Christian Priority in Complex & Difficult Circumstances

PRAY & INTRO: The Apostle Paul is between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, the Jewish religious leadership wants him dead, and on the other side is the prospect of continuing to be held in a Roman prison in Caesarea without a decision on his case. Enter a new governor over that province who wants to see this trial reach a conclusion, but the evidence hasn’t changed. Paul is still innocent, and the Jews still REALLY want him dead. What will the new governor do? And if he doesn’t know for sure what to do, and if Paul’s prospects are therefore not improving, how will Paul respond?

As you can see from the title, there can be no doubt we are dealing with a complex and difficult situation (even a dire one—Paul’s life is threatened and Christianity maligned). But as we go along, we also see an example in Paul of what the Christian should prioritize in such circumstances. And we must emphasize Christian because we would not expect an unbeliever to respond this way, but a believer should follow the pattern of Paul’s behavior and priorities, inextricably tied to the fact that Jesus is his life and his Lord.

Bear with me, and stay attentive as we read all 27 verses of Acts 25.

Acts 25:1–27 ESV

1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” 6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 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. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 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.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” 13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.” 23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

In this episode, Luke desires to carry forward the narrative as to how and why Paul appeals to Caesar and ends up in Rome, all the while promoting the Apostle Paul as a wise and courageous actor, who aims to be faithful to the Lord Jesus in dire circumstances and to make decisions that promote opportunities for gospel fruitfulness. Connecting this to the primary players not only provides real historical context and helps us understand the situation, but it shows how the Spirit fulfilled Christ’s promise concerning Paul (Ac 9:15). …fulfilling God’s calling for him…

What does Paul choose to do and why does he do it, and how do the other players impact the dynamic and help us better understand Paul’s response? What can we apply from Luke’s narrative about how Paul behaves in this circumstance?

In complex and even dire circumstances, the wise Christian prioritizes faithfulness and fruitfulness.

[Only two main points.]

Let’s be real. We could find ourselves in similar types of situations.

Like Paul, Christians may face unfair treatment and unfavorable prospects for being faithful to Jesus.

-The Jewish leaders want Paul dead, still aggressively pursuing it by whatever means, v. 3. “The chief priests and principal men of the Jews” (v. 2), once complicit, now are leading the plot to murder him by ambush. - But we know he’s innocent of the charges.

-Felix left him in prison for two years. (in spite of Paul’s innocence… but to do the Jews a favor)

-Festus wants to deal with this quickly and to do so justly, but he is a new governor in a tight spot. - “competent and engaged” Darrell Bock - Festus recognizes clearly that Paul is innocent of anything pernicious toward Rome and Roman law. (Paul summarizes in v.8, vv. 10-11) - Festus agrees that this is the case: vv. 18-19. —> In fact, the issue really remains about who Jesus is and that he rose from the dead. [*** Have you believed in Jesus as the only Savior and Lord? Or how do you live in relationship to Jesus, to God?]

- But Festus admits that he does not really understand Paul’s beliefs or the root of the religious conflict with the Jews, which is (partly) why he offers to try Paul in Jerusalem, v. 20 (but that clearly leans in favor of the Jews, v. 9). Even when Paul appeals to Caesar, Festus welcomes help from Agrippa, who would be more familiar with Jewish religion and might be able to help (at least with something to write to the emperor, vv. 26-27).

Who is Agrippa, and how is Agrippa helpful (to Festus, not really to Paul at this point)? This is Herod Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who ruled at the time Jesus was born (Matt 2:1). The Herod Antipas who ruled during Christ’s public ministry was his great-uncle. And Agrippa II is the son of the Herod Agrippa from earlier in Acts who persecuted the church after a period of peace once Saul/Paul had been converted (Ac 9:31). (In Acts 12:1-3 the first Agrippa killed the Apostle James the brother of John by the sword, and then imprisoned Peter, who escaped prison by the help of an angel of the Lord. Agrippa also died a painful death soon thereafter as punishment from God for accepting praise from foreigners as if he were a god.)

When his father died, Agrippa II was only 17, so the emperor did not give him the throne of his father. Instead, the region of Judea reverted back to Roman governors, and Agrippa was given (several years later) the small region of Chalcis to rule when his uncle Herod of Chalcis died. But bc he was older now and a Jew, he was also given authority over the temple in Jerusalem and the appointment of priests.

Though a Jew, he had been born in Rome and brought up alongside Claudius, who would one day be emperor, so Agrippa II was always truly loyal to Rome. Both Claudius and Nero (who was emperor by now), had increased his kingdom in Palestine in small ways, but Agrippa II did not rule Judea and Samaria, which was under the supervision of the proconsul Festus.

Bernice (or Berenice) was his half-sister and was always by his side, except for intervals where she was briefly married to or pursuing another man. There were rumors that their relationship was incestuous, but this may have been slander, since, for example she is known to have later had a love affair with the Roman General Titus, who sacked Jerusalem in AD 70 after the Jewish revolt.

Not only is God sovereign over all people and events for all time, but the primary point here is that Festus needed to work alongside this Herod, and that Agrippa II truly had his feet in both worlds. He was knowledgeable and concerned for Jewish affairs, but also loyal to Rome. Festus clearly hoped that Agrippa would be able to help him understand the conflict and accusations concerning Paul so that he would have a reason to write for sending him to be tried in Rome.

