Context & Language

Acts  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction

Good morning! We’ll be spending a little bit more time in the end of Acts chapter 21 today, as we transition into chapter 22, looking at this very dramatic series of events in Paul’s ministry. (I think I call every part of Paul’s story pivotal, climactic, or dramatic, because really, what part of Paul’s story isn’t all those things?)
In chapter 21, we’ve seen Paul come to the end of his third major missionary journey, as he returns to Jerusalem. He’s been met with rather mixed sentiments. On one hand, we read in verse 17 that the brothers received him and his company gladly.
They shared with each other what God had been doing in and through their respective ministries, and praised God for it! It’s nice to see the Christian fellowship in Jerusalem still going strong.
On the other hand, they were warned of many who wouldn’t be so happy to see them, as news and rumors about Paul had spread throughout the city, angering some who saw Paul as teaching faithful Jews to abandon their customs.

What was Paul Teaching?

Paul was responsible for some pretty radical and disruptive teaching, and some of the rumors about him were at least partially true. He was not, however, teaching anyone to abandon the law of Moses entirely. He did, over years of teaching, reasoning, writing, and debating, show Christ to be the fulfilment of the law, whereby people from all tribes and nations all over the world can partake in the inheritance of God’s kingdom. That the culture of heaven actually thrives within other cultures, not in opposition to culture, but as a redemption of it.
That’s not to say Christianity shouldn’t have an impact on culture, but doesn’t replace it. This is very different from what observant Jews were used to…to become a Jew meant doing so not just by a profession of faith, but by changing the way you eat, speak, dress, pray, and for some, even having a cosmetic surgical procedure to show full commitment to the faith.
These messianic Jews, the early Christian apostles, taught that Christ offers a radically transformative spirit, and Jesus himself spoke in terms of “rebirth,” but not in a way that necessarily transforms one’s existing culture of rituals, language, festivals, diet, and other traditions. Jesus himself claimed to offer a new “way” of being human, and yet followed Jewish customs faithfully.
A life transformed and led by the spirit does leave behind “works of the flesh” which lead to sin, but it’s not the other way around. A transformed heart leads to transformed behavior. Just changing my behavior isn’t enough to transform my heart.
[MIKE: When we try this in reverse, we are only able to do so in our own power, which is why it will fail. When we allow God to transform our heart, he gives us his Spirit which empowers and enabled. us to live transformed lives]
And when behavior is transformed, the fruit of the spirit is abstract enough to apply to any cultural context, as it gets to one’s personal mindset, their relationship with God, and their relationship with others, rather than adherence to a list of specific rules or customs.
One of my favorite passages on Paul’s teaching regarding the law and walking in the spirit is in his letter to the Galatians. Chapter 5 is all about freedom in Christ, contrasted with slavery to the passions of the flesh, and replaced with walking in the Spirit of God.
In the previous chapter, chapter 4, Paul establishes Christians as equal co-heirs, sons and brothers in Christ, giving us all an inheritance in the kingdom, then chapter 5 opens with this:
Galatians 5:1 LSB
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
He then goes on to apply this to circumcision, which we’ve already covered quite a bit so I’m going to skip down to verse 13, where he speaks more generally:
Galatians 5:13–26 (LSB)
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The sins he lists are temptations common to all humans everywhere, and while he does call out some specific behaviors as sinful, the contrasting list which follows is not as much behavioral as it is mental, emotional, and relational, all of which result in behavioral changes, but start in the heart and mind:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become those with vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.
See also: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 2:17-29, Romans 16:25-27
Christ has called his followers into a life of freedom in the Spirit of God, but that freedom is not a license to sin, so that grace may abound. (Romans 6:1-2) It is freedom to leave behind the burden of guilt, and yes, even enjoy life by realizing our capacity to Glorify God, as his chosen, redeemed people, purchased by his own blood.
This relationship of Christianity to the law can still be a confusing concept to teach and learn and accept, as it certainly was in Jerusalem in the first century. What it looks like practically, day-to-day, is not a homogenized society with a comprehensive set of rules to govern life.
Rules, rituals, and liturgy can be very helpful tools, but they are not a prerequisite to joining the body of Christ. They are a faithful response to grace, and the details of how one walks in their faith are as diverse as people are diverse. As one people, in harmony. As many different members of one body. You can’t harmonize with just one note, or have a functional body without a variety of different parts.
I bring all this up as a reminder as to what Paul was teaching, which we could (and maybe should in the future) spend many more hours exploring. But it’s important in the context of the story in Acts to understand where he was coming from.
Paul, in his travels, and with his particular background, has been able to speak the truth of the the good news of Jesus Christ into a diverse, non-Jewish population, sewing the seeds of cultural redemption, rather than of cultural conquest. The latter is what humanity seems more prone to attempt…to impose their own culture on other populations to “save” them, rather than addressing root issues with the core of the Gospel, and allowing that to work transformation within the culture.
He DID preach a new covenant, in line with what Jesus taught, as fulfilment of the old covenant, as Jesus said.
Matthew 5:17–18 LSB
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Paul’s Arrest

