The Book of Acts

Paul Speaks to Agrippa (part 2)

Acts 26:1-32 _NLT

“...Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You may speak in your defense’. So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense.” (v. 1)

            Paul was getting what he had wished for ... an audience with someone who was knowledgeable in Jewish customs and their associated religious laws. Paul complimented the King for his expertise in such matters. 

                  Paul began by describing his “thorough Jewish training” from his earliest childhood.  He noted that although his Jewish accusers may not admit it, Paul was a member of the Pharisees ... the strictest sect in Judaism. He reasoned as to why anyone who believed in God would find it incredible that God could raise the dead? 

                  The apostle shared his previous belief that as a Pharisee he was to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene ... using violence if necessary. Paul oversaw the imprisonment and death of many believers in “the Way”. * 

                  When his conversion took place, Paul was on his way to Damascus by the authority and commission of the leading priests. He was going to reign down persecution on any believers residing there.  However, the Lord Jesus had other ideas. Paul shared what essentially amounted to his testimony with King Agrippa. His accusers had already heard it, as had Governor Festus. This time more details regarding what Jesus said to him was shared. The leading priests commission had been replaced by the Lord’s commission to preach to the Gentiles. Now the Jews saw Gentiles (any person who was a non-Jew) as filthy, uncouth animals. They were not allowed in the synagogues or to intermarry with Jews. So Paul claiming God sent him to bring Gentiles into the family of God was a cursed thing to the religious leaders. This riled up the Pharisees and Sadducees, but the tipping point for the latter group was Paul’s mention of Christ rising from the dead, for they were diametrically opposed to a bodily resurrection of any kind.

                  Once Paul concluded Festus suddenly shouted, “Paul, you are insane! Too much study has made you crazy!” Paul denied being crazy ... that what he had said to them all at that time was “the sober truth”. He then appealed to King Agrippa, stating that the king most assuredly knew all about what was being said for he knew what the OT prophets had foretold. It was at that time that Agrippa interrupted Paul by saying “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” Paul replied that whether now or a future time it was his prayer that all present would accept Christ. 

                  It was then that the King, Festus, Bernice, and everyone else there got up and went outside the auditorium. In talking the case over they all agreed that Paul hadn’t done anything worthy of death or incarceration. Agrippa then revealed to Festus that the apostle could have been set free if he hadn’t made an appeal to Caesar. Did Paul make a mistake? I don’t think so ... I believe Paul was seeking an audience anywhere it could be found, so if he had another chance to preach the gospel in the form of his defense against any accusations against him, he was more than willing to preach on. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

* (I believe there is a scriptural explanation for the earliest church being called “the Way”.  Jesus said to ‘doubting’ Thomas in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth & the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jesus was and is ‘The Way’ ... more precisely, the only way to heaven.)

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The Book of Acts

Paul Speaks to Agrippa

Acts 25:23-26:1 _NLT

“So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.” (v. 23)

            Since Paul had appealed to Caesar, Festus was inclined to honor his request; however, the governor didn’t know precisely what to say in an accompanying letter of introduction. He found no guilt worthy of death. King Agrippa was coming for a visit, so Festus planned to have the king sit in on the proceedings so he might offer several thoughts that the governor could write down.

            When Paul appealed to Caesar, we need to understand that he wouldn’t be going to Rome to actually stand before the Emperor, but rather that Paul or any Roman citizen who made such an appeal would be tried by the highest courts in the empire.  

            There was a very delicate balance in governing the Jews. I suppose it could be referred to as conditional ... a ‘you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ type of understanding. The Romans expected no trouble from the Jews and negotiated with the Jewish religious leaders to make that happen. If they complied, which they did, the governors of the region or province would rule with a certain amount of leniency; for example, allowing the Jews to have a Temple and worship as they pleased. The religious leaders made sure they kept the peace, so when Paul came among them preaching about a man they watched die on a cross, much turmoil ensued. In fact, some evil minded Jews even followed him to start a mob scene nearly everywhere the apostle went. 

