The end of Paul’s fourth ministry journey and ministering in Rome (Acts 28) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The end of Paul’s fourth ministry journey and ministering in Rome (Acts 28)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel Music

 

Scriptures reading (Acts 28)

Paul in Malta and on to Rome

1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. ² The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ^3lPaul gathered a pile of brush wood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷ There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. ¹⁰ They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

¹¹ After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. ¹² We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³ From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶ When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Paul in Rome

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. ¹⁹ But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar not that I had any charge to bring against my own people.²⁰ For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

²³ They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening, he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. ²⁵ They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement;” The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

“Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” ²⁷ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

 ²⁸ Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” ³⁰ For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹ Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Verse 9 On the sea in the storm, the Lord had made the apostle not only the owner of his fellow voyagers (27:24) but also their life-guarantor and comforter (27:22,25). Now, on the land in peace, the Lord made him furthermore not only a magical attraction in the eyes of the superstitious people (vv.3.6) but also a healer and a joy to them (vv.8-9). All during the apostle’s long and unfortunate imprisonment –voyage, the Lord kept the apostle in His ascendancy and enabled him to live a life far beyond the realm of anxiety. This life was fully dignified, with the highest standard of human virtues expressing the most excellent divine attributes, a life that resembled the one that the earth years before. This was Jesus living again on the earth in His divinely enriched humanity! This was the wonderful, excellent, and mysterious Godman, who lived in the Gospels, continuing to live in the Acts through one of His many members! This was a living witness of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and God-exalted Christ! Paul in his voyage lived and magnified Christ (Phil.1:20-21). It is no wonder that the people honored him and his companions with many honors (v.10), that is, with the greatest respect and highest regard! An ambassador sent by God should be treated by men with such respect and regard.

Verse 8-9 Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on the isle of Melita, what is now Malta. The father of the governor of the island was desperately ill, and Paul went in to see him. He laid hands on the sick man as a point of contact and prayed for him. And God healed him. Then many other sick people on the island came and were healed. According to the Greek in verse 8 and 9 have both been translated as healed. In verse 8 the word healed implies healing by divine means, while the same word in verse 9 implies healing by medical means. Luke, the physician and the author of Acts, practiced medicine side by side with Paul as he prayed for the sick, and the people were healed. In Colossians 4:14, the evangelist, and Luke, the physician, each followed their calling, but put their calling together merging medicine and prayer! Healing, whether or not comes through prayer or medicine, comes from our Source: God. I believe that there on Melita we have the first record of a healing team of the Christian faith. Paul, the evangelist, and Luke, the beloved physician, ministering by prayer and medicine to the sick and needy of the island. The city of faith is an extension of this concept established by Jesus in Paul and Luke.

Verse 15 The warm welcome of the brothers from Rome and the loving care of those in Puteoli (vv.13-14) show the beautiful Body life that existed in the early days among the churches and apostles. This life was a part of the heavenly kingdom life on the Satan-darkened and man-inhabited earth. Apparently, the apostle, as a prisoner in bonds, had entered the region of the dark capital of the Satan- usurped empire; actually, as the ambassador of Christ with His authority (Eph. 6:20;Matt.28: 18-19), he had come into another part of the participation in the Body life of Christ’s church in the kingdom of God on earth. While he was suffering the persecution of religion in the empire of Satan, he was enjoying the church life in the kingdom of God. This was a comfort and an encouragement to him.

Verse 15 took courage This indicates that the apostle was quite human. Although he had been encouraged by the Lord directly (23:11) and was very courageous throughout his voyage (27:22-25), 33-36), he still took courage at the brothers’ warm welcome. It was in his uplifted humanity with its human virtues that Christ with His divine attributes was expressed during his voyage. He magnified Christ continually in his adverse situation (Phil.1:20)

Verse 26 God the Father spoke this word to the stubborn children of Israel in Isaiah 6:9-10. God the Son quoted this word to the rejecting Jew in Matt.13:14-15. And now God the Spirit through the apostle repeated this word as He spoke to the hardhearted people. This indicates that in all the moves of the Divine Trinity the children of Israel were disobedient to the God of grace. Thus, He turned to the Gentiles for the carrying out of His New Testament economy in the spreading of His kingdom for the building up of the churches through the propagation of the resurrected and ascended Christ (v.28).

Verse 30 During this time the apostle wrote the Epistles to the Colossians (Col.4:3,10,18), Ephesians (Eph.3:1;4:1;6:20), and Philippians (Phil.1:7,14,17), and the Epistle to Philemon (Philem.22) he was expecting to be released from imprisonment. Probably after these two years he was released and visited Ephesus and Macedonia (1Tim.1:3). In addition, he visited Crete (1Titus 1:5), Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), Troas, and Miletus (2Tim.4:13,20).

