Help comes in unexpected ways!

So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him." So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you." Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you." So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me." Acts 23:16-22

The radical Jewish religious leaders made an oath not to eat or drink until Paul was dead (v.12 & 14). Talk about blind rage! God could have done anything to rescue Paul from these maniacally dangerous men. What He did was not what we might have expected.

Who knows that Paul had a nephew? Who knows how Paul’s nephew caught wind of the plot to ambush Paul? How did the nephew get in to see Paul? Why was Paul able to tell the Romans about the plot, and why would they listen to Paul? Why was the nephew allowed to tell the Roman authorities and why did they listen to him?

Providence. None of these were miracles, per se, but they were evidence of the sovereign hand of God orchestrating circumstances (including unlikely circumstances) to accomplish His will.

This is why we ought not pray to God when we are in trouble by telling Him how to solve the dilemma. Pray? YES! But remember that He doesn’t need our counsel on solving our difficulties. Instead, let us pour out our concerns to Him, trusting Him to do what is right—and best!

Never be surprised by opposition

And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near." Acts 23:12-15

Even though the Lord used the Roman civil authorities to rescue Paul from the Jewish mob, and even though the Lord encouraged Paul that He had plans to use him in Rome, that did not eliminate the opposition. Let us be reminded that while the Lord is in control and has plans for our lives, opposition not only continues to exist, it may even be intensified.

We must not make our plans, or worse, give up altogether based on whether opposition exists. Instead let us train our eyes on God’s Word, His promises, and His steadfast love. Let us trust that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You [the Lord] shall condemn” (Isaiah 54:17).

Our responsibility is to continue to forge ahead, trusting and following the Lord.

Christ the Encourager

Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." Acts 23:9-11

Those rascals were at it again! The Pharisees and the Sadducees, two very different rival parties within Judaism turned on each other. They were united only for a heartbeat in their common hatred of all things Christian. But when Paul stealthily reminded them how much they hated each other, their ire shifted away from Paul (and Christ) and onto their intramural hatred of each other.

Upon learning that Paul was also a Pharisee by training, the fiercely loyal-to-their-party Pharisees defended him and attacked the Sadducees. As the text says, the feud became so intense that the Roman officials rescued Paul from the fray. After all, Paul was a Roman citizen, and it is very likely that none of the Jewish religious leaders enjoyed the benefits of Roman citizenship. Paul remained in custody for a couple of days, however.

But then the Savior appeared to him, encouraging him that He had plans for Paul. Those plans included Paul preaching in Rome. That Paul would remain in custody even in Rome is a reminder that though God’s plans are always good and for His glory they are not always pleasant!

There are times when it appears that all is lost, but the Lord almost always has more plans for our lives. He doesn’t always reveal what they are (as He did for Paul), but as long as we are alive, we are not done! God has more for us to do! So be encouraged!

Persecution of non-believers as though they are believers

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Acts 23:7-9

We have been considering how Paul, used the division between two Jewish parties (the Pharisees and Sadducees) to divert their attention away from him. We have been discussing the fact that Christians must not divide ourselves unnecessarily, diverting our attention from Christ and the gospel, and giving the upper hand to those who oppose Christianity. If you missed them, read the previous two posts.

One more thought on this topic. The enemies of Christ persecute His people, not because they hate us as much as they hate Him (1 Samuel 8:7, Acts 9:4). As we know, there are many who claim the name “Christian” who are not true believers in Christ. They are cultural or national Christians in name only. The enemies of Christ persecute them as well as true believers. We should be as concerned about persecution of these just as much as we are of the persecution of true believers. Why? Because the enemies of Christ do not know the difference between true Christians and those who are Christian in name only—their hatred of Christ is every bit the same.

So when we read of persecution of Christians (whether genuine or not), we are reading of hatred of Jesus (Acts 9:4). Here are two reasons we should pray for anyone who is being persecuted for being Christian, whether they are Christian or not:

First, they are people suffering persecution, which is never right!