            Agrippa & his sister arrived in the auditorium the morning after they arrived. A big fuss was made of their presence. Paul was brought in, and it was then that Festus made the charges against the apostle known to King Agrippa. Having heard the charges, the king said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” The Roman citizen was always allowed a lawful trial, which was no doubt why Paul, being a citizen of Rome, insisted on being tried there. Paul has now preached the gospel message to Governor Felix, Governor Festus and now is about to speak to King Agrippa. He was fulfilling his latest mission, to preach in Rome. God never said who he would be preaching to. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

The Book of Acts

Paul Appears Before Festus

Acts 25:1-22 _NLT

“Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.” _{(vv. 1-2)}

                  The Jewish leaders had approached Festus on his first day in Jerusalem in an attempt to take advantage of the new governor’s inexperience with the area and the people. While Festus wanted to appease the Jews, he decided to make his decision based on politics, rather than law. This was necessary in his mind because the unsubstantiated accusations by the Jews against Paul were not against any Roman law, but theological in nature. Paul, a Roman citizen, sought to be tried in a Roman court, rather than in front of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. 

                  The Jewish leaders implored Festus to move Paul to Jerusalem where he could stand trial before the Sanhedrin. Their plan was again to attempt an ambush along the way so as to kill the apostle. Although Festus had no desire to upset the Jews, he was torn between Roman law and Jewish religious law. He decided Caesarea was a suitable place to try the case as Paul was already there. His decision became galvanized when Paul appealed his case to Caesar. That settled that. Festus would allow Paul to be seen by Herod Agrippa II, who was son of Herod Agrippa I, and a descendant of Herod the Great. Agrippa was of Jewish descent, so Festus felt he could help clarify Paul’s case. 

Agrippa came to visit Festus in Caesarea with his sister Bernice. Things are not always as they appear. Bernice had married her uncle Herod Chalcis yet became mistress to her own brother Agrippa II and also to emperor Vespasian’s* son Titus. She was very much of an immoral woman who did exactly as she pleased with no regard for social mores.

When speaking with Agrippa II, Governor Festus laid out the case the Jewish leaders had against Paul. Agrippa expressed a keen interest in meeting and speaking with Paul himself. Festus informed him that he would get the opportunity the very next day. This was not at all going the way the Jewish leaders had hoped; however, God moves throughout one’s life as he so chooses, and this is how he was leading Paul.  He wanted the apostle to preach to the Romans. Little did Paul realize he would be preaching to those in the Roman government. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

* Titus Flavius Vespasianus was emperor of Rome from 69 to 79 A.D. and the architect of the Flavian Dynasty. A favorite of the Roman army, he became emperor after the death of Nero in 68 A.D..

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The Book of Acts

Paul Appears Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27 _NLT

“Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:....” _(vv.1-2)

            The Jews wished to kill Paul; however, they were thwarted at every turn, for God was in charge of the entire situation. Here we see that Paul was brought to defend himself before the governor of Judea, Antonius Felix. The 5 day wait was so the council members, and their lawyer were able to travel the 60 miles to Caesarea from Rome. Once there the lawyer, Tertullus, spoke for the Jewish contingent. 

                  The lawyer agreed to spread the falsehoods about Paul to the governor on behalf of the council, including Ananias, the High Priest. When Paul was given his chance to defend himself, he pointed out that the Jewish religious leaders didn’t have a shred of evidence to prove their accusations. After Paul was finished his defense the governor dismissed the council members and the lawyer and sent Paul to be locked up until he could come to a decision regarding the plight of the apostle. Because Felix wished to stay in good standing with the Jews in Caesarea, he left Paul in prison for the final 2 years of his stint as governor. 

                  During that 2 year period, Felix repeatedly called Paul to visit with both he and his wife, who was a Jewess. Paul spoke to them about Jesus being the Messiah to the Jews and about living righteously by faith. After a number of such meetings, Felix became frightened because, like his brother Herod Antipas ^{(Mark 6:17-18)}, Felix had married the wife of another man. His sin, when made known, bore down heavily on the governor.

