Note 1: The poll for the next book of Johno’s Commentary is closed. The winner is . . Jeremiah!!!!![1]
Note 2: From Wednesday night to Friday I shall be at camp, so I cannot guarantee the timely release of Johno’s Commentary. It will still be written, but it might not be able to be uploaded until I come home. My apologies if this is the case. Also, people who receive the Commentary via email will be receiving a digest of the three chapters on Friday evening. If email readers are simply PINING for their daily serve of borderline heretical ramblings on an obscure part of the Bible, they should feel free to check the blog and see if I’ve been able to upload.
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So Paul heads off to Rome. Just him, Luke . .
. . . And 274 of his closest friends!
No, really, there were a lot of people on the ship. And sailing at this time of history was a chancy business, as we find out in this passage. I note that there is a certain depth at which a ship is at risk. Right in close to harbour, the ship is fine; out on the open sea, no problem. But I can see that the sailors get worried when the depth is about 90 – 120 feet. There’s probably a metaphor in that somewhere.
In any case, some things never change. The ship has a good place to winter (Crete), but they’re running behind time, and the crew of the ship (as well as Paul’s gaoler) decide to take a chance and go a little farther.
That’s an EPIC FAIL there for you.
Paul gives them a prophecy that the ship will be wrecked if they head out when they do, but they do so anyway, and so begins perhaps one of the more bizarre chapters of maritime history. Note this – once things are looking bad aboard the ship, people don’t seem to look to the Captain or the Centurion for leadership; it’s all Paul. Even the Centurion seems to be obeying Paul’s instructions, even when they are a little unusual (for example, in verses 30 – 32 where a group of sailors try to sneak off, Paul says they need to stay aboard. Why God says this, who knows; but anyway, the Centurion believes Paul, so the soldiers cut the ropes the sailors are pulling, which turn out to be connected to a boat. One would guess they were a little upset about this development).
It is Paul who encourages everyone to not despair, and Paul who ensures everyone has a good bellyful of food before the grain gets thrown overboard to lighten the ship.
It’s also worth mentioning that this charisma that can be seen in Paul is enough that the gaoler wants to save his life, so he has to prevent his men executing the prisoners (which, given that an escaped prisoner would cost his guards their lives, was a fairly sensible thing for them to do). In so doing, they manage to struggle ashore on what they will learn next chapter to be the island of Malta.
So, in our second last chapter of Acts, what can we learn?
A simple lesson this time, but an important one. You notice that the crew of the ship didn’t do what God (through Paul) told them.
Since they had disobeyed, it would be reasonable for them to be destroyed. After all, they were given a chance; God doesn’t have to rescue people who don’t want to be rescued. Even people who struggle with God’s anger can generally accept that.
But here we have something else entering the scheme – God has a plan, and that plan requires Paul to be brought to Rome. His plan for Paul is too important to be screwed up by bad decisions. So God works out a way for all those on the ship to be saved.
We see this pattern time and time again in scripture. We see how God’s plans cannot be frustrated. Even when things go wrong – badly wrong, like this; a shipwreck would rank pretty highly on the “that’s not good” scale – God’s plan cannot be thwarted by people, no matter how hard they try.
To me, this is one of the most encouraging features of my walk with God.
I say this because I am imperfect. Boy, am I EVER! I seldom have a day when I get everything right. And sometimes I get cross with myself and beat myself up over it.
But you know what? If I’m part of God’s plan (and I believe that I am), then the plan ISN’T going to be thwarted. It’s impossible. It’s God’s plan, and it’s going to come to pass. “No power of Hell, no scheme of man”, as the song says.
Even if I get shipwrecked, God will make sure that I wash ashore on Malta (so to speak). And He will even ensure that everyone else gets ashore as well.
[1] 5 exclamation marks – the sure sign of an unsound mind . . . .
07 March 2011
06 March 2011
Chapter 26
NOTE: The poll to select the next book of Johno’s Commentary closes tonight! Go to the blog at http://johnoscommentary.blogspot.org to vote!
It’s hard to know what Agrippa and Festus are thinking when they confer together at the end of this chapter.
We know that neither of them believe that Paul deserves to be imprisoned. In fact, Agrippa goes as far as suggesting that, had he not appealed to Caesar (and therefore booked himself a trial in Rome), Paul may have been released.
