Disrupting the Peace

Scripture Passage

Acts 24:1–9 ESV

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

Thank you, Sheila. Good morning everyone. Would you pray again with me this morning?

Introduction

Recap

The Setting

“After Five Days” in Caesarea

It has been five days since Paul’s arrest in the temple back in Acts 21:27-28. Paul purifies himself and others as he goes to worship in Jerusalem. The process is about seven days long.

Acts 21:27–28 ESV

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

He is taken from the temple into the barracks to speak to a tribune, which is a kind of Roman officer who is chosen by the people to protect them from the oppression of nobles. They are appointed to defend the liberties of Roman citizens. The Tribune is appointed to keep the peace. The Tribune permits Paul to speak to the people about Jesus and all that has happened to him. It’s an opportunity for Paul to speak to the Jews about His testimony and the salvation and inclusion of the gentiles into the people of God.

When mentioning the salvation of the gentiles, the Jews are upset. The Tribune is readying to “examine” Paul by flogging him with whips when Paul reveals he is a Roman citizen, the very kind of person the Tribune is appointed to protect. The kind of person you would get in trouble for binding and flogging. Oops. That’s illegal, and not a good look for to the other people you’re supposed to protect the rights of. The Tribune is supposed to keep the peace.

The Tribune unbinds him, and sets him before the chief priests and all the council to “examine” him. The chief priests and council are also there to keep the peace. Roman law forbids the striking of someone while they are giving a testimony, but Ananias, the high priest does it anyway.

Acts 23:1–2 ESV

1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Paul divides the people by talking about the hope of the resurrection, which the Pharisees in the room believe in but the Sadducees are against. Violence breaks out when they can’t find anything wrong with him, so the Tribune takes him and hides him. There’s a plot to kill him by the Jews, the High Priest, and the council who is supposed to keep the peace, so the Tribune, now protecting Paul, the citizen in his care, instructs 470 soldiers to escort Paul to the governor in Caesarea where Paul will get a hearing from the governor to determine his innocence. Governors are appointed to keep the peace.

Propositional Outline and Statement

This morning we’re going to work through Acts chapter 24 as witnesses in a courtroom drama with specific examinations on this idea of, “keeping the peace.”

Appeasement is not peace.

Peace is tested and experienced under trial.

Trust the God of Peace.

Peace is only true when it conforms to God’s character.

Pray

Father, we have sung praises of Your worth and authority over us this morning. There never has been, nor is, nor will be any greater King than You, and there never will be. When the Psalmist asks, “Who is like the Lord our God?” The only proper response from the righteous believer is, “there is no one like our God!” We long for your perfect authority in this world. We confess this morning that our longing for immediate peace leads us to seek it’s administration from men who are inadequate to bring it. Yet, You have appointed kings, presidents, and rulers for your name’s sake. Even Pharoah, and his hardened was used for your name’s sake. Without his harsh rule, Your sweetness over those who trust in You would not be as sweet. Help us to trust in your rule.

Help us to parent our children. Because we don’t respect most authority, we don’t display healthy authority to the children around us or entrusted to us. If to be a disciple is to be disciplined, then help us to discipline these young one’s into the likeness of Jesus. Help us to come alongside parents and guide them. Support them, encourage them, and keep them engaged in the task at hand even when it is hard.

We thank You for Your Word. We thank You that we know from Your Word that even though Your peace surpasses all understanding, we have tasted it from your Spirit within us, given to us because of the might work of Jesus Christ. May we understand Your Word more deeply this morning. Amen.

The Courtroom

Let’s set the scene for our courtroom shall we?

Acts 24:1 ESV

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

Our cast in this trial consists of the Apostle Paul, Ananias, Tertullus, and the governor, Felix.

Ananias (1)

Ananias, the prosecutor of our story is the high priest who struck Paul illegally while Paul was giving his testimony. Ananias was known by the ancient historian Josephus to be wealthy, cruel, and greedy. History shows that he actually collaborates with the Romans against the Jews, and is eventually killed by the Jews when they rebelled against Rome in Ad 66.

This is probably obvious, but he is the resident bad guy in our courtroom drama. While God uses Ananias as a tool to bring Paul to Felix, under no circumstance does Luke exonerate this High Priest in his gospel. Ananias brings some elders with him before the governor.

Tertullus (1)

Tertullus is a professional wordsmith and rhetorician. He’s a professional lawyer and advocate familiar with Roman and Jewish law, and Ananias and the Jewish elders’ spokesman. In this courtroom drama, Tertullus represents the Jewish people as a whole. He is against Paul, and therefore against the gospel. His charge against Paul is on behalf of Jews everywhere (Acts 24:5), and on behalf of Rome (Acts 24:2).