                  The governor didn’t do right by Paul in that he never made a decision regarding the Jews case against him. When his term was over Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus who allowed Paul to remain in prison without a trial.

                  It should be noted that though Paul was able to speak about his beliefs to the Roman leaders, they were non-responsive. They saw it all as a Jewish religion, which was a Jewish problem. They didn’t feel it was any of their concern. Whatever decisions they made were driven by their efforts to keep the peace with the Jews, who when angered were capable of causing many problems for the Roman government. 

                  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

The Book of Acts

Paul is Sent to Caesarea

Acts 23:23-35 _NLT

“Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, “Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. Also take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops. 24 Provide horses for Paul to ride and get him safely to Governor Felix.” (vv. 23-24)

            As you will no doubt recall, a group of radical Jews whom Paul had encountered in Jerusalem, had gone to Rome, and put together a plan to murder Paul on his way to face Governor Felix. The commander (Claudius Lysias), decided to send Paul to meet with Felix who was. As you can see by todays text Claudius Lysias sent quite a large number of soldiers for Paul’s protection. The commander sent a letter of introduction regarding Paul to Governor Felix.

            The governor’s entire name was Antonius Felix, and he was the overseer of the Judean province. The position Felix held is the one Pontius Pilate had held in Jesus day. Exactly what was the governor of a province responsible for? “While the Jews were given much freedom to govern themselves, the governor ran the army, kept the peace and gathered the taxes.” ^[1]

            There is a question as to how Luke knew the content of the letter the commander sent to the governor, as it is incorporated in the text. The general feeling is that it was read aloud in court when Paul stood before Felix. There is also the possibility that being a Roman citizen, Paul was given a copy out of courtesy.       

            The letter itself was only slightly embellished for the commanders benefit as he stated that he rescued Paul from a mob of Jews once he found out Paul was a Roman citizen. He also conveniently left out the part regarding the order to flog Paul.

            Once delivered to the governor along with the letter, Paul was asked what province he came from. Cilicia was his answer. After hearing this, the governor felt he was competent to hear the case. Paul was then “kept under guard in the palace Herod the Great built for himself at Caesarea. It now served as the governor's headquarters and also had cells for prisoners.” There Paul would wait for his accuser’s to arrive in Caesarea. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

^[1] The note for verse 26 from the Life Application Study Bible, p.2453.

The Book of Acts

Note: Since I forgot to post this last night for this morning, consider this post for today & tomorrow with a new one coming Wednesday. rkeller

The Plan to Kill Paul

Acts 23:12-22 _NLT

“The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.” (v.12)

            It is very possible that at least a part of the 40 Jews that were plotting to murder Paul were the same Asian Jews that instigated the riot in Jerusalem. Now the Asia we are speaking of should not be confused with the Orient. This province of Asia included such regions as Lydia, Macedonia, Galatia, Syria, and Cappadocia ... all regions Paul had visited. Jerusalem, according to a Biblical times map, appears to be roughly 2250 kilometers or 14,000 miles if my calculations are correct. 

Most scholars agree that Paul’s 3 missionary journeys totaled roughly 10,000 miles. All of his travels were done ON FOOT. The reason he lived thru all the trials and tribulations of his travels was simply because God was in complete control of those travels. Anytime you follow the Lord’s instructions, you will be protected by the angels of Almighty God Himself.

The mention of Paul’s sister & her son, the apostle’s nephew, are mentioned in v.16. His family is mentioned nowhere else in scripture. This portion of scripture tells us Paul’s nephew heard of the plot to kill Paul and went to tell him. We are not told how the nephew found out. 

After letting Paul know, he called for one of the Roman centurions over to take the boy to the commander to let him know of the Jewish plot. Roman citizens who were prisoners were under protective custody until their trial. It was a serious problem for the one in charge if anything happened to the person incarcerated. The protected prisoner was allowed to be visited by family and friends who could bring them food and amenities. 