So now we have a pretty thorough understanding of the situation that Paul is in, and he’s in it precisely for being faithful to Jesus, fulfilling the calling of God upon his life. We may not all face the same types of circumstances, or to the same degree, but because Satan, and the world system, and unregenerate hearts have set themselves against God as his enemies, we can expect that there will be times that we too, if we are faithful to Jesus, will face unfair treatment and unfavorable options for moving forward. What do we do? Let’s continue looking to Paul’s example in this specific situation to glean some wisdom for making Christ-prioritizing decisions in difficult circumstances.

Although this text is far from the only Biblical example or principal that might be applied to difficult decisions, this one has a particular thrust that we must be sure not to miss.

Like Paul, Christians should respond in such situations with a trust in God that continues to wisely prioritize faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and fruitfulness for his kingdom.

This statement answer a principal question about this episode: Why does Paul make the decision to appeal to Caesar?

Is it merely self-preservation? This appeal to Caesar does serve to protect Paul as a Roman citizen under the current circumstances, but is that safety Paul’s priority? Clearly not. Paul is ready to die for the gospel. (not only what he says at v. 11 here, but see Acts 21:13) - Wise Christians do not pursue persecution (which would be an irony indeed). To the contrary, we take wise steps to avoid it; but we do not do so at all costs, and we do not prioritize escape from it merely for the sake of relief. - Rather, we are realists who accept not only that we are being threatened, or that the situation is difficult, but we also acknowledge God’s sovereignty over everything and of his providential care for his own. Nothing will happen to us unless he allows it.

So doesn’t Paul trust that God can get him out of this scrape? Of course he does. (Remember, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? …in Daniel 3 under King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon - Answer: Dan 3:17-18) - Like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (their Hebrew names), Paul trusts in God and has not compromised, neither on the gospel nor in his character or his calling. *

So if he doesn’t do this out of fear for his safety, why does he do it? Paul aims to not only get out of this prolonged standstill, but he aims to do so for further gospel opportunity. Paul has demonstrated that he is patient for God to work his plan and aware of God’s presence with him in these circumstances. (Unlike Sarah and Abraham, having waited a long time already for God to fulfill his promise, jumped ahead of God’s plan and tried to provide an heir through Hagar: Ishmael)

So why does Paul do this now? I believe that Paul has prayerfully decided, led by the Spirit (both of which are frequently said about him in Acts—marked by prayer and being sensitive to the Spirit’s leading)… that if it is evident that Festus is not going to acquit him of these false charges, then an appeal to Caesar is cooperating with God’s plan to have him testify in Rome (which he has been told by the Lord himself, Act 23:11).

Again, Festus is evidently a better ruler, more fair then Felix, and he clearly wants to bring this issue to a close that Felix simply left pending indefinitely. But Paul is a realist, knowing how the Roman governors work in order to preserve peace in whatever province they oversee. Sensing that Festus does not know what to do, he appeals to Caesar.

When we sense or recognize God’s plan being moved forward in unusual ways, we can still trust him and yet take action that continues our growth and service to him, and cooperates with what we know we should prioritize in order to please Him.

Paul does this to cooperate with, to be on board, with God’s calling for him to have some kind of fruitful ministry to the reaches of Rome. (And God immediately provides him with opportunity to proclaim the gospel clearly to Agrippa and Berenice, along with Festus.)

As we head towards a conclusion this morning, let me summarize again the two ways I see Paul prioritizing faithfulness and fruitfulness to the Lord Jesus in this particular episode and the context at large, which we ought to apply to ourselves as well.

In complex and even dire circumstances, the wise Christian prioritizes faithfulness and fruitfulness.

In making hard decisions, we should prioritize:

1. Choices that allow us to maintain personal integrity before God (who sees and knows all). We aim to be faithful to God in the journey, in the process, in the progress of our own growth in Christlikeness.

2. And we should prioritize prayerfully seeking opportunities for gospel advancement, for building Christ’s kingdom; pursuing the good of others (above our temporal well-being).

Some of us here this morning might not find it that challenging to apply this to our lives because we presently know what it is to be facing a very trying circumstance.

But even if you are not in a dire circumstance, many of the decisions we face are complex, to say the least. You can use these same things from Paul’s example here to help you filter possibilities for the decisions that you must make.

Have I committed to prayerfully and patiently wait on the Lord? Have I also asked God for wisdom and direction, and patiently listened the Spirit’s leading from his word (the Bible) and from wise Christian counsel?

Have I (or we) asked God to help us prioritize first integrity and faithfulness to Jesus and his calling for us? And to help us put the advancement of his kingdom truly above other factors that might pull on us (other motives)?

When evaluating decisions:

What options do I have that allow me to maintain a clear conscience of integrity before God? What options best cooperate with what I know God desires for my life? What options prioritize the big-picture good of others (kingdom advancement) beyond my temporal pleasure or plans? (both other Christians and gospel opportunity)

And in all these things, remember: Who is sovereign over all of history and our own lives? Whom do we ultimately trust with the outcomes (of these complex and difficult circumstances)? Whom do we seek to honor and please him with difficult choices in complex situations? Where do we look for learning what God has for us in this process?

PRAY

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