Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #229 “Paul Accused Before Felix” (Acts 24:1-9) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our journey through the book of Acts together. Today we come to Acts 24, where we find Paul being brought to trial before the Roman governor, Felix by a group of unbelieving Jews. And yet, in the midst of that, we find Paul trusting Himself into the hands of God. And amazingly, by the end of the passage, we will see that it is Felix  (rather than Paul) who is brought under conviction. Go ahead and look with me, starting at verse 1…

Acts 24:1 (ESV)— 1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

Why The Slap?— Now there’s a lot to unpack just in this first verse. Ananias, remember, is not actually the high priest. He has retained the title. But it is Caiaphas who is the acting high priest. And yet it is Ananias who comes. And remember that it is he who had commanded (when Paul was on trial before the Sanhedrin) to have Paul illegal struck on the mouth. And remember that the Greek language conveys a vicious strike, not just a light smack in the face. And all that just for Paul’s saying that he had a clear conscience.
    Now I have to confess, I had a little Columbo moment this week. I said to myself, “Der’s just dis ting dat bodders me.” It’s been rolling around in my mind. And it has to do with that slap in response to what Paul had said. Because what Paul had said shouldn’t have been that offensive, let alone something for him to get slapped for. All Paul had said was that he had a clean conscience. So I’ve had this question mark bouncing around in my mind. But then I felt God impressing on me the reality that to a dark and sinful world (and particularly to a man like Ananias, who is reported to have been one of the most brutal and sinister high priests the Jews ever had) a clean conscience is a very offensive thing; because somebody who is marked by the Holiness of God is living a life that is a rebuke to others. 

The House In The Dark— This week I was reminded of a story of two families. [The O’Learys and the MacMillans lived as neighbors at the turn of the century. One day a young man in a suit came to their village to explain that they would soon have electricity for the first time. The MacMillans responded with their typical enthusiasm and filled out the appropriate papers to have their house wired.
    The O’Learys were more cautious. After all, they had lived for generations without electricity and had managed just fine. They weren’t about to throw money after every passing fad. So they decided to wait. If electricity was as good as everyone said, they could always sign up later.
    In the weeks that followed, the MacMillans busily prepared their house for electrical power. They clamped wires and sockets to the walls and hung bulbs from the ceiling. When the big day finally came, the MacMillans invited their neighbors, including the O’Learys, to a grand lighting party. With a dramatic flourish, Mr. MacMillan threw a switch and the bulbs began to glow for the first time. The McMillan house was illuminated more brightly than it had ever been lit before. There was a gasp. “How lovely!” someone said.
Then another gasp. "How filthy!” someone else said.
It was true. No one had noticed it before in the dim light, but years of oil lamps had left a film of dingy soot over everything. The walls were grimy, there were cobwebs in the corner, and dust covered the floor.
    The O’Learys decided right then and there that they would never install electricity in their home. They would never suffer the humiliation of having their dirty home exposed by the light. After the party, the MacMillans went to work. They scrubbed the soot off the walls and ceiling, cleaned the cobwebs, and swept away the dust. They had indeed been embarrassed by their dirty home when the lights came on, but within a day, their house was cleaner than it had ever been. Meanwhile, the O'Learys continued to live comfortably in their dimly lit home filled with soot, cobwebs, and filth.
    Many people today choose to live in the dark. They don't want anyone to see the dirt—what's really going on in their lives. Sometimes they don’t want to see it themselves. They avoid the light for fear that they will see the truth and be forced to clean up their acts.

“This is the verdict {(writes John)}: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21).]

