SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/31/2018 9:28 AM
My Worship Time
Focus:
PT-1 “The Defense”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
24:10-21
Message of the verses: “10 When the
governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: "Knowing that for
many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,
11 since you can take note of the fact
that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12
“Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself
did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. 13
“Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. 14
“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do
serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with
the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which
these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of
both the righteous and the wicked. 16 “In view of this, I also do my best to
maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.
17 “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present
offerings; 18 in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been
purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews
from Asia- 19 who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation,
if they should have anything against me. 20 “Or else let these men themselves
tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council, 21 other than for
this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, ’For the resurrection of the
dead I am on trial before you today.’"”
Paul’s
defense does not begin with flattery as did Tertullus’ did, for all Paul was
doing was stating a fact that Felix had been in this region of the world ruling
long enough to understand what was going on with the Jewish people and their
“religion.” He had been governor for
five years and before that he served under Cumanus, governor of Samaria for
several years.
When
Paul brings up the fact that 12 days ago that he went up to Jerusalem to
worship, and for the last five days he had been in Caesarea, and before that he
came to fulfill a vow which we saw in Acts 21:23-37, thus he certainly did not
have enough time to start some kind of rebellion against Rome. Paul’s goal in coming to Jerusalem was to
worship the Lord in the temple and to bring money for the hurting church of
Judah.
More
proof is given by Paul as he speaks: ““Neither
in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they
find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot.’” Paul did not engage in any public debate with
anyone during this time, thus he could not have been causing a riot. MacArthur adds “In fact, he had not gone to
Jerusalem on an evangelistic mission but to bring an offering for the
poor.”
Paul
shows that the Sanhedrin could not prove any of the political charges against
him, and as far as the religious charges these were something that was outside
the competence of a Roman court to judge, so Felix should have dismissed the
charges at this point, but he did not.
One
of the charges that the lawyer for the Jews spoke of was the fact that Paul was
a member of “the way” as Paul describes it in his defense. Paul does not deny this, but turns it against
the members of the Sanhedrin here by stating “But this I admit to you, that
according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve that God of our
Fathers.” The Jews thought that
Christianity was a dangerous sect, Paul emphatically declared, “I do serve the
God of our fathers” and this was the historic title for the God of Israel as
seen in the OT. For instance the Jews
put their hope in Abraham and also Moses, but both Abraham and Moses would have
turned against them if they had been alive in that day and would have defended
Paul because Paul was teaching the truth and the Jews were teaching their
tradition which was totally wrong.
I
want to begin with a quote from John MacArthur to further talk about this issue
that Paul was serving the God of their Fathers in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I desire at all time to live and to talk
about the truth that is found in Scripture, and not to put my hope in
traditions unless they follow what Scripture has to say.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To continue to learn from the Word of God as
I study it each day.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “This world” (Romans 12:2).
Today’s Bible question: “What did Jesus advise if one brings a gift
and remembers that his brother has something against him?”
Answer in our next SD.
8/31/2018 10:05 AM
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