Scene IV/V: The People React & Paul’s Attitude (backup)
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
READ - PSALM 135
Grace and peace
FBLive
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My name is Jeff Brousseau and I am the pastor here at Antioch Fellowship and I am humbled and thankful to be called to the role of pastor for this local body.
It is a privilege to be standing here this morning in the grace and presence of God speaking to you all this morning.
I pray that you all have had a wonderful, relaxing and peaceful week.
Please open your Bibles to Acts chapter 22
READ Acts 22:16-30
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
17 “Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’
19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and guarding the garments of those who were slaying him.’
21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their garments and tossing dust into the air,
24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.
25 But when they stretched him out with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?”
26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.”
27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”
28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.”
29 Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
INTRODUCTION
We come again this morning in our study to the book of Acts, specifically chapters 21 and 22.
We’ve been sharing together in this rather lengthy portion for the last several weeks.
I think this is the fourth week that we’ve been in this portion from chapter 21, verse 27 through chapter 22, verse 30, and we will draw it to conclusion this morning.
Up until chapter 21 of Acts, we have been following the ministry of the apostle Paul as a free man.
That is, he has traveled under the direction of the Holy Spirit without bondage to those places and those cities that God has led him to.
He has had a great and glorious ministry.
From chapter 21 on, he becomes a prisoner; and from here on out until his death, he remains a prisoner.
His ministry is not diminished in any sense, it’s only different.
And so we see Paul from chapter 21 to the end of the book in chapter 28 as a prisoner.
Now during the time of his being a prisoner, he gives six different defenses of himself, of his actions, of his attitudes.
the first one before the mob
the second before the Sanhedrin
; the third and fourth before the governors who are Felix, Festus;
the fifth one before the king, Herod,
and the last before the Jews at Rome.
But as we have been studying this, more than just looking at the historical narrative as it flows in the text, we have also endeavored to see a principle behind the narrative, and that is the idea of giving a positive testimony in a negative situation.
In the midst of his arrest and defense, we see principles of how to give a positive testimony in a negative situation; and we have endeavored to draw those principles out.
Now we have suggested several principles.
And, today, we’re going to conclude the suggestion of those principles as we look at the final part of the narrative.
And, basically, the last of the principles that we’ll be considering has to do with attitude.
In giving a positive testimony, attitude is extremely important.
The attitude that I have toward the unbeliever is going to color the kind of testimony that I give.
If I really love the unbeliever as Jesus did, as Paul did, if I really have a deep concern and honest care for his soul and for his life, as Jesus did and Paul did, it’s going to affect my testimony toward him.
And if I really love him, the negative in his life is going to be superseded by the positive of my love.
And it won’t really matter how antagonistic he is or how unlike he ought to be he is, I’ll love him anyway, if my heart is right.
And so in giving a positive testimony in a negative situation, attitude then becomes critical.
Many Christians, through the years, and even today, have been accused of having wrong attitudes; and I think it’s somewhat true.
Christians are often superior in their thinking.
They think they have something the lost don’t have, so they have this kind of holier-than-thou, separated attitude.
Then Christians have also been accused of being cliquish, unloving, uncaring, unsympathetic, judgmental, and some try to justify it.
You know, you can become so self-righteous and so involved with the body of Christ and with Christians that you sort of isolate yourself from the unsaved, and the only attitude left for them is sort of a condemnation.
And in an effort to avoid defilement, you forsake them rather than loving them and being with them as Jesus was, as Paul was.
A genuine, caring, honest, deep love for the lost is basic to effective testimony.
I’ll put it simply: I believe in my heart that you could verify the fact that the people who are the most effective in reaching the lost are the people whose love for them is the most genuine, because we tend to do what our love motivates us to do.
The Christian who is superior acting, who has a stern, condemning, self-righteousness is one who really doesn’t love those people as Jesus did; and the result of it is, instead of winning people, he alienates people.
So another factor in a positive testimony in a negative situation is true love, true concern.
You know, it’s often easy to treat people like statistics and kid yourself into the fact that you really love them when all you are trying to do is make yourself look good.
Say, “Well, I led three more to the Lord this month.”
