Monthly Archives: May 2026

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE PLOT AND THE PLAN – 57

Bible Study, ,

“The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

God’s word is like a bridge connecting present and future events by a solid walkway into the unknown. His promise provides certainty in uncertain circumstances. 

God’s promise came to Paul before the plot to kill him was uncovered. So, despite the threat, he had a word from the Lord to steady and guide him as he navigated his way towards Rome… He knew he would reach Rome because God had said so. 

“The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul…But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the by centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭10‬-‭12‬, ‭16‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How was it that Paul’s nephew happened to be in the right place at the right time? How was it that the commander happened to treat the young man kindly, listen to him, and believe his story? How was it that this commander acted immediately and removed Paul from danger that same night?

“Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This was God’s sovereignty, providence, and intervention at work! He was orchestrating and supervising each step of Paul’s journey to Rome…and at the Roman government’s expense! For Paul, it may have seemed like a long, circuitous, and rough ride… but the Lord was surely in it from start to finish…of that he was convinced. 

So, Paul was content to follow the cues, and to read the signs. Always sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, he was bold, courageous, and unashamed to tell his story and to bear witness to Jesus whenever and wherever he could. 

 Paul’s enemies had a plot but…God had a plan. As long as He was in charge, human schemes would never succeed against His purposes. He turned every adversity to Paul’s advantage. He used every trial and every hardship as tools to accomplish His purpose and to finish what He started. 

So, from Jerusalem to Caesarea, the first leg of Paul’s journey to Rome, was accomplished but…there were still many months of frustration, uncertainty, and patience ahead of Paul before God’s promise would be fulfilled. God was never in a hurry. There were people who would join the caste in this narrative… Paul’s story would be told before kings…and even miracles would happen before Paul would reach his destination. 

As the details were added, day by day, bringing shape and colour to this picture God was painting…what the purpose and what would the end result look like? 

We can only marvel as we catch glimpses of what God was doing. Paul himself summed it up in his magnificent outburst of praise as he contemplated the glory of God’s plan for Israel. 

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭33‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God was moving Paul, step by step, towards Rome. No matter how many twists and turns his journey took, no matter how many deviations and detours…he would reach his destination, safe and intact because God had made the plan and determined the way. 

Is it not true that we, in the midst of our troubles, can see only darkness, uncertainty, and insecurity. Imagine what Paul must have felt like as he was hurried off in the night, under heavy guard, to escape his killers…or in those long, tedious days in prison in Caesarea…waiting…for what? What did he think when his advice was later disregarded…and a vicious storm battered the fragile boat until all aboard the ship lost hope? What about those months on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, not knowing what would happen next? 

These frightening circumstances, on hindsight, tell an amazing story of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and power…weaving together the dark and light threads of a tapestry so incredible that only God Himself could have made it all possible. Truly, to Him alone belonged the honour, praise, and glory…

…but…I am rushing ahead of myself…

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE TIDE BEGINS TO TURN – 56

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“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” 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!” 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. 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 ‭22‬:‭21‬-‭29‬

‭

Well, what a turn of events! Again…assumption almost cost Paul a flogging. The Roman centurion has not asked questions. He has simply assumed something that was not true. 

Let’s pause for a moment and learn a lesson from Paul’s protest.  Jesus said something that we often take at face value without examining the context. 

Google AI provides an accurate interpretation of this instruction. 

“Turn the other cheek” is a teaching from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38–42), advising against violent retaliation when insulted or wronged. Rather than passive submission, it is interpreted as a proactive, nonviolent stance that breaks the cycle of vengeance, often turning the tables by refusing to engage in an aggressor’s game.”

Key Aspects of the Teaching:

  • Context: Found in Matthew 5:39, Jesus contrasts this with the old law of “an eye for an eye,” designed to limit vengeance, by introducing a new, creative way of dealing with injustice.
  • Nonviolent Resistance: It means not retaliating in kind. It is a way to assert dignity as an equal, refusing to be treated as an inferior, even after being struck or insulted.
  • Examples of Action: The passage also includes giving your cloak if sued for your coat, and going two miles if forced to go one, emphasizing generosity and radical grace over selfishness.
  • Love Your Enemies: This instruction is tied to the broader command to love enemies and pray for persecutors, acting as children of God.

Common Interpretations:

  • Refusing to Retaliate: Focusing on forgiving personal slights rather than fighting back.
  • Cultural Context: In that era, a backhand slap on the right cheek was often used to assert dominance; offering the other cheek forced the aggressor to treat the person as an equal.
  • Not Absolute Pacifism: Many interpretations suggest it is not a call to allow violent, dangerous abuse, but a refusal to repay evil with evil. 

This command is a hallmark of Christian ethics, urging followers to be “peacemakers” by responding to hatred with love and grace.”

This rather-long explanation gives us insight into the cultural context in which Jesus was speaking. Non-retaliation does not mean passive submission. 

Jesus never advocated a “doormat” attitude to unfair treatment. However, we must never retaliate. We must rather, in a respectful way, remind our aggressor of our right to dignity. 

So, we see that Paul simply appealed to his right as a Roman citizen as a factor in the mix. 

From that moment, when Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship, the centurion did everything in his power to protect Paul and to see that he was treated justly. 

“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

The centurion’s first move was to give Paul a fair hearing before his accusers. 

“Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Once again, Paul protested being bullied. One wonders whether his retort was really ignorance of the identity of the high priest who initiated it or whether his response to the rebuke was sarcasm?

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ NIV

Paul was also shrewd. He knew how to “play his cards right” in a dangerous situation. Rather than simply defending himself by telling his story, he aligned himself with the Pharisees by appealing to his status as a Pharisee and his belief in the resurrection. 

Paul knew exactly what the response would be. His defence turned into a riot when the Pharisees and Sadducees turned on each other.  Was this a signal to the Roman authorities that the charge against him had no weight? 

In the end, it was clear that this was a religious fight, a struggle between two philosophies. Paul, the erstwhile Pharisee, was aligned with one faction, but he was not one of them because he preached that Jesus, hated and hounded to death by the Pharisees, was alive and proved to be the Son of God by His resurrection. 

This was a hot potato, a battle outside the jurisdiction of Rome, and a problem that could not be solved by military intervention. Best the commander pass it on to the appropriate authorities. This would soon happen faster than he had planned. 

To be continued 

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