It is possible that Paul may not have seen a release at this point as a positive. Some historians suggest that Paul was on bad terms with some of the leadership of the Jerusalem church, and even if this is not true, the fact remains that he had already decided that he wanted to go and preach the Gospel in Rome; the fact that he was to be tried before Caesar would give him an excellent opportunity to do so.
In any case, this chapter finds Paul repeating his story before Agrippa (and his . . consort, Berenice – since she was his sister, the relationship between the two appears frankly a little disturbing!) and Festus.
Once again we have the opportunity to read Paul’s story, but this time told to a non-Jew (Festus) and a person who was theoretically Jewish (Agrippa) but embraced little or none of his Jewish heritage. As you can see therefore, Paul’s testimony here differs in its audience.
Much of what Paul says you have heard before, so I shall not concentrate on these statements. Rather, I shall concentrate on the last few words of the chapter.
Bear in mind that Paul is actually on trial here. So it’s quite amazing to see him take the opportunity to preach the Gospel to his judges! Festus can see what is happening, and he declares Paul to be insane, although in the process he confirms our suspicions that Paul is a very clever man – “Your great learning has driven you insane”. But Paul denies this, suggesting that Agrippa is in fact a believer in the statements of the prophets.
(By the way, in doing this, Paul cleverly puts Agrippa in a difficult situation. He’s the legally appointed king, representing Rome in a place where Romans are unpopular. He’s also considered by many to be a pretender to the throne, with little or no legitimate authority. So if he is caught saying that he DOESN’T believe in the scriptures, it puts him up the creek without a paddle. Perhaps this is why you can almost hear a cheeky grin in Paul’s “I know you believe!” call. It also explains why Agrippa throws back the “do you think you’re going to make me a believer?!” exchange.)
In any case, whether the judges question Paul’s sanity and methods or not, it’s fairly clear to them that the accusations against Paul are at best incorrect, and at worst downright vexatious.
So what can we learn from this passage?
We’ve talked before about the Christian’s responsibility to speak to others about God. Here Paul puts it into action. I doubt you could find a worse scenario in which to minister than when you are on trial for your life. But when Paul was in that situation, sure enough he shared the Gospel!
I am not saying that next time you’re in a bad situation, you should hand out Bibles and start preaching. What I AM saying is to consider this – is your situation so bad that Paul couldn’t have preached the Gospel in your shoes?
I personally find this challenging. Generally speaking I (and remember I am rather bold!) would be intimidated by circumstances like these. But Paul chooses not to let the circumstances win.
Let’s apply this to our own situations. What would stop you preaching the Gospel? Would it be fear (as it often is)? If so, what fear is stopping you?
It’s hard to know what Agrippa and Festus are thinking when they confer together at the end of this chapter.
We know that neither of them believe that Paul deserves to be imprisoned. In fact, Agrippa goes as far as suggesting that, had he not appealed to Caesar (and therefore booked himself a trial in Rome), Paul may have been released.
It is possible that Paul may not have seen a release at this point as a positive. Some historians suggest that Paul was on bad terms with some of the leadership of the Jerusalem church, and even if this is not true, the fact remains that he had already decided that he wanted to go and preach the Gospel in Rome; the fact that he was to be tried before Caesar would give him an excellent opportunity to do so.
In any case, this chapter finds Paul repeating his story before Agrippa (and his . . consort, Berenice – since she was his sister, the relationship between the two appears frankly a little disturbing!) and Festus.
Once again we have the opportunity to read Paul’s story, but this time told to a non-Jew (Festus) and a person who was theoretically Jewish (Agrippa) but embraced little or none of his Jewish heritage. As you can see therefore, Paul’s testimony here differs in its audience.
Much of what Paul says you have heard before, so I shall not concentrate on these statements. Rather, I shall concentrate on the last few words of the chapter.
Bear in mind that Paul is actually on trial here. So it’s quite amazing to see him take the opportunity to preach the Gospel to his judges! Festus can see what is happening, and he declares Paul to be insane, although in the process he confirms our suspicions that Paul is a very clever man – “Your great learning has driven you insane”. But Paul denies this, suggesting that Agrippa is in fact a believer in the statements of the prophets.
