His persistence, his discipline, his courage, his commitment, his convictions. And last week we focused in on his courage. And as we move through this passage, we are going to see another one of Paul’s characteristics that we will see envelops and permeates the events that transpire here; and that is the characteristic of humility. We are going to see that this quality saturates virtually everything he does. It says in…

Acts 21:19 (NKJV)— 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things {(he had so wisely and thoughtfully done by his own whit, charm, and speaking ability. The elders gave him a standing ovation and presented him with a plaque he hung on the wall of the office he never had and he admired it for years to come. Does it say that? No. It says he told in detail those things)} which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Geempa’s Epitaph: Behold The Lamb— You see it was it was all about what God had done; not what he had done. It was never about him. He reminds me of my Grandfather on my dad’s side (we called him Geempa). Just about every time I am able to make it back to Kentucky to visit my family, I stop by his grave site. And let me tell you, there are thousands in heaven right now (and more to come) because of the ministry of that man; because of his ministry stateside, but also throughout Asia. But on his epitaph are three very simple words printed below his name: “Behold the Lamb”. And let me tell you, that is how he lived his life. He did a lot of tremendous things for Christ. But he never took glory for a single one of them. It was all about pointing people to Jesus. And let me tell you, that is the supreme mark of a sanctified person; a deflection of all glory to where it truly belongs, the face of God.

Paul’s Humility— And it is that kind of humility we see in Paul. [Paul expressed his humility in his rebuke of the hero-worshiping Corinthians. Writing to them in 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 he declared: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Later in that same letter he added, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). To the Romans he wrote, “I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed” (Rom. 15:18). {You see,} It is the mark of a godly man that he exalts the Lord and not himself. “He who boasts,” wrote Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “let him boast in the Lord.”] Now that kind of orientation is contagious. And we see that in the very next verse, where the elders (as Paul did) gave the glory where it belonged. It says…

Acts 21:20a (NKJV)— 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.

Let Us Point To God— And so this week, let us also be careful (in everything) to give glory to God. Let us be people who choose to say (in whatever way fits the situation in which we find blessing) “Behold the Lamb of God”. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #219 “A Rough Road Ahead” (Acts 21:5-16) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. In our passage today here in Acts 21, we find Paul and his companions on their way to Jerusalem to deliver a special offering. And they are about to leave the city of Tyre, where (if you were with us last week) you’ll remember they found a community of believers with whom they stayed seven days. And now they are getting ready to leave. And in looking at this passage, I found it so astounding how quickly these believers in Tyre grew to love Paul. Or perhaps it’s not so amazing. It seems to be the case in many of the churches Paul goes to. It is easy to fall in love with somebody who genuinely loves and shows care for you. Maybe you know somebody who, whenever they enter a room, immediately makes you and other people there feel like the most important people in the world and who seems to communicate that you are the best thing to have happened to his/her day. There are people like that. I know people like that. I want to be a person like that. And Paul definitely was, which is why we see that even after just one week Paul and his missionary team are accompanied to the shore not just by the church leaders; and not just by the men, but by everyone; all the men, accompanied by their wives and children. Look at verse five. It says…

Acts 21:5 (NKJV)— 5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.

Kneeling— And one scholar notes that normally the custom during that time was to stand when praying. We see that in Mark 11:25 Luke 18:11-13. And so here the fact that we see them kneeling together publicly shows just how intense, solemn, and sincere their prayers for Paul’s protection really were. Now after they pray together, it says in…

Acts 21:6-7 (NKJV)— 6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

At Ptolemais— Now Ptolemais was only a few miles south of Tyre. Paul and his missionary team stay there just one day, but take the opportunity to greet the believers there and spend some time with them. After that, it says…

Acts 21:8 (NKJV)— 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

Philip The Evangelist— Now Philip of course had been one of the original deacons (Acts 6:1-6) of the church who also served as an evangelist (Acts 8:5ff). He was both a public evangelist, which we saw in his ministry in Samaria; but he was also a personal evangelist, as he was the one who remember led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8). But he had also been an associate of Stephen, who’s murder Paul had been a part of. So in another very personal way, it is amazing to see how God can bring good out of bad, as we see these men (20 years later) coming together under the banner of ministry for Christ. Now it says of Philip…

