The Other Six Days

Paul makes his way to Rome and is there under house arrest. He’s given relative freedom, living alone (v16) and preaching without hindrance (v31). Seems no authority knows what to do with him.

Paul tries to convince them about Jesus using the law of Moses and the prophets. Modern people aren’t convinced enough about the authority of scripture to make Moses and the prophets compelling evidence–or educated enough about why scripture really should be taken seriously.

It’s not a modern problem only. It’s a heart problem. V24 some were convinced but others refused to believe. Paul quotes Isaiah about their hard heartedness.

God give us understanding. transformed by God moment by moment. Praise God that he’s in that business of radical love and radical transformation.

Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ – Acts 27:23-24

They’re headed for Rome, and It was smooth sailing from Caesarea to Crete. Soon after they are at the mercy of the winds. Sometimes the winds take us where they, not we, want to go. Paul predicted the trip would be “disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also” (27:10).

If you were at the mercy of winds which would you listen to? An experienced pilot or an imprisoned prophet? I imagine Paul comes off like someone with Googled medical knowledge diagnosing a medical conditions. It didn’t help that Paul reminded them that they failed to listen to a prophet instead of a pilot on how to manage a boat on the sea. It did help that he assured them that an angel revealed to him no one would be lost by the storm even if the boat would be destroyed.

Word to the wise: Listen to the prophets.

This is the first time I’ve paid much attention to the maps. It is so much more interesting now when I know the general locations!

Paul and other prisoners and the centurion start the voyage on the way from Caesarea to Rome but the time of year is not ideal. According to my notes, sailing didn’t happen in the fall/winter. Paul anticipates “danger and heavy loss…of the cargo and ship, but also [their] lives” (v10) but Paul is just a prisoner; the ship’s owner decides they sail anyway.

Faith is only as good in the light as it is in the dark.

This is another opportunity for Paul to trust God. Paul has no say about where he goes. He’s at the whim of people in charge. He offers his assessment but ultimately is ignored (v.11).

The practice for Paul and for us is to approach all situations out of our control with acceptance. Maybe Paul was angry or bitter but I suspect he wasn’t. (May we often check in with our attitudes!) Sometimes he receives reassurance from God clearly, and sometimes he doesn’t. In the moments when he doesn’t, he gets to practice remembering God is in charge anyway.

Where in my life am I frustrated with lacking control? Where am I blaming others for poor decisions that affect my life? Where am I angry about being ignored or overlooked?

I can do what is in my power physically and spiritually.

Prayer is my biggest power to remind me that what I see with my eyes is only part of the story. It is a moment by moment practice to respond to situations grounded on solid confidence in God

Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” – Acts 26:32

Paul has gone before the Roman governor Felix. Now he goes before the next Roman governor Festus, who is accompanied by the Jewish King Agrippa. These are not Christians, but together they determine (without realizing it) Paul’s next location to share the Gospel. To them, he will be sent to Rome to stand trial before Emperor Nero. Some say that Nero has him beheaded. Others say Paul was released, and later imprisoned and executed. 

Real world mission work occurs while others are making decisions about the people God has chosen for that mission work. 

This passage describes is Paul’s self defense before the king to determine if he is or is not deserving death. Paul says that as a Jew he and all Jews (including King Agrippa) are awaiting the promise made by God to them (26:6); the prophets foretold (26:23) that the Messiah would suffer, rise from the dead, and proclaim light to Jews and Gentiles. King Agrippa and Festus agree Paul does not deserve death.

Paul has a succinct message. The King himself recognizes it as a compelling message and asks Paul if he isn’t trying to persuade the King to be Christian.

Everyone needs the message. It is a message of hope and purpose and transformation

When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. – Acts 24:2

Their charges, lodged by the lawyer Tertullus against Paul can be summarized:

1.⁠ ⁠Paul is a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world.
2.⁠ ⁠Paul is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect.
3.⁠ ⁠He tried to desecrate the temple.

There is truth here. Everywhere Paul went on mission, trouble emerged. Sometimes things could get violent. This was a violation of Roman policy, when turbulence is on the rise in Judea. He was a “ringleader” of what they call the “Nazarene sect,” a reference to Jesus of Nazareth. This charge was false: here is no indication that Paul desecrated the temple.

The crowd is so dramatic and vacillating–they listen, then they want to kill him. They throw their clothes and dirt into the air. Chaos. So the tribune wants to interrogate him. There’s some back and forth about legality of binding him since he’s a Roman citizen, but they still wanted clarification about why all the fuss. 23:6, Paul realizes he can divide his captors because Pharisees believe in resurrection but Sadducees don’t. He tells them he’s on trial concerning resurrection. Ambush to kill Paul thwarted.

He receives reassurance in a vision that he will continue on to Rome Paul receives comfort in the midst of uncertainty. 23:11 says that night the Lord stood near him and spoke words of encouragement to him.

That we too may have open ears to hear encouragement from the presence of God in the midst of our own discomfort and challenges !

Paul knows to apologize. The Roman authority wants Paul to face Jewish authorities in order to clarify the cause of the furor about him (22:30). When he does, Paul calls the high priest a name (23:1–5), only to admit his wrong for doing so, Telling the truth requires admitting failure. Paul could have spun the story to emphasize ignorance, blamed and denied. Instead he show’s a better way: he quotes Scripture that denounces his own words (Exodus 22:28). Paul shows us the way of truth telling.

Paul was savvy, and he also knew how to provoke. Pharisees and Sadducees are listening to Paul’s case. Paul, realizing he’s got no chance of a fair hearing, takes advantage of the friction between the Pharisees and Sadducees.

He aligns himself the Pharisees. “I am a Pharisee” which is true. Like Jesus, Paul had fierce conflict with the Pharisees, but his Torah observance was more consistent with theirs. Paul claims he is being called in for his belief in resurrection of the body, the Sadducees erupt over this because, as Luke writes, they deny resurrection, angels, and spirits, all of which the Pharisees embrace. Imagine the clamor.

There’s a time to pacify and a time to provoke.

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. (Acts 22:2)

Speaking the language of those we are commissioned to evangelize and disciple isn’t some hidden spiritual mystery.  It is debatable, but many believe that the Apostle Paul was at least trilingual, speaking Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew. He was a Roman citizen, so maybe even four (Latin).

Today churches and their spiritual leaders need to learn the languages and customs of the culture. Sharing the Gospel to younger generations, who are less church oriented according to most demographic studies, is a significant shift in our assignment to make disciples of all nations. We can’t assume that unchurched and de-churched people speak the Christian language, words like:

Gospel
, Savior
, atonement, 
saving grace
, sin, 
Christ’s sacrifice, 
profession of faith and 
eternal life for starters.

Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. – Acts 21:26

Is Paul a hypocrite? He arrives in Jerusalem and the Jewish Christians confront him about his teachings then instruct him to go thru purification rituals. V 24 is most problematic to me: thus all will know there is nothing in what they have been told… You yourself observe …the law

What?
I do not understand why at this point he doesn’t clarify his message. The Jewish Christians are insisting on the law, and Paul misses this chance to correct them. And he goes thru with the purification ritual and a *sacrifice * that is made for him v26

Shouldn’t he be saying that the sacrifice is finished?

Maybe the next day he’s kicking himself realizing he missed a primo chance to present the gospel?

Maybe this is descriptive, not prescriptive, as pastor sometimes says. But man. Paul. This is not the Paul I know