(By the way, in doing this, Paul cleverly puts Agrippa in a difficult situation. He’s the legally appointed king, representing Rome in a place where Romans are unpopular. He’s also considered by many to be a pretender to the throne, with little or no legitimate authority. So if he is caught saying that he DOESN’T believe in the scriptures, it puts him up the creek without a paddle. Perhaps this is why you can almost hear a cheeky grin in Paul’s “I know you believe!” call. It also explains why Agrippa throws back the “do you think you’re going to make me a believer?!” exchange.)
In any case, whether the judges question Paul’s sanity and methods or not, it’s fairly clear to them that the accusations against Paul are at best incorrect, and at worst downright vexatious.
So what can we learn from this passage?
We’ve talked before about the Christian’s responsibility to speak to others about God. Here Paul puts it into action. I doubt you could find a worse scenario in which to minister than when you are on trial for your life. But when Paul was in that situation, sure enough he shared the Gospel!
I am not saying that next time you’re in a bad situation, you should hand out Bibles and start preaching. What I AM saying is to consider this – is your situation so bad that Paul couldn’t have preached the Gospel in your shoes?
I personally find this challenging. Generally speaking I (and remember I am rather bold!) would be intimidated by circumstances like these. But Paul chooses not to let the circumstances win.
Let’s apply this to our own situations. What would stop you preaching the Gospel? Would it be fear (as it often is)? If so, what fear is stopping you?
05 March 2011
Chapter 25
This chapter is a rich one in politics. I find it a really interesting read, with a lot of interest and suspense.
Curiously, then, I find it hard to write about.
This isn’t because of any deep mysteries; simply because the chapter is mostly a matter of narrative; and what it is narrating is mostly stuff we’ve seen before (namely the to-ing and fro-ing of Paul and the legal eagles of the Jews).
There is, however, one rather important incident that deserves some attention.
Paul’s appeal to Caesar, in verse 11.
This is rather a desperate gambit. Paul is facing off against Jews, people whose beliefs he knows backwards. He’s in the local court, and his connections with the Sanhedrin (or ruling council) would have been quite usefull.
It says a lot that even with all these things Paul STILL chose to go to Rome, and argue his case before the Emperor.
It’s a gamble, and a dangerous one. Paul has no idea as to whether Caesar likes Christians or not, or whether he sees Paul’s position as tenable or not.
At times Rome has already seen persecution of Christians. What is Paul’s game here?
I hate to break it to you, but I suspect Paul was a little crazy about his mission.
Okay, maybe a LOT crazy. But still . . .
He wanted to go to Rome for missionary work. He believed that God was calling him to go there. He saw this as a way he could do it.
I wonder how many of us would be willing to risk like Paul did here? Would we see this as an opportunity to go the place we were desperate to go? Are we as bold as him?
I think not.
So the challenge for today is to think of situations in which boldness is required during this week, and then GO for it.
Let’s start with one just to whet your appetite. How many people have you shared the Gospel with this week?
Curiously, then, I find it hard to write about.
This isn’t because of any deep mysteries; simply because the chapter is mostly a matter of narrative; and what it is narrating is mostly stuff we’ve seen before (namely the to-ing and fro-ing of Paul and the legal eagles of the Jews).
There is, however, one rather important incident that deserves some attention.
Paul’s appeal to Caesar, in verse 11.
This is rather a desperate gambit. Paul is facing off against Jews, people whose beliefs he knows backwards. He’s in the local court, and his connections with the Sanhedrin (or ruling council) would have been quite usefull.
It says a lot that even with all these things Paul STILL chose to go to Rome, and argue his case before the Emperor.
It’s a gamble, and a dangerous one. Paul has no idea as to whether Caesar likes Christians or not, or whether he sees Paul’s position as tenable or not.
At times Rome has already seen persecution of Christians. What is Paul’s game here?
I hate to break it to you, but I suspect Paul was a little crazy about his mission.
Okay, maybe a LOT crazy. But still . . .
He wanted to go to Rome for missionary work. He believed that God was calling him to go there. He saw this as a way he could do it.
I wonder how many of us would be willing to risk like Paul did here? Would we see this as an opportunity to go the place we were desperate to go? Are we as bold as him?
I think not.
So the challenge for today is to think of situations in which boldness is required during this week, and then GO for it.
Let’s start with one just to whet your appetite. How many people have you shared the Gospel with this week?
04 March 2011
Chapter 24
Chapter 24 is longer than many other chapters in Acts.