The Ear of Malchus— There is a man in the Bible you may remember: Malchus. He was the servant of the high priest who was with those who arrested Jesus. And you’ll remember Peter drew his sword and hacked off his ear. And Jesus reaches down, picks up the ear off the ground, no doubt brushes it off (maybe gives it a few blows) and sticks it right back on. I mean, can you imagine!!!??? But one author I was reading pointed out how what we often don’t consider is the conversation that no doubt happened later that night when Malchus returned to Caiaphas and Caiaphas asked for a report of what happened?
“Did you succeed in arresting Jesus?”, asks Caiaphas.
“Yes, High Priest, we did.”, responds Malchus.
“Did you have any trouble?”
“Well, yes, a little.”, said Malchus, scratching his ear.
“Why, what happened?”
“Well, one of the disciples got in the way and brazenly sliced off my ear.”
“It looks okay to me.”
“Well, High Priest, that’s just it. This Jesus, whom you sent us to arrest, picked it up and stuck it right back on.”
    I imagine things got really quiet at this point. And the author I was reading pointed out something so profound. He said Malchus (and particularly his ear) was God [the Father’s last love note to Caiaphas.…In his gracious mercy Jesus restored Malchus’s ear, and Malchus’s witness to Caiaphas of that event was the high priest’s last chance for repentance. It was God’s final witness to him: he put someone right in Caiaphas’s court who had been touched by the loving hand of Jesus. Oh, the unending mercy of God! If a person is lost, it will be in spite of himself and in spite of the evidence that God stacks up in his life. {But then he says this. And this is the kicker:} I am confident that Caiaphas did not employ Malchus for long after this incident of healing {(he writes)}. I imagine that the sight of Malchus’s ear made Caiaphas uneasy and nervous. When we choose not to obey and do not act on the witness God gives to us, sooner or later we will banish that witness from our lives because we cannot tolerate its suggestive presence. The love of God continues to point to him in all areas of life, even in the lives of the most hardened unbelievers, but some of us refuse to see or hear it.]
    You want to know why Ananias had Paul slapped; and why He and so many of the Jews were seeking to remove Paul from the face of the earth? I think this was why. And that’s why it only took five days (a very short time) [for the Jewish leaders to put their case together, hire and attorney, and make the trip to Caesarea.] They were afraid that the longer they waited, the more likely Felix was to dismiss Paul’s case. And they were eager to remove the source of their conviction. Now when the court convenes, it says of Paul…

Acts 24:2-3 (ESV)— 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus {(he’s the lawyer or orator)} began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.

Ummm….No— This was a lie. [Felix was a former slave whose brother (a favorite of Emperor Claudius) had obtained for him the position as governor.] The Romans did not see him as very influential. And though he had ousted the Egyptian assassin and his followers, the Jews despised him for his brutality; and he (two years after this) will actually be deposed by Emperor Nero. So (at least in his mind) to quote esteemed historian Rabbi Smash Mouth, Tertullus was looking kind of dumb with his finger and his thumb in the shape of a “L” on his forehead. He thought very little of Felix. But with the normal (and I might add “obligatory”) salutations out of the way, he continues. Verse 4…

Acts 24:4-8  (ESV)— 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him {(and some manuscripts add… and we would have judged him according to our law. 7 But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come before you.)}. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

Keep It Vague— Now note how they falsely say they had arrested Paul. That didn’t happen. The Jews had instigated a riot and it was Lysias (the Tribune) who had saved him by taking him into custody. But in their version it is Paul who started it. And I want you to see something else; and it’s the secret to a great accusation. Notice how Tertullus keeps everything vague. Notice the complete lack of any kind of specific detail as to when, where, and how Paul had supposedly instigated a riot. Now Rome took any kind of riot or insurrection very seriously; and if this charge against Paul could have been substantiated, Paul would have faced severe punishment and possibly even execution. But Tertullus knows that if he gets specific (naming specific incidents) Felix could have Paul’s case transferred [to the governor in whose jurisdiction the incident took place. {But that’s not what the Jews wanted.} The Jews wanted Paul tried before a governor over whom they had some influence.] So Tertullus keeps it vague. And so do the rest of his accusers. It says in…

