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Saved, Shipwrecked and Snake Bitten – The Life of Paul. In these final chapters of the Book of Acts we see the final account of Paul’s conversion, the Spirit’s orchestration of Paul’s journey to Rome, his shipwreck, snakebite, and arrival at his destination. In all of this we see that salvation and the leading of the Holy Spirit is often accompanied by much trial and hardship in the process of living out the purposes of God. Yet the greater value and truth that comes through all the trials is that God’s grace is all sufficient and without the trials we would never come to know and experience that. Indeed, trials bring us closer to God than anything else in life (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Philippians 3:8-11; James 1:2-5).
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.
The word of God provides wise instructions about how the Spirit uses us in a fallen world. Sometimes the Spirit directs us to use the laws of earthly governments to serve His purposes. We should be aware of this.
Government Can Be Good
In these last chapters of Acts we see Paul brought before the Sanhedrin, then before Governor Felix, then before Governor Festus and a host of dignitaries and prominent people. The Spirit orchestrates an opportunity for Paul to reach those in authority. The gospel is not just for the person on the street, it is for people in all stations of life, including the government and politics.
Government and politics are a big part of life. Governments in their various forms are by nature controlling and authoritative. Politicians and government officials are drawn to power and influence. Since every government thus far is overseen by fallen human beings, every government is critically flawed and imperfect because the people enlisted by the governments are flawed and imperfect and fallen in sin. The only government that will ever be perfect will be the Kingdom of Jesus (cf. Revelation 20). Having said that, government can be good. The goodness of a government is measured by its adherence to its Divinely-ordained purposes.
We should cooperate with the government. Even though governments are flawed, that doesn’t mean we should be uncooperative with whatever system in which we live. Jesus said our attitude should be, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). We should cooperate with our government as long as it does not cause us to disobey the word of God. Our first citizenship is to Heaven (cf. Philippians 3:17-21). But we should also be good citizens of the governmental systems we live in as long as they don’t require us to break the laws of our heavenly citizenship.
God appoints governments. Governments are God’s instrument to maintain order and justice in this fallen world. The Bible states:
There are a few things for us to note from these verses.
Government can be good. Governments are meant by God to be instruments for good. They can serve God’s heavenly purposes to freely share the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission. Some governments, like Communism, are devised on an atheist, God less worldview. But even such governments can serve God’s purposes. Governments and people purport to rebel against God, but God is not threatened by them. In fact He laughs at them (cf. Psalm 20).
Government best serve their intended purpose when they serve God. The United States is an example of this. We are blessed to live in a nation that has Christian roots. It’s not a perfect country, and in recent years it has moved far away from God, but there still remains a system of laws and government that provide protections to freely do the Lord’s work.
The Constitution
Unfortunately, many citizens of the United States are ignorant of their government and its laws. Contemporary public education has chosen to cut out civics classes so that generations are ignorant of the blessings of the government they live in. Many public schools, colleges and universities present a version of our government which is painted in dark injustices, not to mention inaccuracies. It’s important we know what our government is all about.
Our nation has a Constitution which is the Law of the land. It was born from a Constitutional Convention in 1787. 55 men from twelve states gathered in privacy to discuss, debate, and delineate the laws that would bind the original thirteen colonies together as a country. There were times when they came to a deadlock over certain issues. When that happened, they would pray. The convention was opened in prayer and bathed in prayer. These men also referred to their Bible as a source of guidance.
The Constitution they created, and its seven Articles, defined the new nation as a Constitutional Republic of Federal and State bodies. There would be three branches of government: Executive; Legislative; and Judicial. These branches each oversaw areas of rule and served to be a check and balance to each other so that no one body could rule over the others. They established and set parameters for making laws, military use, and for economic stewardship.
The Bill of Rights
While the Constitution initially set the parameters for the nation, protections for individual citizens were noted and established in the Bill of Rights, which were the first ten amendments to the Constitution. What is the Bill of Rights and what does it say?
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States. And it specifies that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
The First Amendment – The First Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest or for other reasons, and to ask the government to fix problems. It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices. It prevents the government from creating or favoring a religion.
The Second Amendment – The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.
The Third Amendment – The Third Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes.
The Fourth Amendment – The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property.
The Fifth Amendment – The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury. A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law(fair procedures and trials.)
The Sixth Amendment – The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.
The Seventh Amendment – The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases.
The Eighth Amendment – The Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.
The Ninth Amendment – The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.
The Tenth Amendment – The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.313
There have been 27 total Amendments made to the Constitution. That may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that is over approximately 250 years and 12,000 proposed Amendments. Those who authored the Constitution wanted a system put in place to amend with time, but one that was not so easy that amendments would be destabilizing.
As a result of the Civil War three “Reconstruction Amendments” were adopted. The 13th Amendments abolished slavery, the 14th, enhanced the civil rights of citizens, and the 15th guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race. These are an example and consequence of our nation’s heart first expressed in the Declaration of Independence where it states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The only Amendment adopted and then overturned was Prohibition the 18th Amendment which was overturned by the 21st Amendment. Other Amendments limited government authority, changed the age of eligibility to vote, and related to taxes.314 The Constitution is amendable, but it is still a firm, constant, and reliable document to assure the rights of its people.
In the United States of America, we have been blessed with a Constitutional Republic that has moved steadily toward assuring the civil rights of its citizens. We would do well to rely on such a heaven-sent blessing to freely minister the gospel in our country.
In Acts 25, Paul uses the Roman governmental system to appeal to Caesar. Similarly, we should know our Constitution and Bill of Rights and use them to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should use our rights under the Constitution to freely minister to the citizens and people living within the borders of the United States.
Going to Court – Paul Makes Use of His Earthly Citizenship
Felix was a corrupt Roman governor. So great was his corruption that the Romans removed him from his position. In his place Festus was inserted. Not a lot is known about Festus. He only ruled for two years. But Festus, according to what we do know about him, was a different and more upright man than his predecessor.
As we follow Paul to court before Governor Festus, it should remind us that we too will one day go before the Judge in a much higher court. Every person faces an initial judgment at death (Hebrews 9:27). Those who die without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ will face a future Judgment where all their sins will be laid bare, and the appropriate eternal damnation will be enforced by God (cf. Revelation 20:11-15).
There is no condemnation for Christians (Romans 8:1), but we will still all face a judgment before Jesus that will determine rewards for the way we lived our earthly Christian lives.
The Judgment Seat of Christ. The Apostle Paul states:
The truth that “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” should be sobering to the one who tends to talk or gossip about others. The context of Romans 14:10 is a discussion of secondary issues that Christians can have differing opinions on. Rather than gossip and try to win people to our point of view, we should be gracious and understanding with people. We shouldn’t pass judgment on others as though we were “God.” We shouldn’t “show contempt” (Greek exoutheneo) or despise, view as lesser, to lower in importance or value someone who disagrees with us. We shouldn’t exalt ourselves and our opinions at the expense of others. Being judgmental and contemptible towards others are things Paul points out will be judged by Jesus at His judgment seat.
A second place where Paul speaks of the Judgment Seat of Christ is in his second inspired letter to the church in Corinth:
Here, Paul says the incentive “to be well pleasing to Him,” is that we will face the scrutiny of Jesus at His Judgment Seat. At this judgment of Jesus, we will receive rewards “according to what we have done, whether good or bad.”
The unbeliever is judged according to their sins. In Revelation 20:11-15, we are given a description of this final judgment:
The final Judgment or Great White Throne Judgment is a profoundly serious sight. Each unbeliever will stand before Jesus. Then the Book of Life will be checked to see that the unbeliever’s name is not written in it. If your name is not in this book, you are guilty before God and destined to not just a life sentence, but an eternal life sentence in the Lake of Fire.
To justify the sentence, other “books” are consulted which have a record of all the unbeliever’s sinful works or actions. Keep in mind, these works are not just actions but include the sinful thoughts of the unbeliever according to Jesus’ standard (e.g., Matthew 5:27-32). In our day, human technology has eliminated privacy. IPhones and traffic cameras watch your every step. Facial recognition and Artificial Intelligence record your every move. The only thing technology has not been able to watch is our thoughts. If human technology can do this, how much more is the Lord able to keep an exact record of our thoughts, words, and deeds? Each unbeliever stands alone before the Holy King Jesus who is Judge. Each believer will be exposed to everyone as deserving of eternal damnation. There will be no doubt, and there will be no plea bargaining. It will be a terrible experience for the sinner. It will be terrible for everyone in attendance.
Once exposed and the sentence confirmed, the unbeliever will be cast into the Lake of Fire which is “the second death.” Only those who have been born again through faith in Jesus will avoid such a sentence. Those cast into the Lake of Fire, will finally realize why it was so important to trust Jesus as Savior, but it will be too late. There are no second chances. There is no purgatory. The sentence is final and forever. True. Terrible.
If you are reading this and have yet to repent of your sins and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, now is the time to do it. If you know Jesus, let this be an incentive to tell everyone unbeliever you know that they need to repent and trust Jesus as Savior. Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3). Your salvation is not a matter of religious affiliation. Salvation is a matter of spiritual regeneration or being “born again.” The one born again will have their life impacted much the same as a child being born into the world. Regarding final judgment, someone has said, “Born twice, die once. Born once, die twice.” You must be born again if you are to avoid the final judgment and the Lake of fire.
Jesus is the only solution to a person’s sin problem. All humanity falls short of God’s glorious requirement for heaven (Romans 3:23). Only by God’s gracious gospel offer through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection can a sinner receive forgiveness for their sins (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 3:4-7). Our unrighteous works will earn us condemnation – “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Our righteous works are as “filthy rags” to the LORD who is Holy and Just (cf. Isaiah 64:6). “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Jesus is the only way to be saved from sin (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:4-5).
The Christian is judged according to how they applied the holy spiritual assets given to them by God (Matthew 25:14-30). The Christian is judged according to their way of life and their pursuit of holiness. Paul explained it like this:
If you, a “Christian,” practice or live a life characterized by the works of the flesh, you really need to do a self-assessment to see if you are genuinely saved. Jesus spoke of “tares” among the wheat or kernels of wheat that looked good on the outside but on the inside were empty with no wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). If you are genuinely saved from your sin, there will be evidence of spiritual fruit in your life. Walking and living in the Spirit is what Jesus will look at to determine the rewards He will give us.
Are you ready to go to court, or do you want a bit more time to prepare your case?
Now let’s go to court with Paul and see what we learn.
The new governor wasted no time in zeroing in on a festering problem left to him by his predecessor, Felix. Festus wastes no time and goes to Jerusalem. His diligence is evidence of his character and leadership.
There is not a lot of information on Festus, but one commentator states:
In A.D. 58 Felix’s soldiers put down a riot of Jews in Caesarea with such violence that he was replaced by Festus, a more fair and honorable ruler, but one who was unable to control the situation in Palestine which had now become a hotbed of revolution and within twelve years would come under the wrath of the emperor himself. Upon his arrival in the province, Festus went from Caesarea to Jerusalem (vs. 1). There, the high priest, and the Jews again brought charges against Paul, requesting that he be sent to Jerusalem, in hope that they might ambush him on the way. Instead, Festus resisted their pressure and returned to Caesarea where the Jews were forced to come and make formal charges against the apostle before the judgment seat.315
Remember, it’s been two years since their first confrontation with Paul (Acts 24:27). Two years is not a short amount of time. That they still hate Paul so deeply and want to kill him tells us there’s something drastically wrong with their religion. Anyone who would resort to this kind of conspiracy and murder has a problem with their religion. How about you? Maybe you’re not planning the actual murder of someone, but maybe you’re orchestrating a character assassination, a gossip campaign, or shading the “truth” in a way that supports you and denigrates your adversary. If that’s the case, I would encourage you to get alone with the Lord and let Him examine your heart (use Psalm 51 for this).
