Yesterday, Paul was falsely accused and attacked; before being “rescued” … and arrested by a Roman commander.
Acts 21
37 As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?” “Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?” 39 “No,” Paul replied, “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people.” 40 The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic.”
Acts 22
“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
Own. Our world is filled with mistrust and miscommunication and misunderstanding. You can see, in this part of the story, that not a lot has changed over the past 2,000 years. Paul’s small gesture, of speaking to the commander and to the crowd in their own respective languages, was an attempt to reverse some of those “mis”es. Unfortunately, you will find out that his gesture doesn’t provide the happy ending we are always hoping for (sorry if I spoiled it for you). As Jesus followers, we are called to reflect the love (check out John 13:34-35) and peace (check out Romans 12:18) and holiness (check out Hebrews 12:14-15) of God, not the mistrust and miscommunication and misunderstanding of this world … even if it doesn’t reverse the “mis”es or provide the happy ending.
I hope you have a safe, relaxing Labor Day weekend.
I will see you Tuesday.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Rocked
Yesterday, we read that the leaders of the church in Jerusalem asked Paul to participate in a purification ceremony to demonstrate his respect for Jewish customs. Today, we will see how his gesture is received.
Acts 21
27 The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, 28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple - and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” 29 (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.) 30 The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. 31 As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. 34 Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. 35 As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. 36 And the crowd followed behind, shouting, “Kill him, kill him!”
Rocked. “The whole city was rocked...” Before I say anything else let me clarify this ... the actions of the citizens in Jerusalem were horribly inappropriate considering the accusations were false ... but; you have to be impressed by their passion. They were rocked by the fact that another man had (supposedly) been speaking falsely ... maybe I should be more passionate about speaking the truth. They were rocked by the fact that one of their religious laws had (supposedly) been broken ... maybe I should be more passionate about honoring the boundaries God has established for me. They were rocked by the fact that the Temple had (supposedly) been defiled ... maybe I should be more passionate about keeping my temple (my body) pure. When was the last time your “spiritual” world was rocked?
Acts 21
27 The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, 28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple - and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” 29 (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.) 30 The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. 31 As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. 34 Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. 35 As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. 36 And the crowd followed behind, shouting, “Kill him, kill him!”
Rocked. “The whole city was rocked...” Before I say anything else let me clarify this ... the actions of the citizens in Jerusalem were horribly inappropriate considering the accusations were false ... but; you have to be impressed by their passion. They were rocked by the fact that another man had (supposedly) been speaking falsely ... maybe I should be more passionate about speaking the truth. They were rocked by the fact that one of their religious laws had (supposedly) been broken ... maybe I should be more passionate about honoring the boundaries God has established for me. They were rocked by the fact that the Temple had (supposedly) been defiled ... maybe I should be more passionate about keeping my temple (my body) pure. When was the last time your “spiritual” world was rocked?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Heard
Paul’s third missionary journey officially ends today with his arrival in Jerusalem. There is a link in the “sites” section of the blog that will allow you to interactively recap his journey.
Acts 21
17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. 24 Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. 25 As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” 26 So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.
Heard. You have to be careful about what you hear. These Jewish believers had heard that Paul was teaching people to go against certain Jewish customs (specifically circumcision). They heard; but never verified. In fact, the statements were false. Paul didn’t have anything against circumcision as a custom (check out Acts 16:1-5). He just didn’t want circumcision equated with salvation (check out Galatians 6:11-16). For centuries, unverified statements (rumors) have wreaked havoc on communities of Jesus followers. Sadly, they are still causing hurt and division today. We may not have started the fire; but we can definitely do our part to stop it (check out Proverbs 26:20). When it comes to unverified statements, we need to be diligent (check out Deuteronomy 13: 14), gracious (check out Matthew 7:12) and sincere (check out Luke 6:41-42). Then, maybe what others have heard about us will change.
Acts 21
17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. 24 Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. 25 As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” 26 So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.