Second, even when those who do not know the Lord are persecuted as though they do, the persecutors believe they are attacking Christ and His people. Though we may not identify with those—who are suffering at the hands of Christ haters—as brothers in Christ, pray for them and for their salvation.

And as hard as it is to do so, pray for the persecutors as well. May God save them!

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly! (Revelation 22:20)

Follow-up thoughts about agreeing and disagreeing, agreeably

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Acts 23:7-9

Last time we commented on how Paul irked two rival Jewish parties into dissension. It was intentional on Paul’s part and it did get these enemies of Christ to divert their attention away from Paul—which was his aim. We commented on how we as believers need to be united, which is true. However…

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15:

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

These words assist us in who to be united with and how much.

We must not turn against true believers. Do all believers agree about everything? Of course not, but we must discern the difference between matters that separate believers from non-believers and intramural disagreements. Though we do not need to agree about everything, we must not unnecessarily divide the body of Christ over secondary matters about which we do not have exactly the same convictions. We may even disagree over the interpretation of some passages of scripture and still be brothers and sisters in Christ.

What if the disagreement is on essential doctrines? If someone holds a position that places them in the category of outright heresy, they are not Christians. This is why we cannot lock arms with those who are in cults—no matter how much they may insist that they are Christians. This does not mean that we may hate them or be less than pleasantly Christian in our relationships with them—especially if we are family-related!

What if we agree on other matters, but not about Christ and the gospel? If a person is not a Christian, we may agree on other things and therefore be able to encourage each other regarding those matters. For instance, there are people who insist they are Christian (and are not) who are pro-life. We can agree on this moral issue and work side by side to further the pro-life cause—as long as we understand that being pro-life doesn’t make a person who believes a false gospel a Christian. This is true regarding other moral issues and even politics (but let us be doubly careful not to mistake like-political convictions with being followers of Christ!).

The key to all of this is discernment. We must discern the difference between essential gospel issues and issues about which true believers may disagree. We must discern the difference between agreement on moral or political issues and theological incompatibilities. And above all we must remain Christlike (pleasant, winsome, and kind) not only with brethren with whom we may disagree on secondary issues, but also with those who oppose Christ and the gospel.

Remaining as united as is possible

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!" And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." Acts 23:6-9

Paul was on trial before the Jewish religious authorities. Things were not going especially well. Paul noticed that those sitting in judgment over him were from two rival religious parties. Some were Pharisees and some were Sadducees. Though these two parties were united in their hatred of Christianity, they were divided among themselves.

The Pharisees were the very strict religious legalists. The Sadducees were the “liberals” who did not believe in any kind of resurrection—in other words: this life is “it.” The two groups didn’t like each other—except regarding any common enemies they may have had—like Jesus, Christians, and now Paul!

Paul seized the opportunity to get them to turn on each other, in hopes of diverting their attention away from him. So, he announced that he was a Pharisee. The Pharisees, fiercely loyal to their party, defended Paul, which emphasized the partisan divide between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Paul’s plan worked!

Lessons?

1. While we have differences among various branches of true and biblical Christianity, we must not turn against each other—especially over secondary matters. Instead, let us defend one another as much as we are able.

2. As we remain united with each other in Christ, it is only a matter of time before the warring factions among non-believers will turn on and devour one another.

“Salute the rank!”

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'"
Acts 23:1-5

Last time we considered Paul’s respectful opening words as he addresses the Jewish council, the fact that he was slapped on the face, and his angry (though prophetic) response (v.1-3). We’ll comment this time on the next phase of those proceedings in (v.4).

“Those who stood by” rebuked Paul for speaking disrespectfully to the high priest (v.4). Though the council was trying Paul unlawfully, their sin did not excuse Paul’s lack of composure. He had a right to be angry, but we could all do with a reminder than anger does not need to be displayed disrespectfully. This is especially true when we are angry with those in authority. Remember Paul’s words in Romans 13:1-7 that all in authority hold their positions by appointment of God—including evil authorities. We are charged to be respectful even when speaking truthfully against their evil deeds.