Unlike Felix, who wanted “to do the Jews a favor,” Festus kept Paul in Caesarea under his protection. Felix lived for bribes (Acts 24:26). Festus may have preferred to help the Jews (see v. 9) but seems to have been somewhat less corrupt than Felix.
A tactic of unrighteous antagonists is to bring accusations against people. Anyone can bring an accusation against someone. In the United States, a person is innocent until proven guilty. That provides an opportunity for a person to defend themselves against the accusations. The Roman system was like this. A citizen of Rome was guaranteed a hearing to defend them. They could appeal to Caesar. But before that could happen, the accusations had to be shown to be credible. Here the accusations against Paul were false. “They could not prove” them.
The accuser of the brethren. The devil is referred to as “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). When we sin or indulge our flesh, we “give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). Are you doing anything that would give the devil grounds to bring an accusation against you? The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (John 16:8-11). Is there anything in your life that the Holy Spirit would be displeased about? Has the Holy Spirit been convicting you of some sin? If so, don’t give the devil a foothold. Repent and confess your sins before God and ask His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Walk in the light of God and His word and fellowship with Him and rely on the blood of Jesus to wash away your sins (1 John 1:7).
Could you state your innocence as completely and truthfully as Paul did here?
Festus wasn’t going to take responsibility for Paul’s welfare. He may have known of the Jews’ conspiracy against Paul, but here, he deflects responsibility by giving Paul a choice.
To Rome! This chapter is pivotal to Acts in that Paul’s appeal to Caesar leads to his journey to Rome and therefore impacts the direction of the book. Remember that at the end of chapter 24, Porcius Festus succeeded Governor Felix and that he kept Paul in prison to curry favor with the Jews (Acts 24:27).
When Festus wavers and seeks to find favor with Paul’s Jewish accusers by moving his hearing to Jerusalem, Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:10-12). Caesar Nero was ruling Rome at this time (he ruled from A.D. 54-68). Such an appeal was the right of Roman citizens. The Spirit used this appeal to bring Paul to Rome. Festus, seeing Paul’s appeal to Caesar as a way out of having to make a decision, jumped at the opportunity to get this sticky case off his ledger.
“I appeal to Caesar.” Notice, Paul makes use of his rights as a citizen. He would eventually be martyred for his faith, but he wasn’t going to forfeit more opportunities to be used by the Lord. “Paul wasn’t afraid to be thrown to the lions, but he wasn’t going to stick his head in the lion’s mouth.”316 Paul knew the evidence supported his case. The issue was whether he could get a fair trial.
The Spirit Acts and Orchestrates a Meeting for Paul with King Agrippa
Paul began with a heartfelt desire to share the gospel with his countrymen the Jews. That appeared to be a big flop, as not only did the Jews reject his message, but they also rioted and tried to kill him (Acts 21; Acts 22). He was then brought before the Sanhedrin, who further rejected him and his message of Jesus. The Jews conspired to assassinate Paul but were thwarted by being discovered (the Spirit’s protection? – Acts 23). Because of the disturbance, Paul is brought before Governor Felix where he presents his case (Acts 24). Now Paul is before the new governor and a host of other dignitaries. The Lord is taking an apparent failure and out of it blossoming more opportunities to reach people in normally unreachable positions of power.
This is Herod Agrippa II who ruled a client kingdom of Rome to the northeast of Festus’ province. Agrippa was a known expert in Jewish laws and customs, so it made sense for Festus to invite him to hear Paul’s case. Festus probably thought he could get some counsel from Agrippa.
Herod Agrippa II is connected to the house of Herod. His great-grandfather tried to murder Jesus as a baby. His grandfather had John the Baptist beheaded. His father murdered the first Apostle, James. Now Paul stood before this enemy of the gospel.
Bernice was Agrippa’s sister, with whom he had taken as a wife. Their incestuous relationship was a scandal well known throughout the Empire.
It’s important that we get a handle on the characters in this section of Acts. One commentator does a good job by stating:
Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1) and Bernice, who was the sister of both Drusilla and Agrippa. She had previously been married to her uncle until his death, and was now living with her brother in a relationship widely rumored to be incestuous. She later left him for another pagan king, then deserted him and finally became the mistress of both the Roman emperor Vespasian and his son Titus, who later destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Upon hearing about Paul from Festus, Agrippa requested an audience with the famous prisoner. Paul was brought into the palace court and in chains preached Christ to his royal guests. It is interesting to note that Agrippa, who had come to power in A.D. 53, controlled most of Palestine at the time and supervised the appointment of the high priest in Jerusalem. His powerful influence in Jewish affairs certainly made Paul’s interview with him one of extreme importance. Festus related how Paul had been left there from the time of Felix and how he doubted of such manner of questions (vs. 20) because of his lack of understanding of the nature of Jewish matters, since he was new to that territory. The term Augustus (vs. 21) is misleading since the word is a translation of the Latin Augustus, meaning the “revered” or “august one.” This term was applied to all Roman emperors, of whom Augustus Caesar had been the first. Again note that the emperor at this time was Nero. The modern equivalent for this term would be similar to “his majesty”. Because of Paul’s appeal to Caesar, no further action could be taken by these royal rulers.317
Festus explains the case of Paul. He is interested in following Roman civil law.
Festus was surprised at the accusations brought against Paul that had caused such a riot. Keeping the peace was really all that Festus was interested in. But when he heard the matter, he discovered it really wasn’t about anything of civil significance.
“A certain Jesus.” That Festus refers to Jesus in this way shows he didn’t know about Jesus. He would get to know about Jesus through Paul, but we should never assume people know about Jesus. We should take every opportunity to share Jesus with people.
Festus explains the case brought against Paul didn’t really fall within the purview of Roman law but instead was “about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” Notice, Festus was able to discern from Paul’s statements that Paul spoke “of a certain Jesus,” Jesus was central to Paul’s message. He said Paul spoke of Jesus “who had died,” which means it was likely that Paul mentioned the crucifixion. And “Paul affirmed” Jesus “to be alive.” Jesus, the cross, and resurrection, that is the gospel.
This is the third Gentile ruler Paul has spoken to. First Felix, then Festus, and now Agrippa. Here, though not specifically stated, we see the Holy Spirit at work opening doors of opportunity for the Apostle Paul to share the gospel. All Paul had to be was a willing part of the Holy Spirit’s plan. Are you willing to be used by the Spirit to reach others? Present yourself to the Lord and see what He will do!
These dignitaries entered with great pomp. Paul was brought in with chains. There couldn’t be a greater contrast. And yet, the greater there was the servant of the Lord, Paul. Agrippa and Bernice were bejeweled and ornamented. Paul was bedraggled and simple. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6). They surrounded Paul in their pomp. Paul was the center of attention. Today, few remember Festus, Agrippa, or Bernice, but most of the world knows of Paul. Those who present themselves as important are not always the truly important ones. Importance is not measured by outward appearances, but by inner substance and purpose.
Luke made sure to mention that the Roman authorities found “nothing deserving of death” in Paul.
Festus wanted to use this hearing to help him prepare an official brief to accompany Paul to Rome. Festus couldn’t send Paul to Rome without reason. He had to research the case and come up with a justifiable basis for sending Paul to Rome.
Here we have a divine appointment between Paul and King Agrippa arranged by the Holy Spirit. These circumstances and opportunities for Paul to share the gospel with government officials are not a mere coincidence but are orchestrated by the Spirit to give opportunity to even the elite to receive the gospel.
Are You Ready to Testify to Jesus?
God loves this world of people, and He has gone to great lengths to expose and convict them of their sins, show them their need of forgiveness for those sins, and the gospel of grace through faith in Jesus that can secure such forgiveness as well as their spiritual regeneration and eternal life. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in this world to reach the lost. That’s how you and I are here reading these words now. Either you are searching, and the Lord is using this book to answer your questions, or you know the Lord and are seeking to grow in Him. The Holy Spirit orchestrates constant ubiquitous opportunities for God’s people to be used by Him to reach the lost. The question this raises for us is, “Are you ready to testify to Jesus?”
In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus spoke of the essential need for His disciples to receive the Promise of the Father, the baptism with the Holy Spirit:
To be ready to testify requires we first be baptized with or empowered to do so by the Holy Spirit. Then and only then will we be able to “be witnesses to Me,” or to Jesus.
In Acts 26 we are given the third account of Paul’s conversion. The first account is given to us in Luke’s narrative in Acts 9. The second account is given by Paul himself in Acts 22 when he is before his brethren the Jews in Jerusalem. His testimony was refused by the Jews and a riot ensued followed by a clandestine plot to assassinate him. He is then brought before the Sanhedrin, then Felix, then Festus who arranges for King Agrippa, his beautiful 32–year-old sister-bride Berniece, the political leaders, and Roman tribunes, all of them dressed in their best in all their regalia. It’s quite an impressive assembly of worldly authority; everybody who is anybody is there.318
Paul is brought before this impressive assembly. Would he be awestruck and overwhelmed by all these great and impressive people? Would he be at a loss for words? Would he be shaken? No, Paul, when given the opportunity, was ready to testify. This raises a question for us then. When the Holy Spirit provides us with an opportunity to testify, will we be ready?
The Holy Spirit Gives Us Time to Prepare
Festus, having organized this assembly, passed the baton to King Agrippa who was his honored guest.
Paul had been in prison for two years at this point (Acts 24:27). Felix had been hoping for Paul to pay him some money to secure his release (Acts 24:26). Paul would not stoop to take the easy way out. Paul only worked above board and honestly (Acts 23:1). Paul used this time of incarceration wisely and prepared himself for the opportunity the Holy Spirit had provided him.
Only be stumped once. Any downtime we have between Holy Spirit-provided opportunities to witness is time for us to prepare to be ready for the next opportunity to be used to testify. During witnessing, there will be times when you are inevitably stumped by a question someone asks, or a retort they give to your apologetic. When I was first a Christian and earnestly sharing my faith, people would ask questions that I didn’t have the answer to. It wasn’t because I wasn’t prepared; it was simply that I hadn’t considered their questions before.
In Romans, it states, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The Apostle Peter wrote, “But sanctify the LORD God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Don’t let the questions of the adversary stump you more than once, turn his evil opposition into an incentive for good in that you study to have an effective response to that question the next time it comes up.
There are certain questions that come up repeatedly when we witness. We should be ready with an answer, so they don’t become an obstacle to the gospel and salvation of the lost soul we are speaking to. Make it a holy habit to only be stumped once by a question. Be prepared.
Here are some questions you will no doubt encounter when you witness to the lost:
These are just a few of the questions you should be familiar with and have a ready response to. Think of the question you had before you came to Christ and how the Lord answered those questions as part of His saving work.
Readiness Fuels Confidence
So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:
Paul was ready. When Agrippa gave Paul permission to speak, he was ready. He hadn’t wasted his two years in prison. He was ready to share.