            Why did the commander not hesitate to believe the boy when he told of the Jewish plot. He saw the hatred for Paul in their eyes and knew Ananias heart and therefore knew he would be supportive of this remedy to their problem. Murdering Paul would be clean and easy with no further problem from him.

            The commander made sure to tell the nephew to keep the fact that they spoke about the plot quiet...to tell no one. Paul would be on the move again, only this time to Caesarea and not by his own choice. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

The Book of Acts

Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship

Acts 22:24-30 _NLT

“The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.” _{(verse 24)}

            Roman citizenship brought with it special privileges. In the case of Paul being flogged, his citizenship would protect him. He was spared due to a simple question that he asked the centurion who had just tied him down, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”

            Now scripture doesn’t reveal at any point how or where Paul gained his Roman citizenship, but it has been speculated that “one of Paul's ancestors received it for valuable services rendered to a Roman administrator or general in either the Gischala region of northern Palestine or at Tarsus.” No one knows for sure. The only thing that differentiated a commoner from a Roman citizen was a toga that only they wore, however, that garment was cumbersome, so they were normally only worn for state occasions. “Papers validating citizenship were kept in family archives and not usually carried on one's person. The verbal claim to Roman citizenship was accepted at face value; penalties for falsifying documents and making false claims of citizenship were exceedingly stiff.” Scripture reveals that the commander had to pay for his citizenship, but Paul was born into it. 

            Paul being a Roman citizen put a whole new wrinkle in the situation.  The commander was told of this and released him from his flogging immediately. Knowing now that he held a Roman citizen in custody without a trial made him very concerned. He now realized how close him came to committing a serious offense against a Roman citizen. 

            The commander wanted to get to the bottom of this so he “ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council.” Then released Paul to stand before them. 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

The Book of Acts

Paul’s Speech to the Jewish Crowd

Acts 22:1-23 _NLT

“’Brothers and esteemed fathers,’ Paul said, ‘listen to me as I offer my defense.’ When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.” _{(verses 1 & 2)}

            Paul’s speech recounts his religious training, his persecution of Christians, his conversion, and his call to take the gospel to the Gentiles. There are a few small additions to the account that hadn’t been told to us yet, specifically, Paul’s call to bring the gospel message to far away countries where the Gentiles were. The speech itself reveals that the gospel message is apolitical.       

            From Paul’s message it is quite clear that he had the highest level training in Jewish laws and customs, for he mentions the name of Gamaliel who was the most honored and well respected rabbi of the first century. 

            One trait in all of Paul’s speeches chronicled in the New Testament is the fact that he will always attempt to establish common ground with his audience before he launches into his full scale defense of Christianity. This way there is a good chance they will listen a little more intently and be more acceptant to what is being said. You could try this approach with those you are trying to reach with the gospel.

            Paul made a point of sharing that his current direction came not from being apostate, but thru heavenly revelation. The crowd was quiet until he said the Lord was sending him to 

speak to the Gentiles. That word alone set the crowd off. “Then they all began to shout, ‘Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!’ They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.”

            I found this last statement about the dust interested so I looked a little deeper. In Matthew 10:14, “Jesus told the disciples to "shake off the dust" from their feet when leaving a town that refused to listen to their message about Him. Paul shook the dust from his garments in Corinth after the Jews rejected His teaching (Acts 18:6). By metaphorically shaking the dust off their cloaks, the mob is rejecting every bit of what Paul is saying and represents.” ^[1]

            Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

[1] https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/22/Acts-22-23.html

 

The Book of Acts

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

Acts 21: 37-40 _NLT

“As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, ‘May I have a word with you?’” (verse 37)

            These four verses are the prelude to Paul’s speech to the crowd who had just had him arrested. The commander’s query regarding Paul knowing the Greek language was meant to reveal whether “he was a cultured, educated man or a common rebel who was starting riots in the streets” *. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote of an Egyptian who had led a revolt of 4,000 people in Jerusalem in A.D. 54, then disappeared. It appears the commander made the assumption that Paul was that man. Paul informed the commander that he was a Jew from Tarsus, adding that Tarsus was an important city, perhaps to impress the Roman. Instead of using the word ‘important’ the NIV translation referred to Tarsus as “no ordinary city”, indicating Paul’s pride in his city of birth. Once the commander found he was not a commoner, he protected Paul from the crowd and agreed to let him speak. 