I’m not sure that’s the love of the lost as much as the love of the self.
Have you ever gotten into a testimony where you’re sharing Christ, and the thought that comes into your mind is, “Wait until I tell them that I led someone to the Lord. Aren’t I something spiritually?”
That’s kind of a sick thought, but people do say it.
INTRO CONT…
Now in this passage, Paul displays for us the right attitude toward the unbelieving, and that’s basic to affecting them for Christ.
You take it from the standpoint of God.
First God so loved the world, then God gave His Son.
This is true; this is basic.
Paul makes the statement of his love for Israel Rom 9:3
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
He loves Israel so much, he could wish himself accursed, and it’s out of that that he loves them that he gives them the gospel.
— SUMMARIZE BRIEFLY —
Now as we usually do, we’ll just follow the basic flow of the text and follow see the 5 scenes that will unfold.
First of all, the (#1) attack of the mob in chapter 21 verses 27-30.
We come to point two in our little breakdown: (#2) the arrest of the Romans in verses 31-40.
Now as we saw that, we saw the first principle of giving a positive testimony in a negative situation.
We saw Paul totally quiet, totally submissive, allowing himself to be shackled and taken a prisoner.
The reason is because God had told him this was going to happen - the Holy Spirit, pretty much every Christian he hung out with in Caesarea, and the prophet Agabus, right?
Now notice, principle number one in giving a positive testimony in a negative situation: accept the situation as from God.
Now we’ve seen that, haven’t we?
You must accept the situation as God’s will, and Paul did that.
If you think all God wants to do is make you lie in a bed of roses you’ve got it wrong.
God wants to bring you testings and trials and difficult situations, for those are what make you strong.
God wants to bring you into very difficult confrontation with an evil world, because that’s how people are confronted with the gospel.
So you might as well get ready to know the fact that God is going to bring you into negative situations; and when they happen, accept them as from Him.
Now then Paul, secondly, after he was arrested, moved into principle number two, see it as a God given opportunity and seize it.
Once you’ve accepted the situation as from God, see it as an opportunity and maximize it.
We find that in scene three, (#3) the apology of Paul, begins around verse 37.
And this is a long one; it goes all the way from 37 clear through chapter 22, verse 21.
That’s his whole, long defense.
In this scene, we see Paul seize the opportunity before him
Speaks to the commander and then to the mob
Principle number three: in giving a positive testimony in a negative situation, do everything you can to win your audience, establish common ground.
SUMMARIZE
Now immediately then he begins his testimony; and we said that it’s divided into three parts.
The first part is through verse 5, and that’s the part before his conversion.
He talks about his conduct before his conversion – and we’ve covered that in detail.
The second part is the circumstances at his conversion, verses 6 to 16; and there he tells the whole story of his conversion;
SERMON CONTENT
Now, we left of on verse 15, because in verse 16 the statement here has been kind of the key verse to people who teach baptismal regeneration and I wanted more time to address it. Acts 22:16
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Some Christians take this verse, “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,” and the idea that water can wash away sins.
Now let me just speak a minute about this.
Can water wash away sin? No.
I’ll give you a good illustration of it.
If water could wash away sin, everybody would be saved.
Why? Everybody’s been in the water.
Someone might object and say, “No, only certain water.”
What water? “Holy water.”
The problem is that we don’t see that anywhere.
Some say, “Only Jerusalem water.”
That’d mean everybody in Jerusalem would be saved, who’s ever dunked in the Jordan and those of us in the US would have to travel to be washed of our sins?
No.
So we could say that water doesn’t wash away sin.
All right, if water doesn’t wash away sin, then it doesn’t wash away sin; any water doesn’t wash away sin.
Either water does or water doesn’t; and since we know it does not, we can just stay with that.
So, what does this verse mean then?
Well, let me take it a step further.
If Ananias was saying, “Paul, be baptized, and wash away your sins,” that would be the first time Paul ever really clearly heard the standard of salvation, right?
This would be God saying to him, “Here’s how to get saved: get baptized and wash away your sins.”
Then if that was true, if that’s how Paul got saved, how do you think he’d tell others to get saved?
