Acts 22:30-23:35 (2)

Introduction

What God promises, he often delivers by providence.

His providence is his “maintenance, guidance, and continuing involvement with creation... as (he carries) out (his) divine purposes in history,” (‘providence, divine’ in the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms).

Often his providence is mistakenly identified as ordinary chance, coincidence, or luck, but through everything God is actually working all things after the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:11).

One of the things God willed, and one of things the Son of God promised Paul was that he would witness for him in Rome.

In Acts 23:11, Jesus said to Paul…

Acts 23:11 (NASB95)

11 “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

Not that Paul doubted what Jesus said, but we could understand if he did. He had been nearly killed on two consecutive days for preaching the resurrection of Jesus. He was no detained by the Romans, and it didn’t seem as if the Jewish men who wanted him dead would soon give up their desire.

How would the promise of Jesus come to pass? How would Paul end up in Rome as a witness for Christ?

Jesus would begin to deliver what he promised by way of providence.

We see the providence of God throughout the rest of Acts 23…

We see the providence of God in Paul’s eavesdropping nephew (Acts 23:12-16).

Acts 23:12–16 NASB95

12 When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who formed this plot. 14 They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 “Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place.” 16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.

More than forty men formed a plot to kill Paul before they took another bite or drank another drink. As they said, they would taste nothing until they had killed Paul. That they swore an oath to this effect reflected the seriousness of their commitment.

Their plan was simple. They wanted the Sanhedrin to ask to examine Paul once again. As the Romans brought him down for another examination, these men would kill him in an ambush.

Luckily, Paul’s nephew heard about the conspiracy and told Paul.

Of course, we know this wasn’t actually luck at all; it was sovereign providence of Jesus to bring Paul a little closer to Rome as his witness.

We see the providence of God in the responsive Roman Commander (Acts 23:17-22).

Acts 23:17–22 NASB95

17 Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18 So he took him and led him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.” 19 The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. 21 “So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.” 22 So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

After hearing from his nephew, Paul told one of the centurions to take his nephew to the commander, who upon hearing about the conspiracy, just so happened to believe Paul’s nephew and told him not to tell anyone that he had told the commander.

Of course, we know that this commander’s responsiveness to Paul’s nephew was not happenstance; it was the sovereign providence of Jesus to bring Paul a little closer to Rome as his witness.

We see the providence of God in Paul’s massive Roman escort (Acts 23:23-24).

Acts 23:23–24 NASB95

23 And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.” 24 They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

Before the conspirators could carry out their plot or alter it favor of another one, the commander ordered two centurions to ready their 200 Roman legionnaires (the most feared infantryman of that day) along with 70 horsemen and 200 hundred spearmen—470 troops who who coincidentally were on hand to bring one man, Paul, to Caesarea.

Under cover of darkness, leaving by the third hour of the night (or 9 p.m.), this massive force headed with Paul to Caesarea which was about 65 miles away.

Of course, we know that the availability of this massive force was not coincidental; it was the sovereign providence of Jesus to bring Paul a little closer to Rome as his witness.

We see the providence of God in the Roman Commander’s kind letter (Acts 23:25-30).

Acts 23:25–30 NASB95

25 And he wrote a letter having this form: 26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. 27 “When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 “And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; 29 and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. 30 “When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.”

The commander’s letter was first of all kind to the Roman Commander who made himself out to be the great hero of a Roman citizen.

Commander Lysias didn’t learn that Paul was a Roman citizen until he was about to have him flogged, which was after he had been rescued from the Jews and arrested by the Romans.

But in the letter he says that he rescued Paul from the murderous Jews because he had learned about his Roman citizenship.

Commander Lysias refers to himself 5 or 6 times in this letter with “I cam up to them,” “I brought him down,” “I found him to be,” “I was informed,” and “I sent him to you...”

But as chance would have it, the Commander’s letter was also kind to Paul because it clearly stated (as we see in v. 29) that the Jews were accusing Paul on religious grounds and that from the Roman perspective Paul had done nothing deserving death or imprisonment.

Of course, we know that that the contents of this letter were not left to chance; it was the sovereign providence of Jesus to bring Paul a little closer to Rome as his witness.

And we see the providence of God in Paul’s stately Caesarean accommodations (Acts 23:31-35).

Acts 23:31–35 NASB95

31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. 33 When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.