There is an old military saying, “Salute the rank.” The meaning is that while those who outrank us may be less than deserving people, we need to be properly respectful to the office, even if the officer is not respectable.

This is practical and much needed in our day. Speaking for myself, it is been over 30 years since we had an American president that I did not have serious objections to—whether regarding policy or personality, or both! I can get exercised with my disapproval of these leaders. Obviously I have not spoken inappropriately to their faces, but I have spoken disparagingly about them. This is wrong. To speak truth—or even honest opinion—even when angry, is one thing. To speak disrespectfully is another.

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:26 (which is a quote from Psalm 4:4): “Be angry and sin not.”

Lord, may we restrain our words with grace. Teach us to honor You, by honoring those You have appointed to positions of authority—even when they are evil.

Order in the court!

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'" Acts 23:1-5

Paul started his appearance before the Jewish council with respect. That changed rather abruptly.

The high priest Ananias, ordered that Paul be slapped in the face. For what? Not for anything Paul had said in court. He hadn’t said much and he began most respectfully (v.1). Ananias, unlike our Great High Priest Jesus, was not an easy man. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, he was known for being both vicious and violent. Having Paul struck in the face was just the way Ananias did business.

He did not have Paul slapped for anything Paul said while in court that day. He was struck for what Ananias had already falsely determined to be true about Paul: that Paul had been perverting the Jewish religion and therefore deserved to be humiliated.

You may remember in John 18:22-23 when Jesus stood before Caiaphas, He too was struck in the face. Jesus calmly asked the person who struck Him why He had been treated as such. Paul reacted rather angrily (v.3).

Note that Paul charged the Jewish official with breaking Jewish procedural law by punishing a person before his case was settled and an official judgement was rendered. As the Jewish trials of Jesus were carried out unlawfully, so was Paul’s trial. As to the manner of Paul’s response, he rather disrespectfully pronounced a curse on Ananias. However, his words were prophetic. As history records, King Agrippa punitively removed Ananias from office in A.D. 59. Then in A.D. 66, Ananias was assassinated. But neither of those events were as bad as what awaited Ananias when he faced God for judgment.

What about Paul being rebuked for his disrespect for the high priest (v.4)? Next time.

Preparing for persecution

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Acts 22:30-23:1

It had been twenty years. That’s right, twenty years earlier the deacon, Stephen, stood where Paul was now standing (Acts 7). Stephen was on trial before the chief priests and the council. Stephen gave a brilliant explanation for his faith in Christ, urging his inquisitors to join him in trusting Christ. They refused, “and they cast [Stephen] out of the city and stoned him.” (Acts 7:58) And the rest of verse fifty-eight:

And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Acts 7:58

Now Paul was standing where Stephen stood, but Paul was on trial this time. Ironic.

Once the court was in session, official words were no doubt spoken stating the charges against the former persecutor of Christians, turned champion of the faith. Ananias, the high priest who presided over the Jesus’ religious trial, was without a doubt presiding.

When it was Paul’s turn to speak, Paul looked “intently at the council.” (ESV) Though his life was indeed on the line, Paul’s gaze was no doubt respectful, but he was not about to back down. Paul’s words were likewise respectful. Paul affirmed that he had always lived his life according to the will of God, in as much as he understood God’s will. This was true regarding his zeal for the law as a Pharisee. It was true regarding his vehement persecution of Christians. And it was now true regarding his passion to preach Christ. The difference was that before Paul was saved, he did not understand God’s will.

Paul’s plea before the court was innocence before God—even though in the eyes of his accusers, he was indeed “guilty” of being a Christian.

I have lived my entire life free from persecution for being a follower of Christ. If that were to change, would I follow the example of Paul before his accusers. Would I follow the example of Stephen? And of Christ Himself? The likelihood of persecution of Christians in the United States is increasing. The time to prepare for persecution is before it begins. The way to prepare for persecution is to live our lives “in all good conscience before God.” All day. Every day.

Heaven help us.