Acts 24:9 (ESV)— 9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

Bad News & Good News— And next week we will see how Paul defends himself against their charges. But as we close our time together today, I want first say something hard and then something I hope will be an encouragement to you. It’s a bad news/good news kind of a thing. The bad news is that if you are radically committed to Jesus Christ, persecution is always always always going to come from people whose consciences are disturbed by the presence of Christ they see in you. But Jesus himself offers us hope when He says in…

Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV)— 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Hold On— That is a truth that Paul held onto. And it is one that you and I should hang onto as well. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #228 “Paul Delivered to Caesarea” (Acts 23:17-35) 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. Now you’ll remember that Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem and has just stood trial before the Sanhedrin. And in that court great dissension arrises over Paul’s message (and the doctrine of the Resurrection in particular) that the Roman commander actually has to take Paul back into the Roman barracks because things had gotten so intense, he feared that Paul would literally be torn apart. And it is heartbreaking to see the center of Jewish religion and justice be a place where God’s message is ultimately rejected and where justice fails in such a profound way; just as it had when Jesus stood before this very same group of religious leaders. Now things go from bad to worse, as it says in…

Acts 23:12-16 (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. 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. 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 Nephew— Now, as we observed last week, it seems very likely that Paul was rejected by some or much of his family after he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He likely was seen as a disgrace by them. Paul says in Philippians 3:8 that he had suffered the loss of everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. But whatever Paul’s family situation looked like at this point, we see here that he had a sister who may have been at least somewhat affectionate towards him; as her son (who is there in Jerusalem) seems to be looking out for Paul. And this nephew somehow overhears this plot to murder Paul. And he immediately comes to the barracks to warn Paul. Now this really demonstrates just how much (in every trial we face) God is working behind the scenes, watching out for us; and how He often sends us help from unforeseen places.

An Unsung Hero— Now this boy is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. God had placed him in the right place at the right time; like Esther, like Daniel. He was a kid who was placed in a difficult and highly unusual circumstance. He was probably terrified. But God used his courage to do the right thing to bring about His plans and purposes; to preserve Paul’s life. Now because Paul was an unconvicted Roman citizen (and not actually under arrest at this point, but merely in protective custody), he was able to receive visits from [relatives and friends, who could bring…{him}…food and other amenities.] And so this boy was able to get to Paul. And after the boy tells Paul of the plot, it says in…

Acts 23:17-23 (ESV)— 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.

To Caesarea— Now when the tribune hears of this plot, he decides that the best thing to do to both to save Paul’s life and to avoid a potentially explosive confrontation with the Jews is to send Paul away. And so we see that the Roman tribune orders that Paul be sent to Caesarea. [Jerusalem was the seat of Jewish government, but Caesarea was the Roman headquarters of the area] and would be a safe place for Paul. Now this whole situation is so ironic because it should be the Jewish leaders who are supporting Paul the most. I mean, he was one of them. And yet we find them being the enemies and Romans (of all people) being the means of saving Paul. I mean, everything’s backwards. But you know, God often can use backwards situations to bring about His glory and plans and purposes. These events may have seemed bad to Paul at the time, but it’s interesting that those events set into motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to Paul’s being taken to Rome, the very place God promised to take him. And God can do that for us as well. He can use our trials, our difficulties, and even our enemies to bring about His purposes in our lives. Unless we give up, they are not able to thwart the plans of God. And we need to remember that.

Soldiers, Horsemen, & Spearmen— Now Lysias sends with Paul 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. [The “soldiers” were legionnaires, the elite soldiers of the roman army; the “horsemen” were from the garrison’s cavalry detachment; and the “spearmen,” or javelin throwers, were soldiers less heavily armed than the legionnaires.] And what this all amounted to was [almost half of his 1,000 man garrison]. And that just shows how seriously he took this plot and how determined he was that Paul should be kept alive and receive justice. Now Paul is escorted by this quite sizable military force at the third hour of the night. That’s 9:00pm Gentile Time 😊; “savings time”, literally. And the tribune also says in…

Acts 23:24 (ESV)— 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

Felix— Now [Felix was the Roman governor or procurator of Judea from A.D. 52 to 59). This was the same position Pontius Pilate had held.] The Jews were allowed a lot of freedom to govern themselves, but it was the governor who was responsible for running the army, keeping the peace, and gathering the taxes. And so Lysias sends a letter with Paul for Governor Felix. And I love this letter because you can see just how much of a politician Lysias is; because all that happened that could have shed a negative light on him does not make it into the report. But everything that makes him look good and like he is the shining example of truth and justice is highly emphasized.