Felix (1)

Antonius Felix has an interesting background. He was a freed slave from the home of the Roman emperor, Claudius. Claudius would eventually appoint him as a procurator in Judea. Procurators would represent individuals in countries that retained Roman civil law. The Jews initially saw him as sympathetic to their beliefs, but he was horribly corrupt and ruled through cruelty and oppression. He would crucify leaders of various uprisings, and anarchy dramatically increased throughout Palestine because of his brutality.

Drusilla (24)

He is married to Drusilla, his third wife, who had left her previous husband to marry Felix after they shared an illicit affair. Even though she was raised as a Jew, she did not have an active faith in God, and bound herself to Felix because of their lust, ambition, and draw to power.

Ananias and Tertullus Before Felix (1-9)

Appeasement is Not Peace

Court is now in session. Let’s hear Tertullus out.

Winning Felix’s Favor (2-4)

Acts 24:2–4 ESV

2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

“Wow Felix. you are just the best. Look at how peaceful you’ve made Rome from your foresight. Even now, you’re making things so much better by all of the changes you have been making in our country. We are so thankful for you and all you’re doing for us. Since you are so kind, we don’t want to take up your time from other important business, so we’ll be brief with our disruption from your busy day.”

Pandering

One of the easiest ways of getting something you want from someone is through an ancient conniving art called pandering. Pandering is a form of enablement. One gratifies or indulges an immoral or distasteful desire to please someone else. It’s basically saying what you think people want you to say at the cost of your soul.

Tertullus is pandering to Felix in a legal context. Felix is obviously not in good repute with the Jews with a Jewish revolt right on his doorstep, and he knows it. Many of the Jews listening to this would have been shocked to hear the High Priest’s spokesman attributing “a long period of peace: and “reforms” to Felix’s administration. The idea of being grateful to Felix is to betray the governor’s reputation of being ferocious, cruel and greedy.

But Tertullus knows how to get what he wants. He panders to Felix by appealing to His vanity. He promises to be brief, which human nature rarely allows.

Tertullus is a man of peace, just like Felix. He represents a peaceful people, the Jews. But there is someone here who is trying to take that away from them.

3 Charges

Acts 24:5–6 ESV

5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

This is beautiful for the Jews. Paul is the answer to their problems. All of the rioting that their leaders have been crucified for starting can now be blamed on a man they disagree with. Tertullus will use the first two chargest against Paul to give the impression that Not only can political unrest begin to cease, Paul’s proclamation about Jesus as Messiah and the inclusion of the Gentiles as the people of God will cease.

1. Paul the Pest (5)

Paul is called a “pest.” “He is a like a pestilence that will cause a famine in a time of abundance. He is a cancer that infects people and spreads. The only way to remove that kind of cancer is to excise it. Paul must be removed.”

2. Paul the Political Agitator (5)

“Paul is a political aggregator. He is a danger to civil peace. He is the one disturbing the Jews throughout the whole world (hyperbole much?) and is acting as a ringleader of the Nazarenes; Christians. And we know that the Christians are bad! You can see how dangerous they are just by Paul’s actions alone.”

3. Paul the disruptor (6)

“Paul is the one who caused all the disruption at the temple. That’s how all Christians act, you know. They’re against peace. They want reformation that’s against your good determinations as our governor.”

Appeasement is Not Peace

Acts 24:8–9 ESV

8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

This courtroom drama is not happening in a peaceful time. Behind the scenes, Jewish rebellion against Felix is increasingly hostile. In turn, Felix will pay a large sum of money to the close friend of the high priest Jonathan to arrange for Jonathan’s murder by Jewish assassins. Felix can’t help but use violence to quell violence, and the emperor Nero knows it. Eventually, Felix will be recalled by Nero and replaced by Porcius Festus.

Tertullus is defining the concept of peace here as “less conflict.” He presents Paul as a scapegoat for Felix’s troubles with the Jews and Tertullus represents a pandering High Priest who is willing to betray the hearts of his people to win some favor with Felix.

Appeasement is not peace.

Appeasement is a diplomatic strategy that makes concessions to avoid war or conflict. In this case, the Jews are trying to appease Felix to end the persecution of their rebellion.

Application

We are guilty of treating appeasement as peace all of the time. On a much smaller scale, when I give in to one of my child’s demands just to avoid them screaming isn’t keeping the peace. It’s most likely a form of enabling. I’m just giving into to my child’s demands for a moment of quiet.

Institutional Drift and the PCUSA

Institutional drift occurs under this same appeasement. Institutional drift is where any institution such as a business, government, or church focuses on avoiding conflict with its employees, customers, constituents, citizens, or congregants that it drifts away from the original purpose of the institution. The PCUSA denomination, a very liberal denomination that has renounced the authority of the Scriptures, the weight of sin, the biblical role of sexuality and marriage for humanity, and the judgment of God recently announced that they were ending sending missionaries. I couldn’t applaud this more. The institution has drifted so far from Christ that it is essentially another religion. This is why we ground our business’s in mission statements, our government on the constitution, and our churches on the Word of God.

