Paul on Trial

If you have a Bible, go ahead and grab it. We have a lot of ground to cover tonight, 3 whole chapters, but we won’t be reading every single verse. Instead, I’m hoping that you will spend some time over the next few days reading them on your own and tonight we will just pick out some key moments from Acts 24-26. Last week we got to Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem and we briefly looked at what would be Paul’s first of many trials, in fact between Acts 21 and Acts 26, we see Paul defend himself 5 times to 5 different groups of people. Tonight we are going to look at 3 of those defenses so I entitled this message, “Paul on Trial.” Let me ask, do you guys like lawyer shows? Or true crime shows? I enjoy them but if you’ve ever watched them, have you ever noticed how often 1 of 2 things happen: either someone is clearly guilty of the crime or at the very last second, someone who appears to be guilty is saved by a last second piece of evidence or testimony? Have you ever seen on any of these shows or movies someone appear before the judge but neither the judge nor the accusers have anything to accuse the person of? Or have you ever seen a show where the accusations are so outlandish that we as the audience can clearly see that there is really nothing to convict of? That’s exactly what we are going to see here with Paul. Have you ever seen the movie 12 Angry Men? It’s a movie from the 50’s and it is an incredible movie. There’s no action, no special effects, no cool soundtrack, there’s just great performances from 12 guys sitting in a jury room discussing the outcome of a trial. I was in high school when I saw it the first time and like many of you, I thought it was going to be the most boring thing I’ve ever seen, but man was I wrong. If you haven’t seen it, the entire plot of the movie is that there are 12 jurors who are brought in to decide a case that seems pretty cut and dry. A man is accused of murdering his father and it seems pretty obvious that he is guilty because so much of the evidence is pointing towards him being guilty. The jurors are told that they have to come back with a unanimous verdict and 11 out of the 12 vote that he’s guilty. 1 Juror recognized some inconsistencies in the testimonies and the events and he stood out for that truth even though the 11 others were set in their ways and set in their verdict. Then 1 by 1, these men talk through the event and by the end of the movie, all 12 come back with a verdict of not guilty because the evidence didn’t line up and the accused man walks away free. What happened in that movie is what we see Solomon say in Proverbs 18:17 “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” We are called to be that one. That one that fights for what is true, what is righteous, and what is pure. Paul is that man too as we are going to see. Paul could compromise, he could bend to what others want him to do or say, he could take the easy way out, but that is not who Paul is. Paul stands for the truth regardless of the cost and each and every Christian in here is called to do the very same thing. What I want us to do tonight is look at 11 observations from Acts 24-26 and I want us to see we are to stand out as the 1 against the 11. As the 1 that stands for what is true regardless of the cost, regardless of the ease, because we stand for Him that defines truth and justice. I know 11 things sound like a lot, but we will get through them relatively quickly and we will go through them in order of the chapters so open up to Acts 24. We won’t read it all but it might help to have the whole chapter in front of you. Before we do that, let’s pray together.

Observations on Acts 24

Let’s start with Acts 24, I want to bring your attention to 5 things that I thought we should look at from this chapter.

The world’s view of Christians

The first thing that I want to draw your attention to is the world’s view of Christians. We see this in verses 5-6 and verse 9. Look at the accusations that are being made against Paul in these verses. Acts 24:5-6

Acts 24:5–6 (ESV)

For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

This isn’t just a stray statement made by one person, this is being echoed by quite a large number of people. Acts 24:9

Acts 24:9 (ESV)