All this to say, Paul is NOT trying to overthrow Jewish culture, laws, or traditions, but he has been presenting the gospel to other cultures without imposing Jewish law on them as a prerequisite to salvation.
When Jews who are “zealous for the law” hear about this, mixed with some exaggerated and false rumors, they are furious. “Sound bytes” as Mike likes to call them, lacking broader context, can sometimes lead to incomplete or even completely wrong perceptions of what a person believes and teaches.
Paul of course knows this is coming, and Sure enough, despite demonstrating his respect for and adherence to the law, he was arrested and dragged out of the temple. He’s accused of defiling the holiness of the temple, and the people want to see him killed for it.
Thankfully, a Roman commander named Claudius hears of the commotion, and has him arrested, instead of letting him be killed by the mob. Of course, he has his own assumptions about Paul, and even has him mistaken for someone else entirely.
Last week, Mike reminded us of the importance of discernment and perceptions, and not jumping to conclusions. This is especially important, and especially difficult, in high-pressure situations.

Greek

Paul, by the grace of God handles the situation with impressive discernment. The turning point is when Paul speaks to the commander in Greek.
Acts 21:37 NLT
37 As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?” “Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised.
Rather than stay silent, Paul opened his mouth with a calm, polite request. The commander was not expecting to hear this polished, educated Greek come out of the mouth of someone he assumed was from a very different background.
Speaking in Greek demonstrated his ability to speak directly on his own behalf in a legal and diplomatic context, elevating his position of leverage in this situation.
This causes Claudius to realize at once his error in assuming Paul was someone else:
Acts 21:38 NLT
38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?”
And this gives Paul the opportunity to explain who he actually is, and request an audience with his accusers:
Acts 21:39–40 NLT
39 “No,” Paul replied, “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people.” 40 The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic.

Hebrew/Aramaic

Now, instead of continuing in Greek, he speaks to the mob in their own language, Hebrew, or perhaps more specifically, Aramaic, a more modern semitic branch which developed during and after the exile, and which was the common language of Judea at the time. The Old Testament was written in both ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, but we often refer to the whole thing as “Hebrew Scripture.” So, depending on your translation it may say “Hebrew” or “Aramaic” or simply “In their own language.”
And that, really, is the point. That he addressed them in language that was familiar to them. And it hushes the whole crowd!
Acts 22:1–2 LSB
1 “Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.” 2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter; and he said,
You see how effective it was for him to speak to them in their own tongue? I can’t help but be reminded of the first miraculous work of the Spirit through the disciples after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They preached the gospel to a great crowd of people, and each of them heard it in their own language. In their own tongue.