            The commander agreed to allow Paul to speak in his own defense, so Paul stood on the stairs** and made a motion to quiet down the people. Just then the entire area was cloaked in silence as Paul addressed them in Aramaic (their own language). This was probably frustrating for the commander because he didn’t speak or understand that language; however, speaking in the people’s native tongue seemed to please the crowd, so the commander extended to Paul a measure of goodwill.  Next time we will look at Chapter 22, which reveals what the apostle said to the crowd of people. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.

* From verse 37-38 note on page 2448.

** Paul was standing at the head of the stone stairway leading into the Fortress of Antonia.

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The Book of Acts

Paul is Arrested

Acts 21:26-36 _NLT

“...some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him.” (v. 27)

            As you will recall, Paul agreed to take part in a purification ritual to show that he was not opposed to following Jewish customs. When the 7 days were nearly over Asian Jews, whom Paul had encountered before, saw Paul in the Temple and began to stir up a crowd against the apostle. They rushed Paul, grabbed him, and began to beat him with the purpose of killing him. The accusers distorted the facts to justify their attack. 

            The commander of the local Roman regiment heard of the uprising and with soldiers and officers (aka*, Centurions) in tow, arrived at the scene where the beating was taking place. Upon seeing the regiment they stopped beating Paul. The commander** asked the Jews who the man was and what he had done to rile them up. They shouted out this and that, so being unable to find out the truth of the matter, the commander arrested Paul ordering that he be taken to the fortress***. The commander would not allow mob justice on his watch, so he took charge of Paul so that Roman law would determine the apostle’s fate and not the Jews. Little did the commander, or the Jews realize that God was in control of all that was taking place. The statement ‘everything happens for a reason’**** is applicable here. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*aka - “also known as”

** “The commander of the troops at this time was Claudius Lysias. He was head of the regiment (a special group, part of a legion) of Roman soldiers and was the senior Roman official in Jerusalem.” [Bible Chapter notes: p. 2448)

*** Various translations use the words ‘castle’, ‘barracks’ and ‘tower’ in place of fortress. It was obviously where prisoners were heard.

Note: The Roman troops in Jerusalem were well trained to control Jewish riots, and on this occasion only their swift action prevented Paul from being murdered (32). Lysias, the military commander, had no idea who Paul was or what he had done to make the Jews angry, but he was determined to see him dealt with properly according to Roman law, not by mob violence (33-36). [www.studylight.org/commentary]

**** Believe it or not the quote “everything happens for a reason” was a quote from none other than actress Marilyn Monroe. Here’s the entire quote: “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

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The Book of Acts

Paul Arrives at Jerusalem

Acts 21:15-25 NLT

“When we arrived (in Jerusalem), the brothers and sisters ... welcomed us warmly.” Acts 21:17

            From Caesarea Paul and his companions packed their things and left for Jerusalem. As shown in verse 17 above, they were received cordially. On the 2^nd day Paul and the others went to meet with James* and the elders of the Jerusalem church. James told Paul of a rumor that had been circulating that said Paul was speaking out against Jewish Christians continuing to practice the Law of Moses. While this was not true, the church body felt it would be proof enough regarding his continued loyalty to the Jewish customs by joining four other men as they went to complete their vow. They all went to the Temple to perform the purification ceremony.

This way there would be no ideological conflict. There would be actual real time evidence that Paul is still a practicing Jew, in addition to adhering to the teachings of Christ. This could be cause for some sense of strife due to the fact that unsaved, orthodox Jews didn’t see Jesus as anything more than a man teaching a different set of rules or laws to follow in place of the Mosaic Law. He taught that “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18) Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not replace it, or negate it. This made Jesus a heretic in the minds of the Pharisees & Sadducees. 