Same way, wouldn’t he?
If it was, “Get baptized and get saved,” that’s what Paul would preach.
But let’s see what he preached.
Romans 10.
And it’s important to know what he preached, because whatever it was, he got it from the Lord.
Romans 10:9, he tells us something interesting.
He says, Rom 10:8-9
Romans 10:8–9 (LSB)
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
“This is the word of faith which we preach.” verse 8b
“What is it you preach, Paul? Remember what Ananias told you that first day”
READ verse 9
Do you see any water there?
See any baptism there?
Obviously, Paul didn’t get that message from Ananias, did he? Hmm.
Well, that’s interesting.
In verse 10, Rom 10:10
10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.
It’s simply a matter of believing and stating that belief.
So we might say “Well, if it doesn’t mean in verse 16, ‘Be baptized and wash away thy sins,’ what is it saying?” Acts 22:16
Acts 22:16 (LSB)
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Watch, the break comes here: “Arise and be baptized.”
Now watch this: “Wash away your sins” – doing what? – “calling on the name of the Lord or calling on His name.”
The word that modify “wash away your sins” is the phrase, the overarching term - “calling on the name of the Lord.”
This is the basis for the act of baptism.
Do you know how to get saved?
Get baptized?
No, do what?
Call on the name of the name of the Lord.
That’s the message Paul got.
Look at it, Romans 10:13. Rom 10:13
13 for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be” – what? – “saved.”
Now do you see what message Paul got that day?
He got that message.
He didn’t get the message, “Get baptized and get your sins washed away.”
He got the message, “You’ll be saved when you call on the name of the Lord.”
That’s the modifier. That’s the way to interpret the verse.
The New Testament never teaches that a man can be saved by water, it teaches that a man is saved by grace through faith, that confessing Jesus Christ is Lord, believing in his heart means salvation.
“Calling on the name of the Lord.”
What does that mean?
That means to ask God to be all that He is in your life: calling on His name, calling on His fullness, appropriating all that He is unto yourself.
You might ask, “Well, what does the baptizing have to do with it?”
That’s the public testimony.
“Since your sins have been washed away by calling on the name of the Lord, arise and make it public.”
Baptism was the symbol, the outward symbol of an inward reality.
Paul didn’t make any big deal out of baptism.
First Corinthians 1:13, very interesting. 1Cor 1:13
13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
And he’s showing that there’s no sense in having little factions of people in the church.
Verse 14, 1Cor 1:14-16
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.
16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
Now, if baptism equals salvation, that’s a very strange statement, isn’t it?
How would it have sounded if he wrote: “Boy, am I thankful I didn’t lead any of you to Christ except Crispus and Gaius; - now watch this – 1Cor 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, not in wisdom of word, so that the cross of Christ will not be made empty.
“For Christ sent me not to baptize.”
Yikes, not to baptize. “What’d He send Paul to do?”
“To preach the gospel.”
We could effectively say, baptizing and preaching the gospel are two different things?
Therefore baptism isn’t part of the gospel.
Salvation is apart from baptism.
Baptism, folks, is an outward work, and you can’t be saved by works – right? – Ephesians 2:8 and 9. Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not of works, so that no one may boast.
It’s only a visual testimony to an internal transformation, that’s all.
Paul says, “I thank God I didn’t baptize any more of you. And Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”
Two different things.
Go back to Acts 21. Ananias says, “All right, Paul, do something about it,” and Paul does.
Praise God, Paul did believe, he was baptized - he professed outwardly that he believed in Christ right there at that moment.
You can check it out, Acts 9:17 and 18.
Don’t look it up now, you can look it up on your own.
But he was baptized, and gave his life to Christ.
Now in all of this testimony, what is so fantastic is that he gives all the glory to God.
Have you ever read his testimony in 1 Timothy 1?
And he wraps up his testimony in 1 Timothy 1:17 by saying, 1Tim 1:17
17 Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
His whole testimony resolves itself in God’s glory; and that’s what I’m trying to say.
Exalt the Lord.
Well, what has Paul done?
He’s totally exonerated himself.