Christianity (alone) is essentially different

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them." Acts 22:30

The leader of the Roman soldiers who were detaining Paul was curious, “Why are these Jewish religious leaders so angry with this man, Paul, who like them, is so religious?” This passage got me to thinking about how non-religious people view “religious” people. Most often they see religions as all being essentially the same. In reality all religions are not the same. As has been said, “All religions (including Christianity) could be wrong, but they cannot all be right.” Why? Because they contradict each other in fundamental ways.

In the last two posts we sought to first show how the beliefs of the three great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are fundamentally not the same. Secondly, we sought to demonstrate that all of the world’s religions are not the same. We’ll conclude this consideration of world religions by clarifying how virtually all world religions have one thing in common about which Christianity is antithetically the opposite.

Virtually every religion under the sun has this in common: their adherents must do something to reach whatever each religion sets forth as the goal. That goal may be Heaven, nirvana. enlightenment, oneness with the universe, or whatever.

Contrariwise, Christianity (alone) says that humans are so sinful that we are incapable of doing anything to “save” ourselves. According to Christianity, our only hope is that God (and God alone) must do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. And because God is infinitely loving and gracious, He has done that very thing for us. The only begotten Son of God, Jesus, became a man to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves: He lived sinlessly for us and then died and rose for us. By doing these things, He purchased our forgiveness and provided us with both His righteousness and a desire to follow Him. In so doing, He opened Heaven that was otherwise closed to us.

Who gets the benefit of what God has done for us? Not those who do, but those who believe or trust in Him. Christians gratefully follow Jesus not to gain Heaven, but because He has already secured our place in Heaven.

This fundamental difference between Christianity and all other religions has frequently been summarized with these words: There are two kinds of religion: Do and Done. All other religions are based on what we must do. Only Christianity is based on what God has done for us.

COEXIST? Or CONTRADICT?

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them." Acts 22:30

We began yesterday noting that the leader of the Roman soldiers who were detaining Paul was curious, “Why are these Jewish religious leaders so angry with this man, Paul, who like them is so religious?” Last time we argued that even among the three great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the beliefs of each are fundamentally not the same.

This time we’ll look more broadly at the myth that there is little or no difference between religions and religious people. Who hasn’t seen the bumper sticker made of religious symbols that spells out the word: “COEXIST”?

Let me share three observations about the myth espoused by the “COEXIST” bumper stickers that all religions are the same. If the bumper sticker was correct, it would say: “CONTRADICT” instead of “COEXIST.”

First, it is ironic that many of those those who display that bumper sticker are altogether intolerant of any who do not agree with them that all religions are the same—even though the evidence proves that they are not. In fact, the notion that all religions are the same only reveals how little some people know about world religions—that are not the same.

Second, I agree that it would be nice if people from all world religions would tolerate one another and “COEXIST.” By that I mean, refrain from hate and violence against each other. Let’s face the sad fact that many people have been killed by those from one religion for believing in another religion. That is of course, horrible. The world would be a better place if people from all religions simply allowed each other to practice their religions in peace. The sad reality, however, is that by nature some religions are violently coercive.

Third, we understand that some religions, including Christianity, are by nature, “evangelistically expansionary.” That means people from some religions are committed to converting people from other religions to join theirs. But how this desire to convert others is carried out matters. Many religions are violently coercive—meaning “convert or be killed.”

Christianity is by nature fundamentally different, however. We are evangelistic, but we are never to employ coercive (much less violent) force. Instead, we are to employ persuasive reason.

As Christians we try to persuade people to believe, knowing that (a) since we cannot force anyone to believe, we must never try to, and (b) that only the Holy Spirit change a person’s heart so that they willingly believe.

And as we try to persuade people to believe, because not all will believe, we must sympathetically continue to love and pray for those who do not believe.

Next time: how all religions except Christianity have one thing in common, and how Christianity is in that one thing fundamentally different from every other religion.

All religions are the same. Not.

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them." Acts 22:30

The leader of the Roman soldiers who were detaining Paul was curious. “Why are these Jewish religious leaders so angry with this man, Paul, who like them is so religious?” From this, be reminded that in the eyes of the world there is little difference between religions and religious people. After 9/11 how many times did we hear, “Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God”? Untrue. Any understanding of these three monotheistic religions makes it clear that we do not.