            There were two ways that the Jewish Laws could be thought of. Paul accepted one and rejected the other.  1) He rejected the idea that OT laws brought salvation to those who practiced them. In reality, salvation/forgiveness for sin was and is freely given by God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV) 2) What Paul DID accept was that the OT law not only revealed our sin to us, but it prepared us for and taught us regarding the coming of Christ. It was he who would fulfill the law and release us from the burden of guilt that came from a person’s failure to follow the law perfectly. Paul agreed to follow through with the purification ceremony as a compromise in order to not offend any he wished to reach with the gospel.

            Paul and the elders came to an agreement regarding what Gentile believers need to adhere to: abstain from eating food offered to idols or from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals and also to not perform sexual immorality. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

The Book of Acts

 

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

“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.” (Acts 21:1 NLT)

                  Paul was now on his way to Jerusalem. He wished to celebrate the day of Pentecost there. As was Paul’s practice, he visited with the local believers at every stop he made. In many cases he only stayed one day, but when the ship he was on landed at the Syrian harbor of Tyre, Paul ended up staying for one week. Everywhere the apostle travelled he was known and greeted warmly by the local believers. Being relatively new believers, they had much to learn.  They welcomed Paul, eagerly anticipating his sharing of great wisdom and God’s word with them.

                  During his travels, there were those with the gift of prophecy that warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem, for they foresaw him bound in chains.  Their vision saw him turned over to the gentile authorities by the Jews who considered him to be a troublemaking heretic. However, Paul was undaunted, saying that he would gladly allow himself to be thrown in jail or even killed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  [An interesting note to mention is that proof lies in verse 9 of this chapter that women were also given the gift of prophecy. Philip the Evangelist, who lived in Caesarea, had 4 unwed daughters who had this gift.]                 

                  Paul was set on going to Jerusalem even though he knew in his heart and spirit that he would be imprisoned there. It was more important to fulfill God’s will for him than to avoid the imminent, unpleasant & even painful set of circumstances that he was foretold awaited him at his destination. When we are faced with a set of circumstances that seem uninviting and yet seemingly unavoidable, remember, obedience to God is far greater than selfish disobedience. God is watching over us all, just as He was with the apostle Paul. Paul’s faith and trust in God was so great that he was willing to go wherever the Lord would lead him. That’s an example of supreme faith. Regardless of what we are confronted with, we need to say as Paul did, “The Lord’s will be done.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries 

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

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The Book of Acts

Paul Meets the Ephesian Elders

“...when we landed at Miletus, (Paul) sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.” (Acts 20:17 NLT)

            Although Paul missed being in Jerusalem for Passover, he was hurrying to try to be there for the Festival of Pentecost. There is little doubt that Paul wished not to stop at Ephesus at this time. You will recall that a riot broke out in Ephesus regarding that which Paul was preaching. This may well be the reason Paul chose to bypass Ephesus while sailing south. Instead, in the town of Miletus, where Paul and his associates had decided to go ashore, he called for the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him there. Miletus was roughly 30 miles due south of Ephesus. As a sign of the respect and love the elders had for the Apostle, they came without hesitation.

                  It was then that Paul spoke to them with a sense of inevitability. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Paul at an earlier time that his future would involve imprisonment, pain, and suffering. It was for this reason that he told the elders that it was likely his last time seeing them. This brought great sorrow to the hearts of the elders. 

                  Paul was a very remarkable man. He was called by God to preach the gospel and told the elders at this time that, “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.” (Would to God* that we would all feel that way regarding our own lives.) The apostle exhorted the church leaders to watch out for those who would distort the truth. He also stated that perhaps even some present in the party that met with him may turn away from God and propagate falsehoods regarding the true gospel.

                  Paul made a point of saying that he never took money, for we know from scripture he was a tent maker by trade.  He applied that trade to provide for his needs and the needs of those travelling with him. This was so he wasn’t a financial burden to those he was preaching to. The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is free.

                  When Paul was done speaking the elders came close and shed tears of sadness at the realization that this would more than likely be the last time they would see him. They hugged him and Paul prayed for them all. When this meeting was complete, the elders escorted the apostle down to the ship.