They can’t accuse him of anything.
They can’t say, “Paul, you did this.”
He’ll say, “No, God did this to me.
If you want to indict anybody, indict God.”
That puts the pressure on them.
Their own God. And so he turns the tables.
And so, they are on trial before God, not Paul.
All right, now the third section of his defense includes his commission after his conversion.
You’ll notice in verse 15 that he was told at that time just to be a witness to all men, and it never got specified to the Gentiles until later.
Now here comes part three of his little defense, verse 17.
Three years after his conversion, he returned to Jerusalem.
During those three years, he was in Nabataea and Arabia.
The end of the three years, he arrives in Jerusalem.
And that three-year period is discussed in Galatians 1:17 and 18; and in Acts 9, it tells us of his arrival in Jerusalem.
Then he picks up in verse 17: Acts 22:17
17 “Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
“When I came to Jerusalem” – three years later after his conversion – “and was praying in the temple,” – and that’s an important note, because it shows them that even as a Christian, three years later after being a Christian, he still holds reverence for Jewish customs, he still is in the temple.
And this is a very appeasing statement to these Jews whose whole life surrounds the temple.
And since a Christian can pray to God anywhere, he can just as well pray to God there as anyplace else.
So he did that as appeasement, and because his own heart was still accustomed to the things of Judaism; and this is, again, to try to win them.
“So I was praying in a temple, and I was in a trance.” The Greek word is ἔκστασις ekstasees.
Which means a state of being in which consciousness is wholly or partially suspended, freq. associated with divine action, trance, ecstasy
This is a divine high, if you will.
It’s a state of being transported out of the normal senses.
It’s going to a dimension that you can’t exist in apart from some kind of supernatural experience.
It’s the same word used in Acts 10:10, you know, where Peter went to sleep on the roof at Joppa, and he was transported into a trance and saw a sheet with all the animals on it, and God told him to go to the Gentiles and so forth.
So sometimes God took His choice servants and gave them a consciousness at a level beyond the normal and natural senses of man.
This is a divine act.
I can only illustrate it by saying this: you’re the only people in this room, but you’re not the only beings in this room.
You’re the only ones you can see, but this room is occupied.
Well, we know it’s occupied by the Holy Spirit, and He’s a person, and He’s here.
In addition to that, there are probably a lot of angels here, ministering angels, if nothing else, ministering to some of you, maybe to all of you.
And if there are angels here, and the Holy Spirit’s here, I got a good idea there’s some demons here.
You know, there may be the biggest war going on right around up in here somewhere, and none of us even have the faintest idea what’s going on.
Now the point is, if you were allowed to see with spiritual eyes, you could perceive a real world of real spiritual activity going on right here; but you can’t, because you’re locked into the natural senses.
Part of what your new body is going to be able to perceive is that world.
When you are translated and enter into the presence of God, you’re going to be as open to that world as you are to the physical world.
Now the point is, in a situation like this – and Paul had many such visions and revelations; 2 Corinthians 12 tells about them.
Remember the time he was taken even to the third heaven and couldn’t speak about the things he saw?
So at this point, Paul is lifted up to experience and to see and understand a dimension that is beyond the natural, so it’s in this divine high.
And what happens?
He sees the Lord, and the Lord speaks - your Bible may have red letters indicating the Lord speaking.
Verse 18: Acts 22:18
18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’
Now the Lord says, “You got to get out of Jerusalem, Paul.”
He’s just arrived after three years in Arabia and, you know, the word is out, boy, that Christians are scared of this guy.
The Christians, first of all, hear that Paul has arrived, and they get panicky, because they think – Paul claims to be a Christian.
They think it’s some kind of a new ploy so he can sneak in on the Christians and get them, and so the Christians don’t want anything to do with him.
Finally, if you remember the scene, Barnabas says, “Calm down, people. He’s our brother.”
Puts his arm around Paul, drags him into the Christians’ meeting, and they’re all going, “Ha, uh,” you know, sort of shaky, and, “It’s nice to know you, Mr. Paul, hmm,” you know, and that’s about it. But it doesn’t get really very, very gregarious in terms of affection.