The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

Now we know that what Paul is being accused of isn’t the case. We know that he wasn’t stirring up riots or leading a cult or profaning or desecrating a religious site but that is how his opponents viewed him and in a way, that isn’t too far removed from how the world views all of us as Christians. You might be thinking, “Well, that seems a bit extreme” but doesn’t the world view Christianity and Christians as like a plague? Aren’t we those people that are called religious bigots and zealots, people that stand against the tide and culture, people that refuse to follow the world’s standards? Aren’t we often aligned as the problem? Have you ever noticed how Christianity is always the first religion to be attacked by the world? I never see Islam being attacked the way that Christianity is! I never see Judaism attacked the way Christianity is! Why is it always the Christians that the world demands to be quiet? Aren’t we the one’s that are deemed offensive and crazy? Doesn’t the world accuse us of following some dead leader that left thousands of years ago and now all our beliefs are outdated and irrational? Isn’t that close to what Paul is being accused of? He’s being called someone that is a hindrance to society, a plague on the earth, a problem that needs to be dealt with, that is the accusation against the Body of Christ. The world hates us because the world hates God. What did Jesus say in John 15:18-20

John 15:18–20 (ESV)

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

We stand against all that the world holds dear because we stand against the love of sin. James Hamilton writes on these verses, “The world loves only those who join it in delusional beliefs and destructive behaviors, which in effect means that the world loves itself. The world’s kind of love is the selfish kind of love that does not deserve to be called love at all. It may be enthusiastic approval and acceptance, but it is not love.”

We present the truth with joy and respect

The next thing that I want us to look at is Acts 24:10 “And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.” Notice how Paul presents himself. Look at how he defends not just himself, but the message of the Gospel. He presents the truth with joy and respect. Paul doesn’t go into this defense hoping to bash skulls together. He’s also not hiding from the opportunity to defend the truths of the Gospel. Paul doesn’t go into this defense with the mindset of, “I’m right, you’re wrong, don’t you dare mess with me.” Far too often, I think that when we need to go on the defensive that we fail to realize that we have a terrific opportunity to present the Gospel to someone. When someone asks why we are the way we are, they are inviting us in a sense to tell them what makes us different and what has made us different is what Christ has done in our lives. When the time comes where you are asked to give a reason behind why you are the way you are, do it respectfully, do it with joy, do it with the recognition that you are living such a life that it causes the world to ask “what’s wrong with you?”

Christianity is a Historical Religion

The next thing that I want to point out to you is that Christianity is a historical religion. This may go without saying but it is worth mentioning that we are not following cleverly devised myths. to paraphrase 2 Peter 1:16, but we simply believe what is true and what has happened in time and space. Look at how Paul defends himself in Acts 24:14-16

Acts 24:14–16 (ESV)

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

What does Paul do here? He’s testifying before a Jewish audience and he’s appealing to their history, which is really all of our history. Paul is saying, “Look, I’m only testifying to what God has already revealed ahead of time. I’m worshipping the same God, I’m believing what the Law and prophets have said, I believe in a resurrection just like you all do. This shouldn’t shock you as anything new because God has already alluded to it!” We as Christians aren’t grasping at straws. We aren’t making things up on the fly. We believe in a real historical Jesus. We believe in a real historical faith. We believe in something that has happened in real space and time and has made a real and lasting impact in the world. We aren’t making things up to appeal to outsiders. When we talked apologetics a couple of years ago I think, we made notice how there are far too many things in the Bible that wouldn’t make sense unless they really happened. There’s no reason for women to be the first to notice the empty tomb or resurrected Jesus unless that is how it really happened. There’s no reason for men like Paul or James to become Christians unless it really happened. Why do we believe? Because God has revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ and upon review, we have found that this is true. We aren’t asked to believe in the impossible, we believe in something and someone that has really happened and truly exists.

The Christian Life is Alarming to Unbelievers

Let’s start working to the end of the chapter. Acts 24:24-25 says:

Acts 24:24–25 (ESV)

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

We won’t spend much time on this because we have talked about this a lot in the past but the Christian life is alarming to unbelievers. They see how we live, they see the things we stand for, they see the things we live for and the standards that we hold ourselves to and it is puzzling to them. Felix hears Paul talk about righteousness, self-control, and judgment and it shakes him because these things are so unfamiliar to him. Are the words that you use, the life that you live, the beliefs that you hold, are they alarming to an unbelieving world? Something else we see in the actions of Felix is that he knew the Gospel. Paul told him all about it and he even had an emotional response to it but that was all that he had. He heard about these great things, felt moved by these great things but what did that result in? Nothing! Far too many people are like Felix where they feel strangely warmed by the heat of the Gospel but they aren’t set on fire for it. Far too many people say that they will circle back to the Gospel when it is more convenient for them but that time never comes.

