Category Archives: Bible Study

ACTS THE SEQUEL…USELESS DEFENCE – 55

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“As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?” Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.” After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:”…

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭37‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did Paul really think that this irrational mob would listen to him? They had already pronounced him guilty. They had already determined that he must die. If it were not for military intervention, he would have already been dead at the hands of this “kangaroo court”. For once, thank God for the Romans. 

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today…”

Paul did the best thing under the circumstances…he told them his story….a detailed account of all that had happened in and after that fateful moment on the way to Damascus when he met Jesus, culminating in what Paul thought would bring reason to this mob in this situation…Jesus’ instruction to him to go to the Gentiles. 

 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That did it! Mention of the word “Gentiles” was the trigger! The crowd erupted in rage! 

“The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Once again the commander intervened but…with ruthless Roman tactics…flogging! 

“As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why did Paul need to be flogged? Why such cruelty to get him to talk? Once again, Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship into which he was born, to save himself from torture. 

“As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The commander quickly backed down. He was in trouble. He had arrested and chained a Roman citizen…a man who had special privileges because of his citizenship. His next best move was to set Paul before the Jewish counsel that had accused him. Let them determine the reason for his arrest. 

“The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bad plan! Why?

 Paul and his opponents operated in two different worlds and functioned under two different authorities. The Jewish leaders were locked into the world of religion…its principle of operation, control. Control was the way they handled every situation except this one. Try as they did, they could not control Paul because Paul was not living under human domination but under divine ownership and voluntary submission to divine authority. He took orders from a higher power and refused to submit to illegitimate authority. 

Slowly, as the situation unfolded, both the Jews and the Romans lost out on their plan to rule Paul. The God in whom he trusted and to whom he gave allegiance, used the very powers they exercised to accomplish His own purposes and fulfil His own promise to His faithful servant.  

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE TRAP WAS SET – 54

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“When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you…”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭23a ‭NIV‬‬

The trap was set…the enemy had his men…armed with lies and false information…ready to pounce!

Paul’s associates in Jerusalem were well aware of the danger Paul was in. After all, was he not the one who had persisted in preaching to the Gentiles? Was he not the one who had abandoned the law the Jews, even some Jewish believers in Jesus, cherished? Was he not the one who was teaching both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus, a Jewish rabbi who had been crucified for blasphemy, was the Son of God and that, because of His death for sin, it was no longer necessary to keep the law to gain God’s approval? Was he not the one, by his message, had brought reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles?

Perhaps Paul could dodge the bullet by pretending to be true to the law…so his brothers and fellow elders cooked up a plan. 

“There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”

Acts 21:23b-24 NIV

This ruse, this human plan,

 didn’t work! 

“The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭

Acting on false information and assumptions…always dangerous and the devil’s way…Jews from the province of Asia went crazy. They shouted…they accused…they incited to riot…they grabbed Paul…

“The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭30‬ -31 NIV‬‬

“Where was the Lord in all this?” we ask, appalled at the sudden turn of events. After all, wasn’t Paul supposed to be showing these Jews his faithfulness to the law by following the advice of the elders? Wasn’t he supposed to be under God’s protection? 

How quickly we judge situations by our own assumptions without regard to the bigger picture? We cannot see, from our perspective, that God was right in the mix, moving His plan along, step by measured step, in perfect harmony with His will. 

Our vision and our interpretation are clouded by human reason and emotion instead of giving God space to be God and to finish what He started. As the story unfolds, including the drama and the suffering, the uncertainty and even the fear…we see the absolute sovereignty of the God who works all things according to His will and purpose. 

In the end, despite the many tests of faith and faithfulness Paul had to endure, all the glory went to the God who worked out His perfect plan. 

God has His agents. He  Intervened!

“While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, Paul was in custody, just as the prophecies along the way had foretold. 

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…A PROPHETIC WORD – 53

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ACTS THE SEQUEL…A PROPHETIC WORD – 53

“After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is strange! Through prophetic words, the Holy Spirit revealed to believers Paul met on his way to Jerusalem, that he would be in danger in Jerusalem…but Paul ignored the warning. 

“Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬, ‭8‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Agabus’ prophecy was more detailed and insistent. He travelled from Judea to Caesarea to warn Paul about what would happen to him in Jerusalem. Apparently, Paul knew full well already that he would be arrested. His fellow-believers in Caesarea pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem…but Paul’s response was surprising…

“Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  

Two responses to the same prophecy! The people urged Paul to dodge arrest. Paul looked the prophetic word straight in the face and responded…”I will go.“ 

Why did the Lord give this word to two different audiences? Was Paul meant to listen to the advice of the people? 

I think this story has a stern warning for us today. There are many self-proclaimed “prophets” who claim to hear from God and tell people what to do. Sometimes, obedience to these “prophecies” lead to disaster. How much safer it is to hear from God personally rather than do what someone else has heard. God can and often does confirm a prophetic word but He speaks to His children personally. 

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let this be a warning to us as we ponder Paul’s response. Since Paul was the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, he took his instructions from Him alone…even if it meant arrest and death. His beloved fellow-believers were not to advise him but to pray for him in this impending situation. 

How often, out of love for our brother or sister, we unadvisedly try to get them out of a trial rather than pray for them in the trial. God orchestrates our circumstances for His own purposes even if we face hardships and pain. He is reshaping us into the image of His Son. He disciplines us for our good and for His purpose. 

To quote Oswald Chambers…

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties. Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work. Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer.” (My Utmost for His Highest”)

Throughout the record of Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem and the events surrounding his final journey to Rome, despite the imminent danger he was in, Jesus was there…and Paul was safeguarded through every crisis moment. 

As we traverse Paul’s prison experiences, it becomes clear that some of his most fruitful work was done while he was in jail. 

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul’s letters, written to churches and individuals from prison, give us glimpses of an overcomer. He was happy, upbeat, and confident that his circumstances could never frustrate God’s purposes for him. His light would shine in the darkness whether he was free bound. 

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a philosophy to live by!

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…RESOLUTE AND UNWAVERING – 52

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“After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Criss- crossing sea and land, Paul and his companions reached Tyre, a harbour city in Syria. There was already a group of believers there, so Paul’s group disembarked and joined them while the ship’s cargo was being unloaded. Paul was always ready to use every opportunity to spend time with the believers while they waited to rejoin the ship. 

Have you noticed how the same warning came to Paul…time and again…from each group of believers he met on his way.  “Don’t go to Jerusalem!” they prophesied.  It almost seems as though the Holy Spirit was giving Paul two conflicting messages. Wes this confusion or a test?

Why did Paul disregard the warning? Was he just being stubborn…or skeptical? Should he have changed his plan, gone to Antioch instead…where he would be safe and with friends? Why Jerusalem where his life would be  in danger? Why was he so resolute about going to Jerusalem, of all places? Surely, by this time, the whole world knew that he had preached to and was closely connected to the despised Gentiles. The Jews said he was a sell-out…a traitor.. to be exterminated like a bug. 

Paul had already made clear to the church in  Ephesus that he was well aware of what he was doing. Knowing that his life was at risk, he was passing the baton on to them to continue where he left off. 

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…he had told them…

It is clear that the Spirit was not warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem but rather preparing him for what lay ahead. He was not to be taken by surprise when things turned nasty. He was to go with the flow, knowing that the  Lord was in charge…and that He had a plan. 

The believers in Tyre also warned Paul of impending trouble which he also received but brushed aside, moving resolutely on towards Jerusalem. 

Paul had a different perspective about his life. He held his own life lightly. He would remain on earth as long as His Lord decreed. If he still had work to do, he was safe in the Lord’s hands. If it was time for him to leave, he would not resist the manner of his departure. So, whatever lay ahead in Jerusalem held no terror for him. 

Paul had no idea what awaited him in that city. He only knew that he was on track with the Holy Spirit and that the way ahead was not pretty. What a way to face life…carefree in the care of God! 