Paul was confident. The Holy Spirit provided Paul with two years to prepare for this opportunity to witness before this impressive assembly. Readiness fuels confidence. One of the ways the Holy Spirit empowers us is in our preparation. If you go to a job interview unprepared and stumble at the questions the interviewer asks, you will likely not only not get the job, but you will walk away dejected, rejected, ashamed and disappointed you didn’t prepare beforehand.
Rely on the Holy Spirit. There will be times when opportunities to witness present themselves unexpectedly. When that happens, you simply rely on the Holy Spirit’s leading and empowerment to proceed. To be empowered by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean you can be lax or unconcerned about preparation. To be empowered by the Holy Spirit means you seek His guidance in preparing to anticipate what people might ask or say in a witnessing situation.
Paul didn’t rely on his education. We shouldn’t either. Paul didn’t rely on his credentials to impress his listeners. If anything, he speaks of his roots in Judaism as evidence of how religion can steer you wrong. Paul, I’m sure, prepared prayerfully. I can see Paul pondering what Scriptures he might use in quotation or in principle. But when the time came to share his faith, he relied on the Holy Spirit to lead him and anoint his words.
We shouldn’t rely on our education or preparation to witness. It would be wrong to depend on your preparation instead of the Holy Spirit. Some with an apologetic inclination prepare and study and know responses to nearly every question. The danger in this is to trust in your preparation and your own ability to answer a question and win an argument instead of trusting in the Holy Spirit. That is just as wrong and doomed to frustration and failure as it is to be unprepared. We must depend on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our preparation and delivery. Don’t depend or rely on yourself. Depend on the Holy Spirit. That’s what Paul did.
Paul was personable and inclusive. Luke paints a picture of Paul before this impressive-by-worldly-standards assembly. He begins by saying “Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself.” We aren’t told anything specifically about his outstretched hand’s motion, but we can imagine he stretched out his hand perhaps with a sweeping motion to convey the idea that he was speaking to everyone in the area. He was inclusive. What he had to say was for all to hear. Everyone needs to repent (e.g., Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). Everyone needs to trust Jesus as their Savior (e.g., John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Acts 17:31).
Paul was not belligerent. Paul might have also humbly and disarmingly raised his hand to acknowledge all present and as a show of thanks for this opportunity to speak. What we do know is that Paul didn’t shake a fist at his audience. He didn’t curse at them or scream at them. He spoke with them and shared his testimony.
The “Almost” and “Altogether” Christian
Paul is given a tremendous opportunity to share the gospel with a courtroom of influential elite people. The Spirit anoints Paul, and he shares his testimony powerfully. So powerful is his testimony that Governor Festus accuses him of being “mad” and King Agrippa comments, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:24 and 28). Paul responds by saying “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:29). That is what we will see in this chapter, what it looks like for a person to be “almost” a Christian and what it looks like for someone to be “altogether” a Christian.
The phrase, “you almost persuade me” is literally, a little me you persuade (Greek oligo me peitheis). King Agrippa was persuaded “a little,” or “almost,” but not enough for him to trust Jesus as Savior, not enough to repent and surrender his life to Jesus, not enough for him to act on the gospel message of Paul. Sadly, this is the response, or lack thereof, of many people to the gospel when they hear it.
Paul then said literally, “I would wish to God, both in a little and in much not only you but also all the hearing me this day to become such as I also am, except of the bonds of these.” Paul is not shaken by Festus and Agrippa’s resistance but says his desire is that everyone listening would go beyond being “almost” a Christian and become “altogether” (Greek polloi) or much, mighty, full, all, or here, as much as possible a Christian. That is Paul’s burden for the lost. Like God (2 Peter 3:9), Paul desires everyone to come to Christ as Savior.
The rest of this chapter shows us distinctively what someone who is “almost”, or not, yet a Christian looks like and what someone who is “altogether” a Christian looks like. The question we then need to ask is which are we, “almost,” or “altogether” a Christian?
The Pre-conversion Religious Saul
Again, we see that a personal testimony is a powerful tool of witness. The Spirit-empowered Paul shares his testimony before the most powerful people of his day.
Paul begins humbly. Paul is speaking to Agrippa, but his message is for all in earshot of what he is about to say. Paul is also humble and is working within the proper decorum of such a situation. Paul is not undisciplined or unruly; he is polite and speaks with proper etiquette.
Paul is not a novice when it comes to Judaism; he grew up as a Jew in Jerusalem. This was known by all.
Paul was not a peripheral or superficial Jew; he was one who lived “according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” Notice Paul uses the inclusive pronoun “our” to guard against alienating those he is speaking to.
Paul speaks of “the promise” of his people which they all hope for, that is, the hope for a Messianic deliverer. Paul is maneuvering to make Jesus the central issue. Jesus should always be at the heart of our testimony.
Paul gets right down to business, the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is at the heart of the gospel. The resurrection is what sets Christianity apart from every other religion. Without the resurrection there is no Christianity (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15). The victory over the final enemy, death, is what every human being must consider, since everyone will one day die and face judgment (e.g. Hebrews 9:27).
Paul, from the start, plants the seed of the resurrection in his message to Agrippa and Festus (Acts 26:8). The resurrection is central to the gospel, and we have seen that throughout our study of the Book of Acts. Paul always gets around to the resurrection of Jesus because the power of the resurrection is primary in winning the lost to Christ.
Paul points out that though he was a Pharisee and very religious, arguably as religious as a person could be, he found himself contrary to God’s plans and against the promised Messiah Jesus Christ.
Paul begins his defense before Agrippa and Festus by recounting his pre-conversion life of religiousness. This account gives us a picture of what it is like to be religious.
Religion led Paul in the wrong direction and led him to be in opposition to God. Paul is arguing that religion, in this case Judaism, isn’t the answer. And his testimony also shows that even one as dead set against Jesus as Paul was, could be turned and saved from their sin. We should keep this in mind when we face those staunchly opposed to Jesus, as we witness. Jesus can intervene personally to save them, or He can use one of us to be instrumental in saving the enemy of Christ. If Jesus can save Saul and make him Paul, he can save anybody. That’s encouraging. Remember that you are praying and seeking the salvation of that adamantly-opposed-to-Jesus family member, friend, or person you are witnessing to.
The Converted Paul and His Newfound Relationship with Jesus
Now Paul will show in his testimony the difference between religion and relationship. There is no mention by Paul of having heard from the Lord before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. But on that Road, Jesus confronts Paul directly, and it changes Paul’s life.
God is light. In Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12; John 9:5). And we are to reflect the light found in God and Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16). Light conveys the idea of illumination, revelation, purity, enlightenment. But be cautious because Satan often disguises himself as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). Make sure those who present themselves as “light” are in line with the true God of light.
Jesus confronts Paul directly, personally. Jesus takes the persecution of His flowers personally. When a Christian is persecuted, to Jesus, it is as though He is being persecuted.
Jesus knocks Saul and his companions in persecution off their high horses. Then Jesus confronts Saul the persecutor personally.
“It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
A goad was a sharp prong-like piece used to keep a beast of burden from kicking back at the one driving them. The expression used by Jesus here communicates the idea that Saul, in his religious pursuits, is kicking against the way God is directing him. You see, Saul thought he was doing the LORD’s work as he sought out and persecuted Christians. But in reality, Saul was kicking against the goads God had put in place to direct him. This implies that the Damascus Road experience is not the first of Spirit’s dealings with Saul. The first outreach to Saul may have been the stoning of Stephen (cf. Acts 7:58 and Acts 8:1).
How about you, are you kicking against the goads of the Lord, His efforts to draw you to Himself through repentance and faith in Jesus?
Jesus clearly identifies Himself. There is no doubt as to Who is confronting Saul. It is Jesus, Who Saul was persecuting.
Jesus appears to Saul for a purpose, to make him a “minister” (Greek hyperetes). A “minister” here means an under-oarsman, underling, a servant, an attendant. Such a “minister” was a subordinate with authority but under the authority of another. The word was used as a physician’s assistant. Paul was not the authority, but was only to use authority as directed by Jesus. This is truly the right view of anyone serving in ministry.
Jesus told Saul that he would deliver Paul from the Jewish people. Saul must have wondered why Jesus would have to do this at first, because Paul was on a mission to defend Judaism.
Jesus also said He would deliver Saul from the Gentiles. This may have been a little easier to understand, since the Jews were living under the authority of Rome.
What a difference a saving relationship with Jesus makes in a person’s life! Right from the start, Jesus is talking to Saul/Paul. As Jesus brings him out of his religious rage, He brings him into a personal relationship with Himself. Right from the start, Jesus has a plan for Paul.
Here we see the plan and purpose of Jesus for Paul’s life. Jesus’ purpose for Paul was:
This is really an incredible calling, since Jesus called Paul when he was dead set against Him. Paul was a religious terrorist, stopping at nothing to wipe out those who opposed his religious views. But Jesus got hold of his heart and worked a miracle in his life. God has a plan for us, even before we are saved, and that is an incredible truth to ponder upon (see Ephesians 2:10).
Jesus spoke of sending Saul to the Jews and Gentiles. But for what purpose was Jesus going to send Saul? For what purpose does Jesus send us?
This is one of the great clear statements of Jesus’ purpose for Christians today. This verse is what we ought to have in mind when we witness or share our testimony. This was Saul’s, soon-to-be Paul’s, mission purpose. It is ours as well.
The State of the Lost
Acts 26:18 conveys a great deal about the state of the lost. There are seven things to note here about the state of the lost.
First, the sinner is blind and needs their eyes opened. Those, outside a saving relationship with God in Christ, are at the mercy of the God of this world, Satan. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
When you live apart from salvation in Christ, you live at the mercy of Satan; you become a slave of Satan and sin (Romans 6:14-23; Ephesians 2:1-5).
How can such blindness be lifted? In Psalms, it states:
You see, it is the Spirit’s use of God’s word that can open the eyes of the lost to see and decide whether they will accept God’s gracious offer of salvation from their sin through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; John 1:3).
Second, the sinner is in darkness. The sinner does not see that they are living in sin. Indeed, the sinner often rationalizes away their sin and denies they are sinners (Isaiah 42:16; 1 John 1:8, 10). One way this is done is to promote sin as acceptable and try to get society to validate it by removing restrictions against it (Romans 1:28-32). Why do you think it is so important for homosexuals to get themselves included in anti-discrimination laws? It is because if the government does this, it will soothe their conscience and make their sinful lifestyle more acceptable. But it is not acceptable to God no matter what law is passed to validate it.
Third, the sinner needs the light of God in Christ. The Bible is filled with verses which speak of the imagery of God’s light being provided to those in darkness. Below are a few of these verses:
It is through faith in Jesus Christ that God turns on the light and calls us into a life of His marvelous light.
Fourth,the sinner is under the power of Satan (1 John 5:19). “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). But Christ can break that power because Jesus has disarmed Satan at the cross (Colossians 2:15). The Lord promises in His word that He will crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). When we submit to God and resist the Devil, he flees from us (James 4:7). Because Jesus in us by the Spirit is greater than Satan, we can confidently gain victory when he attacks us (1 John 4:4).
Fifth, the sinner needs their sins forgiven. All sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4). Therefore, we need to seek forgiveness from God, which He grants when we accept the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf and trust Him as our Savior (Colossians 1:13-14).
Sixth, the sinner has no inheritance, but through Christ, they can receive one. The only thing the sinner must look forward to in eternity is darkness, torment, and separation from God. Think of a place that lacks the fruit of the Spirit, love and all its attributes; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The person who is saved through faith in Jesus, on the other hand, has a rich inheritance in the presence of God for eternity (Matthew 6:19-24; Romans 8:17; 1 John 3:1-2).
