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The Spirit acts along the journey of life and ministry. From Acts 21 to the end of the book (Acts 28) we will see an account of Paul’s journey that will eventually bring him to Rome. Along the way we see the continued guidance of the Spirit and that Paul takes every opportunity to minister the word of God, even when his life is threatened. Truly, when we look at Paul on his journey, we can take heart that the Spirit is always acting.
Let’s remember our theme for this great book of the Bible:
The Spirit of God using the word of God to make people of God and changing the people of God into Spirit-empowered, effective, edifying, disciples of Jesus Christ.
We have seen that there are many facets to this objective. Another major theme in the Book of Acts is the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is what we will see throughout the remainder of Acts. Before we continue in Acts 21, let’s consider an overview of how the Holy Spirit directs us in life.
The Preparation of the Spirit
The Lord has a habit of preparing us for what lies ahead. His objective in preparing us is to give us the best chance of rightly responding to and taking full advantage of His plan and purpose. By preparing us God equips us for the task that lies ahead of us.
God prepares us in our individual lives for the outworking of His plans that are coming ahead. There are numerous examples of Spirit led preparation in God’s word. Let’s look at some of these in His word.
First,God prepares us with prophecy so that we will take notice and know He is at work, (not idols) and listen to Him. In Isaiah, the LORD says:
Ezekiel was declared by God to be a preparatory sign to the people to prepare them to see that it was the hand of the LORD at work and come to know Him. In Ezekiel, it states:
The whole purpose of prophecy is that God is trying to prepare andintroduce us to His saving plan. In prophecy, God makes a bright and glorious unmistakable shinning sign that if people are genuinely seeking Him, they will not be able to disregard or miss. Prophecy isGod’s shout and signature plan for what He intends to do in this life, on this planet.
Second, God prepares us primarily to receive Jesus. In the last book of the Old Testament, through the prophet Malachi, the LORD says:
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus calling the people to repentance to prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 3; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:6-8, 15-37). God often sends forerunners in our lives before we are saved to prepare us to receive Jesus. These forerunners may be a saved friend, relative or acquaintance. Sometimes they are perfect strangers or may be even angels who the Spirit uses to bring conviction of our sin to our hearts, to show us our need for a Savior, to get us ready to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
Third, Jesus prepares us to know who He is, the Son of God, Messiah, the Christ and Savior, and Servant. Jesus said:
Jesus prepared the disciples to know what following Him was all about and who He really was, what He was all about. The Lord does the same today as He puts servant leaders in place to demonstrate the Christ-like way.
Fourth, Jesus prepares us ahead of time to facilitate belief and trust in Him as the Spirit leads us. Jesus said:
Jesus prepares us by the Holy Spirit. This is what we see happening in the life of Paul. Jesus, through the Spirit, warns Paul of the persecution and hardship that lay ahead to prepare him and so that Paul will know to trust in Him, because Jesus is in control and what is about to happen is not out of His control.
Fifth, Jesus prepares us ahead of time so that we will not stumble. Jesus said:
Jesus prepares us ahead of time so that we will not stumble when hard times come or tempting times come. It is easier to get through something if you know it is coming. You can brace yourself in the Lord in such circumstances. I am convinced that the Spirit does prepare us, or at least seeks to prepare us for trials and temptations that lie ahead. The only problem is that we are often so busy and inattentive to receive the preparation that we miss it and are taken off guard.
Let me illustrate this. Suppose you are house hunting and come across a fixer-upper. Now the person living there presently has really let the place go downhill. In fact, the basement has served as a repository of all sorts of garbage and paraphernalia. Now suppose when you go to see if this house is something you’d like to buy, and you come to the door that leads to the basement, suppose the owner simply opens the door for you to go in without telling you that it is dangerously cluttered or even where the light switch is. You know what will happen, don’t you? You will take one step, maybe two, and then stumble, trip and plummet to your peril into the darkness. Now on the other hand, if, when the owner shows you around the house, and you come to the basement door, he prepares you for what lies behind the door by telling you of the massive clutter and where the light switch is, so you can see what lies ahead and below you, you will be able to maneuver and handle the situation without stumbling. That’s what the Lord does for us. The Spirit turns on the light at the top of the stairs of life and prepares us for the clutter and danger that lies ahead of us. He turns on the light and prepares us with His word and through Godly counsel.
Sixth, Jesus prepares us against false Christ figures, false teachers, and false prophets by warning us about them ahead of time. Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse:
What if in the above illustration about the basement, there is not only clutter and darkness, but a seller dweller waiting to pounce on anyone who ventures into his dark realm? You would get quite a fright if you went into such darkness and were confronted by an unknown Orc or ogre of sorts! (See 1 Peter 5:8-9). But if you are warned, you are prepared to be cautious and take appropriate action to protect yourself and handle the situation. The Holy Spirit warns us about the false teachers and their teachings that lurk around us so that we can avoid becoming their prey.
The apostle Peter did the same preparing work in the Spirit when he wrote:
One of the main, if not the main, purpose of the Scriptures is to warn believers against falsehood, trials and temptations that lie ahead in life. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. If we know what lies ahead, we can prepare for it. That is all the more true in our spiritual lives.
Seventh, the Spirit prepares us through His word so that we can weather the storms that lay ahead in life, to give us a path and power to remain true to Him even when the enemy attacks. That is why His word states:
Yes, God in His word prepares us for what lays ahead. The Spirit offers us preparation in His word for our lives if we will only listen and trust in Him. The Spirit brings people along our life path to prepare us to walk in the will of God. The question remains, will we listen and obey?
The Spirit Prepares Us For What Lays Ahead
Each of these stops was likely a day’s journey on the sea. The Spirit directed Paul along his path to Jerusalem and helped him find “disciples” along the way (Acts 21:4). This fellowship and time of mutual encouragement, as we have seen throughout the Book of Acts, reveals the love of the Spirit at work through the disciples.
Actively search for other disciples. The word “finding” in verse four indicates that Paul actively sought out disciples (Greek aneurontes – Aorist/Active/Participle of aneurisko – to search, searching). We shouldn’t expect disciples or other Christians to always seek us out. We should actively seek out fellow disciples. This is in line with the idea of not forsaking the gathering together of fellow believers (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25). The person who sits back and waits for disciples to find them, may be waiting a long time and possibly will remain alone. To sit back and wait for others to minister to you is self-centered and fleshly. We ought to all be seeking out other disciples and be mutually encouraging each other. That is what Paul’s practice was. It should be ours as well.
The Spirit Prepares us through Fellowship and Prayer
Paul the approachable apostle. This scene tells us a lot about Paul. He was well-educated and capable of conversing with the intellectuals in Athens, but he was not an impersonal, arrogant, unapproachable leader. When it came time for Paul to say goodbye, “all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city.” Even the children wanted to go and say goodbye to Paul. Paul was used by God to write 14 of the New Testament epistles. That’s quite an accomplishment. But Paul had a personal impact on the families he ministered to. Paul related and was beloved by all. That is a good example for us to follow, no matter how educated we are. Paul was bolstered by the Spirit through fellowship.
Paul made sure to pray with people. Wherever Paul went, he made sure to pray with the people (Acts 21:5) Paul was a man of prayer, and it inspired others to pray as well. Being a man of prayer is another reason to believe Paul was not disobedient but obedient to the Spirit.). Paul also seems to have been a man loved by the family of God. As the Spirit foretold the impending peril Paul was to face in Jerusalem, those who loved Paul feared for his life and therefore warned and “weeping” begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. It does not seem the Spirit was telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem only that trials lay ahead for him. It was the disciples who were advising Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul was also bolstered by the Spirit in prayer. Paul and his friends “knelt down on the shore and prayed.” What a beautiful scene and how heartfelt a prayer time they must have had. Fellowship and prayer are powerful tools of the Holy Spirit. He uses them to prepare us for what lies ahead.
We also see that Paul runs into Philip the evangelist (see Acts 8; Acts 21:8-9). Philip is the father of four daughters who all have the spiritual gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 11:5). It is interesting that nothing is said of any prophetic word received through any of these four daughters. But this is a fulfillment in part of Joel’s prophecy that, “your sons and daughters shall prophesy” when the Holy Spirit is poured out on “all flesh” (Joel 2:28). This, of course, was fulfilled at Pentecost, and we see continued evidence of its effects here.
Was Paul Disobedient to the Spirit?
The name “Agabus” means locust. I wonder if Agabus maybe looked like a locust when he was born. Nevertheless, Agabus was a prophet and, as prophets sometimes do, he used a prop to communicate to the Apostle Paul. Jeremiah had used a sash (Jeremiah 13). Ezekiel made a model of Jerusalem to communicate the impending siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4). Agabus took Paul’s belt and used it to convey the idea that he was going to be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem.
Does the word from the disciples warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem “through the Spirit” mean that Paul was disobeying the Spirit by going to Jerusalem? (Acts 21:4). This is a hotly debated question. In Acts 22:18 Paul is warned that his word will not be received in Jerusalem. But the evidence also shows that Paul seemed to be following the leading of the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21; Acts 20:22; Acts 21:14). The comfort given by God along the way seems to support his journey (Acts 23:11). Paul certainly was a man of prayer (Acts 21:5). He was not rebuked by any of those around him, only warned. Paul testified to his clear conscience on this trip to Jerusalem (Acts 23:1). Also, God seems to have affirmed Paul’s mission in Acts 23:11. It is true that Jerusalem was one of the few places where there was little to no fruit from Paul’s ministry. But the most we can say is that the Spirit warned Paul about what he would face in Jerusalem, but did not prohibit him from going to Jerusalem.
No amount of pleading would change Paul’s mind about going to Jerusalem. He was determined to go there. And that determination found in this Godly man is evidence that he was proceeding as the Spirit was leading him.
The warnings of impending peril ahead served to help Paul to be prepared in the Spirit. Warnings do not necessarily mean “stop,” they may simply be the Spirit’s preparation for persecution. Paul wanted to share the gospel with his brethren and had an offering he wanted to deliver to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 24:17; Romans 15:25-27; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:13-14; 2 Corinthians 9:12-13; Galatians 2:10). There is more evidence that Paul was in the will of God and following the leading of the Spirit in going to Jerusalem than there is to say he was not following the will of the Spirit by going there.
There is nothing in Acts or elsewhere that would lead us to believe Paul was being disobedient to the Spirit here or elsewhere. Paul gives every indication and evidence to be one who would go wherever the Spirit led Him. It is more likely, therefore, that the Spirit, through the disciples he met along the way, warned Paul and that helped him be prepared for the rejection and persecution he would soon encounter.
What Drives You?
Why did Paul have such a persistent desire to go to Jerusalem? What drove him so passionately? What drives us? What drives you?
