OVERVIEW: Paul’s testimony before riotous Jews (chapter 22); Paul’s testimony before the Jewish Council (chapter 23); Paul’s testimony before Felix, the governor of Judea (chapter 24); Paul’s testimony before Festus (chapter 25).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem marked the beginning of his end. In Acts 21, the Jews of Jerusalem had stirred up a riot crying out, “Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” (21:28) The Roman chief captain of Jerusalem, not wanting this riot to reach Caesar’s ears for his job’s sake, immediately halted the riot, rescuing Paul from certain death. (21:31-32)
Chapter 22 is Paul’s testimony before the riotous Jewish crowd. As soon as he mentions preaching to Gentiles (22:21-22), the crowd returns to a nearly unmanageable uproar. The chief captain was about to scourge Paul until he discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen. With that revelation, Paul inserted himself into the flow of the Roman legal system, thereby guaranteeing him an audience with leading political figures in the Roman government, even Caesar himself.
The chapters that follow record Paul’s testimony before a few of these figures. In chapter 23, Paul stands before the Jewish council once again in Jerusalem. In chapter 24, Paul is transferred to Caeserea, the Roman provincial seat of Judea, where he stands before governor Felix. Felix is replaced by Festus (24:27), and in chapter 25, Paul gives testimony before Festus and the Jewish council.
Though there are many truths and applications that are worthy of discussion in today’s reading, let’s focus our attention on a few truths related to Paul’s suffering, and how his suffering relates to ours.
- Suffering was a natural part of Paul’s commission, as it is a natural part of our commission. When God commissioned Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, he described his ministry this way: “He (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15,16) God promised that Paul would have the incredible privilege of preaching the gospel to Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel, so what Paul was experiencing in Acts 21-25 was actually God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. But God’s faithfulness also included the promise of suffering. God would likewise be faithful in keeping that promise. One of the many things that made Paul so unique as a follower of Christ was the fact that he joyfully accepted suffering as the normal and natural result of following Christ, and reckoned that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Paul was able to keep that perspective because he was constantly looking into the eternal realm, and passionately using his life to invest in Christ’s everlasting kingdom. (2 Cor. 4:18; 2 Peter 1:11) God promised those of us who desire to live like Paul: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12) If we live like Paul, and we, too, look at and live for a different kingdom, if we are constantly seeking to give the gospel to the lost, and constantly seeking to live a holy life for His glory, there’s no doubt about it, we will suffer! But always keep in mind, if we invest in eternity, a greater hope and reward is yet before us!
- Suffering brings us into a deeper intimacy with Christ, because through it, we are able to fellowship with Him in a much deeper and personal way. (Phil. 3:10) Paul was one of the few human beings who actually understood that principle. With the persecution and suffering Paul experienced, if he would have viewed it from the standpoint of a natural man, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine Paul saying something like, “God, here I am witnessing for you, seeking to live a holy life for Your glory, and this is what I get?!” It’s the complaint we often hear from lost people: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Though that sounds like a very legitimate question, the reality is, it’s actually a very self-righteous and self-centered question! It’s self-righteous, because we’re calling ourselves “good” when Romans 3:12 clearly states, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” It’s self-centered, because it assumes that life is all about us when Revelation 4:11 plainly declares, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created!” The real question should be, “Why do good things happen to such bad people?” That was Paul’s perspective. Paul was so thankful for the price that Jesus Christ paid for him that he actually considered the sufferings he endured in this life a blessing! In fact, suffering like Christ was one of his goals in life! He says in Philippians 3:8–10, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
Again, Paul understood the biblical principle that we so desperately need to learn in the 21st century: suffering is a natural and normal part of our calling. (1 Peter 2:21) It is through suffering, we not only become more like Christ, but become more intimately acquainted with Him. Oh God, please grant us that perspective.