Seventh, the sinner is dirty with sin but can be sanctified and cleansed from sin through faith in Jesus. God’s word has a cleansing effect on the believer (John 17:17, 19). The Spirit can cleanse the sinner from the dirt and filth of any sinful past (1 Corinthians 6:9-12). It is the work of the Spirit that can do this in us (Titus 3:4-6).
This is the plight of the sinner. But God promises new life to those who trust Him and turn to Him from their sinful state.
The Impact of the Spirit – Paul’s Testimony of the Spirit’s Work in His Life
The moment he trusted Jesus as Savior, Saul/Paul begins to share, “they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” Of course, this is a general way of speaking of the gospel. To understand Paul’s message more fully we should look at the fourteen letters in the New Testament the Holy Spirit inspired through him.
Paul testifies that his message, commissioned to Him by Jesus, is consistent with the Old Testament “prophets and Moses.” Even Moses was inspired to teach that the faith is the means to God’s righteousness (e.g., Genesis 15:6; compare with Romans 3:24-26).
When we look at Paul’s pre-conversion state, we see a ruthless persecutor of Christ’s followers. But God can take even a terroristic persecuting agent such as Saul and save their soul and transform them into a loving follower of Jesus named Paul (Acts 26:12-18). All of this is the work of the Spirit. And if such a conversion could occur in the likes of Paul, it could happen in us and anyone else who is fighting against God. No one is beyond the grasp of the Spirit.
The signs of genuine salvation. What impact did Jesus through the Holy Spirit have on Paul’s life? What were the signs of the new eternal life in the apostle?
Saul was changed to Paul. Before we note the observable changes and transformations of the Spirit in Paul, we need to make the fundamental observation that Saul was changed. Paul did not continue as a persecutor of Christians once saved by the Lord. And in the same way, the person who is genuinely saved will leave the old sinful life behind. Those who claim conversion but go unchanged, really have no leg to stand on. There is no Scriptural support for a person who is saved to continue living in sin. You can’t accept Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords into your heart by the Spirit and stay the same. To believe and claim such is to rob the truth of salvation of its power (Romans 1:16-17). But what impact does the Spirit have on the saved?
First, Paul lived a life of obedient submission to Jesus (Acts 26:19). Jesus said that if you loved Him you would obey Him. Love and obedience are inseparable. Look at what He said:
Jesus here connects love with obedience. He tells us when you love Him, you will obey Him. The fruit of our love for Jesus is obedience to Him. Jesus also connects loving obedience to God’s revelation (“manifest Myself to him”). When you lovingly obey the Lord, you will experience revelation and greater spiritual insight about Him. Obedience is an important part of our walk with the Lord. The apostle John made love and obedience inseparable when he wrote:
These verses show us that true love of the Lord is accompanied by obedience to the Lord. You can’t really claim to love the Lord if you are living in disobedience to Him in some way. You may be in a struggle over some sin in your life, but you are seeking and aiming at overcoming that sin in the power of the Spirit so that you can bring that area of your life into obedience to Jesus. But some people abuse the grace of God and use it as an excuse to sin and disobey God. Such a view simply compounds their sin and amplifies the darkness of it.
Obedience is not popular in our present-day culture of self-rule, self-service, and self-gratification. Many today look at the word “obey” as just another four-letter word. Rebellion and disobedience are the image that is popular. Even many in the church have adopted such a view in a subtle, spiritually-deceptive way. Such people manipulate God’s grace to excuse their disobedience. They use the grace of God as an excuse for sin, to make sin and disobedience an afterthought and unimportant part of their lives. Paul said this should never happen (Romans 6:1-2). By God’s grace we can overcome sin and become all that God desires us to be (1 Corinthians 15:10). Obedience is the proper response to Jesus as your Lord. If Jesus is your Lord and Master, then you will take orders from Him and joyfully obey Him.
How can we love obediently? The key to obedience is not setting up a set of rules or dos and don’ts; it is the love of God. Paul was inspired to write about this when he said:
It is the Spirit who puts the love of God into our hearts (Romans 5:5). And it is that love for God that compels us to obey Him. When we look at Jesus and His love for us, when the Spirit reveals that love to us, it has a compelling impact on us, a powerful, compelling impact that strikes our heart and wins our devotion to Him. Such love turns us away from our self-love and disobedience to Jesus and loving submission and obedience to Him.
Second, Paul lived a life declaring the need of all people to repent and turn to God and “do good works befitting repentance….” (Acts 26:20). In other words, when you accept Jesus into your heart (Romans 10:9-10) it will have an impact on your life. Salvation is not based on a mere acknowledgment or ascent but is a life trust that leads to bearing spiritual fruit (Matthew 7; John 15) in an impacting way, not a mere ascent that would not bear fruit spiritually – Acts 26:20; Matthew 7; John 15. Repentance is an important theme in Acts (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 8:22; Acts 11:18; Acts 13:24; Acts 17:30; Acts 19:4; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:20). When Paul was converted by trusting Jesus as His Savior and Lord, he did not continue persecuting the church (and Jesus by way of his persecuting the church). When Paul was saved, a radical change occurred in his life and that is the nature of salvation. The word repent means to change directions in heart, thought and life. You cannot be genuinely saved and remain the same; if you do, you are not saved.
Third, Paul obtained help from God;l he relied on God to help him witness and minister (Acts 26:22a). In his religious past, Paul relied on human traditions and human authority as the primary source of direction and action in ministry. The result is that he was fighting against God, the one he sought to serve. The difference between a religious pursuit of God and a spiritual one is the difference between works and grace. Paul came to see that it was not his work that mattered most, but the work of God on his behalf through Christ that really was life-changing. That is his point when he was inspired to write to the Corinthians, saying:
God’s grace enables and empowered Paul to succeed where he had previously failed in his own strength. He also said to the Philippian church:
In both these portions of Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:10 and Philippians 2:12-13) the point is not that we are released from the need to make any effort, (that is sloth), but it is that we are working in the power provided by God, not our own strength (“I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” and “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”). It is God who is working in us, and He is the One we now depend upon. That truth, brought by the Spirit, transformed the life of Paul.
Once you accept Jesus as Savior and the Spirit indwells you and empowers you, ministry becomes an adventure and joy. That is what Paul is saying here. (Joy does not necessarily mean Paul was happy. He felt pain when beaten. He felt sadness when rejected. But he had an assurance of being right with Jesus and serving Him properly, which is the nature of joy. Such joy is from Jesus and is a source of strength – Nehemiah 8:10).
Fourth, Paul ministered according to the word of God, i.e., “prophets and Moses” (Acts 26:22). Jesus was and is the fulfillment of the prophetic word of God (Hebrews 10:7). When Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, all the light of the Scripture Paul had studied as a Pharisee came to bear. Finally, Paul was helped by the Lord to put it all together and this moved Paul to be a student of the word of God all the more. This is what true discipleship in the Spirit is all about, as Jesus said:
The more you allow the Spirit to put the word of God in your heart, the more the Spirit will empower you to be freed from the sins that so easily entangle you (Hebrews 12:1-2). Paul encouraged everyone he came into contact with to be a student of the word (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Peter shared much the same testimony regarding God’s word (2 Peter 1:19-21).
Fifth, the focus of Paul’s message was the light of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (Acts 26:23). As we have seen throughout Paul’s life and ministry, at every opportunity he sought to share the light of Jesus with those who were in darkness. Paul just couldn’t stop talking about Jesus. He had a burden to share Jesus with the lost. It was the love he had for Jesus that compelled him to do so. We’ve already shared verses from 2 Corinthians 5 but look at the chapter in its context and see how the love of God brought a burden for the lost, a desire for the lost to come to Jesus to be saved from their sin. Paul wrote:
As you can see, Jesus had a tremendous impact on the life of Paul. Paul is a perfect example of the power of the gospel to save and sanctify a sinner (Romans 1:16-17). It should be our prayer that God will save many more Sauls in our day and make them modern day Pauls. We need them badly.
The Almost Persuaded – Festus and Agrippa
Paul’s testimony was clear, concise, and powerful. How would Governor Festus and King Agrippa and the other prominent people receive the message?
Festus accuses Paul of being crazy. He tries to dismiss Paul’s message as irrational. Many Atheists try to do the same thing in our day. But like Paul did, we need to affirm that we are speaking “the word of truth and reason.”
The content of our witness. Whether we share our personal testimony or use an apologetic to witness, the content of our sharing should be “truth and reason.”
Truth. “Truth” (Greek aleitheias) refers to truth, that which is dependable, that free from error, that which has integrity and reliability. We find truth in God’s word (i.e., John 17:17). Jesus told Pontious Pilate that He came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). We are to witness to the truth.
Reason. “Reason” (Greek sophrosunes) refers to soundness of mind, mental soundness, good sense, self-control, moderation, reasonableness. Such soundness of mind and message comes from God (2 Timothy 1:7). We should prayerfully think through what we believe, following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Paul inserts some assertions about Agrippa that he is aware of the things Paul is speaking about (Jesus and the resurrection). Paul affirms that what he is speaking about concerning Jesus “was not done in a corner.” In other words, the message of Jesus and the resurrection was not done in secrecy where there were few witnesses; it was done in the open for all to see. That is a test and true evidence of the reliability of something.
We don’t know exactly what these words of Agrippa mean. There are several ways this response by Agrippa can be taken. It could mean that with this relatively short message from Paul that Agrippa is almost persuaded to become a Christ. It could mean Agrippa thinks Paul is trying to persuade him to act like a Christian. It could be that Agrippa is really rejecting Paul’s message and, in irony, says, “Do you think you could persuade me to become a Christian with such a brief message?” Agrippa may be giving a synopsis of what Paul has said like, “So, what you are really trying to do Paul is trying to convert me to Christianity.” Agrippa could simply be expressing surprise that Paul is preaching to them. Whatever the meaning is, Agrippa rejects Paul’s efforts to convert him to be a Christian and “was closing his heart and mind to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.”319
Paul has the heart of a soul winner. His desire and passion are for all people to be saved. Would Paul have such a passion for all the lost if, as some contend, God only had a select few “elected” to salvation? (i.e., Calvinism). Paul desires that everyone be saved and become just like him, “except for these chains.”
“Except for these chains.” The Holy Spirit provided Paul with this incredible opportunity to share the gospel, but he remained in chains to do so. Before all these movers and shakers, these aristocrats and people of power and influence, Paul appeared in chains. This tells us that the road to witness is often a humbling road. To share with the lost, we may have to endure humiliation. But for Paul, and for us, this would be a small price to pay to reach the lost. Are you willing to wear the shackles of shame to share the gospel?
Paul’s message in the Spirit was getting through to Agrippa, but Agrippa stopped it and halted the call of the Spirit to his heart. Rather than surrender and accept Jesus as his Savior, he embarrassingly put off Paul (Acts 26:28).
Salvation is a matter of the heart more than the head. Paul spoke the truth in a very reasonable way. Paul spoke rationally. Paul removed the questions and intellectual obstacles. But Agrippa still refused to bow the knee to Jesus. The thing to see here is that the Spirit has spoken clearly and effectively to Agrippa through Paul; Agrippa understands the gospel message of Paul, but while Agrippa understands in his head, he is not ready or willing to give Jesus His heart. SALVATION IS A MATTER OF THE HEART, NOT MERELY THE HEAD. The Bible says:
Because salvation is a matter of the heart, we should use God’s law, which brings conviction of sin toward the conversion of the soul (e.g., Psalm 19:7; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). Why Paul didn’t use the Law we do not know. The Holy Spirit was leading him, and we must trust in that.