Christianity is a Marathon

Lastly looking at chapter 24, we see that our service to Christ is a marathon and not a sprint. Acts 24:27 says

Acts 24:27 (ESV)

When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Paul sat in that jail cell for 2 years waiting for a chance to defend himself again. At any point during those 2 years, don’t you think that Paul could have said, “You know what, if I just stop preaching they’ll let me go. If I just keep this Jesus stuff to myself, I can walk out a free man”? But that doesn’t happen. He faithfully endures and that is what we are called to do here with the time that Lord has given us. We are to persevere. We don’t take the “easy way out.” The great Puritan preacher John Bunyan, who we talked about last week, spent 12 years in prison and he was offered the opportunity to leave but he never took it. Why? The cost for him was far too great. As Bunyan stood on trial for preaching the Gospel, the judge told him that he was free to go as long as he stopped preaching the Gospel and Bunyan’s response was, “If I were out of prison today, I would preach the Gospel again tomorrow, by the help of God.” The easy way isn’t always the right way and it is certainly not always the way of the cross.

Observations on Acts 25

Let’s turn to Acts 25, we’ll look at 3 things. Look first at verses 7-8:

What can the world charge us with?

Acts 25:7–8 (ESV)

When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.”

What I want you to notice here is that our conduct should be so in line with Christ that the world has nothing that they can accuse us of. They shouldn’t be able to accuse us of being unloving, unkind, unforgiving, we shouldn’t live lives that are not moral or consistent with the Gospel. We shouldn’t be greedy or selfish or anything that is contrary to Christ’s call for our lives. Paul lived what he preached. The reason that they could not prove the charges against Paul is because there is nothing that could be charged against him. How should we live? In pursuit of God, in pursuit of righteousness, for the glory of Christ. You’ve heard me talk about a first or second century letter known as the Letter of Diognetus and it has one of my favorite descriptions of what we are in this world. The author of the letter writes, “They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.” That last line is my favorite: Those that hate us should be unable to find any reason for their hatred for us. Let’s look now at verses 11-12. Paul says in these verses:

Christians Demand Justice

Acts 25:11–12 (ESV)

If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

What’s our lesson from these verses? Christians fight for justice. We don’t ask to be treated with kids gloves, we ask to be treated justly. Paul doesn’t say, If I committed a crime, treat me with leniency. He says if I’ve done something in which I deserve to die, then let justice be done. But if I haven’t let justice be just. We as Christians know that we will all stand before the Righteous Judge of the Universe and that He will judge everyone perfectly. We don’t seek to escape that which is just, instead we demand justice. And this extends beyond our own personal lives, we as Christians should strive to see justice done for all that are wronged. We should strive to see justice for the unborn and the oppressed and we do all of this in line with what the Bible proclaims.

We Must be Consistent

Finally, and we won’t even look at the verses of this for time’s sake, but we as Christians must be consistent in our witness. If you look at all of Paul’s defenses, he is consistent in all of them. He doesn’t change his witness depending on what the outcome could be if he does. Instead, he remains true to what has happened to him regardless of the cost. He stands firm in his faith, firm in his witness, and we must all do the same. Paul doesn’t go hiding under his covers to avoid telling the truth. Paul makes a stand, like I said when we talked about Stephen, Paul may have been the accused but it seems like Paul’s the one putting the crowd and leaders on trial. It is Paul that demands an answer, it is Paul that is consistent with the Law and the Gospel, it is Paul that remains true to his faith and true to his Lord. We must be consistent in our witness! Be all in or don’t be in at all. Get off the sidelines and proclaim the God that you serve and do it with a good conciseness and with great boldness.

Observations on Acts 26

Let’s look at 3 things from chapter 26 and then we’ll be done. In this chapter, Paul stands before King Agrippa and it is here where we see his final recorded defense from the book of Acts.