Obviously the Muslim deity is not the same as that of Christians and Jews. While there are many peaceful Muslims, there are foundational teachings in Islam that are not peaceful. The religion and its teachings are completely different from both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that define Judaism and Christianity.

Sadly, many believers in Jesus also fail to see the difference between Christianity and Judaism. Christians and Jews both embrace the entire Old Testament of the Bible. However, Judaism embraces only the Old Testament. Christians, on the other hand, embrace both the Old and New Testaments. The difference is that the Christian God of the Old and New Testaments has a Son, Jesus, who died and rose to deliver His people from their sins. Judaism completely rejects this.

Think of it this way: Someone claims to know me. That person knows I live in California, love to eat nachos, and listen to jazz music, but denies that the Errol he claims to know has a wife and three daughters. I have a wife and three daughters (which is a far more important fact than location, dietary, and music preferences!). I submit to you that the person does not know me!

In like manner, 1 John 2:23 makes it crystal clear that anyone who claims to know the God of Christianity but denies the Son of God, Jesus, does not know God either:

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Yes, it is true that Christians believe in the God of “biblical Judaism,” but we embrace all of His revelation of Himself in both Old and New Testaments. But to reject the New Testament is to fail to understand the real meaning of the Old Testament that points to Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Let us pray that Jewish people will come to faith in Jesus, their Messiah!

Let us pray for Muslims to come to faith in Jesus, who is the one and only true and living God—and not the god of Islam.

As for Satan’s lie that all religions teach essentially the same thing, more next time.

Avoiding persecution. Is it ever right?

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman." Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes." The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. Acts 22:25-29

As we saw last time, though God can rescue us from danger miraculously, He more often does so through “ordinary means.” Paul was rescued from an angry mob—yes, by God, who used ungodly civil authorities.

This time let’s note that Paul used his Roman citizenship to escape being beaten by the Roman authorities. Under Roman law it was unlawful to beat a Roman citizen. Paul knew that and so he used that privilege of citizenship to his advantage.

In most cases it is wise to avoid persecution. The only exception is if such an avoidance would require compromising—or worse, denying Christ, our faith, or truth. Those who deny the Lord to avoid persecution sin against the Lord, who warned us, “If you deny me before men, I will deny you before My Father” (Matthew 10:43).

There are ways to avoid persecution that are not wrong, however. When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach, He told them that if they were not accepted, they were to leave that place (Matthew 10:14). From this we may safely deduce that avoiding persecution is not only permissible, but prudent in some cases.

Let us be wise in discerning this matter however. Avoiding persecution by never letting on that you are a disciple of Jesus is much more a silent denial of Christ than it is wise means of avoiding persecution.

Jesus could not avoid the cross because His death and resurrection is what He was sent by the Father to do. Avoiding the cross would have been disobedience. You and I are not so clearly sent to be persecuted. So at the risk of redundancy, use wisdom in avoiding persecution (including taking full advantage of civil laws as Paul did), but let us never compromise, much less deny Christ, our faith, or truth.

Last Thought: There are many believers around the world who are persecuted for simply believing in Jesus as Savior. Though they worship in secret, they cannot completely avoid persecution. Please remember these in prayer! And as our society is increasingly hostile to Christ, and His followers, let us fortify ourselves in our faith and resolve to never deny Christ, our faith, or truth to save our necks!

Saved by, WHO?

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air… the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" Acts 22:22-25

It is likely that the title of the blog post, “Saved by Who?” causes most believers intuitively to say, “Well, God, of course!” And of course, if we are speaking about salvation from sin, the correct answer is always, “God!” But in this meditation, think about the various kinds of “ordinary means” that God often uses to spare us from temporal troubles.

In this case, God used the civil authorities to “save” Paul from the angry mob that was crying out for Paul’s life. Don’t miss that in this case the civil authorities were not, and seldom ever are, godly. Paul’s “salvation” from the mob wasn’t pain free, as the Roman centurion’s plan was to interrogate Paul under scourging (torture).