Agrippa like Felix was a procrastinator (compare Acts 24). That salvation is a matter of the heart is seen in the previous account of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:36-37). We also see this in God’s word, which tells us salvation is a matter of the heart (Romans 2:28-29; Romans 10:8-10). Paul’s heartfelt desire was that not only Agrippa, but also all be saved (Acts 26:29). How about you? Do you have such a heartfelt desire for someone’s salvation around you?
His Will to Wreck?
Paul is now on his way to Rome. He has shared his testimony and the gospel in the power of the Spirit before his countrymen and the movers and shakers in the Holy Land. Along the way we have seen him nearly torn apart by rioters, nearly whipped by Roman soldiers, and he is headed for a severe storm at sea and a shipwreck. You might be wondering, “Is this the leading of the Holy Spirit? The answer is ‘yes’.”
False teachers will tell you that if you come to Jesus, all your troubles will be fixed. Come to Jesus and your marriage will be reconciled. Come to Jesus, and He’ll give you money to more than pay for all your bills. Come to Jesus and you will be healed of all your diseases. Now, if you come to Jesus, He might very well do those things, but He might not, too. In fact, sometimes coming to Jesus doesn’t make life easier to live but harder.
Jesus said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). He said, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” (Matthew 10:25). Jesus said, “if the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18-20a). The Apostle Peter spoke of “those who suffer according to the will of God” and that they should, “commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). Yes, sometimes it is God’s will to wreck.
We see this throughout the Old Testament. Joseph said the evil his brothers meant towards him God used for good (Genesis 50:20). Job endured great trial and loss so that a revelation in Scripture might be recorded for the annals of history that shows the reality of spiritual warfare and the sovereignty of God. Jesus went to the cross and died a horrible death so that humanity could be redeemed from their sins (e.g., 1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23-27). The message of the New Testament is “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Bound up in those words is the reality and expectation that sometimes it is God’s will to wreck.
How should we process the wrecks of life? Can any good come from them? The last chapters of Acts demonstrate to us that great good can come through the wrecks of life. At the very least, the troubles the Lord allows in our life are well worth weathering in order that His will be done, and He be glorified.
When Paul sets out to sea right from the start, it states, “the winds were contrary” (Acts 27:4).
As Jesus had told him (Acts 23:11), Paul was going to Rome. The centurion, Julius, was kind to Paul, and we can trust that it was the Spirit who gave Paul favor with this soldier. Not enough though to listen to Paul’s prophetic warning of the disaster that awaited this journey (Acts 27:10-11). It’s always dangerous to turn a deaf ear to the warnings of a Godly person. This is especially true when God forewarns us. But as God warned Paul, the ship ran aground “and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves” (Acts 27:41). There are times when we run into immovable objects and contrary forces break things up, even with violence. When that happens, we can only hang on to the LORD. When that happens, all we can do is hang on to the Lord. When we do that, we discover God’s faithfulness and a host of other eternal truths to live by.
We know that it was the Spirit’s will and guidance for Paul to go to Rome and bear witness of Jesus. We know this based on Jesus’ own words to Paul (Acts 23:11). Yet the road the Spirit leads us on sometimes includes storms in life. When you come to Jesus as Savior and Lord, it does not necessarily mean that your life will be smooth sailing from that point on. Sometimes the Spirit will lead us through trials and storms in life. Why does the Spirit lead us into and through storms in life?
The Spirit Opens the Door To Rome and Stormy Seas
And so, as Jesus had told him (Acts 23:11), Paul was now off to Rome. The centurion, Julius, was kind to Paul, and we can trust that it was the Spirit who gave Paul favor with this soldier. Not enough though to listen to Paul’s prophetic warning of the disaster that awaited this journey (Acts 27:10-11). It’s always dangerous to turn a deaf ear to the warnings of a Godly person.
Now notice something here that is very important. We know that it was the Spirit’s will and guidance for Paul to go to Rome and bear witness of Jesus there based on Jesus’ own words to Paul (Acts 23:11). Yet we see that the road the Spirit leads us on sometimes includes storms in life. It states in Acts 27:4 that, “the winds were contrary.” When you come to Jesus as Savior and Lord it does not necessarily mean that your life will be smooth sailing from that point on. Sometimes the Spirit will lead us through trials and storms in life. Why does the Spirit lead us into and through storms in life?
The Spirit and Storms in Life
Why does the Spirit lead us into contrary winds at times? There are several reasons He leads us into storms, but we should never think of God as a sadist because of what He allows into our lives. We need to have a proper perspective on the storms of life to receive the blessing that storms in life can bring. What should we realize about the storms in life and how the Spirit uses them?
First, God allows storms in life that are brought by Satan. If we look at the opening chapter in the Book of Job, we see that Satan goes before God who brags about the faithfulness of Job. Satan mocks Job’s faith, accusing him of having ulterior motives for being faithful to God, i.e., Job only follows God because of what God blesses him with. Satan then asks to test Job, and God allows the testing. Guess what the form of one of Satan’s attacks was? Satan chose to use a storm to test Job. In Job 1 it states:
Insurance companies refer to natural disasters as “an act of God.” I think God is getting a bad rap for this. Yes, God is sovereign and controls the universe and what happens in His universe He is ultimately responsible for. But Satan is the generator of many of the storms that come into our lives. The literal storms that Paul encounters on the Mediterranean Sea on the way to Rome could very well have been an attempt by Satan to thwart the will of the Spirit for Paul to minister in Rome.
Second, God allows storms in life to teach us about His faithfulness. God purposely allows storms to come into our lives that overwhelm our personal resources and strengths. He does this to show us our inadequacy and His sufficiency and faithfulness. Everyone experiences storms and trials in life. That is the testimony of Scripture. That is the lesson of life. The lesson to be learned from the storms God allows is that God is faithful.
God knows our limitations intimately and will not allow us to be tested beyond our limits. God will faithfully provide a way of escape so that we can get through them. This is exactly what Paul said when he was inspired to write:
The word “temptation” here can also be translated “trial.” As the verse says, everyone goes through trials and temptations. Notice the next emphasis is not on our faithfulness, but God’s faithfulness. God will make a way for us to get through the trial or temptation successfully. God makes such a provision a matter of His faithfulness. Therefore, as we experience trials and temptations in life and trust God in them, and find His escape routes, we learn God is faithful. That is a tremendously important truth to understand about God.
Third, God allows storms in life to give us an opportunity to overcome fear by faith. Years before, in another stormy situation, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). The disciples were fishermen for the most part and welcomed crossing Galilee with their Savior. Jesus was at ease in the boat and fell asleep, no doubt fatigued by a day of ministry. While crossing the Sea “a great storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling” (Mark 4:37). The disciples, experienced fishermen, began to panic. Jesus remained asleep in the stern or back of the boat. The disciples ran to Jesus and awakened Him saying, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). Jesus did and does care. He “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). You see, if there were no storms on the sea of life, we would never have the opportunity to show and grow our faith in Jesus. God allows storms that scare us in life to give us an opportunity to overcome fear with faith (cf. also Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25). God’s priority for us is not comfort, but strong faith.
Fourth, God allows storms in life to teach us to focus on Jesus. On another occasion, Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee after a long day of ministry. It was the end of the day. The sun was setting or had already set. While the disciples entered the boat to cross the Sea, it says, “He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:22-23). If you’ve ever been to the Sea of Galilee in Israel, you know there is a tall mountain named Arabel that overlooks the Sea. It is my favorite place on earth. When you are on top of the mountain, you feel closer to God. It’s a quiet, majestic place. It’s understandable why Jesus might have chosen Arbel to be alone with His Father and pray.
Focus on Jesus until you learn our extremities are God’s opportunities. While Jesus prayed, His disciples reached “the middle of the sea” and a storm arose. Their boat was “tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary” (Matthew 14:24). In Jesus’ day, the night was divided into four “watches.” The first watch from six pm to nine pm. The second watch was from nine pm to midnight. The third watch was from midnight to three pm. And the fourth watch was from three pm to six or sunrise. It was in the fourth watch that Jesus came to His disciples. If they entered the boat at the end of the day, it means they had been straining at the oars throughout the night. Then, at the break of day, “Jesus went to them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). Jesus often waits until we expend our strength to show up. Why is that? Because our extremities are His opportunities. When we get to the end of ourselves, and we have no strength left, we look to Jesus with greater desperation, greater reliance, greater surrender, purer faith.
Focus on Jesus and the storms of life become secondary. At first, when the disciples first saw the figure of Jesus walking on the water, they didn’t recognize Him. They said, “‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). Then it says, “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid’” (Matthew 14:27). It says that when Jesus said this, “Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Matthew 14:28). To see Jesus walking on water was so astounding that it appears that, to the disciples, the storm became secondary. In the storms of life, if we just keep our eyes on Jesus, the storm becomes secondary. Remember that.
Focus on Jesus and walk over the storms. When Peter asked Jesus to verify Himself (apparently Peter was having a hard time believing what he was seeing), Jesus said, ‘Come’. And when Peter had come out of the boat, he walked on water to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29). When we look to Jesus, we can walk over the storms of life. Remember that. Storms are inevitable in life. Storms threaten to sink us and drown us. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will walk over them.
Focus on Jesus because He has you in the storm. “But when he [i.e., Peter] that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30). Peter’s faith was weak. Our faith is often weak in the storm. How did Jesus respond to weak-faithed Peter? How does He respond to us when our faith is weak? It says, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:31-32). Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for his weak faith, He merely pointed out that doubting was unnecessary. It was as though Jesus said, “Why are you doubting Peter, I’ve got you.”
Fifth, God allows storms in life to teach us the sufficiency of His grace. Storms in life take many forms, some natural actual storms like the ones Paul experienced at sea; others are individual and physical, psychological, or spiritual in nature. Regardless of the nature of the storm in our lives, God wants us to know His grace is sufficient to get us through it. Again, Paul shares what he, no doubt, saw many times in his own life. He was inspired to write:
My wife always kids me that I’m book smart while she is more street smart. There is a truth in that. There are things you can read about and study about and know to some extent, but until they are lived you really don’t grasp their substance or essence of truth. There are some things you can only truly learn through experience. God allows storms and trials into our lives to create a life experience classroom to teach us firsthand and for real that HIS GRACE IS INDEED SUFFICIENT. Paul’s ailment was likely some physical malady that hindered or hurt him in some way, enough so that he sought relief from it from God. But instead, God chose to allow the ailment to persist so that Paul would learn the greater truth that God’s grace was sufficient and that when he was in a position of weakness, he really was strong because he had to depend on God more.
When the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem from their captivity and sought to rebuild, they were overwhelmed by the mountain of rubble that needed to be transformed again to God’s City. It was at that point that the prophet Zechariah uttered the words:
It is the Holy Spirit that is the Agent of God’s grace to help us through the storms of life no matter the form they take.
Sixth, God allows storms into our lives to build our Christian character and faith. James was no stranger to storms in life, being martyred for his faith like all the other apostles (except John). James knew the value of storms in life and so exhorted the brethren. He was inspired by the Spirit to write, accept storms in life with joy. James wrote:
Joy is not happiness (which depends on what happens in your life); joy is an assurance that you are in the will of God and right with Him in your life. You can go through a storm in your life and be blessed as God reveals His sufficiency to you and builds your faith and character.