But worse than that, Paul – and it’s in chapter 9 of Acts – when he comes to Jerusalem, when he starts preaching, he just alienates all the Jews in town.
And so finally, the apostles hustle him down to Caesarea and get him out: “Go, Paul, please. You really cause problems for us.”
But you know what? It took a while.
In fact, he stayed in Jerusalem fifteen days.
He was there praying, and the Lord said, “Get out.”
And he didn’t go until fifteen days later, and the whole time he’s there created havoc.
You know why he didn’t go?
He didn’t think he should. He argued with God and he tells us in chapter 22 what he said to our Lord.
You ever done that before?
Look what he says, verses 19-21: Acts 22:19-20 - keep this verse up
19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.
20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and guarding the garments of those who were slaying him.’
He says, ‘Lord, you know, I got an idea. I think I’d be the best guy to reach these people. You know why? Because they know what I used to be, and they could see the fantastic transformation. They know I was totally anti-Christian. And now, when I come in and start presenting Christ, they’re going to say, “Only God could make a transformation like that. His gospel must be true.”’”
I can identify with this logic.
I used to think the best people I could evangelize to were the people who knew me best before my conversion.
They knew me as an unbeliever and now, being transformation by Christ, they would simply be wide open to hear my testimony and they themselves would want to come to Christ
You know something?
I was wrong and Paul was wrong.
The Lord says to him, “No, Paul, they will not receive your testimony,” – verse 18 – “they will not.”
Jesus is right.
Those who were very close to me, that I expected would receive my testimony, did not, and still don’t to this day.
In Paul’s case we could say, “But those circumstances look so good.”
He’s saying, “Boy, I was such a persecutor. I was there when Stephen was stoned.” – Acts 7:54 and following – “I mean they’re going to know that some fantastic transformation – I’m just the guy suited to reach the Jews.” God says, “Get out of town, they won’t listen to you.”
So we ask, “Well, why wouldn’t they?”
Well, it should be obvious.
If they wouldn’t listen to Jesus after he performed miracle, after miracle, after miracle right in front of their faces, they’re not about to listen to this guy.
But Paul thought he had the circumstances on his side.
So, what I have learned is this:.
Remember this: circumstances are not a good way to tell God’s will, they’re not, because you can only see the ones that are right in front of your nose, you can’t see the next ones.
God knows better.
Circumstances are not a part of it, because you cannot read the future, you cannot really see the circumstances.
What looks to you good on the surface may not be good.
That’s why there’s got to be other triggers for the will of God than just what appears to you to be the best way to go.
And, man, when Paul arrived in town, he was wrong.
Everything went wrong.
He finally had to get out of there to save his neck.
Don’t always bank on circumstances.
God uses circumstance, of course, but that’s not always best thing to know the will of God.
So the Lord then says to him, Acts 22:21
21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
This is God’s calling, not Paul’s choosing.
Now they hated Paul for several reasons.
One of those reasons was because he preached to the Gentiles.
So you know what Paul says here?
“If you want to be mad at somebody for my ministry to the Gentiles, you know who you’re going to have to be mad at? God.”
So Paul says, “Look, people, you can’t accuse me of being anti-Semitic; I was raised a Jew, I followed all the patterns. You can’t accuse me being a Christian myself, and diving in and accepting it; God did it to me flat out. He invaded my life and called to me on the road to Damascus. If you don’t like the fact that I’m a missionary to the Gentiles, you’re going to have to talk to God, because He’s the one that did that to me; and even that, I argued against.”
Now what has he said in effect?
He said, “You can’t blame me for one thing. Here I stand. I am what I am by the grace of God. If you don’t like it, ask Him; He did it.”
Fantastic testimony.
An unbelievably beautiful and confounding defense, which puts all of the pressure on them to make a judgment about God, the God they claim to love and worship. Powerful. Powerful.
“If you don’t like what I am, don’t tell me about it; it’s the work of God.”
Well, when he said the word “Gentiles,” it triggered them
They hated the Gentiles; and the thing that griped them most about Paul’s ministry was he was going around preaching equality: “The Jew and Gentile as one in Christ, and they didn’t have to become Jews, and they didn’t have to get circumcised, they didn’t have to keep the law,” and this infuriated them.