Paul’s Defense

So, now that he has everyone listening with bated breath, what does Paul say?
Here’s a brief outline of his defense, and then we’ll read through it together:

Paul’s premier defense of his life and faith before his own people in Jerusalem illustrates his flexibility as a missionary, just as his speech to the Greek philosophers in Athens had done (17:22–31; see 1 Cor 9:20–23). Paul begins by recognizing his kinship with his people, explaining his Jewish background and training under the noted rabbi Gamaliel the Elder and describing his zealous desire to honor God in everything, which they shared (22:1–3). Paul then describes his persecution of Christians (22:4–5), the revelation of Jesus to him on the way to Damascus (22:6–10), and his conversion (22:11–16). Paul ends his speech by describing his conversation with the Lord in the Temple. The Lord had predicted the Jews’ rejection of the message and had sent Paul to the Gentiles (22:17–21).

With that overview in mind, let’s read:
Acts 22:3–21 LSB
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been brought up in this city, having been instructed at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today, 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brothers, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. 6 “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 “And I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been determined for you to do.’ 11 “But since I could not see because of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 “Now a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near, said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth. 15 ‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 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.’”
Alright, so the people seem to be tracking with him so far, but at this point when he brings up having had a vision in the Temple wherein Christ predicts Paul’s being rejected by the Jews, and promises to send him to the Gentiles instead, well, they immediately proceed to prove Jesus correct by throwing themselves completely into a tizzy.
Acts 22:22–23 LSB
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,
This response seems to be a reaction to what they perceived as blasphemy.That God would allow salvation to be preached to gentiles.
Meanwhile, realize that Claudius didn’t really know exactly what Paul was saying, or at least not the significance of it, because his next course of action is going to be to bring Paul back inside to torture and interrogate him to find out what on earth he said that got the crowd so riled up!
Acts 22:24 LSB
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.
Here, once again, Paul demonstrates a very scrupulous choice of words.
Acts 22:25–26 LSB
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.”
Paul had already revealed his Greek education, and his Hebrew identity, now, it’s sort of his last card to play, but it’s an extremely effective one, he reveals his Roman Citizenship.
Acts 22:27–29 LSB
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.
And that’s it for that day. The drama continues the next day, but for now, Paul’s responses have spared him his life and from flogging.

Context & Language

I’d like to spend the next few minutes ruminating on the importance of understanding one’s context in any situation, and the value of understanding your audience to the extent of being able to engage them on their own level, in their own terms, in their own language. Paul spoke Greek to Claudius, and Aramaic to the Jews, and appealed to his Roman citizenship. In the context of this story, he was drawing on his own multicultural background in order to escape the mob and the interrogator, but we also know his motives went far beyond saving his own skin. What really kept him going was his commitment to continue preaching the gospel message where God had told him to take it.