Peter wrote similarly:
The storms and trials in our lives are proving grounds for our faith. It isn’t that God needs to prove our faith; we need to prove our faith so that we know God is faithful and what He promises is true and real. Trials are the opportunities to see that what we believe is real and true, not just a thought or theory.
Seventh, God allows storms into our lives to bring glory to His name. As God shows Himself faithful in our storms and is proved to be true and real, it glorifies Him. Read what Peter (who died being crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die crucified right side up as Jesus did) said about the storms and trials in life:
God is glorified when His faithfulness and sufficiency are shown to be real in the believer going through the trial. And notice another thing here, Peter says, “for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” The Spirit is close to those who go through storms in life. It isn’t that the Spirit is actually closer to us than at any other time, it is that we are more attentive and interested in the Spirit, the Lord, when we are going through trials and storms in life that are stretching us beyond our own capacities. That is why 1 Peter 4 opens with the statement that, “for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:1). When we suffer in the flesh, when we perhaps face a life-threatening illness or situation, we stare into the teeth of eternity. And when we are looking at eternity, it puts everything else into perspective. When we face eternity and judgment, it causes us to correct our priorities to align with the import of salvation. Trials and storms in life get our attention and when we experience the truth and realness of God in those times, we glorify God and those who observe His sufficiency in us give glory to God.
Worship Him in the storm. When Jesus came to the disciples walking on water and rescued them from the storm, they were in awe. When Jesus enabled Peter to walk on the water, and then saved him as his faith faltered, they were dumbfounded. When Jesus got in the boat, it says, “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). God allows the storms of life to bring us to that point, to bring us to our knees in worship of the One who is in control, even in the storms of life.
There is a lot of talk in our day about “deconstruction.” This deconstruction is destructive in the sense that it exalts people as the arbiters over God and His word, so that The Faith is suited to mostly secular sensibilities. It is an arrogant way to change God and His word to people’s liking and even goes so far as to use “love” as a cloak of such deception. The better way is to allow God to deconstruct us from our self-reliance, self-approval, and selfishness. God does this with storms and wreckage and difficulties. God purposefully allows us to sail into troubled waters and stormy seas for such a purpose. When we surrender to such plans of God and come to wonder at His provisions and power, we will inevitably worship Him. All of our life, including the wreckage, brings us to the foot of His throne. And that is a good, no, the best place to be.
Yes, the Spirit does direct us to and through storms in life, and they serve a great purpose. Storms and wrecks are the worktable on which God works out the genuineness of our faith. On that table, the wrecks of life may dismantle us at times, but God is able to put the pieces back together in a way that we become stronger. Through it all, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, what God wills and plans for us will be fulfilled. And that is always what is best. God brings worth from the wreckage. That is a wonderful truth to trust God to fulfill.
“You Should Have Listened to Me”
No one likes to ignore a warning and then suffer the consequences. No one likes to ignore a warning, suffer the consequences, and then hear, “I told you so.” Thankfully, God is merciful, but we risk great loss when we ignore the Lord.
When God warns us, we should listen. If we are in tune with the Lord, seeking Him in prayer, walking close with Him, He will forewarn us about the storms of life which lie ahead. That is what we see here, where Paul seeks the Lord and is given instructions about how to survive a shipwreck. Even in the storms of life, especially in the storms of life, the Spirit is with us. That is an important lesson to learn and live.
Another important lesson we learn from Paul’s stormy shipwreck is that God gives strong faith to weather the shipwrecking storms of life. It is in such strong faith that Paul is able to minister and save lives, even in the midst of a life-threatening storm. Strong faith is not deterred by difficulties but instead is spurred on by the opportunities to minister such storms create. Rather than fear and focus on his own life, Paul ministers to those around him. That is the kind of faith we should aspire to.
Let’s continue on this incredible Spirit-led adventure the Lord is taking the Apostle Paul on. Let’s watch closely and learn all we can from this trial in his life.
The Spirit is with Paul, even in a Shipwreck.
Beware soft winds. We mentioned earlier that it is very possible that this storm is generated by the devil to try and shipwreck Paul from going to Rome (cf. Job 1:18-22). There is precedence for such tactics from the devil. If this storm is devilishly sourced, we see how he might send a soft south wind to give the impression of good weather ahead when in reality he and his demons are setting a trap. Beware of soft winds. They may indeed be relaxing refreshing breezes from God, but they might also be the alluring misleading coaxing of the predator of our souls. Follow the leading of the Spirit in all your directions and always be circumspect and alert.
“Euroclydon” means literally, a violent agitation. It refers to southeast winds that stir up huge waves like a Northeaster. This was a weather condition well known and feared by the shipping community in this part of the world. Gusty winds that kick up giant waves on a storm tossed sea can make the knees knock of the most hardened sailor. This fearsome condition was what Paul’s ship was sailing into.
Ships of Paul’s day were powered by the wind. Skilled sailors could triangulate the winds to sail to their destination. But when the ship is “caught” (Greek synarpadzo – snatched, seized by force, snatched, all you can do is “let her drive.” There are some forces in life that all you can do is let them take their course.
The “skiff” was the boat used to transfer from the ship anchored offshore to the shore of where you were going. They are tying things down so as not to lose them in the storm.
When storms were so severe that they threatened to break up the ship, the sailors would tie “cables to undergird the ship” by using thick ropes to hold the outside of the ship together. This was a severe storm that was threatening to rip the ship apart!
They knew the route and feared running up on the “Syrtis Sands” that might wedge the bow or front of the boat in the sand and then tear it apart as the winds and waves pushed against the stern or rear of the boat. This was a very treacherous condition.
Storms have a way of helping us to prioritize. This was a massively severe storm that so threatened their survival that they actually began throwing loose equipment and supplies over the side to make the ship more maneuverable. When your life is in danger, you become willing to throw overboard those things you once thought were valuable. Nothing is as valuable as your life, your soul. Storms help us to prioritize and focus on what really matters.
Storms get us involved. On the third day, everyone pitched in to throw even the essential “tackle” overboard. When your life is at stake, you pitch in to help each other survive.
Storms unite us. Notice the passengers, though from different backgrounds, and making the trip for different reasons, unite in the storm in order to help with their mutual survival. Storms can unite us. This is a truth of history and another reason why God allows them.
Persistent storms exhaust the hope of unbelievers. Persistent storms of darkness can sap the hope right out of the unbeliever. This storm was so dark and just wouldn’t give up. It got to the point where “all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.” Remember, man’s extremities are God’s opportunities.
Storms provide opportunities to get closer to God. The ship was so rocked and the storm so tempestuous that no one could eat. Perhaps Paul was fasting for strength. The important point here is that Paul turned to God in the storm and modeled this to the rest of the passengers. There wasn’t an inch of give-up in Paul. Storms drove Paul to God, not away from God. How are you letting your storms drive you?
Storms provide opportunities to minister. When everyone else had lost hope, Paul stood and seized the day, saying, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Create and incurred this disaster and loss.” This was no mere “I told you so,” but a segway to ministry. Paul wanted them to recognize that what he said before was true and came to pass, so they would be more apt to listen to what he would now say. Their lives depended on it! (So did their souls!)
Storms are opportunities to speak of God’s hope. In the midst of hopelessness, Paul is moved by the Spirit to deliver a message of hope. Those God uses are messengers of hope.
Storms are opportunities for God to speak to us. God’s purposes for Paul would not be thwarted even by a Euroclydon storm of the devil! And, God who answers our prayers exceedingly abundantly beyond what we ask, was going to preserve all on board Paul’s ship as well (cf. Ephesians 3:21-22). Paul had predicted their loss if they sailed. Now he was predicting their safety if they followed his heaven-sent instructions.
Storms are opportunities for God to send His angels to minister to us. One of the purposes of angels is to help God’s servants. God sent angels to shut the mouths of lions in the lion’s den with Daniel (Daniel 6). Angels are sent to help God’s servants understand things (e.g., Daniel 8:16). We have seen how God opened prison doors to free the Apostles in Acts (Acts 12). Angels are “ministering” or serving spirits sent by God to help his human servants on occasion (e.g., Hebrews 1:14). God apparently sent an angel to Paul to help him in this perilous situation. Paul uses the assurance of the angel to minister to those who had lost all hope.
Why didn’t God just send the angel to deliver the message to all those on the ship? Perhaps it was a way to facilitate the authority of Paul with these people, so he could minister to them. Perhaps God didn’t want to attention to go to the angel by people who were known to be superstitious and idolators.
Storms are faith-building opportunities. Paul expresses his confidence and faith in God. He takes God at his word. Paul encourages the people to “take heart.” But he also doesn’t sugarcoat the situation. Paul speaks truthfully, and that truth involves running “aground on a certain island.” Paul didn’t know all the details, such as the name of the island they would run aground on. But he did share what God had revealed to him.
Storms are opportunities for God to get through to the lost. Fourteen days on a storm tossed sea! It must have been brutal. But then it says, “the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.” Either this was the impression of sailors who were very familiar with the route they were on, or it was the Lord giving them the impression of being close to land.
Storms are weathered by signs and soundings. God often brings us through the storm by giving us gradual signs to lead us. To take soundings was to drop a rope in the water with a weight on the end of it and measure the depth of where it hit ground. They took these soundings and found the depth was decreasing, indicating they were coming close to land.
A “fathom” was the distance from the tips of the fingers when the arms were stretched out, about 5 to 6 feet.
They didn’t want to wreck on the rocks, so they dropped four anchors from the rear (i.e., stern) of the ship to slow it down. Then they prayed. Even the sailors are praying as a result of this stormy ordeal. Storms in life are allowed by God in hopes that they will bring people to their extremities of relying on self and once exhausted, they will turn to God. God’s strategy seems to be working here.
Storms are opportunities to demonstrate our faith by obedience. As the ship was now anchored, some of the sailors snuck over to the skiff and were going to let it down and try to escape. They are still trying their own escape routes. But Paul, a man of God, warned the “centurion and soldiers” if the men didn’t stay in the ship they couldn’t be saved. If they wanted to be saved, they must trust or have faith in what Paul had said to them. Faith in God and His word always precedes salvation.
Storms call us to surrender. Saving faith is obedient. They followed Paul’s warning instructions. They cut away the ropes so there was no option to jump ship. By cutting the ropes they were saying they were going to trust Paul’s instruction. They were all in, fully surrendered to follow the heaven sent instructions of the Lord delivered through Paul.
Storms are not overcome only by spiritual means. Paul was attentive to details. Not only did he share what the angel from God had shared with him, but he paid attention to the details of their physical strengthening. Paul received instruction from spiritual channels, but he also addressed the practical health needs of those on board.
Storms are opportunities to be thankful to the Lord. Even in the midst of the storm, when the ship was about to break apart, Paul gave thanks to the Lord. Could you, would you, give thanks to God in the midst of such a storm? It’s easy to thank God when all is calm and all is well, all is safe, but it takes faith to thank God before the rescue occurred. We should always be thankful, before, during, and after the storms God allows into our lives.
It's not likely Paul is leading a Communion service but is simply giving thanks to God for His provisions.
Storms are situations where God encourages us. Paul’s example and leading in the storm, his thankfulness in the midst of the storm, led to those on board to be encouraged. “Encouraged” (Greek euthymos) means in fine spirits, cheerful, of good cheer. Paul giving thanks to God in the midst of the storm brought a smile to their faces. Paul gave them a glimmer of hope that was now beginning to shine brightly. Paul, and we, should be agents of God to encourage those in peril.
