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ACTS THE SEQUEL…HURRY UP AND WAIT – 58

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“He wrote a letter as follows: Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings…So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭25‬-‭26‬, ‭31‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The commander of the barracks in Jerusalem thankfully handed Paul over to the authorities in Caesarea with a letter of explanation. Paul was a hot potato! He was a Roman citizen in trouble over a religious issue with the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He was accused of behaviour that enraged the Jewish authorities but…he had no idea what to do. This was a matter for judgement that he could not give as a military officer. Best the governor of the province handle it. 

So, Paul was catapulted into a situation where he was told to hurry up and wait! Roman and Jewish law demanded that he face his accusers and defend himself in their presence but…they were in Jerusalem and he was in Caesarea. So, once again, he had to kick his heels in uncertainty, in prison, until his accusers came to lay their charges against him. 

“Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It seems that a Roman lawyer, a man with a Roman name, was engaged to present the charges…a well-oiled, trumped up case, padded with flattery and lacking in evidence. What kind of lawyer was that? He presented Paul’s case, not as a charge to be investigated but as a verdict already decided. Who was the “we”…where were the witnesses…what evidence did they bring…was the guilty verdict beyond reasonable doubt? None of this! Only “we have found this man…guilty as charged.”

“We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.” The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭5‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭

Non only did this crooked lawyer express his verdict…Paul was guilty of all the charges laid against him… but he also suggested that Felix, the governor, would also reach the same conclusion. 

“By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”

How could Felix determine Paul’s guilt or innocence without genuine evidence or credible witnesses? Even the Jews who came from Jerusalem had nothing to say except assent to the verdict. Accusations carry no weight without evidence. 

Fortunately for Paul, he was given the opportunity to speak for himself. 

“When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul’s defence was long, detailed, and credible… no flattery…no buttering up the governor…He  told his story simply from beginning to end. He even called on witnesses who could verify his story if they were there. Not even those present could accuse Paul of criminal conduct. 

“But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The witnesses, who should have been there to corroborate the charges, were absent. The crowd who heard his defence before the Sanhedrin were also missing. There were plenty of people who could have spoken for Paul. His only crime was to believe in the resurrection. What sort of crime was that…especially in the ears of a Roman, pagan judge?

“Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭24‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Felix was trapped. He knew that Paul was innocent but, at the same time, he wanted to placate the Jews. What was he to do? Pass the buck! Give someone else the responsibility of deciding Paul’s fate. “So, Paul, here’s the plan. Hurry up and wait!”

And wait he did! For two years…incarcerated for crimes he did not commit. This was enough to drive any sane person crazy… but not Paul…

To be continued 

THE BOOK OF ACTS – REALLY BLIND BLINDNESS

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REALLY BLIND BLINDNESS 

‘The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God’s Word first-hand from them. But Dr Know-It-All (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English), stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, ‘You bag of wind, you parody of a devil — why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you’ve come up against God Himself, and your game is up. You’re about to go blind — no sunlight for you for a good long stretch.’ He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take him by the hand and show him the way.

“When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.” Acts 13:7-12 (The Message).

What a story! This was a David-and-Goliath scenario in the spiritual realm, not “spiritual warfare” but simply taking the spoils of Jesus’ victory. Paul did not engage in a stand-off with the magician. He passed sentence on a verdict already given by the man himself. Since he was already spiritually blind and trying desperately to keep the governor in the dark, his physical blindness was a fitting sentence for his crime.

God, through His faithful missionaries, was giving Sergius Paulus an opportunity to weigh up the evidence, after hearing what they had to say, and reach his own conclusion about Jesus. This is God’s way. He forces no one to believe. He honours His gift of choice, regardless of which way it goes.

The magician was a servant of Satan, operating under Satan’s power; force and control. The devil held this man captive by his lies and used him to ensnare others.  While Paul and Barnabas were speaking about Jesus, he tried to distract the governor and stop him from hearing and believing the truth.

This was a clash of two kingdoms and Paul immediately recognised its source. Like David, he was not put off by the size of the enemy. He understood both his authority and his victory and took action in the name of his Master.

This is what Jesus was speaking about when He was with His disciples at Caesarea Philippi. In spite of the terrible things people were doing there in the name of their god, Pan, holding sexual orgies with goats in public to “honour” him, Jesus assured His disciples that not even that would stand in the way of His church. Everything built on lies has no substance and will eventually collapse.

This little stand-off was a parable in action. The sorcerer was spiritually blind but he was trying to force the governor to follow him. Jesus told what the outcome would be. If the blind try to lead the blind, they will both fall into the ditch. Paul simply confirmed his blindness by speaking physical blindness on him. Now he had no option but to rely on someone else to lead him.

Peterson’s interpretation in The Message puts an intriguing slant on the outcome. “He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way.” What a pity he had not recognised his spiritual blindness instead of relying on lies and asked someone to lead him, like the governor was doing. Had he listened to Paul and Barnabas instead of opposing them, they would have taken him by the hand and shown him the Way.

Instead of humbling himself, he was humiliated through his own actions. It takes humility to own one’s blindness and ask for help. One wonders whether he ever saw the light, both physical and spiritual. He would have had plenty of time to think about it, seeing that he was now dependent on others to lead him.

Carelessly Indifferent

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CARELESSLY INDIFFERENT!