Paul’s burden for the lost. Two things need to be in mind here. First, in Acts 20:24, Paul said he knew that “chains and tribulations await me.” But then he adds, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Nothing, not even being bound, chained, or tried severely, was going to prevent Paul from preaching the gospel. And the gospel is not always preached to friendly people. Sometimes the gospel must be preached to those who hate us. Paul knew from personal experience that the gospel can change the staunchest of enemies of Christ; he had been one of them. His attitude was that if he could be converted to Christ, anyone could.
Paul’s burden for his countrymen, the Jews. Secondly, we must remember Paul’s burden for his countrymen the Jews. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul shared, “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” (Romans 9:1-5). Paul’s heart was grieved that those who had been given so much by God had failed, and even refused, to accept His Son Jesus Christ, their promised Messiah. Paul went on to say to the church in Rome, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel are that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1-4). It is this heartfelt burden for the lost of Israel that is behind his driving force to go to Jerusalem. Paul is driven by a burden for his brethren’s salvation. A passion for the lost should drive all of us. Do you have a passion for the lost? Are you willing to put up with persecution and opposition in order to share the gospel with those who might hate you in response? Paul is an example of how we should be willing to put up with anything, and not be moved away from, our sharing the gospel with the lost, even our enemies.
How the Spirit Prepares Us
We are prepared for what lies ahead by listening to the Spirit and committing ourselves to trust Him no matter what the future holds. We see this in the life of Paul, who said in our passage in our study:
Paul was ready because he listened to the preparatory words of the Lord. Remember earlier in his words to the Ephesian elders, he stated:
Paul had listened to the Spirit and, therefore, he was prepared to trust the Lord in whatever lay ahead.
Jesus said:
The preparation of the Spirit, (listening and taking in His preparatory word) is the key to being victorious in life. That is what makes us more than a conqueror, as we mentioned in our study of the last chapter (Romans 8:37).
The Spirit Presents Us As All Things to All Men
Paul was in effect bearing witness or giving his testimony of what the Spirit had done among the Gentiles through him. He met with James and the other elders from the Jerusalem church. No other Apostle is mentioned such as Peter or John. Perhaps they were out spreading the gospel throughout the world. But Paul shared with the leaders how the Spirit was winning souls to Christ. That is always encouraging. A testimony of what the Spirit does in your life is always encouraging to those who hear it. Christians should share often what the Lord is doing in their life. Share with others what the Lord is doing in and through you!
From Caesarea to Jerusalem is about 65 miles, a two-day journey by horse. Though it is not mentioned here, Paul must have given the offering to James at this point (Acts 21:15-17; see Acts 24:17). Paul recounts the ministry the Lord had been doing amongst the Gentiles (Acts 21:18-19). But as Paul fellowships with the Jerusalem church brethren, he is told of a slur by his opponents that accused him of teaching that Jews should not circumcise their children. At first glance, this may appear to be an accurate statement, but it is not. Paul taught that relying on circumcision to save a person was a dead ineffectual work of the flesh, but he did not prohibit altogether circumcising the children of Jews according to their customs (Acts 21:21; see Romans 2:17-29).
There is a time for compromise. One should never compromise on the essentials of the faith such as the gospel, deity of Christ, the authority of God’s word. But there is a time when compromise in nonessentials may be called for to further the gospel. The solution posed by the Jerusalem church leaders was that Paul should pay the expenses of “four men who have taken a vow” (Acts 21:22-23). Then Paul was to join these men in submitting to purification rites, which would be a good will gesture that “you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law” (Acts 21:24). Gentiles weren’t required to abide by such practices, but only to “keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 21:25). Paul was not compromising his faith in Christ by doing this, only complying with practices which would keep the door open to minister Christ who felt strongly about such practices.
Paul’s Vow – Becoming All Things to All Men
What we have here is a situation that is similar to what Paul wrote the church in Rome about. In Romans 14, Paul addresses a hypothetical situation where those who are weak in faith believe it is important to refrain from eating meat that had previously been offered to pagan idols. Leftover meat that was sacrificed to pagan idols was sold in the market. Some Christians believed eating meat that had been offered to idols was a sin akin to partaking in the worship of those idols. Other stronger-in-the-faith Christians felt it was just meat and probably on sale and had no problem eating it. Paul’s message in the chapter on this issue was, “let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 14:19). He said the stronger Christian should restrain his liberty to preserve the faith of the weaker Christian. “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense” (Romans 14:20). In other words, don’t let incidental minor issues undermine the essentials of edifying people in their faith. In the end Paul says, “whatever is not from faith is sin,” or let each person be governed in these nonessential things according to their faith (Romans 14:23).
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he clearly states that observing days legalistically, or to attain righteousness, is a wrong way of thinking (Colossians 2:11-23). He talks about circumcision, food and drink, festivals, new moons, Sabbaths which “are a shadow of things to come,” but then adds, “but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 3:17). He shares how observing such things lends itself to a “false humility” (Colossians 2:18). His conclusion about such rituals and religious practices is, “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23). So Paul picked his opportunities to speak straightforwardly and to the point about such things, but he would never risk ruining or wrecking a person’s faith by way of secondary issues.
Therefore, to keep the door of ministry to the Jews open, Paul follows the advice of James and the other brethren to fulfill a vow of purification, which is likely a Nazarite vow (Acts 21:20-26; Numbers 6:1-7; Colossians 2:14-17; see also our discussion in Acts 18). These actions are not evidence of a compromise in Paul’s life but a willingness to be all things to all men. To the Corinthians, Paul was moved by the Spirit to write:
Paul was willing to sacrifice his personal freedoms to have a door opened to share the gospel and minister to the lost. This was the Holy Spirit at work in him to present him in a way that would open a door to ministry. The Holy Spirit presents us as all things to all men that by all means some might be saved. What is the Spirit speaking to you about that would enhance your use to the Lord and possibly open a door of ministry to those around you? What are you willing to sacrifice, what freedom will you forego, to reach the lost?
The Spirit Persists and the Religious Continue to Resist
Sometimes, even though you try to do all the right things, you still meet with opposition. That is what Paul encounters here. It must have broken Paul’s heart to be rejected by his brethren for whom he had such a burden for their salvation.
Paul purified according to the Jewish ritual, would proceed to the temple. You weren’t allowed into the courts of the temple unless you had been through certain purification rituals. Today, when climbing up the southern steps to the temple mount, there remains the Mikveh, or purification baths used by pilgrims going into the temple area.
Paul would make an offering. There were various offerings under the Old Covenant: Sin offerings, burnt offerings, peace offerings. For Paul, because of Christ, the sin offering would have been an appropriate offering to make. But he might have made a burnt or peace offering which was made to commune with God and show one’s consecration.
When one entered the temple mount there were courts. There was first the Court of the Gentiles, and then there was the Court of the Women. Then there was the Court of the Men. Lastly, there was the Court of the Sanctuary where sacrifices were made and within that the Holy of Holies. Around the Court of the Women there was a wall and on the wall signs were hung warning Gentiles to keep out and if they did go beyond that point, they would be put to death. To go beyond the area of the Gentiles, the gentile would be responsible for their own death.
Paul was being accused of bringing Gentiles beyond the prescribed point and therefore desecrating the temple area. Paul hadn’t done that, but he was being accused of doing that. The enemies of the gospel will often stoop to false accusations to persecute the gospel messengers.
Again, we see the religious try to undermine the work of the Spirit through Paul. The Spirit persists in presenting the gospel to the lost, even the religious lost; and the religious continue to resist Him. The religious were so caught up in their legalism that they missed the good news the Spirit through Paul was trying to present to them. Paul was accused of defiling the Temple by bringing Gentiles beyond the outer Court of the Gentiles into the inner courts of the Temple precincts.
Just as Agabus had predicted, Paul was bound with chains in Jerusalem. They were seeking to kill Paul and were beating him. When the Roman commander came, they stopped beating Paul and Paul was put in chains.
This was a serious civil disturbance. Josephus tells us that for feast days Jerusalem would be crowded with up to two million people. One of the prime duties of Roman soldiers was to keep the peace. That was the law of Rome, Pax Romana. A vast empire could not afford insurrections that challenged their order and rule. Therefore, this was a serious situation.
Again, we see that the result of religion is not order but “tumult,” a sure sign that they are not following God’s plan (Acts 21:34; 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). This is the sixth time a riot started because of Paul’s ministry (Acts 14:19; Acts 16:19-22; Acts 17:5-8, 13; Acts 19:25-41). The accusations brought against Paul were like those brought against Stephen (Acts 21:27-36; Acts 6:11, 13-14). There can be little doubt this mob desired to do to Paul what had been done to Stephen (Acts 7).
As the riot gathered steam, news of it reached the Antonia Fortress, situated to the north of the Temple and soldiers were summoned to go and control the crowd. In the expansive Roman Empire rioting or insurrection was always viewed as a serious threat to the peace of the Empire, and a potential challenge to their governing authority. Therefore, when a riot started it was met with serious attention by the Roman military (Acts 21:31-32). It is the governing authority that is used by the Lord to save Paul and the shouts of the crowd, “Away with him!” reminds us of the shouts against Christ years before (Acts 21:33-36; Luke 23:18; John 19:15).
The Spirit Provides an Opportunity to Share the Gospel
Paul’s father was Greek and therefore he had evidently learned Greek. Paul was a gifted communicator.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary comments in the following way on the “Egyptian” referred to by the Roman commander:
The commander, surprised that Paul could speak Greek, had supposed the apostle to be an Egyptian insurrectionist who had not yet been apprehended by the Romans. Evidently this Egyptian rebel was unable or refused to speak Greek. Josephus wrote of an Egyptian impostor who claimed to be a prophet. He said this Egyptian had gathered 30,000 followers (Luke with accuracy states 4,000; Josephus had a tendency to inflate numbers) and in A.D.54 came to the Mount of Olives promising his adherents that the walls of Jerusalem would collapse at his command. Instead, the Roman army promptly marched on them, killed some and captured others, while the remainder were scattered. The Egyptian escaped.
Undoubtedly the people of Israel would have liked to lay their hands on this character that had caused so much trouble. When Lysias saw the riot in the temple, he assumed the center of the attention was this Egyptian and that the Jews were venting their wrath on him.300
Unsaved government officials often assume the wrong things, and Paul needed to clarify who he was. This led to an opportunity to share the gospel with those opposing him.
Picture this situation. Paul has made every effort to avoid controversy, but it finds him anyway. A riot breaks out where a mob is trying to tear him apart and beat him to death. Is Paul afraid? Does he panic? Does he want to run away? No, no, no. Instead, Paul wants to speak with his attackers. The peace and courage Paul demonstrates in the midst of chaos is evidence of the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit in his life.