We can draw an important lesson from Paul’s example…especially in view of the fact that he was aware of the danger he was facing. By comparison, how relatively easy and trouble-free our lives are. No matter what our circumstances…Jesus said, “Do not worry…” and Paul himself said, “Do not be anxious…” even from his prison cell in Philippi. 

How can we face the uncertainties of life with the same resolute courage as Paul’s even though we don’t know what the future holds for us? God has given us a safeguard against discouragement and despair, a boundary within which we can freely move without fear. 

“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. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fortified with this promise, there is nothing we face that can destroy us because we have God’s infallible word. When we trace Paul’s story from this point on, the “all things” worked out exactly what, if not how, he wanted. His desire was to reach Rome, the hub of the Roman Empire…and he did…at the government’s expense!

If Paul’s story can teach us one overriding lesson, it’s this…as always…God can be trusted because He is faithful!

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…MESSAGE TO THE EPHESIANS – 51

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“Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A defence and a commission! Did Paul have a premonition that this would be the last time he would have the opportunity to build the truth into the elders of the church in Ephesus? He spoke with great earnestness, assuring them of his integrity, thoroughness, and honesty as he had gone about preaching the message of the kingdom in the city of Ephesus. 

He had suffered at the hands of many enemies in the course of his travels. His had been a life of deprivation and hardship, hard work and tears, victories and disappointments but…he had never given up. He had dared to trust that those who followed him would be as faithful to the Lord Jesus as he had been. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As painful and difficult as his life has been, for him it had been worthwhile despite what he had endured for the sake of the gospel. He had held one goal in his mind as he traversed the Roman Empire…to be faithful to the Lord to finish his task. 

Now he knew that his journey was coming to an end. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me… “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭23‬, ‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul was resolute. He had no intention of dodging what the Holy Spirit was preparing him for in the near future. Prison… hardship…more suffering. He had known from the beginning that this was part of his calling. He was to stand before kings…men who had the power of life and death over him in their hands. He had experienced the full weight of hell’s fury against those who were loyal to Jesus. He had been stoned to death…hated and pursued from city to city…misunderstood…misrepresented…maligned…and caught up in the perils of travel. 

But, despite all, Paul had kept his goal in mind. His life was not his to pick and choose his fortunes. 

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬, ‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And so…he passed his commission on to faithful leaders…

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The church of the Lord Jesus, even under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, was vulnerable to infiltration and deception. Satan’s hostility and  opposition were relentless. He had his representatives…unscrupulous people…who would slither in like serpents to confuse and distract. 

Paul’s confidence that his work was not on vain leant on one conviction alone…Jesus and His word. Paul’s work was conducted in a divine partnership… God and himself together. So, he could confidently leave it to the Holy Spirit to carry on…to entrust to others what he had initiated. 

What was his counsel to these Ephesian elders?

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood…So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears…

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified…In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬, ‭31‬-‭32‬, ‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Interspersed with repeated warnings, Paul urged these leaders to…

“Be on your guard…keep watch!”

…never forget the danger of deception. “It’s a jungle out there!” They had a charge to guard God’s flock against an enemy that never gave up. 

How important a warning for church leaders today! The war is intensifying as the end draws near. Jesus IS coming soon. 

“Be shepherds of God’s flock.”

God’s flock! God’s people were vulnerable, like sheep, needing constant supervision, protection, oversight…! These elders were tasked with their care. They were accountable to the Chief Shepherd for their faithfulness to their commission. 

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified…”

The safeguard of God’s people….  ”the word of His grace…” the boundary fence around their hearts that would protect and secure them in the safety of His promises. 

And a final note…

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Give…give…give! Serving others is the hallmark of the church. 

With prayer as the final bulwark, Paul left them…a bitter sweet farewell marking his departure…knowing that they would not see each other again in this life but…what about the next? An unspoken but unbreakable bond has been forged that guaranteed an eternal reunion. 

To be continued