Verse 31 This was the end of the apostle’s fourth ministry journey which began in 27:2.

 Verse 31 “The kingdom of God” The kingdom of God is one of the matters emphasized in this book. Luke’s writing here both begins (1:3) and ends with the kingdom of God. The book of Acts was not actually ended; rather, it was left open that more may be added. The reason for this must have been that the work of the Holy Spirit in preaching Christ for His propagation, multiplication, and spread through the believers of Christ was not yet completed and needed to be continued for a long period of time. Such an evangelistic work for Christ’s propagation, multiplication, and spread is according to God’s New Testament economy for the producing of many sons for God (Rom.8:29) that they might be the members of Christ to constitute His Body (Rom.8:29) for the carrying out of God’s eternal plan and the fulfillment of His eternal will. This is revealed in detail in the twenty-one Epistles and the book of Revelation, which follow this book. The church produced by Christ’s propagation and multiplication is the sphere in which God is expressed and in which He reigns in Christ; hence, the church becomes the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, along with Chrsit’s propagation and multiplication, grows out of and spreads from God’s life. Acts is a record of the spreading of Christ; it is also a record of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is the expansion of Christ. The gospel that is widely preached in this book is the vary Christ as the gospel (5:42), the gospel of Christ and it is also the kingdom of God as the gospel (8:12), the gospel of the kingdom of God. The preaching of such a gospel will continue and advance until the whole earth becomes the kingdom of Christ (Rev.11:15).

 In the four Gospel God was incarnated, passed through human living, died, and resurrected, thus completing Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God (Col.2:9). In Acts this embodiment of God, as the life-giving Spirit (1Cor.15:45), spreads Christ into His believers. i.e., works the processed Triune God into His chosen, redeemed, and transformed people to make them the constituents of the church, through which God may be expressed. The ultimate issue of the church will be the New Jerusalem in eternity future as God’s full and eternal expression, which will also be God’s eternal kingdom as the sphere in which He reigns in His divine life in eternity forever and ever. This should be the reality and goal of all gospels preaching today.

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

 

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck and encouragement (Acts 27) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck and encouragement (Acts 27)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck

Scriptures reading Acts 27

 

¹ When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.² We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

³ The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. ⁴ From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. ⁵ When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. ⁶ There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. ⁷ We made slow head way for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. ⁸ We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

⁹ Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, ¹⁰ “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” ¹¹ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. ¹² Since the harbor wa unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

¹³ When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.¹⁵ The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. ¹⁷ When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

²¹ After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said; “ Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²² But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” ²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. ²⁶ Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”     

²⁷ On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. ²⁹ Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. ₃₀ In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. ₃₁Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

³³ Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food you haven’t eaten anything. ³⁴ Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” ³⁵ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ Altogether there were 276 of us on board. ³⁸ When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

³⁹ When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. ⁴¹But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. ⁴³But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. ⁴⁴ The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

           

Verse 2 Adramyttium. A port on the west coast of Asia Minor (Modern Turkey), just south of Troas.

             Verse 4 to the lee of Cyprus. The prevailing early autumn winds came from the northwest, making headwinds difficult for a coastal vessel to handle in open ocean. So, the ship sailed around the east end of Cyprus, the lee side, and headed north for the coast of Cilicia, where it would then head west, close to shore for many miles.

          Verse 9 it was after the Fast. Only one fast was prescribed by the law and that was on the Day of Atonement (Lev.16:29-34). If this was the year 59, the fast was on Oct.5. This means Paul left Caesarea in August or September and did not arrive in Rome until the following March.

Verse 14-25 The apostle Paul found himself a passenger on a storm-tossed ship. The timbers of the ship were popping as it floundered in the sea. Death rode the dark waves that night. The crew had given up hope. But an Angel of God appeared to Paul to minister for him, and Paul was able to tell the passengers they would all be saved. Paul had four anchors of faith that helped him have confidence in the face of danger. And these anchors will also hold your life steady when the fury of life’s storms roar against you. First, Paul told them, “I belong to God” Paul, as a covenant man realized that he was God’s property and the devil couldn’t harm him. Second, he said, “I serve God.” As a covenant man, he would do everything God wanted him to do and then God would do what He said He would do. Third, he said, “I am God’s witness.” God calls us to be witnesses of Him too. That’s why He promised us His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). When we are obeying God, we can fulfill His plan for us and finish our course. Fourth, Paul said, “I believe God.” The fact that God had spoken caused Paul to put his faith on God’s word. He believed it in his heart, did not doubt, and spoke the word: I believe God. (Mark11:23,24 gives us the faith formula Paul used here, and which we can use every day of our lives.)