Paul was not about to let a little disturbance stop him from completing his heartfelt desire to share the gospel with his fellow Jews. And so the chapter ends with Paul about to do so. It was because Paul walked in the Spirit that the chaos and confusion around him did not distract or deter him from presenting the gospel. When you walk in the Spirit you have received the peace of God (Romans 5:1) and you have peace with God (Philippians 4:7). This peace enables you to be alert, unshaken, to stand firm in the Lord and be effective for Him though the world around you is in tumult.
Paul was very well educated, being able to speak more than one language (Acts 21:37-40). There is a place for education in ministry. The problem is that many equate ordination with education. Ordination is an anointing from the Lord. Education is an academic achievement. The two are not necessarily linked. Ordination is God’s anointing and call on a person’s life that the church recognizes (sometimes in formal ceremony). The church does not ordain a person, God does. Education is something that can be edifying if done in the Spirit, but like anything else, it is often corrupted and is done in the flesh, proving to be a contradiction of the Spirit and His work.
Sometimes we can make every effort to avoid controversy or offense, but controversy and offense still finds us. Turmoil, upheaval, disorder, and rioting are all strategies of Satan to undermine the furtherance of the gospel. In such situations we need to remember, like Paul does, that “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). God can take what is intended for evil and use it for good (e.g., Genesis 50:20).
How much are you willing to endure? How much would you endure to share the gospel with the lost? Do you have a passion for souls? Do you realize that the reality is that people who die without a saving relationship with Jesus will spend eternity in what God refers to as the Lake of Fire (cf. Revelation 20)? Eternal life and eternal torment are the only two options that lie before every person.
Gospel heaven or hell? The main theme of the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. A close second is God’s plan of redemption and the way of abundant life. Some in their presentation of the gospel emphasize heavenly themes, others, hellish themes. A somewhat cursory overview of Scripture reveals the word “gospel” occurs 95 times in the Bible (KJV). When we compare the words related to heaven and hell, we see that the positive of going to heaven is emphasized three times more than the negative of going to hell. This may disappoint those who choose to emphasize hellish themes in their gospel presentation, but it’s always best to emphasize themes and truths in proportion to what God has revealed. This statement is based on the following exhaustive observations of word occurrences in the Bible:
Positive words related to the gospel in the Bible:
Total positive words related to the gospel – 1198.
Negative words related to the gospel:
Total negative words related to the gospel – 399.
Again, this is not exhaustive. I’m sure you could find more words to tabulate. But in this consideration, there are three times more positive than negative words related to the gospel. This doesn’t mean we should not mention hell in our gospel presentation. That is what much of the modern church has done. To leave heaven or hell out of our presentation is to preach not only an imbalanced gospel but a false one. Hell is as terrible as heaven is blissful. The two destinies couldn’t be more different. Heaven is a serious eternal destination everyone should seek by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. Hell is a serious and scary eternal destiny that everyone should avoid by grace through faith in Jesus. Therefore, a good practice would be to emphasize each of these eternal aspects of the gospel in proportion to what God has revealed in Scripture.
The Apostle Paul was aware of this, and it drove him to share the gospel, even in a riot of attackers. Why did he have such a passion to share the gospel with the lost, even those trying to kill him? The answer to that can be found elsewhere in his writings where he was inspired to write, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). For the Christian, appearing before the judgment seat of Christ means receiving rewards for what we have done in the name of Jesus once we become a Christian. But for the unbeliever who dies without the benefit of forgiveness for their sins through faith in Jesus, they face a terrible alternative.
In Revelation, this terrible scene is described. The Final Great White Throne Judgment is described like this:
Paul had this vividly in mind when he shared the gospel. He was inspired to write, “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
We mentioned earlier the burden for the salvation of his countrymen the Jews that Paul had. This burden for his countrymen drove him toward Jerusalem. But there was a dilemma. Israel and his brethren the Jews, and really the entire lost world, could not hope to be saved from their sin and final judgment unless the gospel was shared with them. See what Paul said about this:
Paul knew that zeal was not enough to save a person. Zeal without knowledge is fanaticism. They needed to know the truth of the gospel.
Here is what you must believe to be forgiven for your sins and receive eternal life. Have you believed in your heart that Jesus has risen from the dead? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord? Salvation takes place in the heart. Do you believe in Jesus with all your heart? To confess Jesus as your Lord means you have forsaken your sins, you repent of your sins, turn away from your sins to God and receive forgiveness for those sins based on the just sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay your debt of sin (Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Have you done this? If not, you remain in your sins and are destined for hell. If you have believed and confessed, you are saved and there is no more condemnation for you (Romans 8:1).
But here’s the problem, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” If no one cares enough to tell the lost about Jesus, they will have no decision to make. Without the gospel being shared, they will remain hopelessly lost. Therefore, of those who share the gospel it is said, “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” Do you see now why Paul was willing to endure riots and persecution and attacks and trials of all kinds? How much are you willing to endure? How much are you willing to endure to share the gospel with someone destined for an eternity in hell?
The Power of a Spirit Led Testimony
Paul has been eager to share the gospel with his brethren, the Jews. This was his fervent desire and hope. Now the time is here. Paul was now going to have the opportunity to share the gospel with his countrymen, something he had always wanted and had a burden to do (Romans 9:1f, Romans 10:1f). He was always ready to give a defense for the hope that was in him (Acts 22:1; 1 Peter 3:15-17). How did he go about giving his defense?
Notice something. Does Paul share a doctrinal treatise? Does he philosophize? Does he give a statistical analysis? Does he put on a light show, drama, or some spectacular event? The answer to all those questions is “No.” What Paul does is share his testimony. There’s a lesson to be learned in that. Here are the people Paul most wants to win to Christ, and the instrument to share the gospel with them is his personal testimony. A personal testimony, (if done in the Spirit like Paul is doing here), is one of the most powerful outreach tools in our evangelistic arsenal.
The power of your personal testimony. I encourage you to get alone with the Lord and prayerfully write out your personal testimony about how you came to Christ. Start with a review of your life before coming to Christ and then lay out how God got your attention to show you that you needed to come to Christ. You should share enough of your BC (i.e., Before Christ) life to show your need for Jesus and His gospel salvation. Then recount how you actually came to Christ; the Scriptures God used to convict you of your sin and draw you to Him; how the gospel was presented to you; what you were thinking and feeling when you finally trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Then share the difference Jesus has made in your life from conversion to present. Your personal testimony and how God altered your life is irrefutable proof of the power of the gospel. It’s one of the most powerful means of sharing the gospel. Pray about it. Write it out. Practice it. Practice versions of it such as a minute or five-minute version, a fifteen-minute version and even a thirty-minute version to be used in various situations. You are the evidence and example of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Share your testimony with others. This is witnessing.
Let’s take a look now at Paul’s personal testimony.
Paul literally begins by speaking their language. That’s important. We should always speak in a way that is suited to being understood by the one we are talking to. This was the example set by Paul. Speak to be understood.
Right away, Paul is being all things to all men in that he is making a relatable connection with his listeners that, in effect, communicates, I was where you are; I was just like you once.
Paul continues to relate to even the most fervently opposed to Jesus, the gospel and Christians. He shares how, “I persecuted this Way to the death.” He points out how he was adamantly opposed to The Way. He points out how he had the approval and backing of the high priest, council of elders, and received letters of endorsement from them. He is laying out how BC he was diametrically and fervently opposed to the Way, just like many of them that he is speaking to.
He was on his way to persecute Christians when he experienced a supernatural intervention that knocked him from his horse to the ground. He heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Paul wastes no time in identifying this supernatural voice as “Jesus of Nazareth.” It’s important to follow Paul’s example when giving a testimony by introducing and focusing on Jesus. A personal testimony is our testimony, and we give details of our life, but more accurately, it is Jesus’ testimony of what He did in our life. The focus of a testimony should always be on Jesus.
To address someone as “Lord” in the way Paul does here is evidence of his conversion. Later, to the Corinthians, Paul would be inspired to write, “…no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Paul gives details of his salvation experience. Earlier, in Acts 9:7, it states, “And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.” Is this a contradiction? No. In Acts 9:7 the word “hearing” (Greek akouo) simply means to perceive the sense of what is said, to hear a sound, as opposed to being deaf. In Acts 22:9, the idea is that they heard a sound but did not understand what was being verbalized (Greek phone). In Acts 9, the original account, the men heard what sounded like a voice, but in Acts 22 we learn that though they heard what sounded like a voice, they did not understand the exact words that were uttered.
Paul’s immediate submission and obedience to the Lord is a strong indicator of his conversion.
Paul shares the personal details of the effect this encounter with Jesus had on him. Initially, it blinded him. It blinded him to humble him so that he would no longer continue on his own, but had to reach out and depend on others to lead him. Paul, who had proudly pursued Christians to persecute them, was humbled and knocked off his high horse. No one who genuinely and savingly comes to Jesus comes proudly. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6).
Paul shares how he was helped by Ananias, who had a good testimony himself. Ananias was “a devout man according to the law.” He had “a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there.” In other words, Paul’s account can be backed up by a credible witness in Ananias.
When Ananias told Paul to “receive your sight,” Paul immediately “looked up at him” (Greek anablepo) which means to receive or recover lost sight. It was a miraculous experience for Paul to have his sight taken from him on the road to Damascus. It was a miraculous experience to receive his sight back again at the word of Ananias. Paul shares honestly the supernatural aspects of his conversion.
Paul recounts the words of Ananias that God had “chosen” Paul “to know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” The meaning of “chosen” (Greek procheirizomaii) means chosen for a purpose. That purpose was to know God’s will, which included that Paul would “see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth,” which are words that have strong messianic overtones. Not only that, but Paul would “be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” Paul’s testimony here is confirmation of this calling on his life.
The baptism of Paul here symbolized the washing away of his sins based on “calling on the name of the Lord.” These words are closely linked to the way the baptism with the Holy Spirit is described at the Gentile Pentecost where it is spoken of as “purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). What follows, from this point, in the life of Paul is evidence of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in his life.
Verse 16 raises two questions we have already considered in part in Acts but will review again here. First, when was Paul saved—on the Damascus Road or at Judas’ house? Paul was likely saved on the Damascus Road due to the following evidence:
Second, what then do the words “wash your sins away” mean? Is salvation by water baptism taught here? No, these words are only symbolic of a work that had already taken place in Paul (1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 3:21).302 A person needs to be saved before they are baptized.
Paul was brutally honest. He returned to the temple in Jerusalem and as he prayed he “saw” (Greek horao) or perceived, to look intently and discern Jesus saying to him to get out of Jerusalem because “they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.” Even the best of testimonies are rejected at times. The important part, our part, is to simply be faithful in sharing our testimony. What happens after that is between the Lord and the listeners.