I don’t mean that it contains more words. I mean that it covers a period of about 2 years!
In the process of what must have been an incredibly frustrating part of Paul’s life, though, we get to read yet another amazing defence of himself and his faith. Let’s get into it.
Verses 1 – 9 outline the charges against Paul, brought by the well-known lawyer Tertullus. I suppose many people at the time would have looked at him and thought “You have no chance” given the legal talent arrayed against him.
But this is Paul. Remember, we’re talking about the guy who trash-talked the High Priest when the same slapped him in the face! And he isn’t going to be incarcerated by some legal hack, not our Paul!
So in verses 10 – 21, Paul stands up and gives his defence. This one concentrates firmly upon the resurrection.
Verses 24 – 27 outline the irritating two years to follow, in which the governor (Felix) continually questioned Paul, without actually making any decisions on Paul’s future. This was to last until Felix was replaced with Festus. The passage hints that the governor’s motive was an attempt to extract a bribe from Paul; if so, he obviously failed at that! Finally we read of the Governor’s time eventually ending as he is replaced with the (rather more talented) Festus.
So how do we behave differently having read this passage?
My own answer is this: as Christians we are going to deal with some times that are frustrating. God promises to answer our prayers, but he makes no promises about how fast He will be. In fact, God is often slow to answer by human standards, even though He always answers at just the right time.
It doesn’t matter, though, whether He answers quickly or slowly, we’re still called to do as He asks.
And really, it’s not like we’re often going to face imprisonment (even for one day) for matters of faith. Paul, by contrast, had to spend 2 entire years in prison!
So when we are in the dark pit that’s not of our own making, we need to be patient and wait on God. And if worst comes to worst we should remember that Paul didn’t crack in two years.
I don’t mean that it contains more words. I mean that it covers a period of about 2 years!
In the process of what must have been an incredibly frustrating part of Paul’s life, though, we get to read yet another amazing defence of himself and his faith. Let’s get into it.
Verses 1 – 9 outline the charges against Paul, brought by the well-known lawyer Tertullus. I suppose many people at the time would have looked at him and thought “You have no chance” given the legal talent arrayed against him.
But this is Paul. Remember, we’re talking about the guy who trash-talked the High Priest when the same slapped him in the face! And he isn’t going to be incarcerated by some legal hack, not our Paul!
So in verses 10 – 21, Paul stands up and gives his defence. This one concentrates firmly upon the resurrection.
Verses 24 – 27 outline the irritating two years to follow, in which the governor (Felix) continually questioned Paul, without actually making any decisions on Paul’s future. This was to last until Felix was replaced with Festus. The passage hints that the governor’s motive was an attempt to extract a bribe from Paul; if so, he obviously failed at that! Finally we read of the Governor’s time eventually ending as he is replaced with the (rather more talented) Festus.
So how do we behave differently having read this passage?
My own answer is this: as Christians we are going to deal with some times that are frustrating. God promises to answer our prayers, but he makes no promises about how fast He will be. In fact, God is often slow to answer by human standards, even though He always answers at just the right time.
It doesn’t matter, though, whether He answers quickly or slowly, we’re still called to do as He asks.
And really, it’s not like we’re often going to face imprisonment (even for one day) for matters of faith. Paul, by contrast, had to spend 2 entire years in prison!
So when we are in the dark pit that’s not of our own making, we need to be patient and wait on God. And if worst comes to worst we should remember that Paul didn’t crack in two years.
03 March 2011
Chapter 23
NOTE: I had an internet issue last night and couldn't upload today's episode until this morning. Sorry!
I once referred to Paul’s ability to make enemies. He’s a craftsman.
You want proof? Check out Acts 23:1-3!
Paul is so completely unafraid of the High Priest that he tells the Priest off for daring to slap him! How’s that for boldness?
In fact this chapter is quite an enjoyable read, because Paul really cuts loose. He’s taking the approach of “no more Mr Nice Guy”.
Not content to give the High Priest a spray (complete with sarcastic follow-up – ‘Really? That stuffed shirt is the High Priest? Go on . .”), Paul recognizes the composition of the crowd, and throws an inflammatory subject into the midst.
Now, an image from today might help us to understand what is going on here.
The crowd seems to be composed of Pharisees – staunch believers in miracles, prophecy and the Resurrection – and Saducees, who didn’t believe in miracles etc.
