Acts 22-23:11

Acts 22:1-23:11

Introduction

The current passages are heavy on historical content and theological messages are subtler.

The passage highlights Paul’s continual devotion to sharing the gospel every chance he got.

The persecuted church is tracked by Open Doors.  There are Christians who are subject to persecution daily. Open Doors’ World Watch List is found here.

John 8:31-47

31So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

35“The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.

36“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

37“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

38“I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

39They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.

40“But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.

41“You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”

42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.

43“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.

44“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45“But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

46“Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?

47“He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”^[1] (NASB)

Acts 22

Recall that the opposition to Paul was primarily “the Jews from Asia” (Acts 21:27)

After receiving permission from the tribune to speak, Paul motions to the crowd. After they hushed, he began to speak to them in Hebrew

Paul begins by recounting his education and then he mentions his early years as a Jewish zealot – a persecutor of the church.  His description of his conversion on the way to Damascus then leads to an episode of a time when he was praying in the temple, fell into a trance and then was warned about opposition to come and his instruction “for I will send you far away to the Gentiles”. (22:21)

After Paul finished, the crowd rose up in disgust saying “he should not be allowed to live”. The tribune separates Paul from the mob and then quizzes him. Paul informs him of the authenticity of his Roman citizenship by birth.

Acts 23

The tribune, in an effort to understand why the Jews were so upset with Paul, convenes the Jewish council, including the high priest. 

Paul discusses his hope of the resurrection which caused a divide among the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The Sadducees didn’t believe in the more supernatural things like angels and the resurrection while the Pharisees did.

When it appeared that the group was about to become violent, the tribune took Paul to the barracks.

While in the barracks was the Lord comes to Paul saying, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”          

Luke 12:8-12 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God;

9but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

11“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;

12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”^[2]

Application

“When you are doing what God wants you to do, God’s got your back”. But, it’s no guarantee that there will not be trials and hardship along the way.

                                                                                     

 

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Jn 8:31–47). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Lk 12:8–12). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.