The Model Testimonial
The apostle Paul, when given the opportunity to share the gospel he had been praying and hoping for, relied on his personal testimony. A personal testimony is a powerful defense when faced with opposition like Paul experienced here before the Jerusalem mob. Whether or not a testimony is accepted or rejected does not determine its power. The power of a personal testimony is determined by the reliance on the Holy Spirit to give it. Let’s look at some of the haracteristics of his testimony:
First, he was sensitive to the open door and the opportunity to make a defense of the gospel (Acts 21:37-40; Acts 22:1). Paul walked in the Spirit and was always ready to give a defense for the hope that was in him (2 Peter 3:15). We, too, ought to always be ready to share our faith. We need to cultivate a spiritual alertness to be ready to be used by the Spirit on a moment’s notice. Too often we are caught off guard by an opportunity to minister or miss such an opportunity, because we are caught up in the rush and rapids of the world. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Walk and live in constant communion with the Lord, and He will use you often.
Second, he spoke in a common language (Acts 22:2). Paul spoke to be understood. He spoke in a way that was suited to his listeners. He found common ground in the language he spoke to them. When you share, consider the person you are talking to. Ask the Spirit to lead you in a way that will find common ground with them and enable you to communicate the gospel and God’s word in a way they will understand. If you talk in platitudes, long intellectual or theological terms that only a Bible scholar would know, you will short-circuit your opportunity to minister.
Third, he shared his background in a way that established common ground with his listeners (Acts 22:3-5). One of the most powerful tools of evangelism and ministry is your own testimony of what the Spirit has done in your life. You are an epistle (2 Corinthians 3:3). People will read you like a book. There can be no refuting what has actually taken place in your life. When you share with others what God has done in you, you become living proof to them of the hope and power there is in Jesus.
Fourth, he shared how Jesus turned him around (Acts 22:6-10). Paul wasted no time in focusing on Jesus and the powerful impact he had on his life. He went from a persecutor of the followers of Jesus to one who surrendered to Jesus saying, “What shall I do Lord?” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He shared how Jesus got hold of his heart and life and changed him. In sharing in this way, Paul was communicating the need to repent, and the reality of the life-changing power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). Paul had thought he was doing the work of the Lord with religious fervor. But, in fact, he was fighting against the Lord. His testimony to this fact showed how the religious pursuit of God is a blind pursuit of God.
Fifth, he shared how his testimony was confirmed by other reputable people, i.e., Ananias (Acts 22:11-16). Paul referred to holy references and those who could verify his story. His testimony was not a fantasy but included actual living facts.
Sixth, he shared what his newfound relationship with Jesus was like; the experience of the presence of Christ in you (Acts 22:17-21). He shared how he had a prayerful communication with Jesus. The word, “Trance” in verse 17 is translated from the Greek term EKSTASIS (Strong’s #1611 – ek´–stas-is) meaning, “a displacement of the mind, i.e., bewilderment, “ecstasy”…be amazed, amazement, astonishment, trance.”303 This word may refer to a spiritual condition of Paul where he was enabled by the Spirit to receive a word from the Lord. Paul shared the reality and living nature of his new relationship with Jesus. He had an ongoing relationship with the Lord through Jesus in the Spirit. That is something religion does not and cannot offer. To have an ongoing conversation with God where God warns and directs you in ministry, demonstrated the reality of the living presence of Jesus in Paul by the Holy Spirit. This is something any genuine seeker of God would hunger for, and by Paul sharing about it, the Spirit was reaching out to those in the crowd before Paul.
The Spirit Protects Paul via the Use of Government
Even the best of testimonies can be rejected. A testimony merely shares the reality of what the testifier has experienced. But then it is up to the listener to accept or reject the testimonial truth for themselves.
One can only imagine what these people were thinking as they came to their decision to reject Paul and his testimony about Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the lost soul of their sinfulness and the need of a Savior Jesus (John 16:8-11). To reject the gospel message of the Holy Spirit who calls all to repent and be saved through faith in Jesus, is the one unforgiveable sin. To reject the gospel is to reject eternity in the fellowship presence of God, and instead to set yourself up for eternity separate from God in the Lake of Fire. How about you? Is the Holy Spirit tugging on your heart to repent of your sins and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord?
As we have said previously, religion often involves zeal without knowledge and this leads to disorder, chaos, rioting and violence, things that aren’t from the Lord. To tear their clothes was a sign of intense religious disturbance. To throw dust in the air was a sign of being intensely religiously appalled.
The reaction of the Jews rejecting the gospel is significant. It validates the message of Acts that the gospel was preached first to the Jews, who when they rejected it, the gospel was then presented to the Gentiles. This rejection sealed the fate of the Jews. About 20 years after this, Jerusalem would fall to the Romans (in 70 A.D.). Romans 11 tells us that God isn’t finished with Israel yet. At present, we are in the Church Age.
As the crowds rose to riot and threatened the life of Paul, the Spirit utilized the military branch of the Roman government to protect Paul from his enemies. Secular government is God’s means to maintain peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Here we see an example of governmental authorities being used by the Lord to protect Paul. We need to pray for our governmental authorities so that they fulfill God’s will and not merely seek to manipulate the masses to maintain power.
The scourging practiced by the Romans was a means of extracting information from those they felt were withholding it. Scourging is described in the following commentary:
This flogging is different from Paul’s beating with rods at Philippi and on two other occasions (2 Corinthians 11:25; Acts 16:22-23). Nor was it the same as the Jewish 39 lashes administered with the long whips, a punishment Paul had received five times (2 Corinthians 11:24). The Roman scourge was inflicted with shorter whips embedded with pieces of metal or bones and attached to a strong wooden handle. It could kill a man or leave him permanently crippled. This was the punishment Christ received (Matthew 27:26), leaving Him unable to carry His cross.304
By law, a Roman citizen not proven guilty in a court of law could not be flogged. Paul used his Roman citizenship to avoid the severe punishment of flogging. Paul was not a masochist. When given the opportunity, he avoided such punishment, but if the pain was inevitable and furthered the cause of Christ, he was willing to suffer. There is a time and place to rely on civil law to protect you and prevent physical harm.
Being a Christian does not mean you roll over and act like a carpet for people to walk all over you. There is a time, as we see here; when a Christian should appeal to the legal rights they have under the laws of the government in the country in which they live. Sometimes the laws of government can be used to further the gospel. It is a blessing to live in a free nation such as the United States. Though many of those freedoms are being eroded. The clouds of persecution of Christians are forming in the distance as we see the media’s habit of putting a negative and derogatory spin on all references to those who believe in Christ as their Savior, His word in the Spirit. Even more reason to preach Christ freely and openly while it is still possible to do so.
Therefore, we need to be ready to be ready to give our personal testimony. We should look at Paul’s example to construct our testimony. Here are a few things to keep in mind when putting together your personal testimony.
A personal testimony that is powerful asks four areas to consider:
These are the four areas a personal testimony should touch on. An effective testimony involves sharing personal examples of what God has done, did, and is doing in your life. Guard against glorifying sin or self. Instead, glorify Jesus. You should mention any Scriptures that were significant to your coming to Christ and which have helped you walk in the Spirit as a Christian. Lastly, you should invite hearers to accept Jesus as Savior as you did at the end of your testimony. Make sure to pray as you put your testimony together and then pray for the Spirit to lead you to people with whom you can share your testimony. Pray for the Holy Spirit to use you to share the gospel and bring glory to Jesus. Pray for His power.
A testimony is a powerful tool of evangelism when empowered by the Holy Spirit. The testimony brings people to a point of decision. They will either accept or reject its message. Here they rejected the testimony of the Apostle Paul. The important thing is to trust in the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit and leave the outcome to Him. That is what Paul did. That is what we should do.
God’s Got Your Back
Ever feel surrounded by an enemy? Ever wished you had eyes in the back of your head? Who’s got your back in such situations? The answer to that last question is what this teaching is all about.
When I first went to college. I had hopes of becoming a lawyer. My only problem was how could I afford undergraduate and graduate education and law-bar requirements necessary to practice law? As I was crossing the student center on campus one day, my eye caught a trim Marine in full dress standing at a table. Always having an appreciation for the military, I was naturally drawn to his table. Once there, I learned that if I enlisted, they would provide a way for me to get my law degree. Now, this was in the mid-to-late 1970s and the Vietnam War was just finishing so, while I was always patriotic, I didn’t know if that was the route for me to take to achieve my goals. The reason I share this is that I’ve always and still do have a deep appreciation for anyone who has or is serving in the military. I came very close to being drafted into the military in the final stages of the Vietnam conflict. Military stories and documentaries have always been of interest to me. Knowing soldiers or veterans and interacting with them has led me to pick up on some of their nomenclature or ways of communicating.
One of the ways soldiers communicate with one another in the field is to use the clock as a means to indicate direction. For instance, twelve o’clock is straight ahead, three o’clock is to the right or east, 9 o’clock is to the left or west, and six o’clock is behind you. When on patrol in enemy territory, it’s always important to know that someone “has your six,” or has your back, that someone is looking out for your blind spots. For us, in this spiritual war, God has our six. God looks out for us and covers our backs. God takes care of our blind spots, those attempts by the enemy to attack us and blindside us. As we live through the enemy territory of this life, it’s a comfort to know, God’s got your six.
The Apostle Paul always had a burden to share the gospel with his brethren; the Jews (cf. Romans 9 and Romans 10). This was a fervent desire for Paul. One day, the Lord provided an opportunity for Paul to fulfill his heart’s desire, to share the gospel with his brethren. Paul bravely and boldly and in the Spirit shared his testimony and gospel (Acts 22). But the response from his brethren was not what he must have hoped for. They not only rejected Jesus and the gospel, but they also rioted and tried to tear Paul apart. So great was the tumult caused that the Roman military intervened to save Paul and put down the disturbance. It must have been a heart-breaking experience for Paul.
Sometimes you can do all the right things in sharing your testimony, and the gospel and it still results in an uproar. Just because we obey God and follow His plans, doesn’t necessarily mean people will receive the gospel and get saved. Sometimes sharing the gospel leads to conflict. No matter the outcome, if we, like Paul, stay calm and trust the Lord, He will not only use the situation, but will protect us through it.
How should we handle rejection or religious riots? How should someone led by the Spirit respond when people reject Jesus and the gospel? How should we respond when our lives are put in danger? Turn with me to Acts 23 to answer those questions.
Paul doesn’t address the council with formalities. He does not formally recognize the members or head of the council. Instead, Paul opts for an earnest heartfelt response. “Men and brethren,” communicate familiarity and equality. This is a council that Paul once likely belonged to himself.
Being earnest is a mark of the Spirit. Paul was a spirit-filled and empowered Apostle. As we look at him, we can see characteristics of what the Spirit-filled minister looks like. One of the marks we see here is that of earnestness.
It’s always a good idea to speak “earnestly.” “Earnestly” (Greek atenisas – Aorist/Active/Participle of the verb atenizo) means to look intently, fix one’s eyes upon. Paul’s gaze at the council communicated the seriousness with which he was addressing them.