Paul understands this (the Saducees are currently in the ascendancy) so he stirs up the fight by simply referring to the most contentious issue – the resurrection!
To avoid a bloodbath, Paul gets them so busy fighting each other that they have no energy reserves for fighting him!
The cops pull them away as a near-riot breaks out. I can imagine that the Centurion wouldn’t have been pleased.
Things are getting a little heated, though. Paul’s nephew gets a message to him that he’s in danger. It must be a credible threat because Paul passes it on to the soldiers, who immediately send him to Caesarea by another route, guarded by a whole maniple of troops. He wants this man to get there alive, to go before Felix.
Can we learn something from this?
I believe so.
Paul’s defence at the beginning, stirring up the Pharisees, is frankly impressive. And one of the impressive things about it is that Paul doesn’t seem to mind that he is making things harder for himself. He understands that this is going to lead to a riot; he just doesn’t care.
Paul, in short, is more concerned that the message gets out to all rather than consolidating his position. He’d rather cause a riot in the cause of Christ than be safe. He could water down the message, but he’s not going to do that.
I wonder if the same could be said for each of us. Would we rather tell the truth? Or would we settle for a cut down message?
I once referred to Paul’s ability to make enemies. He’s a craftsman.
You want proof? Check out Acts 23:1-3!
Paul is so completely unafraid of the High Priest that he tells the Priest off for daring to slap him! How’s that for boldness?
In fact this chapter is quite an enjoyable read, because Paul really cuts loose. He’s taking the approach of “no more Mr Nice Guy”.
Not content to give the High Priest a spray (complete with sarcastic follow-up – ‘Really? That stuffed shirt is the High Priest? Go on . .”), Paul recognizes the composition of the crowd, and throws an inflammatory subject into the midst.
Now, an image from today might help us to understand what is going on here.
The crowd seems to be composed of Pharisees – staunch believers in miracles, prophecy and the Resurrection – and Saducees, who didn’t believe in miracles etc.
Paul understands this (the Saducees are currently in the ascendancy) so he stirs up the fight by simply referring to the most contentious issue – the resurrection!
To avoid a bloodbath, Paul gets them so busy fighting each other that they have no energy reserves for fighting him!
The cops pull them away as a near-riot breaks out. I can imagine that the Centurion wouldn’t have been pleased.
Things are getting a little heated, though. Paul’s nephew gets a message to him that he’s in danger. It must be a credible threat because Paul passes it on to the soldiers, who immediately send him to Caesarea by another route, guarded by a whole maniple of troops. He wants this man to get there alive, to go before Felix.
Can we learn something from this?
I believe so.
Paul’s defence at the beginning, stirring up the Pharisees, is frankly impressive. And one of the impressive things about it is that Paul doesn’t seem to mind that he is making things harder for himself. He understands that this is going to lead to a riot; he just doesn’t care.
Paul, in short, is more concerned that the message gets out to all rather than consolidating his position. He’d rather cause a riot in the cause of Christ than be safe. He could water down the message, but he’s not going to do that.
I wonder if the same could be said for each of us. Would we rather tell the truth? Or would we settle for a cut down message?
02 March 2011
Chapter 22
Chapter 22 is good reading simply because it tells us Paul’s story from his own viewpoint, rather than in the viewpoint of an all-knowing narrator.
Vs 1-21 are basically Paul’s testimony. He starts off speaking in Hebrew. This gets peoples’ attention – presumably they’re more used to hearing Greek or Aramaic, and to speak in Hebrew immediately marks Paul out as a man of learning and intellect.
What we read here is a very nice textbook example of how to give your testimony.
Paul starts with his past in vs 1 – 3: his training, his mentor, his attitudes. In the process we learn about Paul studying under Gamaliel, which again gives him a lot of kudos to Jewish listeners.
Verses 4 – 13 tell us of Paul’s conversion. Since it was so dramatic, Paul was very right to spend some serious time discussing what happened. He goes through the events is very fine detail.
Then verses 14 – 21 show us how Paul’s life has changed since coming into contact with Christ – and in the process, how his mission has become little short of an obsession!
Now, the reaction to this is predictable – many of the hard-core Jews are demanding punishment. So the Roman centurion orders Paul scourged.
It’s my belief that despite the seriousness of the situation, Paul probably really enjoyed that moment of telling the Captain that he was in fact a Roman citizen, and by birth! Paul really gets a lot of mileage out of this (and fair enough too – Roman citizenship was a valuable coin in those days).