            Verse 44 “The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.” The people on the boat benefited from Paul’s covenant with God even though they themselves were not in the covenant. When you have a covenant with God, your family and loved ones will also benefit from it. God will pour out His blessing on you, and much of it will spill over on the people around you! 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 assures you that even your unsaved loved ones are blessed when you are in a covenant with God. I call my covenant: My Blessing-Pact with God. It means everything to me as a Christian. And I believe every one of my partners who I have it with, have it because it works!

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

  

Paul’s defense before King Agrippa (Acts 26) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s defense before King Agrippa (Acts 26)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce  

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Paul’s defense before Agrippa  

Scriptrues reading (Acts 26)

¹  The Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: ² King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. ⁸ Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

⁹ I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And that is just what I did in Jerussalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put ot death, I case my vote against them. ¹¹ Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

¹² On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ About noon, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” ¹⁵ Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied.

¹⁶ “Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them. 

¹⁸ To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” 

¹⁹  So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus, then to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. ²¹ That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. ²² But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen –²³ That the Christ would suffer and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” ²⁵  “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, “ Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” ²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long-I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me  today may become what I am, except for these chains.”³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. ³¹ They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “ This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” ³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

 

Verse 14 A goad on a plow is a sharppointed stick used to subdue and prod an ox yoked to the plew. The Lord’s word here signifies that Saul was already yoked to the plow and had no choice but to take the Lord’s yoke obediently for the carrying out of the Lord’s commission. It was hard for him to kick against the goads on the Lord’s plow.

Verse 16 Not only a minister but also a witness. Aminister is for the ministry; a witness, for the testimony. The ministry is related mainly to the work, to what a minister does; a testimony is related to the person, to what a witness is. “I have appeared unto thee for this purpose.” Millions of people wake up every morning and don’t want to get up. They don’t have a purpose in life. They don’t have a reason for being. Saul of Tarsus was a man who had lost his reason for being. He lay on the ground, blinded by a light from heaven, hurting inside because he’d been fighting against God. But God said to him: “ Rise, and stand uppn thy feet” For I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness.” God was saying to him, “ get up, stand up, and stay up, for I have a purpose for your life.” And Paul received that commission as the beginning of a whole new way of living. Jesus is saying to you and me, “Get up on the inside…listen to My voice inside you…agree with My Word…put your faith to work…and I will make something of your life.”

Verse 18 This was to carry out the fulfillment of God’s jubilee, the acceptable year of the Lord, proclaimed by the Lord Jesus in Luke 4:18-21 according to God’s New Testament economy. The first item of the spiritual and divine blessings of the New Testament jubilee, which are the blessings of the gospel of God, is to open the eyes of those who are fallen and turn them from darkness to light, that they may see the divine things in the spiritual realm. To see these things requires spiritual sight and divine light. Darkness is a sign of sin and death; Light is a sign of righteousness and life (John1:4;8:12). The authority of Satan is Satan’s kingdom, which begs to darkness(Matt.12:26) . “ to God” to the authority of God, to God’s kingdom, which belongs to light. “ forgivness” The base of all the blessings of the New Testament jubilee.

            “an inheritance”  Lit., a portion; referring to a portion of an inheritance. This inheritance is the Triune God Himself with all He has, all He has done, and all He will do for His redeemed people. The Triune God is embodied in the all inclusive Christ (col.1:12). The Holy Spirit, who has been given to the saints, is the foretaste, the pledge, and the guarantee of this divine inheritance (Rom.8:23;Eph.1:14), which we are sharing and enjoying today as a foretaste in God’s New Testament jubilee, and which we will enjoy in full in the coming age and for eternity (1Pet.1:4). In the type of the jubilee in Lev.25:8-13, the main blessings are the liberty proclaimed and the returning of every man to his own possession. In the fulfillment of the jubilee here, liberation from the authority of darkness and the receiving of the divine inheritance are the primary blessings.

“Sanctified” not only positionally but also dispositionally (Rom.6:19). To be sanctified positionally is only to have a change in position and purpose; to be sanctified dispositionally is to be transformed in nature by and with the holy nature of God (2Cor.3;18). To be sanctified is to be saturated with God as our possession for our enjoyment today. Our sanctification will consummate in our maturity in the divine life that we may resemble God and be qualified to fully possess and enjoy Him as our inheritance in the coming age and for eternity.

Paul was under compulsion to preach the gospel. “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” ( 1 Corinthians 9:16). He even dared to speak in King Agrippa’s court. See his flashing eyes, hear his vibrant voice, his piercing word. Feel the fire of his soul, the anointing of his being, the spirit of his message. Grasp the purpose of his preaching, the conviction of his spirit. if you do you will know how King Agrippa felt when he cried, “Almost thou persuades me to be a Chrsitian.” My prayer is, “God, help us to stir up your gift is us…help us make You our Source…to plant our seeds of faith and expect our miracle –harvests.”