Christians use true and rational words

This first observation we already talked about a little bit, we are to be rational in what we say and we are to speak the truth. Luke writes in Acts 26:25-26

Acts 26:25–26 (ESV)

But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

Christians aren’t talking pure nonsense. We are here to talk about things that we know, things that can be in a sense, understood. We aren’t just sputtering out uncensored nonsense, we’re rational people. When people question us, we don’t attack the person, we attack the argument. We speak of what we know. We calmly and collectively speak what the Word of God says. Remember, we’re standing for truth and in order to do that, we need to speak rationally.

Friends to win, not foes to fight

Next I want you to look at Acts 26:27-29

Acts 26:27–29 (ESV)

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

What do I want you to get from this? When it comes to our defense of the Gospel, when it comes to our evangelizing of the lost, when it comes to the way that we conduct ourselves among unbelievers, these are friends to win, not foes to fight. My prayer is that no one in this room hears this Gospel of mine preached and turns away from it and then spends eternity with regret. The people that badmouth you because you are a Christian, the people that hate you because you are a Christian, they are not your enemy and it is not your place to judge them for eternity. It is your place to pray that God would so move their hearts that they would open up to the Gospel. It is your place to strive with all your might that they might become a Christian. Salvation isn’t by our power but is it that bad of a thing if we live as if it were? We obviously know that only Christ saves, that only the Holy Spirit can bring forth the new birth, that only God the Father shall judge on the last day but would we live differently if the power of salvation in the name of Christ was by our power? If there was a chance that we could save, shouldn’t we? But God uses us to reach the lost so we should live our lives with a great desire to do all that we can so that others are saved. We must spend and be spent! That’s exactly what Paul says to Agrippa, that no matter how long it takes, he would put in the effort to see him saved, and not just him but all who heard Paul’s message. Paul understands that he has greater riches as a prisoner of Christ in chains than the highest nobility in the land. Al Mohler said, “Paul, a prisoner in chains, says (in effect) to the king in his royal robes and the crowds of cultural elites, However high you climb and whatever wealth you enjoy, you do not have what I have found. You ache for what I possess, and you need it far more than you realize. Paul does not let the success of the king or the governor, or all those around him adorned in their wealth and power, deter him from his mission. He sees right through their pomp and prosperity. The eternal riches of Christ eclipse all the wealth and power this world can offer. This is why we preach the gospel. We preach that others might taste and see that the Lord is good. We proclaim the good news that others might enjoy the splendor and majesty of Christ. We enjoin our neighbors, our families, and our coworkers to come and know Christ because we have come to understand the glory of his forgiveness, the beauty of his grace, and the riches of joy in his being. We want them to enjoy all that we enjoy in the gospel.”

God’s Providence through unlikely places

Finally, let’s read Acts 26:30-32

Acts 26:30–32 (ESV)

Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Paul could have been set free, but he didn’t want the easy way out. What is our final lesson here? It’s that God’s providence is often seen through unlikely places. Paul’s great desire was to preach the Gospel in Rome. It was Paul’s desire that the emperor would hear the Gospel and Paul would see that desire fulfilled. However, it wasn’t by him booking a ticket to Rome and walking into the city as a free man. Paul would reach Rome, as we will see in the next 2 weeks, and reach the emperor as a prisoner in chains. If God wills for you to be somewhere, you’re going to be there. It may not always be by the simplest or easiest of circumstances, but it’ll happen because God’s purposes will not be thwarted. Don’t look at defeats in your life through man’s lenses. What is God doing in the no’s you receive? What is God doing in the courses that are being corrected? What is God doing in the relationship that doesn’t work to bring you to another relationship? One of my favorite hymns says that God purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour. The bud may leave a bitter taste but sweet will be the flower. Providence prevails and we may not always find the path the easiest but it is the path which God chooses to use and if it is His desire, it must ultimately be for our good. I know that we went through a lot tonight and it is getting late so let’s stop here and we will get to chapter 27 next week. Let’s pray.