There are lots of things one could get out of this, but I want to simply zero in on one part – Paul’s testimony. I don’t know if you’d consider your testimony as exciting as Paul’s. I am going to tell you, though, it IS. The reason is that there are people like you. You are unique, but there are aspects of your situation that will appeal to certain people.
Let’s think of a few.
• You were born in a loving Christian family: That’s going to be really powerful to someone whose family was dysfunctional (i.e. a different situation) or someone who walked away from the Lord after being in a similar background.
• You have lived God’s way all your life: Someone who really wants God to give them some consistency will be encouraged by this.
• You walked away from God and then returned: You’ll never believe how much this will help someone who is currently in the Wilderness.
• You are confident in your faith: Many people are longing for this kind of confidence!
• You often doubt God: Do you realize how many people would be wondering if they’re the only one who feels this way? A lot, believe me!
Your story is different to that told by others – but some aspect is going to help someone somewhere in their Christian faith.
All you have to do is to learn to give your testimony effectively.
Vs 1-21 are basically Paul’s testimony. He starts off speaking in Hebrew. This gets peoples’ attention – presumably they’re more used to hearing Greek or Aramaic, and to speak in Hebrew immediately marks Paul out as a man of learning and intellect.
What we read here is a very nice textbook example of how to give your testimony.
Paul starts with his past in vs 1 – 3: his training, his mentor, his attitudes. In the process we learn about Paul studying under Gamaliel, which again gives him a lot of kudos to Jewish listeners.
Verses 4 – 13 tell us of Paul’s conversion. Since it was so dramatic, Paul was very right to spend some serious time discussing what happened. He goes through the events is very fine detail.
Then verses 14 – 21 show us how Paul’s life has changed since coming into contact with Christ – and in the process, how his mission has become little short of an obsession!
Now, the reaction to this is predictable – many of the hard-core Jews are demanding punishment. So the Roman centurion orders Paul scourged.
It’s my belief that despite the seriousness of the situation, Paul probably really enjoyed that moment of telling the Captain that he was in fact a Roman citizen, and by birth! Paul really gets a lot of mileage out of this (and fair enough too – Roman citizenship was a valuable coin in those days).
There are lots of things one could get out of this, but I want to simply zero in on one part – Paul’s testimony. I don’t know if you’d consider your testimony as exciting as Paul’s. I am going to tell you, though, it IS. The reason is that there are people like you. You are unique, but there are aspects of your situation that will appeal to certain people.
Let’s think of a few.
• You were born in a loving Christian family: That’s going to be really powerful to someone whose family was dysfunctional (i.e. a different situation) or someone who walked away from the Lord after being in a similar background.
• You have lived God’s way all your life: Someone who really wants God to give them some consistency will be encouraged by this.
• You walked away from God and then returned: You’ll never believe how much this will help someone who is currently in the Wilderness.
• You are confident in your faith: Many people are longing for this kind of confidence!
• You often doubt God: Do you realize how many people would be wondering if they’re the only one who feels this way? A lot, believe me!
Your story is different to that told by others – but some aspect is going to help someone somewhere in their Christian faith.
All you have to do is to learn to give your testimony effectively.
01 March 2011
Chapter 21
As Autumn begins, I’d like to thank you for reading this Commentary. We’re entering our third month now. Autumn marks the time when the trees lose their leaves (unless they’re evergreens, obviously), but for me it marks an even greater flourishing of my Spiritual life. This project has already done this much for me. It’s my hope and prayer that it has been similarly helpful to you. In any case, let’s get on with tonight’s installment!
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Paul continues with his trip in chapter 21. What you see here depends greatly on your view of Paul. You either see him as a man who will not be swayed from God’s will, no matter what.
You could alternatively see him as a cranky, contrary, stubborn old coot.
Come to think of it, the best answer is both of the above. . .
This chapter divides neatly into three sections. I call it like this:
vs 1 – 16: Paul is told not to go to Jerusalem.
vs 17 – 26: Paul goes to Jerusalem anyway.
vs 27 – 39: Why Paul shouldn’t have gone to Jerusalem[1].
also, v40: Should Be In The Next Chapter.