Storms are opportunities for God to demonstrate He is able to rescue all. They ate – all 276 of them. When they were full and strengthened, they threw the wheat into the sea. They were ready for the last part of the journey, swimming to the shore.
During this terrifying storm, Paul is there to encourage and point people to faith in God’s word (Acts 27:25.) During the storm, Paul still gave thanks and led others to do so as well (Acts 27:35-36). All of this shows God’s faithfulness and His sufficient grace; it revealed God’s work in the faith and character of Paul and ultimately brought glory to God as He worked in the storm.
Referring to the tempestuous winds as “Euroclydon” would be like calling a storm a “Nor’easter” (Acts 27:14). So strong were the waves created by this storm that the sailors used ropes around the hull of the ship to reinforce it (Acts 27:15-17). Eventually, they began to throw things overboard to lighten the ship and make it more seaworthy for the stormy weather (Acts 27:18-19). The storm persisted and as it continued those on the ship began to lose hope (Acts 27:20). As these sailors and travelers got to the extreme end of themselves and their resources, God had them right where He wanted them. You see Man’s extremities are God’s opportunities. Paul, ever the encourager, exhorts his fellow travelers not to lose heart based on a message from an angel. They would run aground, but none would lose their lives (Acts 27:21-26).
Notice, not even a vicious storm could prevent Paul from his God-ordained mission. And as a residue of this protection, those accompanying Paul would be spared their lives. God often blesses those around disciples. Have you ever been next to someone hit with a water balloon? You end up getting hit with the spray from the water bomb and benefit from the cooling effects. That is what is happening here. God is blessing Paul during a storm and those around him are being blessed with the hope of God (Acts 27:24-25).
Because Paul was in the Spirit, even during a frightening storm at sea, he was able to hear from the Lord and be used to minister to others. This world is filled with unexpected storms, catastrophes, and difficult events and the Lord wants to use disciples to give a message of hope in His only Son Jesus.
The soldiers and sailors believed Paul’s report as seen in the sailors not jumping ship (Acts 27:27-38), and the soldiers did not kill the prisoners (Acts 27:39-44). There were 276 people in all on the ship (Acts 27:37). In the midst of a storm, on a wave tossing sea, with all of those people before him, Paul just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to minister. He encouraged all to eat because they would need the physical strength to swim ashore later. And as he led them, he gave thanks to God in front of them all (Acts 27:35). It is not likely that Paul was leading them in the Lord’s Supper. But, think about this, they are in a creaking, breaking, storm-tossed ship, the wind is howling and the rain piercing them, they are probably in no mood or condition to eat, and (perhaps many are even seasick). All of this is happening to them, and during it all, Paul gives thanks to the Lord! What a testimony that must have been to those around him, both believers and unbelievers. Later in his ministry, Paul would be inspired by the Spirit to write words that enveloped and described what he was living out on that storm-tossed ship. Paul was inspired to write:
Paul practiced what he preached and was a shining example of God’s grace in life (1 Corinthians 15:10).
A friend sent me a story about prayer that depicts the importance of intercession. Paul interceded on behalf of those on the ship, and they were saved. Our intercession for the lost is of utmost importance and a way to communicate the reality of the God we pray to. The story I received is this:
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely, and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife would leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God 's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?” “My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.” “You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer,” which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of My blessings.” “Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?” “He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”(Author Unknown.)
There were many people praying on the storm-tossed ship Paul was on, both Christians and non-Christians. Their safe rescue from the storm may have been interpreted by them as an answer from their pagan God. But in truth, it was the intercession from Paul that made the difference. How do I know this? Is this a prideful statement by a Christian? No, the messenger of God that spoke to Paul gave Paul a prophetic word and the fulfillment of that prophetic word proved the truth and Source of the answered prayer.
How about you? Are you giving thanks in the midst of your storm? Are you an agent of God to give hope? Are you interceding for the lost that they might be saved? You may be the only one praying for them.
Signs in the Sand
As we draw to the close of our study in Acts, we have learned that sometimes the journey we have in the Spirit involves shipwrecks. There are times when we go through threatening experiences, experiences that shake us, shock us, and even smack us around. But difficulty doesn’t mean we aren’t walking the Spirit, it simply means He has seen fit to have us go through such times for His purposes. We may not know all of His purposes this side of glory, but we trust Him by faith, regardless of how smooth or stormy the waters of life are for us.
There is a well-known poem by Mary Stevenson called Footprints in the Sand that conveys a truth about the presence of God in difficult times.
Footprints in the Sand320
One night I dreamed I was walking
along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.This bothered me because I noticed that
during the low periods of my life, when I was
suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.So I said to the Lord, “You promised me
Lord, that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods
of my life there have only been
one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”– Mary Stevenson
In His word, God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). Jesus said, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:15-18). The Lord is always with us. The Holy Spirit is the One who makes the presence of God known to us. What are the signs to communicate to us that the Holy Spirit is working? How can we know the Holy Spirit is acting?
I wonder if the Apostle Paul ever questioned if he was on the right road with the Spirit. When he was going through the stormy waters of the Euroclydon, did he wonder, “Lord, is this your will for me? Holy Spirit, did I make a wrong turn?” Of course, we know from Paul’s testimony in Acts 27 that God sent an angel to him to assure him that he and all aboard would be saved if they followed God’s instructions. And as we will see in the final chapter of Acts, Paul will arrive safely in Rome, God’s destination for him.
But, what about us? How can we recognize the Spirit at work in our lives? When it looks like there is only one set of footprints, how can we be comforted that God, the Holy Spirit, is carrying us? In these final words of Acts, there are a few signs in the sand that the Holy Spirit is working in your life. These signs are assuring and help us to keep moving forward even when times are difficult. Let’s look at the Spirit’s signs in the sand.
Safely on the Shores of Malta?
The Spirit can lead in shadowy ways. Just as those on the ship didn’t recognize the land or fully know where they were, when the Spirit leads, sometimes you will only be able to recognize, “a bay,” or “a beach” and will have to trust Him as you head toward the shore of your destination. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We need to walk through the doors the Spirit opens, but sometimes we will not know they are open to us until we try them.
The Spirit leads in a way that discards the unnecessary and uses the necessary. The anchors had served their purpose, and now it was time to let them go. Now the sails needed to be hoisted, so they could make for shore. If we listen, and ask the Spirit, He will tell us what to let go of and what to hoist up for us. Don’t cling to things. Be open to the direction of the Spirit.
The Spirit will often break up what is no longer needed. Just as the ship was broken up because it had served its purpose, the Spirit will break up what is no longer needed for His purposes. When that happens, don’t try to build up, or salvage that which the Spirit allows to be broken. Simply move on with the Spirit.
The soldiers of this world are willing to kill that which they fear losing. The Spirit moves on the lost to raise protectors and give God’s people favor with them. The soldiers were ready to kill the prisoners, of which Paul was one. But the centurion stepped in to protect Paul. Was the centurion saved? We have no evidence he was. But the Spirit moved on his heart to protect Paul and trust Paul not to try to escape even if he made it to land. This was the Spirit’s doing.
The Spirit works to save all. All were saved from this shipwreck. The Bible says the Lord, “is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” and salvation (2 Peter 3:9). This doesn’t mean God doesn’t at times exterminate His enemies and the enemies of His people. But even in such situations we are told, “As I live, says the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11a). If ever we are in doubt about the salvation of a person, we should always assume God’s will is for that person to be saved. You are probably one of God’s efforts to reach that lost person in question. God has a heart for the world, to save them (e.g., John 3:16). The Holy Spirit desires to save all.
And just as the Lord had promised (Acts 27:23-25), they all escaped with their lives (Acts 27:44). Here again we see the faithfulness of God exhibited in the storm. By obeying the words of the Lord given through Paul, they were all saved from death at sea.
Snake Bitten
Finally, they came ashore on Malta (Acts 28:1). The safety of the crew and Paul was secured just as the Lord had told Paul it would happen (Acts 27:25). Paul had the spiritual gift of prophecy and exhortation as seen on this ocean voyage. God was faithful, fulfilling his words of comfort to Paul.
The Spirit moves on people’s hearts to act kindly toward His servants. The “unusual kindness” of these indigenous people toward the survivors of the shipwreck is a sign of the Spirit’s comforting work. The suffering of God’s people can move the hearts of the lost.
The Spirit moves us to serve continuously. Paul had just survived a hellacious storm and shipwreck. Did he reach the shore, plop himself down and say, “Well, I’ve done my part for the day, let someone else collect the wood for the fire”? No. It was in the nature of the Spirit-filled Paul to serve, serve, serve, and then serve some more. There was no limit to Paul’s service. For Paul, serving was like breathing, it never stopped.
The Spirit’s moves are often countered by Satan’s attacks. They had just survived a shipwreck and were being comforted on the shores of Malta. The devil doesn’t fight by the Marquis of Queensberry Rules. The devil doesn’t fight fair. But his attacks shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that the Spirit is against us. Quite the contrary, it was because Paul was proving faithful and steadfast, moving ahead with the Spirit that the devil attacked him, trying to discourage and deter him from carrying on.
The Spirit moves to make the servant of the Lord alert and energized to use every opportunity to minister to people. Paul, bitten by a snake who clamped onto his hand, just shook off the serpent into the fire and carried on. It was no big deal to Paul. Paul didn’t set up a “Super Almighty Snake Defeating Ministry” and start drawing attention to himself or trying to profit from what the Spirit had done. Paul simply continued on as usual until it dawned on the people that “he was a God.” Now it doesn’t say Paul refuted such claims, it simply assumes he did. The one who had earlier tore his clothes in abhorrence to such a thought, would surely have done the same thing here, it is assumed (compare Acts 14:11-16).
As we mentioned above, it’s possible that the storm at sea was generated by Satan to try and destroy Paul (see Job 1:18-19). It would not be beyond the strategy of Satan to try and thwart the Spirit’s work, and evidently it was the will of God for Paul to go to Rome (Acts 23:11). This causes us to wonder how many of the catastrophic natural disasters in the world are really generated by Satan. Unfortunately, the world often attributes such disasters to God as an “act of God.”
When Paul gets to the beach of Malta, Satan, it appears, just won’t give up as Paul is bitten by a snake. The people respond with a superstitious view that Paul must be a murderer if after he escaped a storm at sea he is now bitten by a snake (Acts 28:3-4). Paul shakes off the snakebite matter-of-factly as though it were some feeble attempt to deter his mission (Acts 27:5). This fulfilled Jesus’ Great Commission proclamation that He would protect his disciples from snakebites (Mark 16:18; Luke 10:19). Some, such as the Jolo snake handlers of the South, have taken such verses to an extreme and incorporated rattlesnakes in their services. These churches are dying out, literally, as the snakes they handle bite more and more people. Such practices are tempting God and ought to be avoided (see Matthew 4:7).
We need to remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we might say Satan the snake (Genesis 3), bites Paul with a snake. We can learn two things here.
First, Satan does not easily give up. If the storm was from him, he was not deterred by God’s victory over the storm he brought, but as soon as Paul was on shore and apparently safe, he struck again. This is a strategy of Satan; he often strikes after our victory and his defeat. When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, as soon as they descended the mountain, they encountered a demon-possessed boy that the disciples could not heal (Matthew 17). Beware the times after victories because they are often the times of counterattack by the enemy.