Heard. You have to be careful about what you hear. These Jewish believers had heard that Paul was teaching people to go against certain Jewish customs (specifically circumcision). They heard; but never verified. In fact, the statements were false. Paul didn’t have anything against circumcision as a custom (check out Acts 16:1-5). He just didn’t want circumcision equated with salvation (check out Galatians 6:11-16). For centuries, unverified statements (rumors) have wreaked havoc on communities of Jesus followers. Sadly, they are still causing hurt and division today. We may not have started the fire; but we can definitely do our part to stop it (check out Proverbs 26:20). When it comes to unverified statements, we need to be diligent (check out Deuteronomy 13: 14), gracious (check out Matthew 7:12) and sincere (check out Luke 6:41-42). Then, maybe what others have heard about us will change.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Will
We are coming to the end of Paul’s third missionary journey ... currently in Caesarea. There is a link in the “sites” section of the blog that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 21
10 Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. 11 He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” 15 After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. 16 Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers.
Will. This part of the story has always been difficult for me to process. On one hand, you have a Godly man (Agabus) who feels compelled by the Holy Spirit to warn Paul about going to Jerusalem. On the other hand, you have a Godly man (Paul) who feels compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem despite the warning. Would God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ever lead you into a dangerous situation? In other words, is it ever God’s will that we walk through a difficult (even dangerous) season of life? In a word, yes (check out 1 Samuel 17 and Esther 4-5 and Daniel 3 and especially Matthew 26). The reality is, our will (agenda) is to accumulate good things ... good job, good house, good car, good marriage, good kids, etc. God’s will (agenda) is to restore the brokenness of humanity by restoring a broken relationship with humanity. Obviously, those wills don’t always match up. That is when we have to answer the question of which will we will follow.
Acts 21
10 Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. 11 He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” 15 After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. 16 Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers.
Will. This part of the story has always been difficult for me to process. On one hand, you have a Godly man (Agabus) who feels compelled by the Holy Spirit to warn Paul about going to Jerusalem. On the other hand, you have a Godly man (Paul) who feels compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem despite the warning. Would God, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ever lead you into a dangerous situation? In other words, is it ever God’s will that we walk through a difficult (even dangerous) season of life? In a word, yes (check out 1 Samuel 17 and Esther 4-5 and Daniel 3 and especially Matthew 26). The reality is, our will (agenda) is to accumulate good things ... good job, good house, good car, good marriage, good kids, etc. God’s will (agenda) is to restore the brokenness of humanity by restoring a broken relationship with humanity. Obviously, those wills don’t always match up. That is when we have to answer the question of which will we will follow.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Stayed
We are coming to the end of Paul’s third missionary journey. There is a link in the “sites” section of the blog that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 21
1 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. 2 There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. 3 We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. 5 When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, 6 and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. 7 The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. 8 The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
Stayed. This word stood out to me for a couple of reasons. First, it seemed ironic that Luke (the author) would use the word “stayed” while describing constant movement (seven points of destinations in eight verses). More importantly, why did he even mention these “stays”? He could have simply skipped this whole section. We could have skipped this whole section. For me, the greatest value, in pointing out these “stays”, is reminding us how big the family God really is. It is so easy for me to get caught up in my own life, or even in my own community of believers if I am even slightly compassionate, that I forget about the extended community. There are communities (big and small) of believers in towns and cities all over the world. Next time you arrive in a different “port of call” take some time to find the local believers and spend some time with them ... find a church and attend. Allow God to show you how big he really is.
Acts 21
1 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. 2 There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. 3 We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. 5 When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, 6 and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. 7 The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. 8 The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
Stayed. This word stood out to me for a couple of reasons. First, it seemed ironic that Luke (the author) would use the word “stayed” while describing constant movement (seven points of destinations in eight verses). More importantly, why did he even mention these “stays”? He could have simply skipped this whole section. We could have skipped this whole section. For me, the greatest value, in pointing out these “stays”, is reminding us how big the family God really is. It is so easy for me to get caught up in my own life, or even in my own community of believers if I am even slightly compassionate, that I forget about the extended community. There are communities (big and small) of believers in towns and cities all over the world. Next time you arrive in a different “port of call” take some time to find the local believers and spend some time with them ... find a church and attend. Allow God to show you how big he really is.
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