Acts 21:9 (NKJV)— 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

Philip’s Daughters— Now this is an interesting little detail given to us. The Greek word that Luke uses here to describe them (parthenoi) probably indicates that they are a young, under the age of sixteen. And prophecy wasn’t unusual in the early church. In fact it was one of the most cherished gifts (1 Corinthians 14:5, 39). But why this verse is important (and maybe why Luke includes it) is because women (and especially unmarried women) usually did not have a very high standing in culture. And so this little verse shows that people of low status in society were often included in positions of prominence in the Church. Now we do know a little bit more about them outside of the Bible. [Eusebius refers to these daughters twice, mentioning that they lived and were buried in Hierapolis, which is in Phrygia in Asia Minor. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, said that these daughters were sources of valuable information of what happened in the early years of Christianity. Philip and his daughters may have been one of Luke’s information sources.] Now it says…

Acts 21:10 (NKJV)— 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

Agabus Comes Down— Now this prophet Agabus was not a stranger to Paul. Fifteen years prior he had worked together with Paul in a famine relief program for Judea (Acts 11:27-30). It was he who had predicted the famine (accurately) which remember prompted a collection from the church in Antioch. And here we see that he comes to deliver a message to Paul. And it is a very dramatic and visually powerful acted prophecy, which was a familiar method used by many of the Old Testament prophets. It says in…

Acts 21:11 (NKJV)— 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

Fighting For Unity— Now note that the Holy Spirit does not forbid Paul to go to Jerusalem here either. Agabus doesn’t say that. He just merely tells what will happen to Paul if he does go. And Paul, who sees the growing division between the “far right“ legalistic Jews and the believing Gentiles, sees the task of fighting for the unity of the church as being more important than his very life. He knew that he was part of the answer to the problem and that he could not solve it remotely through a representative. No, he had to go to Jerusalem personally. Now the believers try to convince him otherwise. It says in…

Acts 21:12-13 (NKJV)— 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place {(so not Agabus, which is something to observe)} pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Was Paul Right or Not?— Now people have argued back-and-forth about whether or not Paul was right or not in making this trip to Jerusalem. And for us it may seem wrong to question an apostle; but we need to remember that Paul wasn’t infallible. He was a human being just like us. His writings were inspired, but that doesn’t mean that everything he did was perfect or that he always made the right choice. To the believers Paul encountered, as well as to us, these repeated messages to Paul through the ministry of prophetic Christians do sound like warnings for Paul to stay out of Jerusalem. And over 20 years prior, the Lord had commanded Paul to get out of Jerusalem because he knew that the Jews would not receive Paul’s testimony (Acts 22:18). But that was not a permanent command, and we see afterwards that the Lord did allow him to return to Jerusalem on other occasions: with famine relief (Acts 11:27–30); to attend the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:1ff.); and after his second missionary journey (Acts 18:22 – “going up to greet the church” refers to Jerusalem). But Paul seems to see things differently here. He doesn’t sense any prohibition from God. As we said before, he felt compelled by God. But even before these prophecies, Paul was aware of the dangers that awaited for him should he go to Jerusalem. Paul had written in his letter to the Romans concerning the dangers in Judea (Acts 15:30–31) and had shared these same feelings with the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:22–23). So he was obviously fully aware of the dangers. But these warnings (and this is what Paul sensed) may not in fact to be prohibitions at all. Rather than God saying “You must not go”, God may in fact be saying “Get ready!”.

Acts 21:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” {Now after this it says… } 15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

From Caesarea to Jerusalem— And so the Christians in Caesarea leave and travel with Paul to Jerusalem, probably intending to celebrate the feast themselves. Now this was a sixty-five mile trek that took three days if they went on foot – two days if they had animals. So they had some time together, no doubt fellowshipping, praying with one another, worshiping together, sharing stories about what God had done in and through them, but also anticipating the challenges that they ahead of them; and particularly the persecution that awaited Paul. But Paul was no doubt greatly encouraged by their companionship as he took this difficult journey up to Jerusalem.

Arrival At Jerusalem— Now it’s a long trip, so they stop somewhere along the way at the house of a man named Mnason, who is described as “an early disciple”. We don’t know exactly who he is. It is possible that he came to faith after hearing Peter preach at Pentecost at the beginning of the book of Acts. Or he may have come to faith later in and through the ministry of Barnabas (Acts 4:36). We don’t know. But what we do know is that now he is traveling with them. He had been visiting Caesarea (where they just were), but he had a house somewhere along the route to Jerusalem. And so, apparently being given to hospitality, he opens his home to Paul to help him and his team at this very important time in his ministry. Now after this Paul and his team make the rest of the trek to Jerusalem and arrive there. The city is crowded with other pilgrims who have come up for the feast. And Paul and his missionary team are received by the Church there.