Vs 1 – 16 is a little more travelogue (with Luke present again, making this a “we” section), describing the cities visited on the way and finishing with Caesarea. I haven’t ever been to Caesarea, but I have seen reports on the magnificent city Herod built there and would love to see it some day.
Here Paul is treated to an ominous demonstration – using Paul’s own belt, a local prophet demonstrates that Paul will be captured there. But despite prayers and entreaties, Paul will not be swayed from his chosen path.
From there we arrive in Jerusalem. The vow that Paul is joining with the young men for appears to be a temporary Nazirite vow. He stays with them until their vow is complete. The objective here is for Paul to demonstrate that although he has changed in many ways, he is still a jew, and a serious jew at that.
Finally we see Paul (once again!) getting the crowd sufficiently angry at him that they start off attacking him! Fortunately for him (and for everyone within his party), Paul is eventually discovered to be a Roman citizen BY BIRTH, and the soldiers take him away so that he can standstyle.
So where do we go from here? What difference does this make to us?
I think there’s a very big one, and it’s a simple one. It won’t even make this a long entry.
It’s this: There may come a time when God asks you to do something that is threatening. Something taking courage that you think you might not have. Something that you may even consider frightening.
I have come to a couple of those moments, and it CAN be hard to know what you do. This is when Paul’s example is valuable. Note this – he cannot be swayed. Everyone tries to tell him “Not Jerusalem,” But Paul continues to head there, until finally he arrives. Absolutely unchangeable.
Why is he so determined? Simply enough, Paul recognized two things.
1) He had to do as God told him.
2) He also realized that he’d already been protected from so many things; he was actually in “angel time” and didn’t have anything to lose!).
So since his life already belonged to God, was there any point in mucking around?
[1] Okay, yes – I know that God wanted him there. This is simply worded this way for two reasons: 1) it looks amusing. 2) from a temporal viewpoint, without seeing eternity, it’s correct.
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Paul continues with his trip in chapter 21. What you see here depends greatly on your view of Paul. You either see him as a man who will not be swayed from God’s will, no matter what.
You could alternatively see him as a cranky, contrary, stubborn old coot.
Come to think of it, the best answer is both of the above. . .
This chapter divides neatly into three sections. I call it like this:
vs 1 – 16: Paul is told not to go to Jerusalem.
vs 17 – 26: Paul goes to Jerusalem anyway.
vs 27 – 39: Why Paul shouldn’t have gone to Jerusalem[1].
also, v40: Should Be In The Next Chapter.
Vs 1 – 16 is a little more travelogue (with Luke present again, making this a “we” section), describing the cities visited on the way and finishing with Caesarea. I haven’t ever been to Caesarea, but I have seen reports on the magnificent city Herod built there and would love to see it some day.
Here Paul is treated to an ominous demonstration – using Paul’s own belt, a local prophet demonstrates that Paul will be captured there. But despite prayers and entreaties, Paul will not be swayed from his chosen path.
From there we arrive in Jerusalem. The vow that Paul is joining with the young men for appears to be a temporary Nazirite vow. He stays with them until their vow is complete. The objective here is for Paul to demonstrate that although he has changed in many ways, he is still a jew, and a serious jew at that.
Finally we see Paul (once again!) getting the crowd sufficiently angry at him that they start off attacking him! Fortunately for him (and for everyone within his party), Paul is eventually discovered to be a Roman citizen BY BIRTH, and the soldiers take him away so that he can standstyle.
So where do we go from here? What difference does this make to us?
I think there’s a very big one, and it’s a simple one. It won’t even make this a long entry.
It’s this: There may come a time when God asks you to do something that is threatening. Something taking courage that you think you might not have. Something that you may even consider frightening.
I have come to a couple of those moments, and it CAN be hard to know what you do. This is when Paul’s example is valuable. Note this – he cannot be swayed. Everyone tries to tell him “Not Jerusalem,” But Paul continues to head there, until finally he arrives. Absolutely unchangeable.
Why is he so determined? Simply enough, Paul recognized two things.
1) He had to do as God told him.
2) He also realized that he’d already been protected from so many things; he was actually in “angel time” and didn’t have anything to lose!).
So since his life already belonged to God, was there any point in mucking around?
[1] Okay, yes – I know that God wanted him there. This is simply worded this way for two reasons: 1) it looks amusing. 2) from a temporal viewpoint, without seeing eternity, it’s correct.
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