Context

Context: the circumstances surrounding an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.
Every time Paul gives his testimony of how he became a Christian, it’s a little bit different. The exact details and which parts of the story he chooses to emphasize are appropriate to the specific audience to whom he’s speaking. He’s telling the same story, and he’s not changing or exaggerating what really happened, but of course every time we tell a story it’s going to be a little bit different.
This can be a helpful reminder when sharing our own testimonies of what God has done in our lives. There may be times when a long story covering major events in my life are appropriate to share, and other times when a simple statement of God’s faithfulness and grace, in just a few words, can be a powerful witness. The context of any given situation, through the leading of the Spirit, will determine whether to give an elevator pitch or a TED talk.
There are many tools and strategies and methods out there for sharing the gospel, and some of them can be helpful in some contexts, but I don’t think there’s any one method of evangelism that can be applied to every situation or that is effective in every culture. Even within a region like “The North Country” there are some very diverse pockets of “subcultures” which often see the world through very different lenses.
Even just in a small sample of people at NCF, we have people with wide-ranging backgrounds, and besides the obvious “churchy” topics, we could have conversations relating to all things military, aviation, music, farming, education, sports, video games, computers, food, and on and so forth!
And guess what, we can have gospel-laden conversations in all of those contexts! Just like God used Paul’s specific cultural background and knowledge, he can use each of ours too.
But it is helpful to understand that what might be relatable to one person might not be so relatable to another. It can be very wise and beneficial to pause and “read the room” before offering a quick word or being hasty to speak.
James 1:19–20 LSB
19 Know this, my beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Proverbs also has much to say about the importance of controlling one’s tongue, and avoiding outbursts of passion. That said, being “slow to speak” shouldn’t prevent us from speaking up at all.
If we are going to say something, it can be helpful to at least be somewhat prepared. To have a few key points in mind, which I ought to anyway as I’m going about my day thanking God for what he has done, is doing, and will do.
It’s not that we always need to have a “speech” or “sermon” prepared and rehearsed. There are times when that is appropriate, like the notes I’m reading from now, but if someone were to ask me why I’m a Christian, do you think they’d rather an immediate, perfectly polished answer that’s obviously rehearsed, or an answer that’s thoughtful, from the heart, and speaks into the context of the question? I would expect the latter.
1 Peter 3 addresses this topic of being prepared, specifically relating to when we might be put on the “defense,” literally, against those who might actively oppose us, but it’s a great exhortation that is itself broad enough to apply to many other situations as well, including less stressful ones.
1 Peter 3:15 LSB
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear,
Be ready to explain why you are filled with hope. A good reminder to be filled with hope in the first place, eh?
Of course, we’re not always going to say the right thing. Sometimes I totally misread a situation, and give a response that’s not helpful at all. My Sunday sermons are certainly not perfect, and I’m sure I sometimes say things that either make no sense or come across totally differently than I intended, but I trust God’s ability to work miracles out of mud and spit, and I lean very heavily into His Grace as I stumble along.
And I’ll tell you, the more we’re willing to practice, and boldly, humbly follow the Spirit’s leading in our conversations, the more opportunities will arise, and the more confident we can become in speaking with gospel fluency in a wide variety of contexts.
As Paul wrote to Timothy:
2 Timothy 1:7–8 NLT
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.
Paul sort of jumped in, full-send, ahead of every other missionary that went after him, and said “COME ON IN, THE WATER IS FULL OF CROCODILES BUT IT’S WORTH IT!”

Language

Still, it is good to understand the water as much as we can, and look before we leap. And I can’t finish talking about context without bringing up again the role that language plays in any context, in any culture. It’s very obvious in Paul’s story as he literally speaks multiple languages. But even just understanding certain nuances within a language can be helpful, can’t it?
Some words and phrases mean different things depending on the context, sometimes depending on the region, or industry, or even just the building you’re in! Acronyms are a great example of that…the military is infamous for it, but pretty much every industry has its own lingo, and each generation now seems to enjoy developing its own slang and shorthand to use and confuse the older or younger generations, and it’s pretty hilarious actually.
If you haven’t noticed, Gen-Z Tik-tokkers and Cranky Boomers speak totally different languages, and us mindless millennials are just running around confused in the crossfire, either trying to make everyone happy or running away and hiding.
One of the beautiful things about the gospel is that it is true, and transformative, for every generation, and in any language. And gospel truth can saturate and redeem any language in any culture.
No one person can speak every language, and even Paul was limited to the context of his generation.
As much as I appreciated the diversity I mentioned earlier, and I love learning what I can about the various different cultures around me, ultimately I am not going to be as fluent, or effective, in every context that each of YOU might be! We should be open to learning from each other, and sometimes we do need liaisons, and interpreters, to bridge those divides, but I think a lot of the most important “evangelism” happens on a peer-to-peer basis.
I say this not to discourage you from branching outside of your comfort zone but to encourage everyone to be active participants in spreading the gospel, starting within your own circles of influence, and wherever our feet take us.
I’m going to close with this passage from Romans, which speaks of the need for willing feet. We know that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Great!
Romans 10:14–15 LSB
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”
My prayer is that each of us will be awake to our calling, that we would place our feet with intention on the path that God has illuminated for us by his Word, and with joy proclaim good news of good things to those around us. And that in doing so, we would be conduits of God’s loving presence, amplified by our love for each other, and boldly, bravely, together, bringing that light where there is darkness.

Final Application

As Paul was, are you willing to share YOUR story? Not with yourself as the hero, but as the beneficiary of God’s grace and love, as evidenced primarily in Christ and poured out by the Spirit. But also in the specific details of WHO God has used in your life, WHERE He has brought you, and WHAT He has taught you.
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