Having a good conscience before God. Another mark of the Spirit-filled person is having a good conscience. A good conscience is one that is sensitive to the direction of the Spirit as well as one that relies on the leading of the Spirit. A good conscience is not one that is wracked by guilt due to self-reliant shortcomings that result in us feeling guilty about the way we’ve done something.
Your conscience is that part of you built by God which tells us if we are inside or outside of God’s will. The word “conscience” (Greek syneidesis) refers to inner moral consciousness, that which distinguishes between moral rightness and moral wrongness. Everyone has a conscience (cf. Romans 2). Our conscience is part of the image of God created in each one of us. Our conscience is used by God to show us where we stand with Him. The Holy Spirit uses our conscience to draw us to Jesus as He convicts us of sin and points us to Jesus as the means of dealing redemptively without sin.
Having a “good conscience” One that is free from guilt or conviction that sin is present in their life, is evidence that one is living rightly in the Spirit. It should be said that sometimes a person has an overly active conscience that paralyzes them from living as they are stifled by the thought of whether or not they are right before God. That is a type of fleshly or carnal condition. When we are right with God and our conscience good, we are balanced and assured by the Spirit that that is the case. When the Spirit is in control and our conscience is good, we will be at peace with God even though false accusations and upheaval may be all around us like it is here with Paul.
That Paul testifies of his “good conscience before God until this day,” and is not contradicted by those he was addressing, is a testament to his character. Paul was a man who said what he meant and meant what he said. He was honest and true and sincere in all he did. How about you? Can you say you have a “good conscience before God”?
The high priest Ananias was known historically for being a corrupt, a scoundrel. He was devious and corrupt, a devilish man. The high priest Ananias was described by the Jewish historian Josephus as, “as insolent, hot-tempered, profane, and greedy.”305 And so, when he commands Paul to be struck even though Paul is speaking earnestly, it probably wasn’t a surprise to anyone in attendance.
Even Spirit-filled servants can react with anger to injustice. Paul reacts to the unjust action against him. Just because you are Spirit-filled does not mean you won’t react in anger to unjust actions against you. Righteous indignation is a valid Spirit-filled response to injustice. That doesn’t mean we go into a rage. Paul doesn’t go into a rage here. But he does not back down or let this blow from the corrupt go without a response.
A “whitewashed wall!” refers to the practice of painting sepulchers with whitewash to help Jews to not defile themselves by stepping on them. One of the things said about the Pharisees when he was indicting them was that they were “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). In other words, Jesus was calling the pharisees out for their hypocrisy. Paul was calling them out for their hypocrisy of sitting as symbols of law and justice and then unjustly having him struck.
How could Paul not know he was in the presence of the high priest? Some refer to this verse as evidence that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11) was an eye ailment like conjunctivitis that clouded and blurred his vision so that he did not know the high priest was there. Possibly, but Paul would not knowingly accuse the high priest of hypocrisy and then himself act hypocritically.
Why hadn’t Paul recognized Ananias as the high priest? The Bible Knowledge Commentary states:
This could hardly be because of poor eyesight because Paul had “looked straight (atenisas, lit., looked intently¯) at the Sanhedrin” (Acts 23:1). Paul’s words could be irony in which he was saying he could not recognize such a violent man as priest. However, the word “brothers” (v. 5) renders this interpretation improbable. Possibly there was such confusion the high priest was not identifiable. Certainly he was not wearing his priestly garments. It is also probable Paul did not know Ananias personally because the apostle had not had contact with the Sanhedrin for many years. The high priesthood changed hands frequently…At any rate, Paul recognized the position of the high priest even if he did not respect the priest as a person.306
Respectfulness is a mark of the Spirit. Be respectful. Paul showed respect even to those who did not deserve it. The minister of God is not to show disrespect to even the opposition. If we disagree, we should do so respectfully. Respectfulness is a mark of the Spirit.
Humility is evidence of Spirit-filled servants. Notice, Paul was human and may have reacted angrily towards those who struck him (Acts 23:1-3), but he was humble enough to admit he was wrong and apply the word of God to himself in self-correction, and that even before his enemies. Paul came around to being polite and showed respect for even his enemies. There is no place for belligerence and harshness in the Spirit-filled disciple. We are called to walk as Jesus walked and follow in His steps (1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21). Jesus spoke the truth in love, sometimes forcefully, but always constructively and in the Spirit. This is the pattern we should follow.
Spirit-filled servants are perceptive and cunning. To be Spirit-filled is to be alert and aware of your surroundings. Paul was not devious or deceptive, but he was aware of his opponents and wise enough to use their tendencies against them.
Paul was perceptive. He was cunning. He was aware of those he was speaking to, especially how they were grouped. He used this to his advantage. Paul used his identification as a Pharisee to raise confusion in the council ranks. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection and an afterlife. The Pharisees were the religious conservatives of the day. They believed in the Scriptures and adhered to the law legalistically. The Sadducees were the liberals of the day, humanists, and did not believe in resurrection or miracles. They didn’t believe in an afterlife. For them, when a person died, that was it, they stopped existing. Unfortunately, the Sadducees were the ruling class at this time in history and the high priest was a Sadducee.
As soon as Paul mentioned his affiliation as a Pharisee and that he believed in the resurrection, “a dissension arose.” Naturally, the Pharisees sided with Paul, who they saw as one of their own. The Sadducees didn’t accept this one bit. A conflict arose.
Paul had been away from Jerusalem for about sixteen years. His heart had always burned with a desire to share the gospel with his brethren. The opportunity had come, but it ended in disaster, as we see in Acts 22. Paul’s testimony was rejected by his brethren. Here, in Acts 23, Paul has the opportunity to share with the ruling council, before many men who no doubt had attended the school of Gamaliel with him. They knew Paul’s zeal and intellect. But all his testimony achieved was a riot among the Jewish people and a riot among the ruling council members. It was an apparent total abject failure. This was probably a low point for the Apostle Paul.
The Spirit has our backs. The Holy Spirit is in control of Paul and this situation and is influencing those involved to protect Paul. When we are serving the Lord, the Spirit will protect us. Sometimes He will do this through arranging circumstances or allies he brings our ways. Sometimes he does this like here, through third party factors that serve to protect us.
Also, notice that, even though Paul doesn’t get the favorable response hoped for, the Spirit still has his back. Even when we fail or people reject us and the message we share, the Holy Spirit is still watching out for us. That’s because we have His favor and are not earning His favor by whether we are “successful.” More on this later. But you can always count on the Spirit to be with you when you are sharing Jesus and the gospel.
This was no little disturbance. Those of the council did not assail Paul with words alone but “the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them,” indicates they were outright violent. So the commander “commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.” The Roman commander’s prime responsibility was keeping the peace and especially protecting Roman citizens (which is what Paul was). And that is what he did.
Your testimony is not going to always be accepted. Many times your testimony will be rejected. Don’t be surprised if your testimony results in not only rejection, but conflict, maybe even a riot. When that happens, take heart, Jesus is nearby.
The Spirit Protects by Providential Intervention
Jesus is always with us, even when we fail. Jesus’ promise to those seeking to fulfill the Great Commission is that “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Jesus spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road at his conversion (Acts 9). Jesus also comforted Paul when he was in Corinth. “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night vision, ‘do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10). Now Jesus may not speak audibly to us like He did Paul (or He might), but we have the word of God through which Jesus speaks to us to assure us and comfort us and direct us in difficult situations.
In addition to the voice of Jesus, Paul might have also remembered God’s word as well. It doesn’t say, and this would only be speculation, but perhaps some of the following words were brought to Paul’s mind by the Spirit, and might be helpful for us as well in a similar situation:
Be aware of the temptation to test God’s protection. We should be cautioned though. Satan will at times tempt us to test God by putting ourselves in unnecessary danger just to see if He will protect us. Satan did this with Jesus and even quoted Psalm 91 in the temptation (cf. Matthew 4:5-7). Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation was to rebuke him, affirming that “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”
Be aware sometimes it is God’s will to suffer. We should also acknowledge that sometimes suffering and difficulties and pain are part of God’s plans and may serve a greater purpose of the LORD. We see this in the Book of Job and Peter speaks of the occasions when suffering is part of God’s will for us. “Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (cf. 1 Peter 4:19).
Be assured God’s grace is always sufficient. Even when we suffer, God has our back. His grace is always sufficient and is indeed perfected in our weakness. Therefore, our attitude should be like that of Paul when he was inspired to write:
This was the low point in Paul’s life. His heart’s desire to win his brethren to Christ had crashed and burned. His hope for a revival among his brethren was squashed. In the face of fanatical opposition, the Lord comforted Paul by telling him he wasn’t finished with Paul yet. He still had work for Paul to do in Rome (Acts 23:11). The comforting words of the Lord confirmed that it was God’s will for Paul to have gone to Jerusalem (compare with Acts 21:4 discussion). Paul had three other such visions (Acts 9:4-6; Acts 16:9; Acts 18:9-10).
The temptation for Paul was to wallow in rejection. We often turn inward when defeated. But that is not the way of Jesus. Jesus has a better way for us. Jesus is in control, even when we are rejected.
Don’t dwell on the past, press on. Jesus is always there in our lowest valleys. Jesus is always there in our darkest nights. When we feel most alone, Jesus is there to say, “Be of good cheer Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” In other words, it’s as though Jesus is saying, “Paul, don’t let the rejection of your testimony get you down, I’m not finished with you. I have work for you to do.” Jesus always meets us when we need Him most, and He always comes with the perfect words. And His message to us is not to dwell on our defeats or rejections. Instead we need to listen to His call and move forward. Life is not about how many times we get knocked down. Life is about how many times we can get knocked down, and still rise to press on. Victory awaits the one who takes strength in Jesus, and even though pummeled, presses on with His Savior.
Are You Ready to Die?
Paul’s attempt to communicate the gospel to his brethren had been rejected. His testimony has been met with a riot where people are trying to physically rip him apart. Now he is about to learn of a conspiracy where those involved have “bound themselves to an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.” They even incorporated the “chief priests and elders” of the council in their plot. These conspirators were caught up in frenzy, no doubt demonically inspired. Paul’s life was in peril. What would you do in such a situation? How would you feel? Are you ready to die?
That is the gospel in a nutshell. And it is such a gospel and the assurance of salvation it provides, that enables someone like Paul to face death without fear. How about you? Are you ready to die?Life. Death. Curse. Cure.
Life is a vapor.
Death is sure.
Sin’s the curse.
Christ is the cure.