But God wasn’t done using ordinary means to rescue Paul. As we’ll see in the following verses, God used Paul’s Roman citizenship to rescue him from the beating!

The take away I would encourage you to consider is that though God can, and sometimes may, deliver miraculously, more often than not, it is through ordinary means that God hears and answers our prayers. This is why I often pray for the sick, pleading for God’s mercy “whether by medicine or miracle.”

Let us neither reject nor expect (much less demand) miracles. And when God answers our prayer in ways that are not miraculous, let us not fail to give God the thanks and glory, even when He is pleased to use ordinary means.

People's reactions to the gospel

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air… " Acts 22:22-23

The preceding verses are what Paul was saying to the angry mob in Jerusalem about his previous conversion experience. How did the mob in Jerusalem react to Paul’s testimony? Were they converted? Was their anger even soothed? Hardly! They again called for Paul’s death! The fact that people do not respond favorably to hearing our testimonies and the gospel must not deter us from proclaiming the truth. We may be somewhat discouraged by people’s negative reactions—but let us not be surprised. How many times did some of us hear before believing (by God’s grace)?!

And do not miss how vehemently they hated Paul—crying out, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust into the air! No matter how people respond, we have been commissioned to proclaim Christ and the gospel. We do not proclaim Christ and the gospel because of people’s positive reactions. Nor do we not proclaim Christ and the gospel because of people’s negative reactions.

We proclaim Christ and the gospel because (a) our Lord has commissioned us to do so, and (b) because the gospel is the power of God to salvation. Though not all will receive Christ upon hearing the gospel, those God has determined to save will be saved, in God’s timing.

Let us soldier on proclaiming Christ and the gospel, in obedience to Christ and with the confidence that He will save His people.

A footnote: Why do people hate hearing the gospel? Because (a) they hate God, and (b) because they insist that they have no need of God because they do not believe they are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. And lest we forget before we were born gain, many of us were likewise deceived.

Next time: Saved by the government?

To GO, or to STAY?

"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " Acts 22:17-21

The Lord sent Paul to faraway places to preach Christ to the Gentiles (v.21)

The Church is commissioned to GO make disciples. The Church is commissioned to go make disciples, not merely to get people to come to church. Coming to church is great, but are we who are the Church going?

A minority of Christians are called to go to faraway places as missionaries and church planters. Most stay and serve in local churches.

A key aspect of staying is that we are to preach Christ were we live, work, and play. We come to church for worship, fellowship, and service in the Church, but the rest of the week we are to go to our mission field that is near, not far away. How are we doing at this?

A second key aspect of Staying is supporting those who do go to faraway places. We support with prayer, words of encouragement, and financial support. How are we doing at this?

We’ll consider how we can be better at supporting our missionaries to go, next time…

Is It Possible to Love Jesus but Not the Church?

I read this on Saturday and thought it is too good not to pass along! The piece was written by Dustin Benge (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary).
May the Lord encourage you regarding His church with Dr. Benge’s words.

Is the Church Ugly or Beautiful?

People find the church ugly because their focus and their vision is on the wrong thing. It's on the wrong person, if you will. They're focused on those who make up the church: sinners. Albeit forgiven, still we're sinners. In her own eyes, the church is full of spots and blemishes. When we inwardly reflect, when we look at ourselves, we as the church would be the very first people to recognize the problems, the difficulties, the spots. Yet Christ draws our attention to his bride here and now, not for veneration or worship, but that we may be astonished and lost in the wonder of his love and sacrifice on her behalf. So we have to change our focus, don’t we?

The church is beautiful because the lens through which Christ regards her is his cross—the focal point of blood, righteousness, forgiveness, union, justification, regeneration, and grace. His cross makes her beautiful. It's not about the people. It's not about our failures. No, his perfection makes her beautiful.