How Was The Gift Received?— Now we don’t know how the first meeting with the church leaders in Jerusalem went. It would’ve been nice for Luke to give us more detail on that. We do know that James and the other leaders in Jerusalem received Paul and his missionary team gladly; but it would’ve been great to see their reaction at receiving this gift from Paul. Did they all receive it gladly or did some of them look on it with suspicion? A few years after this, the Roman writer Martial said “gifts are like hooks!” And maybe some of the Jewish leaders looked at Paul’s gift that way. The legalistic wing of the church would certainly have questioned anything that Paul said or did.

What To Worry About— But you and I can’t always worry about how other people will look at or receive the good things we do. And we shouldn’t. All we need to worry about is pleasing our Lord. Paul did not let what his adversaries thought of him affect either the way he viewed himself or the way that he did his ministry. He didn’t even allow well-meaning believers to dissuade him from what he thought was right. He always acted confidently and with full assurance, knowing that his security was in his relationship with God. And the same is true of us. You and I must always remember that when we live our lives on purpose for Christ, He can give us confidence and courage to accomplish all that He wants us to accomplish. And so let’s live on purpose for Him. Amen.

Lechem Panim #218 “Warnings on The Way” (Acts 21:1-4) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, it’s good to have you with us today. If you have your bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 21. We’ll get through just the first several verses today. That’s Acts 21 chapter 21. But before we get into the meat of the text, I’d just like to draw your attention to a characteristic of Paul that we see crop up again and again, not just in this chapter but in and throughout the course of his whole ministry. And that is courage. What is courage? As I say the word “courage”, I wonder what images might come to your mind? What stories? Maybe there is somebody you know who has shown an extraordinary amount or level of courage.

Columbine— Not long ago I read of a couple of stories that came out of a very dark day in American history: April 20th 1999, the date of the Columbine High School massacre, when two young men (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) gunned down a dozen students and a teacher. It was one of the worst school shootings to ever have taken place in our nation. To this day I am sure many of you remember just how much that event grieved and shocked our nation. And afterwards we learned of some incredibly heroic acts of courage that people performed during those events, perhaps the most well-known being that of Cassie Bernal. She was in the library quietly reading her Bible when one of the killers confronted her and put a gun to her head. Now it wasn’t widely reported at the time, but these two killers had made videotapes in which both of them showed a very intense hatred of Christianity and Christians. And three students were apparently targeted because of their faith in Christ. And Cassie was one of them. Now I can’t imagine the fear this young teenager must have felt as that gun was put to her head. But the killer asked her a very simple question. He asked her “Do you believe in God?” And it was clear that her life hung in the answer to that question. “Yes, I believe in God”, she replied. “Why?” asked the killer in the dark trench coat. And before Cassie had a chance to answer, he pulled the trigger. And Cassie tragically lost her life. What would you have said? What would I have said if you and I were put in a similar situation? Where does that kind of courage come from? For her, it came from knowing who she was in Jesus Christ and knowing where she was ultimately going.

Live on Purpose— Well, that is definitely something we see in the life and ministry of Paul. Here is a man who knew who he was and where he was going. He had a goal, a vision, a plan for his life; and that was to do God’s will for him in expanding the Kingdom of God in any way that he could be reaching the lost. Now everything else (including care for his own life) came second to that. Now many people never experience this kind of courage because their lives are stuck on idle; they aren’t doing anything. If you were to ask them what their vision or goal in life is, they might just look at you with a blank stare. Now that is not a good place to be. It speaks to a life that is aimed at nothing. And if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Every one of us ought to know who we are and what our reason for being here is. Paul never went more than five minutes without thinking about his purpose. And it kept him active. No matter where he went, he was always strategizing about the place after that and the place after that. He was fiercely intentional. He lived life on purpose. And it was in the midst of fighting the good fight that he had opportunity, time and time again, to show courage. And we see that especially demonstrated in this chapter.

At Miletus— Now as you’re turning there you will remember that Paul is on his way to Jerusalem. He has stopped at Miletus, from which he calls the elders of the Ephesian church to come so that he can admonish and encourage them one final time. And so they come and Paul gives to them a beautiful exhortation. But afterwards he and his missionary team leaves, as Paul (like Christ) sets his face towards Jerusalem. It says…

Acts 21:1a (NKJV)— 1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them

Wrenching From— Now the Greek word here, ἀποσπάω, can actually mean “torn from, wrench away from, drag away”. And that is very much what was happening. Paul’s heart had become entangled with those of the Ephesian elders. They loved each other very dearly. But Paul was on an important mission. He had to deliver the offering he had collected over the past few years for the Church in Jerusalem. And he’s trying to get there by the feast of Pentecost.

