Acts - 25

Acts - 25

Acts 9:19b-31

Introduction

‘The Rest of the Story’ was a Monday through Friday radio show that began as a part of Paul Harvey’s newscasts during WW2. It premiered as its own series on ABC radio on May 10, 1976. The show consisted of little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects, with some key element missing from the story, purposely held back until the end. It usually ended with Harvey saying some variation of the tag line… “and now you know…the rest of the story.”

Our text for today is the ‘rest of the story’ after the conversion of Saul, whom we know as the Apostle Paul. At the beginning of Acts 9, the Lord Jesus sovereignly converts Saul and commissions him to take the Name of Jesus to the nations. Now we get the rest of the story…what happens next? How does Saul respond to this commission and how does he begin to live out his faith? At the same time, we also see the rest of our story. I said last week, as we saw Saul’s conversion as a model… “Your conversion comes with a commission. To be saved is to be sent.” Just as the Lord has sovereignly saved you, He now sovereignly commissions you to take the Gospel to those who do not know Him. Well, what does that look like? Once again, we can look to Saul as a model.

Acts 9:19b-31 - Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

21 And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”

22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ.

23 And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to put him to death,

24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death.

30 But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.

TS - Saul’s response to Christ’s commission shows us what it looks like to be a faithful witness for Christ. Here is the Pattern for a Faithful Witness:

CHRIST-CENTERED

Now that Saul has become a Christian, he spends “several days” in v. 19 with the disciples in Damascus. What is he doing during these days? We can only speculate since Luke does not include specific details. But I am sure Saul is worshiping in a new way. He now knows God as revealed in Jesus Christ. I am sure Saul is in wonder that God would say someone like him. Remember, Saul had been a religious terrorist, actively hunting down and overseeing the execution of those who called themselves Christians.

Saul will say later in his life in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 - 15 It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.

16 Yet for this reason I was shown mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all His patience as an example for those who are going to believe upon Him for eternal life.

So I am sure Saul is already evangelizing the lost by using his own life as an example. If Jesus can save me, he can surely save you! In fact, we are explicitly told in Acts 9 that Saul is doing just that very thing. V. 20 - and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ‘Immediately’ he begins to preach. How could he do that? The theology that Paul is famous for, the theology that is articulated so well in letters like Ephesians, or especially in Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, that theology has not been developed yet.

So how can Paul preach when he doesn’t really know much at this point? Well, he knows enough. He knows that he is a great sinner and that Jesus is a great Savior. He knows that Jesus is the Son of God. And that’s enough to get started. You don’t have to have an advanced degree to be a faithful witness for Christ. You just have to know that He is the Son of God and that He has saved you.

But even here we have the beginning of Paul’s theology that will be expounded and developed in his later years. This is the only time in the entire book of Acts that Jesus is referred to as the Son of God. That is a distinctly Pauline concept. By calling Jesus the Son of God, Saul is declaring Jesus is equal with God, that Jesus is God in the flesh. In John 5, Jesus gets Himself into trouble because He heals a man on the Sabbath and it makes the Jews mad that He violated their laws. But it was more than that.

John 5:18 - For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

To call Jesus the Son of God has clear and profound implications. He really is God in the flesh. And after Saul sees the risen and reigning Lord Jesus in that heavenly vision, what other conclusion could he possibly come to?!

And as inspirational as this is, Saul’s Christ-centered faithfulness is not without its naysayers. V. 21 - And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those that called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” They are astounded at Saul and his preaching. And rightly so. Isn’t this the persecutor? He destroyed (wreak havoc) on the Christians in Jerusalem and came here to arrest even more Christians. What is going on? Understandable. Remember where Saul is currently preaching…in the synagogues in Damascus. Back to Acts 9:1-2 - Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. He was supposed to be hauling off the Christians from the synagogues of Damascus, but instead he is helping make more of them!

The fact that they are astounded could be taken as positive…wow, look at the power of God to change such a life! Or it could be taken negatively…this isn’t real. Look at all you’ve done Saul. You’re the Christian killer. You are the persecutor. Nothing more. Drop this nonsense. While we hope it is positive, we have experienced the negative side, haven’t we? This is why it is so challenging to share the faith with friends and family members. They remember. They knew you when. To them, maybe you will forever be that immature kid who isn’t worth their respect. Or you’re the one who sinned against them and that is forever the lens through which they will view you. And like Saul, your past may come back to haunt you. How do we respond to that?

Acts 9:22 - But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the Christ.

His response was to keep growing. The word for ‘increasing in strength’ does not refer to physical strength, but spiritual strength, really meaning ‘capability.’ Because his knowledge of God and of God’s Word kept growing, his capability to debate who Jesus is continued to grow as well.

And notice that not only is Saul declaring that Jesus is the Son of God, he is proving to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Messiah is the Hebrew term, Christ is the Greek term, both meaning ‘anointed.’ In the OT, only prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, set apart in their role. But the Messiah is the Anointed One. The Greatest Prophet who speaks for God. The Better Priest who represents us before God and offers the necessary sacrifice for forgiveness. The King of Kings who rules over all things. Saul’s life and ministry is Christ-centered, focused on who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. If you are going to be a faithful witness, your life and your service to the Lord must be Christ-centered, focused on the Gospel…That is the simple message that you can begin to communicate no matter your level of theological knowledge. And that is the simple message upon which all other theology is built.