Second, we should not let our guard down but always walk in the Spirit and shake off the snakebites. The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some fresh meat, or some Christian who is living a carnal life of the flesh (1 Peter 5:8-9). It is that straggler he will attack. Paul was shipwrecked and snake bit, but through it all he was not shaken, but continued in the Spirit. Paul learned to shake off the snakebites by the power of the Holy Spirit. How about you? Are you being bitten by snakes? Walk in the Spirit and shake them off.
Sicknesses Healed
The Spirit heals people. While some abuse the healing ministry of the Spirit, that should not sour us to the fact that the Holy Spirit does indeed heal people at times. There are “gifts of healings” (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30). We, like Paul, should be ready to be used by the Spirit to heal people.
Paul was always ready to serve and minister to those in need. He had just been shipwrecked and snake bitten, but none of these things moved him (Acts 20:24) from ministry that the Spirit brought his way.
In Rome
The Spirit provides through brethren as we journey in His way. Where God guides, God provides. This doesn’t mean taking advantage of God’s people. But the Spirit does put it in people’s hearts to support and help financially and when He does, we should not be too proud to receive what he provides.
The Spirit sends brethren to support and instill courage in us to carry on. As Paul journeyed, the Spirit put it in the hearts of brethren in the area to come and see and encourage Paul. The Spirit knows we need encouragement and will send it to us when we need it, and will urge us to encourage others when they need it.
The Spirit can create a captive audience to listen to the gospel. Do you think Paul ministered to this soldier that guarded him? Legend has it Paul won him to Christ. The Spirit can use hard times like captivity to turn the tables on the enemy and win them to Christ.
The Spirit acts to address potential conflicts preemptively. Once in Rome, Paul sought to meet with “the leaders of the Jews” so to assess if they had been influenced by false, negative rumors about him. Paul did this in order to address anything that might hinder his ministry regarding “the hope of Israel”, which was the reason he was bound in chains. The Spirit always moves to remove barriers to ministry. Be aware of that.
In Paul's letter to the Galatians he states, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). When we walk in the Spirit, if we are paying attention, He frequently enables us to anticipate problems and prepare for them. Sometimes, like we see here with Paul, He will direct us to address potential problems before they become problems. Part of this is having a spiritual, holy attitude over our flesh or sinful nature. The Spirit does this through the love He pours into our heart (Romans 5:5). When the love of Christ is compelling us, when we seek to do everything in the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, we can avoid or at least deal with a lot of problems in a holy, God–glorifying way.
The Spirit acts by preparing the hearts of those to be ministered to. They hadn’t received any notice of the situation with Paul. They had heard of “this sect” of followers of Jesus as Messiah who was “spoken against everywhere.” When the Spirit acts He will prepare the hearts of those in front of us so that they will say, “we desire to hear from you what you think.” But it might also mean that our reputation as Christians precedes us that we are “spoken against everywhere.”
The Spirit acts by using the word of God. A time to meet and discuss the gospel was set, and Paul was ready and raring to go to share. When he spoke to the Jews, he did so “from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.” Paul used the word of God to minister.
The Spirit acts by empowering to minister. In the Spirit Paul was empowered to minister “from morning till evening.” The Spirit gives us energy to minister.
The Spirit acts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone is going to agree with us. Paul spoke in the power of the Spirit, but these people didn’t all believe what he was sharing. Our “success” is not how many respond to the gospel and gets saved, that is the Spirit’s work. Our “success” is being faithful to share when the Spirit directs us to.
The Spirit acts through those unwilling to compromise and who will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth – in love. Paul didn’t sugar coat his message, but when they rejected Jesus, he quoted Isaiah’s words about such people (in particular Jewish people). Paul didn’t coax his Jewish audience to give in and follow Jesus. Paul merely shared the truth and trusted the Lord to do the rest. But remember, we are not to use the sword of the Spirit to hack people up (Ephesians 6:17). What truth we speak is to be spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15). Such love is from the Holy Spirit (e.g., Galatians 5:22-24; Romans 5:5).
The Spirit acts and empowers us to carry on faithfully to the end. We are not told of Paul’s hearing in Rome. We do know historically that he was released and had some time of further ministry. He was eventually arrested again and martyred in Rome.
Paul took three days to rest (Acts 28:17) and then got right down to ministering. The gospel was known in the outskirts of Rome and Rome itself but “spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22). Paul taught them about the Kingdom of God as it relates to Jesus, based on a study of the Law of Moses (i.e., Pentateuch) and the Prophets (e.g., Isaiah 53). He taught them from morning to evening and therefore his teaching must have been thorough (Acts 28:23).
Paul’s ministering the gospel of the kingdom was met with mixed responses; some believed, and some did not (Acts 28:24). To those who rejected the gospel, Paul quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, which is not only an assessment of these people but is characteristic of many of the people encountered in the book of Acts. Warren Wiersbe makes the following comment:
For the fifth time in Israel’s history, the prophecy of Isaiah 6 was fulfilled. Over 700 years before, God had told Isaiah that Israel would reject His Word and refuse His message. When Christ was accused of being in league with Satan (Matthew 12), our Lord quoted this same prophecy as He gave the Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:14-15). At the close of His ministry, Jesus spoke of this prophecy again (John 12:37-41). Paul quoted it in Romans 11:8; and now he used it for the last time. God had been speaking to His people for over 700 years—what patience! (Emphasis added.) Verse 28 does not mean that for the first time Paul went to the Gentiles. It simply means that, now that Israel in Rome had been given an opportunity and had refused, Paul would turn to the Gentiles. Paul’s hands were free of their blood; he had given them the opportunity to be saved. This had been Paul’s pattern from the very beginning (Acts 13:44-49).321
A major theme in Acts is a compelling and sad account of the rejection of Jesus and His Spirit-filled disciples, who are offering the Jews news of their long-awaited Messiah, who is the risen Jesus. Consequently, Acts is about the Jewish people slamming the door of their hearts in the face of God and His representatives and the Spirit turning to and opening a door to non-Jewish peoples. This movement led to the creation of the Church. Acts is a book about the work of the Spirit to reach the lost and the resultant creation of the body of Christ, the Church. But God still has a plan and purpose for Israel, but that is for another study (e.g., Romans 9; 10; 11; Revelation 7; 11; 14).
The final word on Paul is that he continued preaching and teaching about Jesus with confidence and boldness (Acts 28:31). There is reason to believe that Paul never wavered in his calling and for the rest of his life walked in the Spirit, fulfilling the calling of God in his life.
Conclusion
That is the end of Acts. You might have wondered, “What happened to Paul after the close of Acts?” One commentator states:
The book obviously ends abruptly, which has caused most commentators to believe that Luke wrote right up until the present time and closed the book at the point at which they had now arrived. No statement is made of Paul actually going to trial before Caesar, nor of his traditional release and a two– or three-year interval, finally ending in his re-imprisonment and death in A.D. 68. The two Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy and Titus) seem to reflect a continued traveling and preaching ministry of Paul which cannot be properly fitted into the narrative of the Book of Acts, whereas 2 Timothy reflects the atmosphere of imprisonment awaiting final execution. In the early stages of these last events Paul seems confident of his release and looks forward to a continued ministry, whereas, in his last letter to Timothy he accepts the fact that he has “finished his course” and inevitable execution awaits him. Most writers agree that during the Roman imprisonment Paul penned the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians, and that he was eventually released and once more traveled throughout the empire preaching Christ, perhaps as far west as Spain, before his final arrest and martyrdom in Rome. It is not likely that Luke, who so carefully narrates the exciting experiences of Paul’s encounter with worldly kings, would have omitted his appearance before Caesar had such already taken place at the time of the writing of this book. It would appear then that the narrative ends as it does because it had caught up with history. Luke has brought us up to the most contemporary point in the apostle’s life at this time. The narrative is closed, and the message is sent off to the church, who shall forever be grateful, that a sovereign God was pleased to send into Paul’s company one so capable and prepared under the hand of grace to recount in such accurate historic detail the events of the greatest servant of Christ in the history of the church. The unfinished ending of the Acts of the Apostles does not conclude beside the Tiber River, but in reality continues on in our own day and time as the living Lord of the church continues to build His church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail! Hallelujah!322
Another commentator writes about the end of Paul’s life saying:
Dr. Luke ended his book before Paul’s case had been heard, so he could not give us the results of the trial. We have every reason to believe that Paul was indeed released and that he resumed his ministry, probably traveling as far as Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28). During this period (A.D. 63-66/67), he wrote letters to Timothy and Titus. He left Titus in Crete (Titus 1:5), Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20), and Timothy in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). He planned to meet some of his helpers at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12-13) after he had visited some of the churches he had established. Wherever he went, he sought to bring Jews and Gentiles to faith in Jesus Christ.
He was arrested again, probably about the year 67, and this time his situation was changed drastically. He did not live in a house but was chained in a prison and treated like a criminal (2 Timothy 1:16; 2:9). Winter was coming, and he asked Timothy to bring him his cloak (2 Timothy 4:13). But the saddest thing about this second imprisonment was his being forsaken by the believers in Rome (2 Timothy 4:16-17). The great apostle to the Gentiles was abandoned by the very people he came to assist.
Even Demas forsook him, and only Luke was with him (2 Timothy 4:10-11). The family of Onesiphorus ministered to his needs (2 Timothy 1:16-18), but he longed for Timothy and Mark to come to be at his side (2 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:9, 21). Paul knew that the end was coming (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Tradition tells us that he was beheaded at Rome in A.D. 67/68.
Luke did not write his book simply to record ancient history. He wrote to encourage the church in every age to be faithful to the Lord and carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. “What was begun with so much heroism ought to be continued with ardent zeal,” said Charles Spurgeon, “since we are assured that the same Lord is mighty still to carry on His heavenly designs.” “Lo, I am with you always!”323
Don’t you just envy Paul, (with a holy envy, of course)? Paul is a brother in Christ who we can look to as a shining example of humility, obedience and service to Christ that was compelled by the love of Christ he experienced in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit chose to focus on Paul in the last chapters of Acts. I do not believe that was an accident. I believe the Spirit is willing to raise more Paul’s from the pool of Saul’s in this world. You might be one of them. The Spirit is right here, we only need to ask Him to do His work in us (Luke 11:13).
The Spirit wants to exalt Jesus in and through us. It is only the power of the Spirit working in and through us that can do this. That is the message of Acts. Let the Spirit act in and through you! Don’t forget to pay attention to the signs in the sand, they will assure you, direct you, and comfort you along the way. Amen.
313 National Archives – https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights/what-does-it-say
314 Prager University – https://www.prageru.com/video/the-constitution-taxes-voting-rights-and-prohibition
315 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.
316 Pastor David Guzik Acts 25 – Paul’s Defense and Appeal YouTube video. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjHUK9smgUw&t=74s
317 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, ©1994.
318 R. W. Harris, ed. (1991). Acts (p. 611). World Library Press.
319 R. W. Harris, ed. (1991). Acts (p. 629). World Library Press.
320 https://footprintssandpoem.com/mary-stevenson-version-of-footprints-in-the-sand/
321 W. W. Wiersbe, 1997, ©1992. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Ac 28:1). Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
322 Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible Ccommentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
323 W. W. Wiersbe, 1996, ©1989. The Bible Exposition Commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"––Jkt. (Ac 28:11). Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
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