Strengthening The Jew-Gentile Bond— Now why was this trip so urgent? Well, first bear in mind that the Jerusalem church had many who were very poor; pilgrims and those dealing with alienation and persecution. Though the church there had given generously in the early years, by this time it no doubt had depleted its resources (Acts 4:32-37) and consequently needed help. Now at this time there was a lot of potential for division between the Jewish Christians in Judea and the new Gentile believers that had come to faith in and through the ministry of Paul. Jewish extremists (the Judaizers) wanted the Gentiles to basically become Jews and live like them and live under the full weight of the ceremonial law of Moses (Acts 15:1ff.). And they were always trying to hinder the work of Paul and steal his converts. But it was Paul’s hope that his visit to Jerusalem with this offering that he had collected from the Gentile churches would help strengthen and solidify the fellowship of love shared between the Jews and Gentiles, as it was a way for the Gentile believers to repay with a very practical kindness their Jewish brothers for sharing the Gospel with them (Romans 15:25–27). And so Paul and his missionary team tear themselves away…

Acts 21:1b (NKJV)— and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

A Bigger Boat— Now in the summer the north wind on the Aegean Sea only blows from very early morning until late afternoon. And so they, no doubt in a small local coastal ship, would sail within that window, stopping at every port for the night along the way. And so progress is somewhat slow. And so what Paul decides to do is (rather than to continue to hug the coastline) to instead sail directly across the Mediterranean to Phoenicia; a five day, 400 mile trip on the high seas. And so it says…

Acts 21:2-3 (NKJV)— 2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.  3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre {(which was a Phoenician port city)}; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

A Bigger Boat— Now though the text doesn’t say specifically how large the boat was, we can surmise that it must’ve been pretty large, perhaps similar in size to the ship he would later take on his voyage to Rome; a ship that carried 276 people (Acts 27:37). Now the reason this is probably accurate is because just the process of unloading and reloading it takes a week. But they have made good time and are still on track to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. Now while they are in Tyre they connect with the church there, a church that was probably born out of the great persecution that begin with the stoning Stephen, because remember it said back in…

Acts 11:19 (NKJV)— 19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. {So it says…}

Acts 21:4a (NKJV)— 4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days.

The Church at Tyre— Now the church apparently was not very large, because there was no synagogue and Paul and his team had to really search for this church. The word translated “finding“ here in verse four means “to learn the location of something by intentional searching.” But they eventually find this small group of believers and stay with them. Now this would’ve been Paul’s first contact with the believers here in Tyre. And when you think about how Paul had been the one to lead that great persecution that had led to the birth of this church, it’s quite incredible to see him visiting and ministering to these believers who came out of that persecution. Whereas once they were enemies, now they are brothers. Now while they are staying with them, it says…

Acts 21:4b (NKJV)— They told Paul {(the literal Greek actually says “kept on saying to him”)} through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

Warning From The Believers at Tyre— Apparently they had received a prophecy from the Holy Spirit of the dangers that awaited Paul if he was to stay on course. But it is important to note here that the Holy Spirit was not forbidding Paul to go to Jerusalem, but only warning him of what he would face if he did. The phrase through the Spirit simply means that he was warned by someone with the gift of prophecy. And the word not in the original Greek is not the word used in an absolute prohibition, though it reads a bit stronger in our English translations. Rather it is a softer Greek word that shows the believers were advising Paul in light of what the Holy Spirit was revealing to them concerning his impending persecution. However, we see that (because of their love for Paul) they see this prophecy as the Holy Spirit’s means of stopping Paul. But Paul does not see it that way. In fact in 20:22 he says that his trip to Jerusalem was “compelled by the Spirit”. And so for him, the Holy Spirit was just allowing him to see (and perhaps emotionally prepare himself for) the difficulties he was going to face. Paul knew that suffering was just a part of God’s allotment for him. Remember all the way back in Acts chapter 9, when God first approaches Ananias and tells him to go and baptize Paul (and Ananias is all afraid, knowing what kind of man Paul had been) it says…

Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)— 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

A Destiny Wedded With Suffering— You see, Paul never experienced suffering and looked up to heaven and said “Why God?!” Nor did he think that because he suffered, he must therefore be on the wrong path. No, Paul saw his destiny as being necessarily intertwined with suffering. Jesus Himself had decreed it. And Paul had already made peace with that. And that is something you and I need to do as well. We must never allow suffering to deter us from the will of Jesus; because it is often through our suffering that God may use us to make the greatest difference. And if we are faithful; if we are courageous enough to move forward through God (even if it may mean suffering), we will (like Paul did) get to see the mighty moving of the hand of God and may even get to see the gates of hell shaken in our suffering that may never have been shaken otherwise; people warmed to and set free by Christ. And so let us not flee from suffering, but to courageously face it knowing that no pain will go without bearing fruit if we keep our hand in the hand of Jesus. Let’s live courageously this week. Amen.