COURAGEOUS (V. 27,28)

Even though the Jews are already speaking negatively about him, it gets much worse. V. 23 - And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to put him to death…yup, much worse. The persecutor has become the persecuted. When Luke tells us that ‘many days had elapsed’ he really means it. That phrase represents 3 full years. Paul tells us in Galatians 1 that from Damascus he would head into Arabia and then return to Damascus. During that time, the Lord Jesus is personally revealing to him the great theological truths that will get fleshed out in his letters.

Galatians 1:11-24 - 11 For I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man.

12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him as good news among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying!)

21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which are in Christ;

23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith which he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they were glorifying God because of me.

So Saul is spending some time in Arabia being personally taught and discipled by the Lord Jesus Himself, and then comes back to Damascus, only to have the Jews attempt an assassination. The plot is discovered and he is lowered down through a hole in the city’s wall because they were watching the city gates to capture him. And as soon as that crisis is behind him, Saul experiences rejection at Jerusalem.

V. 26 - And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Some people like to condemn the Christians here, but this is a totally understandable reaction! They have every reason to be scared of him…it was in Jerusalem that this same Saul had orchestrated the assassination of Stephen in the streets. Saul had personally unleashed the persecution that drove thousands of Christians out of the city. Tough to trust a guy like that.

Enter Barnabas. The Son of Encouragement stands in Saul’s defense. V. 27-28 - 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

Barnabas defends Saul and recounts his conversion as legitimate. And the apostles welcome Saul in as a brother. Twice in these verses, Saul is described as “speaking out boldly” in the name of Jesus. Barnabas recounted how Saul had done that in Damascus. At great risk to his own life he boldly confronted the Jews with the proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. And now that Saul has been accepted into the fold, he is traveling around Jerusalem, his old stomping grounds, and boldly preaching about Jesus.

Notice the beginning of v. 29 - And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews. We were already introduced to this group in chapter 6. They are Jews who come out of a Greek background. It is this group in particular that Stephen was arguing with in chapter 6. It was in this group in particular that Saul has snuck some false witnesses into to accuse Stephen of false crimes. It was this particular group, with Saul’s manipulation behind the scenes, that killed Stephen in the streets. It was the persecution initiated by Saul in this very city that scattered the Christians to cities like Damascus. On his way to arrest Christians there is where the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul and converted him. And now a few years later Saul has come full circle and takes up the mantle of Stephen, whose death he is responsible for, and argues with them about Jesus.

You have to love his courage here! He is preaching to the people who killed Stephen, and preaches to them the same message Stephen preached to them. That takes a backbone for sure. If you are going to be a faithful witness for Jesus, it will undoubtedly take courage. There are always those who deny Christ, who dismiss Christ. There are always those who reject you because they reject the One you represent. What do you do? Walk away defeated? Silence yourself in the shame of your past? No! You boldly, confidently, courageously share the Gospel that saved you as the Gospel that can save them.

COSTLY

This is the natural conclusion. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 - Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Not if people do this, but when people do this. Paul will affirm this later in 2 Timothy 3:12 - Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. He could say that confidently because he had personally experienced it.

In Damascus they attempt an assassination and he escapes. Only to find that once he does escape and is in Jerusalem, it happens again. The group who killed Stephen for preaching Jesus to them is going to kill Saul for the same thing. V. 29-30 - And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. But when the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. Everywhere he goes it seems this same thing will happen. And as we track with Paul’s life throughout the back half of Acts, this will happen over and over again. Listen to Paul’s words about the price he paid to be a faithful witness:

2 Corinthians 11:23b-33 - 23 in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, in beatings without number, in frequent danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brothers.

27 I have been in labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in starvation and thirst, often hungry, in cold and without enough clothing.

28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble without my burning concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

As he walks through his persecution resume, he goes all the way back to this first one in Damascus. And he introduces us to a new player…King Aretas. Who is that? He is the King of Arabia. And where has Paul spent the last 3 years? In Arabia! So the Jews in Damascus want him dead. He goes into Arabia for 3 years and, while he is downloading the Gospel content from Jesus, he is also evangelizing the lost. Remember, he is commissioned by Jesus to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.

So while he is in Gentile lands for 3 years, he preaches. That has apparently caused such a ruckus in Arabia that the King has the local Governor in Damascus put out a hit on Saul. The pagans are plotting with the Jews to take Saul out.

He escapes and heads to Jerusalem. The group that killed Stephen is ready to take him out. He escapes again and they send him to Tarsus, his home town. This is the last we hear of Saul for a little while. The Acts narrative will focus in on Peter for the next couple chapters, leading up to the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert. Then they seek out Saul in Acts 11 and bring him back down to Jerusalem and then he will get sent off on his famous missionary journeys that provide the content for the back half of Acts. But again, Luke is vague about timing here. According to Paul in Galatians 2, he spends 14 years in Tarsus! And what was he doing there? Evangelizing the lost and planting churches. Tarsus is in Gentile lands. He begins ministries in Syria and Cilicia, Gentile regions. Long before we know Paul as the famed missionary and apostle, he’s already been a faithful witness for Christ for a long time!

So what do you do when there is a price to pay for faithfully following the Lord? You just keep paying it. It is worth the price. He is worth every cost we have to pay to follow Him. Though it’s a high cost, there is a high reward.

Acts 9:31 - 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.