So all he had to do was say the word “Gentiles,” and that brings us to scene four, (4) the action of the people.
This word was the trigger, and everything broke loose, and they listened to him until this word.
When he said, “God sent me to the Gentiles to preach what I preach,” that blew their lids; and they lifted up their voices and said in verse 22 - Acts 22:22
22 And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
All logic, all sense, all reason, all doctrine, all everything was consumed in the flames of prejudice.
The fury broke loose.
Now they weren’t angry because he made proselytes; they made proselytes.
They were angry because he offered equality to the Gentiles apart from Judaism.
They couldn’t tolerate it; they couldn’t stand it.
Verse 23, you know what they did? Acts 22:23
23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their garments and tossing dust into the air,
They started throwing their clothes.
Some people would say, “Well, that was righteous anger, and they were throwing dirt and throwing – you know, like they were mad.”
No, I don’t think so. I think they had a very specific purpose.
Well, you know, I was reading about casting off their clothes, and my mind went back to verse 20, and it says that when Stephen was stoned, Paul held their clothes as they killed him
You know, whenever they stoned somebody, apparently they took off their outer garment so they could really let the rocks fly.
Seen videos of stoning?
And I think what they were going to do was stone Paul; and since he was clear up at the top of the stairs, it was a long shot plus there were soldiers nearby too.
And they started throwing off their outer garments, you see, but they threw dirt.
And I think they threw dirt because there weren’t any rocks.
They grabbed whatever there was: dirt.
I think they were going to stone him. They were so angry.
They were in a frenzy, and they began to grab dirt and throw dirt, and threw their clothes off so they could throw it far enough to hit him.
What a scene.
Can you see how totally stupid and totally irrational they are?
All of the logic of Paul’s presentation means nothing.
All he does is mention the word “Gentiles” and they go nuts. That’s religious prejudice.
Paul gave his defense, and when they rejected it, but do you know who they really rejected?
God, that’s who.
And if that doesn’t confirm the unbelief of Israel at that point, nothing does.
Now the last scene, we close with this one: the attitude of Paul.
And here come to the thing that I wanted to major on: the attitude of Paul.
In the midst of all of this, with everybody throwing dirt at him and the Romans chained him up and all this going on, what’s his attitude?
Well, I’ll tell you, just give you a little preview.
You know what his attitude is?
Love, love for everybody: love for the Jews throwing the dirt, love for the Romans standing there guarding him, because that’s the measure of the man.
He loved; that was his character.
All the flying clothes and dirt clods and everything else presented a problem to the commander.
“Now what do I do? I didn’t even understand what the guy said. I’m no closer to the truth than I ever was. What am I going to do now?”
And so he figures like any Roman soldier, any hardened character such as that, “I know how I’ll find out; I’ve got a way to do it: torture.”
Verse 24: Acts 22:24
24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.
That’s torture.
The flagrum or scourge of the Romans was a horrible thing: a stick covered with leather, and then leather straps; and at the end, bits and pieces of bones and metal; and they would just lash the back until it ripped it raw.
SHOW PIC
That was the flagrum, something Paul had never experienced.
Five times received from the Jews, the Jewish lashes – that was different; and three times, the Romans had beaten him with rods – and that was a bunch of sticks tied together, and then they just flailed on him with it; but he’d never had the flagellum.
But Jesus did before His death, that’s what tore up his back.
And so the commander says, “I’ll scourge him, and that’ll make him confess, and we’ll find out what he’s done.”
He figured he must of done something terrible when they started throwing all this dirt.
So he brought him in to be scourged, verse 24.
Verse 25: Acts 22:25
25 But when they stretched him out with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?”
First, the word “bound” has the implication of stretching.
That’s what they did.
They would stretch the man’s body to all extreme, so that his body would be drawn to attention, and so that all the lashes would cause the skin to separate immediately, and cut right into the flesh and the muscle and tissue.