Proverbs 29:25 ESV

25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Christians trust in the Lord and what He has said in His Word.

Proverbs 16:7 ESV

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Peace is only true when it conforms to God’s character.

Pandering serves no one but the one pandering. It’s selfish and dishonest. We do it far too often.

We live in a fallen world. But peace is found in God, and with all of the other characteristics of God. Peace without a love for people is just selfishness. Peace without righteousness is aimless. Peace without a payment for sin is hopelessness. Peace without submission to authority is lawlessness.

Peace must be tethered to all of God’s character.

Transition

Paul commands believers to submit to the governing authority.

But Paul does not command believers to pretend that peace on earth comes from appeasing those in authority so life might be easier for Christians. Remember, he is literally on trial in our courtroom drama. This is the same guy who commands us to be subject to governing authorities.

Romans 13:1 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Let’s turn to his response to these accusations next.

Paul Before Felix (10-21)

Unlike Tertullus, Paul respect’s Felix’s position, but doesn’t pander to it to win any points.

1. Paul is Innocent (10-13)

Acts 24:10–13 ESV

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.

Paul deals with each charge against him in turn. He didn’t come to Jerusalem for political agitation, but for worship. It’s only been 12 days since he went to worship, seven of those days were used for purification, and five of those days were spent waiting for this hearing. That leaves basically one day for Paul to cause all of the damage he is being accused of. That’s hardly enough time for a revolt.

He denounces being a ringleader with a seditious plot against Rome. He was alone when he was arrested him.

His desecration of the temple is simply unprovable because it didn’t happen.

2. Paul Confesses (14-16)

Paul makes some confessions though.

Acts 24:14–15 ESV

14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

Paul is a follower of, “The Way.” That is, the way of Jesus Christ. This was the initial term for Christians and it wasn’t until Antioch that followers of “The Way,” were called Christians.

Acts 11:26 ESV

26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

He follows God. He believes the the Law and the Prophets, that is the Old Testament. The law, or Torah being the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses, and the Prophets who following in the patterns of Moses, wrote extensively about their exile from the promised land, and the promise of the coming Messiah.

Excursus – Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust

Paul makes special mention of Resurrection in this passage. The High Priest Ananias is a Sadducee. He does not believe in resurrection. The Pharisees, who Paul and even Jesus would be more inline with, do believe in resurrection. Paul as a former Pharisee himself, is sufficiently confident to believe that the hope that the Pharisees held, the hope of resurrection, should characterize and represent the Jewish faith.

He makes mention that there is a resurrection of the just and the unjust. The prophet Daniel speaks of this in Daniel 12:2, and John the Apostle reaffirms this in His gospel and in his revelation. We tend to think of believers being the only ones being resurrected, but that is an incomplete picture.

Revelation 20:12–15 ESV

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

After resurrection of both the just and the unjust comes judgment. This is why Paul is so eager to commission the Roman church to preach the gospel.

Romans 10:14–17 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Acts 24:16 ESV

16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Paul’s conscience is clear before man and God.

3. Paul is Guilty (17-21)

Yet he is guilty. Here is what he is guilty of.

Acts 24:17–21 ESV

17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ ”

Paul is guilty of bringing alms, money offerings to his fellow Jews and offerings to God at the temple. Paul is guilty of being purified in the temple. Paul is guilty of not disrupting anyone while he was doing this.

Honestly, if this was any of us we would be frustrated. Part of the “due process” in our courtroom drama is there should be witnesses and evidence presented to substantiate these accusations. Paul even mentions that the witnesses “ought to be here before you” to substantiate the claims given by Tertullus.

The only thing he admits to is crying out while standing among them “It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.”

Paul is so convicted by the resurrection of the dead that he can’t help but get himself into courtroom drama. He writes to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 15:12–20 ESV

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Peace is Tested and Experienced Under Trial

Paul is unshaken in this room with these accusations against him. He is unshaken in conflict and resolved in the truth of God’s resurrection. Remember, true peace is tethered to the other attributes of God like a ship lashed to a dock. Untethered peace is a ship lost at sea. Paul has lashed his peace and his hope on the resurrection of Christ.

Application

So often we want our peace to look like quiet. That’s why we always associate the two when we’re tired, “I just want some peace and quiet.” Peace isn’t tested when times are quiet. Peace can only be tested and hoped for when it is under trial. In the hardest conflicts we navigate, when we confess the deepest sin we harbor in our hearts, in the unmanageable chaos of pain we’ve received because of someone’s sin, the quality of peace is tested. Peace can only be fully experienced because of trial and hardship. Trial and hardship bring us to the end of ourselves. When we are at the end of ourselves, do we fully turn to God and His son Jesus Christ and we say, “I need You. I depend on You. I am unable. I will anchor myself to You and You alone will be my peace.”