Many people, especially young people, tend to see life as rock solid and never-ending. When you are young with your entire life in front of you, it’s easy to get distracted with hopes and dreams of what this life will hold for you. You’re thinking of many BIG questions like: “What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of my life? What should I do with my life?” “Should I go to college?” “Should I learn a trade?” “Should I buy a car?” “Will I marry?” “Who will I marry?” “Should we have children?” “How many children should we have?” “Where should we live?” “Should we buy a house?” “Should we start a business?” On top of all these questions, you can pile the new cultural trend of questioning gender identity. These life questions, which we all face, can prove overwhelming. Life is all about answering questions.
This life is temporary, the next life is eternal. The answers to these questions are greatly affected by considering what happens after this life. Regardless of how old we are, the BIG question is or should be, “What happens when I die?” The reason for that is, this life is temporary, and the next life is eternal. And that is where the gospel comes in.
This life is a vapor.
When I say, “life is a vapor,” I am simply repeating a truth of the Bible. The LORD in His word says,
And lastly,
Life is a vapor; it can go up in smoke. Every day we see news reports of people, even young people, killed in accidents, violent acts, and natural disasters. Terminal illness shows no favorites and can hit young and old alike. Life often does end suddenly. Life is brittle. Life is delicate. Life is fragile.
Death is sure. Only God knows how long, or short, our life will be.
Therefore, we would be wise to take the advice of the Psalmist who was inspired to write, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). We would be wise to look at “our days,” through a lens that includes God and His word. That’s because, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Sin is the curse. Life is a vapor. Death is sure. Sin is the curse. We die because we are infected with sin. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). When Adam sinned, his DNA was corrupted. The image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) that he was created in was warped. No longer did we see ourselves and the world with a Godly worldview, but now our focus was lowered to ourselves. Humanity became sinfully self-centered, self-reliant, proud, and oppositional toward God. Adam, the sinner, produced offspring infected with “his own likeness, after his image” of sinfulness (Genesis 5:3).
Sin is a BIG problem for humanity because sin separates us from God.
Not only does sin separate us from God, but it kills us.
Every moment you continue living in sin, separated from God, in a state of rebellion or willful ignorance of Him is a moment you are earning a wage of death, eternal death.
What is sin? Sin is a willful transgression against a known law of God. Sin is rebellion. Sin is refusing to live in a reconciled relationship with God. Sin is living as king and Lord of your own life. Sin is “I did it my way.” Sin is a dismissal of God and His word as important or as valuable. Sin is disregarding God. Sin is outright rebellion against God as Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign. Sin, because it prioritizes self and causes pain to others. The pain and suffering in this world are, for the most part, all traced to some human cause and effect. Pain and suffering are caused through sinful treatment of the environment or sinful treatment of other people directly.
We may at some point in our lives do some acts of goodness. But that does not account for the overwhelming other bad sinful acts we have committed. The Bible states clearly, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6).
A just judge would never or could never simply dismiss charges based on some effort of the offender to compensate for their bad crime with what they view as a balanced good. Performing works suitable to offset our offenses is way beyond our comprehension. The murderer can’t say to the judge, “But I’m kind to animals and some people, please forgive me.” That fails to account for the victims. That makes no allowance for potential further pain-producing offenses. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). No, we can’t work off our debt of sin, only a Savior can do that.
Because sin separates us from God and because it is the prime pain producer to God’s creation and those He loves, those who persist in sin and willfully disregard God will one day be cast in a place where they can do no more harm. The persistent sinning rebel and rejector of God will be justly punished first in Hell, and then finally, in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The idea that sinful humanity, unredeemed humanity, will at some point be annihilated rather than be punished eternally, is not a view supported by Scripture. It is not an option because of the gravity of the offense. Eternal punishment is severe, but it is warranted.
Jesus Christ is the cure. How can such a severe eternal punishment be warranted or just? Because of the cure for humanity’s sin problem that God has provided. Humanity is in a predicament. There is no good work or effort a person can perform that resolves the criminal consequence of the sins committed by the sinner. But God.
We don’t deserve God’s gracious gift of salvation provided in Christ His Son. We deserve damnation.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us” has planned to redeem us from our sin, to reconcile us to Himself, give us spiritual life through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and a hope of eternal life.
We owed a debt of death, consequently, for our sins. That is a debt no person is equipped to pay off. “But God,” made a way through Jesus who paid our sin-debt of death on the cross in our place for us. All we must do to receive the benefit of Christ’s atoning death is turn from our sins (i.e., repent) and trust Jesus and His cross-work by faith.
Considering this incredibly righteous, just, merciful, and loving plan of salvation provided freely as a gift of His grace, to reject it results in a sentence commensurate with that blasphemous offense. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…?” (Hebrews 2:3). There is no escape for those who reject God and His glorious plan of salvation from sin.
So what should we do when faced with the eternal reality of this great salvation? If you haven’t yet called on the name of the Lord to save you from your sins, now would be a good time to do that. God only guarantees this opportunity for you to be forgiven your sins through faith in Jesus. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). “Now” is the only time you might have to deal with your sins and get right with God. I beg you; don’t let this time pass you by.
Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:5). He said that to the religious pharisee Nicodemas. It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship. It’s about knowing Jesus as your personal Savior (John 17:3). It’s about trusting Jesus as Savior and being “born again.” It’s being given spiritual life by the indwelling Holy Spirit who indwells the one who first turns from their sins to God and trusts Jesus as their sin bearing Savior. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). No work you do can regenerate you, only trusting in Jesus as Savior opens the door to spiritual life. “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). Only the spiritually regenerated enter heaven. You must be born again. That can happen if you trust Jesus as your Savior.
Call on the name of the Lord. If you don’t, you can expect with certainty God’s punishment (e.g., Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; Amos 2:1, 4, 6). If you do, you can expect, with just as much certainty, God’s forgiveness, and the eternal life He has promised (John 3:16). God desires all people to be saved from their sins (1 Timothy 2:4). God desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). If you believe in the Lord Jesus with all your heart, according to His gospel, you certainly will be saved from your sins (e.g., Acts 8:37). This salvation is made available to all by the God of grace. “And it shall come to pass that all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21). “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Call on the name of the Lord. Call on Him in your own words, from your heart, with all your heart, according to His gospel, and you will be saved.
If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord and have been born again of the Spirit, then I encourage you to spread this gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are fearful of sharing the gospel or discussing it with people, I remind you, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). We live in fear-mongering times. Those in political or governmental positions use fear to control the citizenry. We fear pandemics, indoctrination, conspiracies, natural disasters, threats of war, economic collapse, and a plethora of other fear-tempting things. But God has not given the Christian a spirit of fear. Instead, God has given us power. He has given us a powerful gospel (Romans 1:16). The Holy Spirit gives us power to be witnesses of Jesus (Acts 1:8). And we have in Christ the compelling power of His love (2 Corinthians 5:14). Call on the name of the LORD. Encourage others to do the same. Call on God from your heart, in your own words, according to His gospel, and you will be saved, and be ready when death comes to you.
So, I ask you “Are you ready to die?” You’re really not ready to live until you are ready to die. Paul was ready to die. I pray you are too.
The Spirit protects us through divine appointments. This was a secret conspiracy, no doubt. Every effort was made by the conspirators to press their murderous effort in secrecy. But somehow Paul’s nephew heard of the plot. A nephew is a family member, one who would no doubt pass on the information to help his endangered uncle. This is not accidental but is God–incidental. The Spirit is protecting His servants.
Evil plots are one of the things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). God promises, “Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed” (Psalm 21:11 ESV). I wonder if Paul might have remembered the Psalmist who was inspired to write,
I wouldn’t be surprised if such verses were in the mind and heart of Paul during this time in his life.
The Spirit preserves his disciples until they complete their mission. We can be sure that it was the work of the Spirit who brought the plot to the attention of Paul’s nephew and motivated the nephew to tell Paul. The nephew was probably a man in his 30s. But think of it, a conspiracy is something done in secret with all clandestine tact. For someone to hear and find out about this plot would be unlikely, but, for that person to be Paul’s nephew, that is just the mark of the Spirit. The Spirit providentially protects His servants as they complete the mission He calls them to do.
I believe there are many times, (many of which go unnoticed by us), that the Spirit protects in a providential way. For example, one morning, my family and I were running late for church. We are usually a very prompt family, but this Sunday morning we were running late, (that happens with two teenagers in the household!). When we left and were on our regular route to church, we came upon a horrific accident that had just happened minutes before. A car was literally lodged up in a tree about 15 to 20 feet above the ground! Another car was totaled by a guardrail nearby. They had evidently been racing and crashed. If we had been on time, we might have been a part of that accident. Hasn’t that ever happened to you? I believe there are a lot of times when the Spirit protects us, and we aren’t even aware of it. Yes, the Spirit providentially protects us, so we can continue in His ministry mission.
The increase comes from God – the true measure of success. Paul was likely tempted to see himself as a failure. His testimony was completely rejected. Not only was his gospel message rejected, but it was violently rejected in the most vehement way. This was total rejection. With such rejection, perhaps Paul himself felt rejected. Maybe he felt he had failed. But there is evidence that even if he did at some point feel he failed, he came to a truer appraisal later in his ministry.
In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul was inspired to write the following:
These verses give us great insight not only into how Paul came to see ministry, but how he came to measure success. This is the way we should measure ministry and success. First, Paul pointed out that the one who plants in ministry isn’t anything. You may be a church planter who has a gift for starting churches. You may be used by the Lord to plant different ministries or start up works for the Lord. To you, the inspired words of Paul declare, you aren’t anything based on such work. Secondly, you may be one who doesn’t start works or ministries but who waters them, keeps them going, guides them and nourishes them to fruitfulness. If that describes you, Paul’s inspired assessment is that you aren’t anything either. That’s not very encouraging on the surface. Both assessments are true because it is “God who gives the increase.” We can’t claim any accomplishment or expect any badge of honor or medal when we start ministries or keep them going. The reason for that is that we aren’t the ones responsible for any such growth, God IS! For anyone to claim any credit for anything they do is really a false assessment. In truth, when we take credit for things accomplished in ministry, we are robbing God of His just glory and credit. That is wrong and that is something we should not do. But if we are only God’s instruments in ministry and all increase is from Him, then how are we to assess our ministry and life?
The measure of “success” in ministry and life as a Christian is faithfulness. God causes all increases. We are simply instruments in His hands. We can take no credit for anything accomplished. The fruit is not produced by itself but by its Creator. The Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit in and through us. Therefore, He gets the credit. But where we have an opportunity to secure rewards is in our faithfulness. Paul was not going to be rewarded by the Lord based on whether people accepted his message. Paul would be rewarded based on his continued faithfulness. And that is how we should measure success now.
Whether you are the pastor of a mega church or of a home fellowship, you aren’t anything. Whether you contribute to the growth of a mega church or a home fellowship so that it grows and is spiritually healthy, you are still nothing. One of the worst pieces of evidence of the carnal superficiality of the church of our day is the glamorizing and fandoms of certain religious personalities. We have made “stars” and “personalities” of pastors and teachers of God’s word. Nothing could be further from the truth of God’s measure of success. Nothing could be more arrogant and presumptuous by both those who receive such accolades and those who give them. There is only One who is suited for a pedestal or thone, and that is King Jesus. Your measure of success is in being faithful to the Lord in whatever circumstance God sovereignly chooses to elect you to serve in. Faithfulness is the true measure of success, nothing more, nothing less.