When they were almost certainly clear of the immediate threat of the conspirators, all of the Roman soldiers but the cavalry turned back. These horsemen delivered Paul to the Roman Governor Felix.

Felix was a former slave who held his position because his brother, Pallas, was influential in the court of Emperor Claudius. He was an inept and brutal governor.

But when he read the letter from Commander Lysias and determined that Paul was from Cilicia, a city under his jurisdiction, he said that he would give Paul a hearing when his accusers arrived.

Until then Paul would be kept in Herod’s Praetorium—Herod the Great’s former palace that now served as the Roman Governor’s official residence.

As fate would have it, Paul had gone from being beaten in the temple to living in a palace in a matter of days.

Of course, we know that that fate had nothing to do with where Paul ended up; it was all the sovereign providence of Jesus to bring Paul a little closer to Rome as his witness.

Paul spent the next two years of his life in Herod’s palace, but in God’s time and by his sovereign providence, Paul would one day be delivered to Rome as Jesus promised.

[INTER] What can we learn from all this?

[TS] I think there are at least three things…

Major Ideas

Thing We Can Learn #1: The providence of God is sometimes an opportunity to act.

[EXP] Although Jesus promised Paul that he would witness for him in Rome, Paul took the warning of his nephew as a good providence that should be acted upon.

Paul didn’t say, “Don’t worry about it nephew, Jesus has promised me that I’ll witness for him in Rome.”

No, he saw the warning as the providential invitation to act on his own behalf by sending his nephew to tell the commander that the Jews were conspiring to kill him.

[ILLUS] There’s an old made up story about a preacher that I’m sure you’ve heard before.

A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water.

By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe.

"Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast."

"No," says the preacher. "I have faith in the Lord. He will save me."

Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat.

"Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee's gonna break any minute."

Once again, the preacher is unmoved. "I shall remain. The Lord will see me through."

After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone.

"Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance."

Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him.

But soon the preacher drowns.

When preacher meets with God in heaven, he asks, "Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn't you deliver me from that flood?"

God responds, "What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."

[APP] We can always trust the promise of Jesus, but sometimes his promises to us are fulfilled as we act on the providential opportunities he brings our way.

[TS] The providence of God is sometimes an opportunity to act.

Thing We Can Learn #2: The providence of God is always an invitation to trust.

[EXP] Because Jesus had promised, Paul knew that he was somehow going to end up in Rome witnessing for Jesus.

Even when news of the conspiracy came to him… even when he fled Jerusalem under guard and under cover of night… he could still trust that the promise of Jesus would somehow be providentially fulfilled—Paul would witness for Jesus in Rome.

[ILLUS] Bob Vernon, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, said the department would test bullet-proof vests—and demonstrate to rookie officers their value—by placing them on mannequins and then shooting round after round at them. They’d then check to see if any of the rounds penetrated the vests.

Invariably the vests would pass the test with flying colors.

Vernon would then turn to the rookie officers and ask, “So who wants to wear it now instead of the mannequin?”

[APP] Our trust in God is bulletproof when we know that he providentially controls all things—including the bullets that may be flying our way.

[TS]…

Thing We Can Learn #3: The providence of God is always encouragement to persevere.

[EXP] Jesus stood beside Paul, promised Paul, and providentially warned Paul—all so that Paul would be brought a little closer to witnessing for him in Rome.

Paul had been through trials before, but after being beaten, arrested, threatened, and confined, I could understand if Paul said, “That’s it. I’m done. I quit.”

But no matter how hard it got for Paul before, during, or after this, God’s providence was Paul’s encouragement to persevere.

Paul knew that God was working all things together for his good.

He knew that Jesus was working all things together so that Paul would witness for him in Rome.

[ILLUS] William Carey, often considered the father of modern missions, once wrote: “If, after my removal, anyone should think it is worth his while to write my life, I will give you a criterion by which you may judge of its correctness. If he give me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly…I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit.”

Carey could plod because he trusted the providence of God.

The same was true of the Apostle Paul.

[APP] When things are hard, perseverance is hard, but it’s when things are hard that perseverance is necessary.

That necessary perseverance is encouraged by God’s providence, by the truth of Romans 8:28…

Romans 8:28 NASB95

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

[TS]…

Conclusion

God providentially worked all things so that His Son Jesus died on a Roman cross to save us from our sins.

In Acts 23 we see him providentially working all things so that Paul ends up in Rome testifying to him.

[PRAYER]