Disrupting the Peace – Felix’s Response (22-27)

Paul’s peace is the God of creation and the hope in Christ’s resurrection. Felix’s peace is a bag of cats.

Knowing The Way (22-23)

Acts 24:22–23 ESV

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

Trying to keep the peace of Rome, the Pax RomanaFelix puts Paul under house arrest. It’s probably for Paul’s protection since he is a Roman citizen after all. He lets Paul’s friends come and go. Felix is trying to prevent further confrontation between himself and the Jews, Paul and further perceived rebellion, and the delays of judicial procedure.

Felix knows a little bit of “the Way,” the Christian faith. Felix sees that all of the accusations against Paul are religious in nature guised under political sedition.

Felix probably thinks like this: In a situation where everyone is dynamite, the person with the most responsibility is the one who holds a match. Felix believes he holds that match, and where he is supposed to uphold due process and try Paul, he decides that the best way to keep the peace is to keep tensions the way they are. He keeps Paul in a lenient custody and blows out the match.

Preaching The Way (24-25)

Acts 24:24–25 ESV

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

Paul trusts the God of peace. He is utterly dependent on God. When Felix and Drusilla, who I’m guessing was named after one of the step-sisters in Cinderella, meet with Paul about faith in Christ Jesus, Paul doesn’t mention some things that we regularly hear in our contemporary gospel presentations.

Today’s Gospel

Sometimes we are too overly concerned with who is watching us share the gospel. We’re scared that our tone, temper, or even the presentation itself will turn people away from God. We share the gospel begrudgingly and under fear of persecution from liberals & progressives, conservatives & right-wingers, other faiths, employers or employees, bad family experiences, or whatever set of eyes we believe is trained at the back of our heads watching to pounce when we mess up. We try to keep the peace when we share the gospel, which taken to its extreme is ungodly and unbiblical because we don’t want to get eaten by the world we believe is watching us.

Paul doesn’t appeal to the peace of Christ, becoming a son or daughter of God, resurrection, the joy of the Lord, or even God’s love for Felix and Drusilla. Paul has written on all of those things, but what stands out to Luke is how Paul speaks about his faith in Christ and reasons over righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment.

Righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment are what Felix and Drusilla need to hear to draw them to God. They live unrighteously, and need to repent of their disobedience to God and sinfulness. Felix has hired hitmen to kill opponents. They lack self-control, leaving spouses for petty ambition, and delaying justice to promote “peace.” They need to believe in the imminent coming judgment of God because Felix delays his own distribution of judgment, believing his own judgment will be delayed for the sake of peace.

Paul is speaking with one who could end his life easily, and speaks boldly. He speaks like one with nothing to lose. He speaks like one who is so dependent on Christ that his own life is forfeit. Paul’s preaching touched the quick of their kind of living and Felix told him to leave. He will hear from Paul on his terms, not on Paul’s terms.

We need to become like this. We need to become this bold.

Rejecting the Way (26-27)

Acts 24:26 ESV

26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.

Mixed motives? You bet. Though Felix portrays himself as one who is “familiar with The Way,” he also wants what he wants. Sure he wants to hear from Paul. He probably wants to hear the gospel from Paul too. But by hoping for a bribe from Paul, he’s only proving what Paul tells him of righteousness, self-control, and God’s coming judgment to be exactly what he needs to hear and repent from. We should expect mixed motives from people we spend time with, but we should never compromise our message.

Acts 24:27 ESV

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

Felix is pulled out of his position by Nero and replaced. Attempting to retain any dignity in his province, what he would consider peace, he leaves Paul with no legal resolution.

Trust the God of Peace

Paul has no fear though. It doesn’t matter what happens to him, regardless of his circumstances. He has the peace of God.

Philippians 4:4–7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We should rejoice with Paul. Our anxiousness does not always need resolved by our hands. We must trust the God of peace to resolve every circumstance because of His good nature.

Conclusion

God is not at war with Himself His character perfectly aligns. He is both just and merciful. He is love and righteousness.

In all of scripture, peace is described as the wholeness that comes as a result of aligning with God’s creative and redemptive purposes. Peace can be the ending of war, but the term is more broad than that. There is a cosmic connotation to the word. Peace is the ideal of creation that God’s redemption seeks to restore. We should seek to live at peace with everyone, but ultimately peace comes as a result of Jesus’ work and is thus a gift given by God.

Appeasement is not peace.

We must reject quick fixes that compromise turning to God, the true source of peace.

Peace is tested and experienced under trial.

This world is still broken. Our peace in God is only confirmed when we lash ourselves to God in every circumstance.

Trust the God of Peace

Peace is expressed in rejoicing in all circumstances.

Peace is only true when it conforms to God’s character.

Pray

Benediction

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 ESV

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.