“But when Gallio was governor of Achaia province, the Jews got up a campaign against Paul, hauled him into court, and filed charges. This man is seducing people into acts of worship that are illegal.’

“Just as Paul was about to defend himself, Gallio interrupted and said to the Jews, ‘If this were a matter of criminal conduct, I would gladly hear you out. But it sounds to me like one more Jewish squabble, another of your hair-splitting quarrels over religion. Take care of it in your own time. I can’t be bothered with this nonsense,’ and he cleared them out of the courtroom.

‘Now the street rabble turned on Sosthenes, the new meeting place president and beat him up in plain sight of the court. Gallio didn’t raise a finger. He could not have cared less.” Acts 18:12-17 (The Message).

Well done, Gallio! At last a government official with sense!

At first sight, Gallio looked like a welcome champion for Paul and his team. He knew the Jews pretty well. He recognised that they were up to their old tricks again — hair-splitting over religious issues, which was no matter for legal action. They only turned to him because, had they lynched Paul, they would be liable for arrest and trial themselves for committing a crime.

Gallio turned out to be indifferent to their religious nit-picking. He wisely dismissed their complaint because it was a non-issue for the courts, not realising that he had just given them permission to take the matter into their own hands. The street rabble was always looking for an excuse for a brawl, which these unscrupulous Jews exploited to their own advantage. If they could not get at Paul, anyone else would do as a target for their displeasure, and there were always those who would do their dirty work for them.

Gallio’s true colours were exposed when the hooligans, egged on by the irate Jews, turned on Sosthenes in full view of the governor. He was not committed to keeping law and order, so it seemed. Perhaps it was this “Roman citizen” thing again. As long as Roman citizens were not involved, he didn’t care what the others did to one another. As far as he was concerned, they were not his responsibility.

What is it about religion that causes people to forget to be human? Could it be that it is one of Satan’s most potent tools to destroy anyone who has been rescued from his clutches? Throughout the centuries and around the world, atrocities have been and are being committed in the name of religion.

In the name of the church and ordered by the Pope, millions of believers were murdered during the Inquisition in the Middle Ages. The Crusades were nothing but killing campaigns against people of another religion, sadly in the “name” of Jesus. The slaughter continues unabated today. Christians are being persecuted and killed in countless numbers in the name of some god that feels insecure enough to get rid of those who don’t support him!

Regardless of how hard the devil tries, using people like the Jews used the street rabble, he will never destroy God or His people. The fire of truth burns steadily and will continue to burn in the hearts of those who have embraced it, until Jesus comes. We do not have to defend Him or His cause. He is not insecure on His throne!

Barnabas And Saul Go West

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BARNABAS AND SAUL GO WEST

“Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship to Cyprus. The first thing they did when they put in at Salamis was preach God’s Word in the Jewish meeting places. They had John along to help out as needed.” Acts 13:4-5 (The Message).

Commissioned by the Holy Spirit and in partnership with Him, Barnabas and Saul made their way to the nearest sea port, Seleucia, and set sail for the largest island in the vicinity – Cyprus. Why there? We are not told anything about their planning and strategy before they left. They must surely have sat down together and discussed where they would go and how they would go about their mission, assuming that they would always be led by the Holy Spirit.

They did not go in the direction of Saul’s home city because, obviously, he had thoroughly saturated it with his teaching while he was there. There would be no necessity to go over that ground again. They trusted the Holy Spirit to redirect them if they went off course and set off in the confidence of His presence with them.

Their strategy – the most obvious place to start would be the synagogue, the place where Jews met regularly for worship. They were guaranteed a ready-made congregation of their own people who would already be familiar with the Scriptures — no need for lengthy instruction in the basics.

“They travelled the length and breadth of the island and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard’s name was Bar-Jesus. He was a crooked as a corkscrew.” Acts 13:6-7 (The Message),

So far so good. They traversed the island, preaching in synagogue after synagogue with no incident. The Cypriot Jews were seemingly more open-minded than their Judean cousins. In the main centre, however, they ran into a rather unusual fellow countryman, of all things a magician; not a magician practicing illusion, mind you, but a Jew who dabbled in the occult.

As if that were not enough, he had wormed his way into the confidence of the Roman governor — a dangerous situation if ever there was one. This man must have been so convincing that not even an intelligent man like Sergius Paulus saw through him. Imagine the influence he must have had on the governor himself, something akin to the tactics of Hitler who was deep into the occult.

“The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God’s Word first hand from them. But Dr Know-It-All (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English), stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer.'” Acts 13:7-8 (The Message).

Once again the first sign of opposition on the island of Cyprus came from a Jew. Satan’s emissaries are taken from all people and all walks of life. The governor’s interest in the gospel touched a nerve ending and Bar-Jesus immediately raised a very vocal protest, trying to divert the governor’s attention from the truth.

This was the smooth-talking imposter’s undoing. Thankfully his influence over Sergius Paulus had not yet deadened the governor’s appetite to hear the truth. What Paul and Barnabas had to say awakened in him the awareness that these men had a message that rang true and he wanted to know more. Truth and lies banged heads, and alerted the two missionaries to a very real enemy that needed to be dealt with.

Light and darkness cannot co-exist. Darkness is merely the absence of light and as soon as the light is turned on, everything that is hidden in the darkness is exposed. The light of God’s truth shone into this man’s heart, exposing him for what he really was and his reaction was to fight back violently.