It's his sacrificial, substitutionary, sinless blood that washes her garments white as snow. It's nothing that we do, but it's all that he has done. The cross of Christ makes her beautiful, not only inwardly by justification, but also outwardly by sanctification. And so from giving second birth to final glory, the righteousness of Christ creates a beautiful church. And so let me say this: it's just simply not possible to say that we love Jesus without loving the one for whom Jesus died—the church.

Dustin Benge is the author of “The Loveliest Place: The Beauty and Glory of the Church.”
Click Here to go to where I read the article at crossway.org

Past sins

"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " Acts 22:17-21

We are reminded here in Acts 22 that Paul (then Saul) was not only present, but complicit in the martyr’s death by stoning of Steven (cf. Acts 8:58). Paul was violently passionate to destroy Christianity. His guilt was massive. But God…

No wonder that Paul was so laden with remorse. But God…

Because God graciously saved Paul, and removed his guilt, he could write:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

It is not bad to remember past sins—not for the sake of condemnation, but for the sake of rejoicing in the boundless grace of God. Remembering past sins is a healthy safe-guard from pride, and positive memento of how completely the blood of Christ removes sin, guilt, and shame.

Let our remembrances of sin urge us forward in sanctification and in gratitude for God’s forgiveness. Let us not beat ourselves down for past sins (once they are forgiven). Do not allow the voices of accusers rob us of freedom in Christ. And whatever you do, never join the devil in throwing the past sins of other believers at them.

When those we love won't listen

"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " Acts 22:17-21

First, let’s remember that in Acts 22, Paul was recounting his conversion experience that happened back in Acts 9. This passage in Acts 22 is, as we may say, a flashback.

Last time we pointed out that the Lord told Paul (Saul when it happened) that people would not receive his testimony regarding his conversion. From that, we were encouraged to speak of Christ and leave the saving to the Holy Spirit. This time let us learn another related message.

Paul was as Jewish as it gets! When he was converted, he wanted to tell his Jewish brethren about Jesus. The Lord was not only saying that “people” wouldn’t listen to him, but more specifically that the “Jewish people” would not listen to him! Paul tried to reason with the Lord that because of his history of persecuting Christians, the Jews would listen to him. But the Lord had other plans for Paul. Paul was to become the chief evangelist to the Gentiles! Two lessons:

Sometimes the Lord sends us to speak with people we would not naturally want to speak with. In Paul’s case, he didn’t even like Gentiles! We must be prepared to go where the Lord sends us, to speak with those to whom He sends us. After all He is the Lord!

Additionally, some of us may be used by the Lord to lead family to Christ. But frequently we are the last people family will listen to. When that is the case, once we have said what we can say, if the door is closed to us, let us pray that the Lord will cause our loved ones’ paths to cross with other believers they will listen to. God will save His people, but it may be that He will use others.

Every, "No" is a step closer to a, "Yes"

"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " Acts 22:17-21

Though we should not expect visions and extra-biblical messages from the Lord, the message Paul received from the Lord contains pertinent information for all believers at all times. The Lord warned Paul to expect people to reject his testimony about Christ. Beginning with Cain and Abel, non-believers have routinely rejected believers. God told Samuel that those who reject God’s people are in essence rejecting God (1 Samuel 8:7). Jesus specifically told the disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

We must not allow this reality to make us either prideful or dejected when rejected for Christ’s sake or for the sake of our faith in Him. Rather, Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The greater news is that not ALL will reject believers for Christ’s sake! Some will be convicted by the Holy Spirit, repent, and believe!

Believe it or not, I was once a Fuller Brush door to door salesman. A small minority of the doors on which I knocked bought something. Most did not, and some were downright rude. Some who try their hand at this kind of sales can’t take the rejection so they swiftly quit. I survived because I realized every “No,” meant I was closer to one of the few who said, “Yes.”

This kind of mentality is helpful when we are not embraced enthusiastically while sharing Christ with the lost. But even more importantly, we must be encouraged that it is not up to us to convert (much less be liked) by anyone. We are charged to simply speak about Christ. Saving some of those we speak to is entirely up to the Lord—and He will save His people!