S) "21 They said to him, 'We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.'"
Acts 28:21-22 (NASB)
O) Well, well, well; all of the fuss and worry and pleading with Paul, begging him not to go to Jerusalem, it all turned out for naught. So, he goes to Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders breathe murderous threats, he appeals to Caesar, as is his right as a Roman citizen by birth (a fact I only recently learned, despite having read through Acts in its entirety before this last few weeks), makes very, very long journey to Rome, and his accusers have made no progress is continuing their attempts to kill Paul. Whether they gave up, assuming he had died at sea (I could imagine that), or their efforts were otherwise thwarted by God and the record of those happenings were simply not recorded... the bottom line is that Paul was safe. Furthermore, what might have seemed, at the time, as his only way to secure his life (the appeal to Caesar), it turns out that was part of God's plan for Paul to bring the Gospel to the Roman Jewish community (having heard something of the "sect" but not enough to be convinced).
Side note: that's not the first time Jewish leaders referred to Christianity as a "sect" of Judaism, but that's a funny way of seeing it, given today's religious climate.
A) So, the first lesson - listen to my convictions, even when respected men of God say it seems like a bad idea. I'm all for taking wise counsel, but I need to have faith in my ability to hear from God also. So, if I'm feeling particularly convicted about a decision, I need to go with it (Paul was unmarried and had no kids, so it must've made those daring decisions a little easier for him, but still...). Second lesson - always keep the eternal focus of spreading the Gospel. Paul was out of the woods, out of trouble. They said they'd received no word about convicting him, so he was freed of their persecution. Instead of packing it up, he lays it out again! Putting his very life on the line again, he exposes his neck to proclaim the Gospel to a group of people just like the last group that wanted to kill him, for the exact same testimony. I should be so bold.
P) Father, I know that Paul had the freedom of not having a family, so he could be a little more daring with his faith; he says as much in his later epistles. At the same time, God, I want to be bold like that. I know I always have to reflect on my decisions, to consider the impact they'll have on my wife and children, but I pray that I can execute Your will with the same conviction. Thank You, God, that my You created marriage so that I can always be in one accord with my wife. I pray that we are always hearing You clearly, so that if, or when, the really tough decisions come, we will have confirmation and unity with eachother, as to what Your will is, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Side note: that's not the first time Jewish leaders referred to Christianity as a "sect" of Judaism, but that's a funny way of seeing it, given today's religious climate.
A) So, the first lesson - listen to my convictions, even when respected men of God say it seems like a bad idea. I'm all for taking wise counsel, but I need to have faith in my ability to hear from God also. So, if I'm feeling particularly convicted about a decision, I need to go with it (Paul was unmarried and had no kids, so it must've made those daring decisions a little easier for him, but still...). Second lesson - always keep the eternal focus of spreading the Gospel. Paul was out of the woods, out of trouble. They said they'd received no word about convicting him, so he was freed of their persecution. Instead of packing it up, he lays it out again! Putting his very life on the line again, he exposes his neck to proclaim the Gospel to a group of people just like the last group that wanted to kill him, for the exact same testimony. I should be so bold.
P) Father, I know that Paul had the freedom of not having a family, so he could be a little more daring with his faith; he says as much in his later epistles. At the same time, God, I want to be bold like that. I know I always have to reflect on my decisions, to consider the impact they'll have on my wife and children, but I pray that I can execute Your will with the same conviction. Thank You, God, that my You created marriage so that I can always be in one accord with my wife. I pray that we are always hearing You clearly, so that if, or when, the really tough decisions come, we will have confirmation and unity with eachother, as to what Your will is, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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