Verse 19  Not a doctrine, a theory, a religious creed, or any theology, but a heavenly vision, in which the apostle saw the divine things concerning the dispensing of the Triune God into His chosen, redeemed, and transformed people. All his preaching in this book and his writing in his fourteen Epistles, from Romans through Hebrews, are a detailed description of this heavenly vision seen by Paul.

Verse 22 or, assistance . The Greek word originally meant alliance. This implies that the apostle was allied with God and realized God’s assistance in this alliance.

Verse 23 light  Indicating the enlightenment of God, who is light (1John1:5), shining in Christ, who is the light of the world (John 8:12;9:5), through the preaching of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2Cor.4:4,6).

Verse 24 you are out of your mind,Paul! Festus, a Roman, simply could not comprehend Paul’s line of thought and language. Agrippa, a Jew, had no such semantic problems.

Verse 26 Agrippa, a Jew by religion, knew the things of the Old Testament and of resurrection.

Verse 32 In this section 21:27-26:32, a long narration of the Jews’ final persecution of the apostle, the genuine characteristics of all the involved parties were made manifest: (1) the darkness, blindness, hatred, and hypocrisy of the Jewish religion, (2) the injustice and corruption of Roman politics; (3) the transparency, brightness, faithfulness, and courage of the apostle; and (4) the Lord’s encouraging care for His witness and His sovereignty over the entire situation for the carrying out of His divine purpose. “ not appealed to Caesar”  But without his appeal to Caesar, the apostle might have been killed by the Jews through Festus’s unjust handling of him and thus his life might not have been preserved to that day.

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

 

Paul’s defense before Festus (Acts 25)By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s defense before Festus (Acts 25)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce  

 Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

 

Paul’s defense before Festus (Acts 25)

Scriptures reading Acts 25

 

¹ Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, ² Where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. ³ They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴ Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. ⁷ When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.

 ⁸ Then Paul his defense: “ I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” ⁹ Festus wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” ¹⁰ Paul, answered: “ I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” ¹³ A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.¹⁴ Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said, “ There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. ¹⁵ When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he becodemned.

¹⁶ I told them that it is not the Roman custom ot hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. ¹⁷ When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. ¹⁹ Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. ²¹ When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caear.”

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said, “ King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesared, shouting that he ought not to live anylonger. ²⁵ I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. ²⁶But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. ²⁷ For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”

Verse 1 to Jerusalem. Since there was much unrest, Festus thought it prudent to make an early visit to the religious capital, Jerusalem. The Jews saw in this an opportunity to ask that Paul be returned there. If the request were granted they would try to kill him on the way (v.3).

Verse 9 gain favor with the Jews, this exposed the corruption of another Roman politician.

Verse 11 I appeal to Caesar. Festus’s suggestin that Paul appear in Jerusalem for trial (v.9) provoked this appeal to Caesar. Paul relized that the trial would not be impartial if conducted by Festus, especially if the case were transferred to Jerusalem, and that he would be in great danger if he was returned to the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin. The right of appeal was one of the most ancient and cherished rights of a Roman citizen. For his defense Paul wanted to appeal to Caesar. This would allow him to fulfill his desire to see Rome for the furtherance of the Lord’s testimony (19:21) and was according to the Lord’s indication to him (23:11). Without this appeal he would have been killed by the Jews who plotted against him (23:12-15;25:1-3,9) and would not have been able to write his last eight Epistles. Before his appeal to Rome, he had written only six Epistles: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians. During his first imprisonment in Rome he wrote Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. After that imprisonment he wrote 1 Timothy, Titus and Hebrews. Then, during his second imprisonment he wrote 2 Timothy. With out these last eight Epistles, what a lack the divine revelation would have and what a loss the church would have suffered! His appeal did render great profit and benefit to the Lord’s interest.

Verse 12 The council of a Roman province, composed of the councilors or assessors chosen by the governor of the province, with whom the governor usually consulted concerning an appeal like Paul’s .

Verse 13 A grippa. Herod Agippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I (12:1),  both of whose territories he ultimately ruled under Rome’s jurisdiction. Herod Agrippa II, who reigned over the region north and east of Galover the region north and east of Galilee, a Jew by religion. Bernice, the sister of Drusilla, Felix’s wife (24:24). She was also a sister of Agrippa, with whom he was living incestuously.This again showed the corruption of the politicians in the circle of Roman politics. Paul was not required to defend himself before them, since he had already appealed to Caesar, but he took this opportunity to witness to the Jewish king.

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.