The Spirit Uses Government Officials to Provide Safety
The commander, Claudius Lysias, wasted no time in putting a plan in place to protect Paul. He also responded with a great show of force. Paul was a Roman citizen and as such he must be protected. But beneath the surface, it is the Lord giving Paul favor with this commander and protecting him because Paul had more to do for the Lord.
Until we are finished with what the Lord has for us to do, we are near invincible. The Lord will preserve us until He is finished with us. That doesn’t mean we should be without caution, it means we should be about the Lord’s business.
Governor Felix was born a slave along with his brother Paellas. They both grew up in Romen. As children they played with another young boy named Claudius. Even though Claudius came from an aristocratic background, the three became best friends. Claudius eventually became Emperor of Rome, and he remembered his two friends and freed them from slavery.
Emperor Claudius appointed Felix to oversee Samaria and later broadened the territory of his overseeing to include Judea. When Nero succeeded Claudius as Emperor, there were so many bad reports concerning Felix of his corruption and mismanagement that Nero deposed him. We will see later in Acts that Luke comments that Felix was looking for a bribe (Acts 24:26).
Felix, a very immoral man, married Drusilla, a very beautiful woman, but the wife of another leader. But when Felix saw her, he fell in love with her. He hired a magician to talk Drusilla into marrying him. The magician was successful. The relationship between Felix and Drusilla didn’t last long. It was an immoral relationship.
Paul spoke before Felix and challenged him with calls to righteousness and self-control, neither of which Felix possessed. Felix was shaken by Paul’s message, but never went further than saying, “I’ll hear you again later on that.”
Drusilla was the granddaughter of King Agrippa I. It was this King Agrippa I who ordered the death of James. Drusilla was the sister of King Agrippa II.
A to-the-point letter provided by Lysias on behalf of Paul the Roman citizen.
See how we continue to see the Spirit working through these government officials. The Spirit is orchestrating an even greater opportunity for Paul to witness to the gospel and giving Paul a free pony ride to boot! Truly, God can bring beauty from ashes! (Isaiah 61:3).
Never alone. Paul will spend two years in prison awaiting trial. Luke is with him. It’s believed that Luke wrote his gospel during this time. But at some point, even Luke will not be by Paul’s side. Later, in Rome, when Paul stands before Nero, he will stand alone. Paul’s testimony about that time is:
Paul said “all forsook me,” but that was not entirely true. Jesus never leaves or forsakes us.
Paul was quick to add that “the Lord stood with me.” When you have Jesus, He is all you need. And the Lord looks over us and protects us while we have purposes in His plans to reach the lost. Jesus is always there, even when we are humanly alone. Remember that.
If Not Now, When? Procrastination
In Acts 24, we see Paul brought before Governor Felix. Don’t miss how the Spirit is working. The Spirit gave Paul an opportunity to share his testimony with his countrymen, the Jews. A riot broke out. The Roman soldiers had to intervene. Now Paul is being brought before a governor of Rome. God is able to bring beauty from ashes, new opportunities from apparent failed opportunities.
There is an interesting tract I came across. A tract is a concise presentation of the gospel, and a call to make a decision for Christ, written or illustrated on a neat piece of paper. The one I am talking about has a simple but powerful and easily understandable message. On the face of the tract over a fiery background are the words “What to do to go to HELL.” Then, when you open the tract, there’s nothing there, a blank page with no words. On the back page of the tract there is an explanation of how all humanity falls short of the glory of God and has sinned and if nothing is done, the penalty is hell, a place of eternal torment. The tract states:
NOTHING. That’s right. There’s nothing more we need to do to go to Hell. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
But there is something we must do to go to Heaven. The Bible says, “He that believeth on the Son [Jesus Christ] hath everlasting life; and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
Hell is no joke. Jesus Himself warns that Hell is “a furnace of fire” where there will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth” – a real place where one will be just as aware of his surroundings as he was on earth (Matthew 13:42).
The good news is that God doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity separated from Him in the darkness of Hell. That’s why He sent His Son to suffer punishment for our sins.”
You can be sure of a place in Heaven someday if you will put your faith in Him. You can pray something like this: Lord, I know that I have sinned and deserve Your punishment. But I thank You for sending Your Son to take my place, then raising Him to life again. I turn from my sins and invite Jesus to come into my life so that I can live with You in Heaven forever.308
The message is clear: Do nothing, and you will go to hell. It’s a tract about the dangers of procrastination and indecision. The Bible tells us indecision is decision. If you put off trusting Jesus as Savior, you have made your decision. If you die before making a decision to repent of your sins and trust Jesus as Savior, you die in your sins and your destiny is hell.
The word “procrastination” means the act of delaying or postponing something. It is putting off for tomorrow that which should be done today. People procrastinate for several reasons. Some people procrastinate because they are lazy. The Bible condemns laziness and encourages industriousness (cf. Proverbs 15:19; Proverbs 18:9; Proverbs 12:24; Proverbs 13:4). The Christian should view all that they do as unto the Lord, and therefore we should give our all and best effort for the one Who gave His all for us (Colossians 3:23).
Procrastination puts off decisions. Some put off making decisions because they fear the consequences of their decisions. Some put off trusting Christ as Savior because they fear how it will affect their life. They aren’t willing to “count the cost” of following Jesus. They aren’t willing to repent of their sins but prefer to embrace them and continue in them.
Procrastination can be damaging. When we put off reconciling with someone we’ve offended, it can lead to bitterness, resentment, and relational damage. That is why Jesus commands us to reconcile with offended people with all immediacy (Matthew 5:23-24). We need to take care to settle disputes as soon as possible (Matthew 5:25). We are not to allow the sun to set on our arguments (Ephesians 4:26). When we procrastinate in such matters, we give the devil leverage and a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27).
Procrastination can be dangerous. When it comes to the opportunity to be forgiven and saved from our sins, we are only guaranteed “today” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Putting off our decision to trust Jesus as our personal Savior risks getting to a point where it becomes too late to do so. Life is a “vapor”, and we don’t know its length or how many opportunities we must accept the Lord or share the gospel (James 4:13-14). Therefore, we are warned to not neglect the great salvation God has offered us in Christ, because if the opportunity passes us by without us responding in faith to the gospel, our eternal destiny will be one of torment (Hebrews 3:12-13, 15; Hebrews 9:27).
Procrastination can lead to damnation. When Jesus spoke of sharing the gospel He said we should not waste time. In His parable of the Banquet, Jesus spoke about urgency (Luke 14:21). Just as “today” is the day of salvation for the lost; “today” is the day for us to share the gospel with the lost. “Today” is the only time guaranteed by the Lord for the opportunity for salvation.
Procrastination is an indication of spiritual emptiness. In the parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus spoke of five who kept their lamps full of oil (a symbol of the Spirit – Zechariah 4), and five who did not, settling for empty lamps (Matthew 25:1-13). Procrastination is therefore a sign of spiritual lethargy or being empty rather than full of the Holy Spirit.
Procrastination,as we will see in this chapter, is a barrier to what the Spirit wants to do. That is true regarding those who need salvation. That is true for those who are saved, but who should be sharing the gospel with the lost.
The Platitudes and False Accusations Brought Against Paul
Remember, Ananias was the high priest of the Temple (Acts 23:2). “Years after this incident, Ananias was assassinated, and his son Jonathan became the high priest and was later assassinated by Felix!”309 There is no honor among thieves!
Tertullus spent almost as much time on flattering Felix in his introduction as he did name the accusations being brought against Paul (Acts 24:2-4). Flattery, as a means of manipulation, is a strategy of the world. Such platitudes are in stark contrast to the spiritual substance spoken by Paul in his Spirit-empowered defending remarks.
Who was Felix? One commentator states:
Antonius Felix was the governor of Judaea from A.D. 52-59 and was a man of servile origin who owed his unprecedented advancement to the influence of his brother at the imperial court of Claudius. His governorship was marked by a period of unrest and several Jewish uprisings which resulted in ruthless response by Felix, which in turn alienated more Jews and led to further revolts. Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote of him: “Felix indulging in every kind of barbarity and lust, exercised the power of a king in the Spirit of a slave” (Histories V, 9). He had three successful marriages to princesses, which elevated his status among the Romans. The first of the three was the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra; the third was Drusilla, the daughter of Agrippa.310
What were the charges brought against Paul? Paul was accused of:
What must Paul have been thinking as these things were being said about him? Even when you are in the right, it is no fun to be accused, attacked, or spoken harshly against, especially in a public forum. Yet Paul stayed the course and pressed on to fulfill the mission God had for him and that God had comforted him about. Such faith flows from an assurance one is in the center of the will of God and walking in the Spirit.
The Spirit Empowers Paul to Continue His Model Defense
There are about ten responses Paul gives in his defense, and we will summarize them here. Paul’s defense was as follows:
Notice, Paul only speaks about his own circumstances in as concise a way as possible. He wastes no time directing his listeners to Jesus Christ and His resurrection power (Acts 24:15, 21). There may be times when we must defend ourselves or discuss our circumstances, but our goal, objective and aim should always be to bring the conversation and defense around to a consideration of Jesus. The resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Christ and the gospel and is a demonstration of God’s power over death. Since every human being fears death or at least questions it as an enigma outside of God’s word, Paul’s reference to it was a powerful point in the Spirit. Paul was inspired to write:
Paul knew the centrality and power of the resurrection in the gospel of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus had been foretold in the Psalms (Psalm 16:10; Acts 13:34-35), the prophets (Isaiah 53:10-12; 1 Corinthians 15:4), taught and foretold by Jesus (Mark 9:9-10; John 2:19-22), and proclaimed in the Spirit by the apostles (Acts 2:32; Acts 3:15). The resurrection of Jesus was a manifestation and demonstration of the power of the Triune Godhead (the Father – Acts 2:24; The Son, Jesus – John 10:18; and the Holy Spirit – Romans 1:4; Romans 8:11). The undeniable proof of the resurrection of Jesus was right there close by in Jerusalem; the tomb was still empty, and the body of Christ was nowhere to be found (because He was in heaven; Matthew 28:11-15; John 20:1-9, 19-20, 27; Acts 1:3, 22; Acts 4:33; 1 Corinthians 16:2). The resurrection of Jesus fulfilled Scripture (Luke 24:45-46) and was the basis for the forgiveness of sin (1 Corinthians 15:7). It is the resurrection which makes our faith real (1 Corinthians 15:14-17) and gives us hope (1 Corinthians 15:18-19, 20, 23). The resurrection was no mere myth or fallacy concocted by followers of a religious figure. The resurrection of Jesus was verified by over 500 witnesses (Matthew 28:9; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:6), all the apostles (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:34, 51; John 20:19, 24, 26; John 21:1; Acts 1:9), including James (1 Corinthians 15:7) and Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8).