Now Paul puts the breaks on this - READ THE REST OF THE VERSE
2 weeks ago I said that Paul always has a card ready to be pulled out in case he needs it
Now the scourge, if it didn’t kill him would cripple him for life.
Paul had never had the scourging.
You know why he never had a scourging?
Because it was a crime to scourge a Roman.
The Portion law and the Valerian law forbid any Roman from ever going through punishment by flagrum.
So when Paul said, “Is it lawful to do this to a Roman, uncondemned?” panic struck.
Now you know what’s interesting in this?
You see Paul’s attitude.
You’ve already seen his attitude toward the Jews.
Even though they hated him and despised him, he loved them, and did everything he could to appease them, didn’t he?
He didn’t say one thing in that whole speech to really alienate them.
Everything he said was gentle, and loving, and winsome, but at the same time, he didn’t compromise on truth.
Even though they hated him, even though they had beaten him, and as he even stood there and spoke, his face was puffed and black and blue and bruised and blood was on his clothes from the beating he’d had before the Romans got to him.
But with all of that, he was loving, and kind, and gentle, and never a harsh word to them. He loved them.
And here with these Romans, he doesn’t burst out in any kind of insults, it’s just the gentle question that he offers very patiently.
And I think that indicates his attitude toward them.
You know why?
Paul could’ve accepted the punishment.
We might object and say, “You got to be kidding. Nobody would do that.”
But let’s remember who Paul was
Paul said that every mark he had on his body was a mark of Jesus Christ, didn’t he? Gal 6:17
17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Colossians 1:24 he said,
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up what is lacking of Christ’s afflictions in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church,
Philippians 2:17 he said,
17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
In other words, suffering, to Paul was a glory, it was a joy.
And, you know, he could’ve just taken all those blows all over him, and then he could have said, “You see all those scars? I have received those for Christ. Oh, what a joy it was.”
And maybe he could’ve said, “You see what I’ve suffered,” and maybe gotten a little self-glory out of it.
Paul, seemingly, had the ability to take all kinds of pain and to have joy in the middle of it, didn’t he?
Remember the stocks in Philippi?
Those aren’t stocks like you think of; those are stocks with graduated holes, extending all the way out.
And the man, according to the length of his legs, was stretched to the extremity, and his legs were locked in at their furthest, extreme stretch.
In the midst of that, what was he doing?
Singing, singing songs.
Now he had an ability to tolerate pain in the midst of persecution that’s unreal.
He probably could have said, “Well, the Spirit will sustain me. Go ahead, hit away; and if I die, to die is gain.”
Now, “Why didn’t he do it?”
Because he didn’t have a martyr complex.
He didn’t have some kind of a self-glorification problem where he wanted to go around and show off his scars.
That brings me to a good principle, another principle.
In witnessing in a situation, don’t be a martyr.
Don’t just put yourself in a situation to suffer pain so you can go away and say to everybody,
“Oh, I’ve suffered for the Lord.”
Don’t look for self-glory or self-pity.
No place for Christian masochists.
But, you know, there’s a second reason he didn’t let them do this to him.
The first one is because he didn’t have a martyr complex, he didn’t have self-glory.
The second one is this: he saved the life of that Roman.
He could’ve accepted the pain and gone to be with Jesus, which is what he wanted to do anyway.
Or at least he could’ve accepted the pain and had the scars to show his faithfulness.
But, no, he didn’t do that, because had he done that, he could’ve had the life of that soldier; because, you see, if the soldier had done that, he could’ve paid with his life.
So when Paul said, “I’m a Roman citizen,” in effect, he saved the man’s life.
Verse 26: Acts 22:26
26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.”
Panic.
Verse 27: Acts 22:27
27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”
You know, that reminds me of 1 Corinthians 10.
When Paul said it, he knew what he was talking about: “God will never allow you to suffer above that you are able, but will, with every trial or temptation, make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.”
God fits every one of you for everything He takes you through.
27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”
28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.”
Paul quietly says, it’s interesting, “I was free born,” which just drives the nails in a little deeper.
He wasn’t a second-class citizen, he was a first-class citizen.
And here was a second-class citizen going to torture a first-class citizen.