                  For the record, Paul’s trek to Jerusalem was a little over 700 miles from Miletus, which was located in what is now modern day Turkey. This trip was done by boat thru the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

* “Would to God” is used to express a strong wish.

The Book of Acts

Paul’s Final Visit to Troas

 

“On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to break bread together.” (Acts 20:7-12 NLT)

            While in Troas, Paul met with a group of local believers. There was an informal church that gathered there, and from the scriptures, it is apparent that Paul wasn’t involved in the starting of this congregation. In spite of that, and as a credit to the places Paul had been to, “the Gospel had radiated out from many centers of influence in Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia to penetrate the Gentile world of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Thus at Troas Paul and his colleagues found a group of believers and met with them "to break bread" and to give instruction regarding the Christian life.” ^[1]

            The accounting of the death of the young man named Eutychus is yet another miraculous event in the life of the early church. The room was lit by many candles. That and the large crowd that had gathered in the upper room of this dwelling could have easily caused this young man to become drowsy and fall asleep.  As a result of his was sitting on the windowsill, he fell 3 stories to his death. Those gathered must have rushed down to see if the man had survived, though scripture doesn’t say so. We are told in verse 10 that Paul went downstairs. It didn’t say he ran or rushed to get down there. I believe that confidence in the Lord’s ability to use us to change a situation enabled Paul not to panic. He knew in his heart and in his spirit that if it isn’t time for a person to leave this earth, then Eutychus’ death would simply be a vehicle to show these believers the full power of God. Verse 10 says: “Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘he’s alive!’”

            Undaunted by this supposed tragedy, which turned into a lifesaving miracle, Paul went back upstairs and continued to preach until dawn. It would seem that the people there were hungry for God’s word, because there were no recorded complaints regarding Paul’s long-windedness. He was anointed by the Spirit to speak to them the truth of God and they felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, especially after a dead man was made alive again. Once he was finished saying what he felt God wanted said, Paul left. The young man? He was taken home very much alive and feeling just fine. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

The Book of Acts

NOTE: You may recall our last posting in Acts, but for those who are like me and need a reminder, we were looking at the Riot at the Temple for Artemis. Seems the message, which didn’t mention Artemis by name, put a dent in the businesses there because the people of Ephesus were being asked to essentially replace their goddess of fertility with someone named Jesus. All that He represented flew in the face of their cultic belief system, not to mention all the idols made by local businesses that would cease. One local artisan took to the streets and instigated a riot with the purpose of running the Christians out of Ephesus. That is where we left off ...

Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece

“When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia.” (Acts 20:1 NLT)

            Paul had visited Greece, spending the bulk of his time in Corinth. This was due to his concern about the church there. False teaching and general divisiveness caused him to attempt to straighten some things out theologically. While there he also wrote his letter to the Roman church. He told them of his plan to pay them a visit. This letter was a “theological essay on the meaning of faith and salvation, an explanation of the relation between Jews & Gentiles in Christ, and a list of practical guidelines for the church.” ^[1]

              There were brothers in Christ that travelled with Paul. They represented some of the churches Paul had started in Asia. Paul was planning to go to Jerusalem with an offering he had collected from the Asian churches. This money was earmarked for those believers who were in great need. Paul saw this as an important step to bridging any divide that may have still existed between Jewish believers and their Gentile counterpart; you see, the collection was from the Gentile believers in the Macedonian region. 

             Paul caught wind of a Jewish plot to assassinate him when we was travelling by sea to his next destination (Syria), therefore, even though travelling by land could be equally dangerous due to robbers, he went that way anyway. He had wanted to celebrate Passover with the brothers in Jerusalem, however, with the change in travel plans, he and his entourage chose to stay in Troas for the celebration instead. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Rich Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.   

^[1] Verse notes, p. 2443, The Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale Publishers.

Note: It is apparent with the use of the pronouns “us” & “we” in verses 5 & 6 that Luke was with the travelling party at that time.