Now pause a moment and put yourself in the shoes of the apostle Paul. Here he was back in Jerusalem with an opportunity to preach to his fellow countrymen. But instead of welcoming Paul and his message with open arms, he is mobbed by people who are so angry with him that they are seeking to tear him limb from limb. But he is rescued by soldiers who literally must carry him to safety. This threat of bodily harm would have deterred a man with lesser calling, but not Paul. He seized the opportunity provided by the Spirit even during a riot and shared the gospel. But when he shares his testimony again, a riot erupts. The Romans are perplexed about what this man is saying that so riles up the crowd and are about to scourge him to find out, but just before Paul is about to receive the whipping, he reminds the soldiers he is a Romans citizen who cannot be whipped without due process of law. Paul then gets another chance to share the gospel, this time before the Sanhedrin. Another riot starts and again Paul is grabbed at by his accusers, who want to tear him limb from limb. A conspiracy to kill Paul by some fanatics is thwarted by the Spirit, but the message to Paul is clear, “these people will stop at nothing to kill you!” Now Paul is brought before the governor, Felix, for further review. It would have been intimidating for any person to go through all that Paul did and then finally to be brought before the governor. But Paul is not any person; he is being led and empowered by the Spirit and sees each of these trials as an opportunity to share the gospel. How about you? Would you be as ready to share the gospel in such circumstances? Paul said, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). Move him from what? Move him from the mission God had called him to. Do we have such a sense of purpose and mission from God that nothing in this world would move us from it?
Paul, in all these situations, was the center of attention. It would have been easy for him to allow the spotlight to rest on him. You know, someone has said every person has fifteen minutes of fame (or some such thing). He could have used all these circumstances to toot his own horn. But he didn’t; he didn’t allow anything to “move” him from his calling. Such calling and spiritual sensitivity to opportunities to share the gospel is often missing in today’s disciples. For instance, I was once waiting in my van outside my daughter’s school to pick her up. Unbeknownst to me, an incident worthy of news coverage had occurred during the day and the local TV news team was there. I usually bring some reading material and read until she comes out of school. As I was reading, I just happened to glance up and look in my rearview mirror to see a reporter with a microphone interviewing other people in their cars about the incident at the school that day. He was only a few cars back! Eventually, he would get to me. What would I say? What did I look like? Was I presentable? These were all the things that came to my mind. Would I plug our church, say something witty and wise? These were thoughts that all went through my mind. Somehow, I knew I had to get Jesus into that conversation. Unfortunately, the opportunity never came to pass. But it caused me to think. Paul faced, with all the chaos the world could throw at him, still managed, in the Spirit, to bear witness to and glorify Jesus. That’s what we should be ready to do too.
The Spirit Shared Gospel is Procrastinated Upon
Felix is a picture of the sinner who perhaps knows that the gospel is true but procrastinates on it rather than decides to receive Jesus as their Savior. This is a precarious position to rest upon. Felix and his wife were curious, but not yet ready or willing to be committed to the truth of the gospel.
How would Felix have a “more accurate knowledge of the Way”? (Acts 24:22). It could be, that by word of mouth, the message of the gospel of Christ had reached even into the higher stations of life. One commentator states this:
When Paul’s defense was finished, Felix had a more perfect knowledge of that way, meaning that he had a more accurate understanding of the Christian faith. Eventually Paul had the opportunity to speak to both Felix and his wife Drusilla. This girl was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I (the murderer of James, Acts 12) and the sister of Agrippa II and Bernice (Acts 25:13). She was not yet twenty years old and had already left an Assyrian king to marry Felix. She was a Jewess and died twenty-one years later in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius!311
Felix and his wife Drusilla arranged to have Paul come and speak “concerning his faith in Christ” (Acts 24:24). When Paul reasoned with them, the content of his message was:
Felix’s true motives are exposed in Luke’s comment that he was really seeking some kind of bribe (Acts 24:26-27). Those who procrastinate are usually hiding some sin or selfish desire.
The Spirit Acts But Sinners Often Procrastinate
Felix said, “go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” (Acts 24:25). Procrastination is the way many respond to the gospel, thinking they have plenty of time to make their decision. But they need to realize that indecision is a decision AGAINST the gospel! What does the Bible say about procrastination?
First, the Bible tells us to seek God while we have the opportunity, because another opportunity is not guaranteed. In Isaiah it states:
When the gospel is shared, it is a very serious and sobering thing to realize that if the sinner does not respond with repentance and seek forgiveness of their sin through faith in Christ, they are in a position to face eternal hell should they die in their sin. When the sinner walks away from the Lord’s outstretched hand of salvation, there are no guarantees there will be another opportunity to take God up on His gracious offer. Their life may end before another opportunity to be saved comes.
Second, the Bible says NOW is the right time to accept the Lord Jesus as Savior. The Bible says:
Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year are never the right times to accept the Lord as Savior. It is never right to say, “Wait awhile.” NOW, is the time to be saved – right now! When you are presented with the gracious offer of God’s free salvation from sin through faith in Christ, it is such a good offer, such an incredible and awesome offer of salvation. It is too good to pass up and there really is nothing to think about.
Third, the Bible says there is no escape for those who procrastinate away their opportunity of salvation. The Bible says:
There is no escape for those who procrastinate away the many gracious chances God provides for the sinner to come to their senses and be saved. When you come before the bar of the Lord’s judgment seat to be judged for not having accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be clearly and undeniably guilty before the Holy Judge of the universe, and you will be without excuse.
Fourth, procrastination is not neutral but serves to harden the heart AGAINST accepting the Lord. We see this in the following verses:
Every time a person hears the gospel and refuses to accept Jesus as their Savior, their heart is hardened and becomes less sensitive, less open, less tender to the gospel for the next time it is preached to them. Each time the Spirit rubs up against your heart to move you toward the Lord, if you resist, you become a little more callous and insensitive to the Spirit’s call (Galatians 6:7-9).
Fifth, there is no excuse good enough for not accepting Jesus as your Savior NOW! This is seen in the following verses:
The gospel is just too good to pass up. God is so gracious and loving in His offer of salvation that it supersedes any questioning or hesitation. God’s offer blows us away and to refuse it is the utmost disrespect to God.
Sixth, there are no second chances after death. This is seen in Jesus’ words:
There is no such place as purgatory. That is not Scriptural and anti-Scriptural fallacy that causes much procrastination. If your thinking is, “Well, even if I don’t accept Jesus as my Savior now, I can make up for it in purgatory,” if that is your mindset, you are in for a rude awakening and reality check. If that is what you believe, you may just breathe your last breath and wake up in the same eternal predicament as “a certain rich man.” It is appointed for all people to die once and then judgment comes (Hebrews 9:27). Scripture does not support any second chances after death. We are given many opportunities in this life to turn to God for forgiveness of our sin through faith in Jesus, His only Son. God’s grace is super-abundant in being patient with us now. But once we die, our opportunities to be saved die too.
We are not guaranteed an opportunity to receive Jesus as Savior other than the one we receive now. If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, this may be the only or last chance you get. Don’t procrastinate, prostrate yourself humbly before God and repent of your sin, put your trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord and be saved. Do it now!
Believers Beware of Procrastinating too!
But there is a message here for believers too, as it pertains to procrastination. We are told to be good stewards of the time God gives us, to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16). When the Spirit homes in on an area of our lives that is not Christlike and that He desires to change, do we rationalize away the focus of His light, do we put off His work in us, and do we make excuses for ourselves? If we do, we are guilty of procrastination and that compounds our sin before Him. Furthermore, just like the sinner who procrastinates and puts off deciding to accept Jesus, a callousness, hardness, and spiritual insensitivity where the Spirit wants to work is created in that area of our lives. We begin to have blind spots. That can be a dangerous pattern and often leads to backsliding.
Someone sent me a story that illustrates the peril of disregarding the conviction of the Spirit in our lives and I’d like to share it with you. Two cars were waiting at a stoplight. The light turned green, but the man at the front of the line of cars didn't notice it. The woman in the car behind him watches as traffic passes around them. The woman begins pounding on her steering wheel and yelling at the man to move. The man doesn't move. The woman is going ballistic inside her car, ranting, and raving at the man, pounding on her steering wheel and dashboard. The light turns yellow, and the woman begins to blow the car horn, flips him off, (a profane gesture) and screams profanity and curses at the man. The man looks up, sees the yellow light, and accelerates through the intersection just as the light turns red. The woman is left to wait for the light again.
This causes the woman to be beside herself, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection. As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the barrel of a gun held by a very serious-looking policeman. The policeman tells her to shut off her car while keeping both hands in sight (always remember this when pulled over by law enforcement). She complies, speechless at what is happening. After she shuts off the engine, the policeman orders her to exit her car with her hands up. She gets out of the car, and he orders her to turn and place her hands on her car. She turns, places her hands on the car roof and quickly is cuffed and hustled into the patrol car.
She is too bewildered by the chain of events to ask any questions and is driven to the police station where she is fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked, and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door for her. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the original officer is waiting with her personal effects. He hands her the bag containing her things, and says, I'm really sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and flipping the guy off in front of you, cussing a blue streak at him. Then I noticed the: "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Follow Me to Sunday School" bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. So, naturally…I assumed you had stolen the car."
Now I ask you, how many times, I wonder, did the Holy Spirit convict this woman beforehand about her temper, foul mouth, and impatience? Probably many times. She probably simply ignored the Spirit’s conviction and voice and rationalized away her sin. But the Spirit is willing, if need be, to use more shocking means to get our attention, (such as this traffic light scenario). This woman was embarrassed and shocked at what her fleshly works got her. The message here is don’t ignore the Spirit, don’t let your sin go so far as to put you in an embarrassing situation.
Conclusion
As we look at Paul’s journey in the Spirit, we are in awe of the Spirit’s preparation, protection, and overall provision for Paul along the way. Paul was not a procrastinator, but one who always pressed on in the Spirit. We are impressed by Paul’s perseverance in the Spirit in the face of persecution and rejection. He does it all in the power of the Spirit.
300 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
301 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
302 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
303 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
304 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
305 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
306 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
307 The idea of “dead” does not mean, inability to respond. Humanity is created in God’s image with a capacity to choose and make decisions. This provision is just as much grace from God as thinking, as Calvinists do, that “dead,” means inability to respond. The father of the Prodigal Son described his son as, “for this my son was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24). To be “dead” means therefore, to be separated from God.
308 What do I have to do to go to Hell? Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
309 Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
310 Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
311 Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
312 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
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