Spin— You see, it’s all about spin control. Just recently I re-read an illustration talking about letters of recommendation. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to write a letter of recommendation before, but what I was reading was talking about how [Writing letters of recommendation can be hazardous--tell the truth and you might get sued if the contents are negative. {And so} Robert Thornton, a professor at Lehigh University, has a collection of "virtually litigation-proof" phrases called the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR. Here are some examples:
(1)To describe an inept person— "I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."
(2) To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers— "I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."
(3) To describe an unproductive candidate— "I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."
(4) To describe an applicant not worth consideration— “I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment.”] Now this is the kind of stuff we find in Lysias’ letter to Governor Felix. Just listen. It says in…

Acts 23:25-27 (ESV)— 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

Several Pinocchios— Now keep in mind that Lysias did not actually discover this until after he had arrested Paul (22:25,26). But here he makes it sound like he rescued Paul after discovering he was a Roman citizen. Quite different from what actually happened; that he had (albeit unknowingly) illegally bound Paul and had almost illegally scourged him (22:24), not knowing (or even thinking to ask whether or not) he was a Roman citizen. So alters the story to make himself shine at the very point where he had really fallen short. This alone would get his letter at least three or four Pinocchios. But note how he also neglects to mention that he had mistaken Paul for being the notorious Egyptian assassin (21:38). But hey, he doesn’t want to bore Felix with the details, right? I mean “details, shmee-details.” Who needs those? Now Lysias continues, saying…

Acts 23:28-31 (ESV)— 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. {Now this was a very important detail for Luke to include, because [Luke’s stress on Paul’s blamelessness before the Roman law is a major theme of this entire passage.]} 30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

Antipatris— Antipatris was a [Roman military post about 40 mi. from Jerusalem.] Very often travelers from Jerusalem to Caesarea would stop to rest there. And here we see that they made the journey in a single night (v.32), which [would have been an exhausting forced march for the foot soldiers.]

Acts 23:32 (ESV)— 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.

Foot Soldiers Leave— So we see that the foot soldiers leave after they reach Samaria because, being in Gentile territory, there was much less chance of being ambushed by a group of Jews. So the foot soldiers go back, but Paul and the horsemen go on to Caesarea. It says…

Acts 23:33-35 (ESV)— 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. {[Felix needed to determine whether he had jurisdiction to hear Paul’s case.]} And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” {[Judea and Cilicia were at that time both under the legate of Syria, so Felix had the authority to hear his case.] But he wants to wait until Paul’s accusers arrive. And so it says…} And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium {[Felix’s official residence in Caesarea.]}.

“Greater is He”— Now the thought I want to leave you with is a truth I know I have shared with you before, but one which I think God really wants us to keep at the forefront of our minds, especially in these latter days. It applied to Paul in this passage and it applies to us today. And it is that truth John gives us in 1 John 4:4. It reads…

1 John 4:4 (ESV)— 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Take Courage— No matter what you face this week because of your commitment to Christ, take courage in the fact that you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. And the very forces that set themselves against you will only succeed in helping to bring about God’s will and plan for your life; and your victory will be all the sweeter on the other side.
    And so this week, may you experience Christ’s steadfast love for you. May you know that He hears you. And though there are many workers of evil who set themselves against you, may you experience the joy of seeing Him bring about His work of deliverance in your life. Amen.

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.