Bad news. The first guy was on thin ice anyway.
You say, “How did he get his citizenship?” He bought it. You say, “Who’d he buy it from?”
Probably under the rule of Emperor Claudius, because his name is Lysias, a Greek name, he’s a Greek guy.
So he was a purchased citizen in that sense; BUT Paul was born a citizen.
You say, “That’s interesting. How did Paul’s father become a citizen?”
I don’t know, but God made sure it happened.
Well, verse 29 - Acts 22:29
29 Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
He was scared.
Chief captain said, “Everybody out; it’s all over with. And the next day, they turned him over to the Jews for due process.”
Now let me show you something, as we conclude with this thought.
What do we see here about giving a positive testimony in a negative situation?
Next week, we’re going to pick it up and see what happened in phase two of his defense, his second defense.
But what do we see here about a positive testimony in a negative situation?
One, you have to accept the situation is from God.
Two, create an opportunity.
Three, do everything to win your hearers.
Four, exalt the Lord, so that if people reject, they’re rejecting God, not you.
Five, use everything to avoid suffering.
Six, have the right attitude; and the only right attitude is love.
How many times have you been in a situation where you had an opportunity to witness, and your only attitude was self-preservation: protecting your ego, safety, security, popularity?
What was Paul’s attitude?
Selfless love for those around him. He did everything to win their hearts.
To the Jews, he was everything that he could’ve been to win them.
You say, “That was a gimmick. Ah, that was a gimmick to get their attention.”
No, it wasn’t a gimmick.
You know he loved those Jews?
You read Romans 9, 10, and 11 again, if you don’t think he loved them.
He says in Romans, “I could wish myself accursed” – chapter 9 verse 3 – “for the sake of Israel’s salvation.”
He says, “My heart’s prayer and desire for Israel is they be saved,” in chapter 10.
There was a passion in his bones.
No, he really loved them; and he loved the Gentiles enough to spare that man’s life.
You know, Jesus was the same way.
Dying on the cross, He looked out to the people who spit on Him, and He said, “Father” – what? – “forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Stephen, as he crushed beneath the bloody stones, and the blood ran away and the life with it, looked up and said, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
That’s the only attitude that’ll ever make you effective in a negative situation, when you love the people so much you’re willing to sacrifice everything you have for their sake: your ego, your popularity, everything.
That’s to be your attitude.
Beloved, when all these things fall into line, you’ll have a positive testimony in a negative situation that God will bless.
Let’s pray.
It’s good, Father, this morning to share in the Word. It’s rich, it’s full, and we feel satisfied. We thank You for it. Father, as satisfied as we are, we’re unsatisfied in the sense that there are many yet who do not know our Lord Jesus Christ, and our hearts grieve for them; maybe some this morning here.
And in addition, Lord, there are Christians, Your own children, who should be giving this kind of testimony, but are not out of selfishness. Oh, God, we pray that they might really know what the love of God is that’s shed abroad in their hearts, and that they might be able to transmit it to others as the Spirit flows through. Pray that we might make a dent in this world; that we, from this church, just us, to begin with, Lord, would go out of this place in this week, give a positive testimony.
Father, what Your Spirit could do; how exciting it is to think about. God, help us to be faithful. We give You the praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Jesus, Community Mission
Jesus: By grace alone, through faith alone, we have been saved and justified by the perfect obedience and substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. We glorify God by boldly preaching and teaching the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that we are equipped to minister to one another and together build up the Body of Christ.
Community: We come together as an everlasting family in Christ, bound together in love through the gospel of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, commited to the imperishable, enduring Word of God, to serve, encourage, love, and edify one another according to the glorious revealed will of God.
Mission: The church is the people of God called to display the goodness of his reign to the world. Our focus is not only what happens on a Sunday morning, but what happens during the rest of the week. We are called to be on mission everywhere we are, serving our communities and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to all people.
For our benediction this week, I would like to read from 2Pet 3:17-18 and this is fitting for what we studied today
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest you, having been carried away by the error of unprincipled men, fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
This week, love Jesus, love people, and love life
I love and there is nothing any of you can do about it.