“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,
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.’” Acts 22: 1-21 LSB
Acts 22: 1-21
People say, “When I was young, they used to say to me when they were trying to get me to go out and win people to Christ, say, ‘Well, the more you do it, the easier it gets.’” That isn’t true. “The more you do it, the easier.” That doesn’t work at all. The more you do it, the more effective you get, the harder Satan works against you.
And, incidentally, the longer you do it, the closer you get to the end of the age; and the closer you get to the end of the age, the worse people are going to get. Isn’t going to get any easier, it’s going to get tougher, so you might as well do it. Do it now while it’s easier than it’s going to be tomorrow.
You never rescue a soul from hell without putting up a struggle; it’s just that way. So if you’re going to give a positive testimony, I mean something that really makes waves in the system, you’re going to have to be aware that there’s going to be a negative involved in it. Be willing to take a little flack.
You know, it’s exciting to make waves, really. I imagine there are some Christians who don’t know what that means, whose only testimony is given to other Christians. If you’re going to confront the system, you’re going to find it’s always a negative situation; but you can just have a tremendous time seeing the power of God overcome that situation; and in the book of Acts, we’ve seen that happen.
The apostle Paul, it’s just one negative situation after another, it never phased him. He just figured, “That’s the way it’s going to be. I’ll just go ahead with what I’m want to do.” And he gave a positive testimony in a negative situation. God blessed.
Now he comes to Jerusalem in chapter 21 of Acts. It’s the final step in his third journey, and the third journey is the last journey that he ever made as a free man. The last “missionary” journey. The next trip that he makes back toward Rome is as a prisoner. It’s no less a missionary journey, because whether he was in or out of chains never changed what he said, and never changed his effect at all either. But technically speaking, this is last of his three missionary journeys.
He’s coming to Jerusalem. He wants to come to Jerusalem, because he wants to bring some Gentile converts who have money. He wants them to bring their money, which are love offerings from the Gentile churches, to give to the poor Jerusalem saints. He feels, one, it will meet the need of those saints. Two, it will bring together in a beautiful act of love, the Jewish and Gentile Christians; and he believes they should be one, as he so aptly communicated from the Holy Spirit in Ephesians. And so he does this as an act of conciliation, to bring together the two parts of the church: Jew and Gentile. J Mac Sermon on Acts 22: 1-15
Vs. 1-2 They became even quieter - God had given him the high ground of the stairs, and now he speaks in the language of Jerusalem. We have seen the accusations against him, claiming that he is anti-Jewish, that he is against the Mosaic law, and all this is slander against a man who actually loves these people enough to say what will make them want to kill him unless God intervenes and the Holy Spirit changes their hearts. The time right now is during the feast of Pentecost and he has been recognized by Jews from Ephesus, who are now inciting the crowd. Two things that Macarthur points out, if you are going to bring a positive message to a negative situation, you have to "see the negative situation as God ordained and you have to create an opportunity. At the end of the previous chapter Paul had talked to the commander, the commander realized he was not the person he thought he was, and then Paul asked to speak to the crowd. We need to pray for opportunities, but we also need to recognize them when they come. At one of the lowest points in my life, when I thought I was declining to a point that would be my end, I finally looked to God and saw His hand, and that helped me to take my eyes off the people who had wronged me and focus on Christ.
…19But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this— to preserve the lives of many people. 21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.… Genesis 50: 19-21
…18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4: 18-19
V. 3 At the feet of Gamaliel - Paul's apologia, his defense, starts with his testimony. They say he is against the Jews, he says he is a Jew. They say he is against the law, but he loves the law, is a Pharisee who studied under Gamaliel, one of their great teachers. What the Mishnah states of Gamaliel shows him to be considered a man of the highest integrity.
And listen to this. He says, “I am verily a man who is a Jew.” Now this is in the literal Greek emphatic. “I myself, like you, am truly a Jew.” What is he saying? “I’m as Jewish as you are. I am truly, myself, a Jew.” Emphatic Greek construction. He’s proud of it, and he should be. Nothing to be ashamed of to be Jewish. He’s proud of it. And, man, he announces it, because it identifies with those people. It conciliates them immediately. This is no foreigner. This is no rabblerousing Egyptian. And, you know, most of the mob don’t have any idea who he is. There’s just that little group that started the thing that know.
Disraeli, speaking to British Parliament just after he became prime minister of England, and he was in the middle of his speech, and a very bitter and hateful, brutal lord in the House stood up and said, “You, sir, are a Jew,” sat down. Disraeli drew himself to full height, which wasn’t very much, and he replied these words: “My lord, you accuse me of being a Jew. I am proud to answer to the name, and I would remind you, sir, that one-half of Christendom worships a Jew, and the other half a Jewess. And I would also remind you that my forefathers were worshipping the one true and living God, while yours were naked savages running around the woods of Britain.” Well said. - J Mac
Luke mentioned Gamaliel in the trial of the apostles before the Sanhedrin writing "that a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council (sunedrion) and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time (he commanded the respect of all the Council)." (Acts 5:34+) He argued that the Jewish leaders were in danger of arguing against God (Acts 5:39+) and they agreed and released the apostles (Acts 5:40-41+) Gamaliel was the greatest disciple of one of the greatest Jewish rabbis Hillel. All of the Jews listening knew exactly who Gamaliel was and this further established Paul's credibility with his audience.
NET Note on Gamaliel - Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here and in Acts 5:34. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as "Gamaliel the Elder" to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.
The Mishnah helps us understand why Gamaliel was so esteemed "Since Rabban Gamaliel the elder died there has been no more reverence for the law; and purity and abstinence died out at the same time.” (Sotah 9:15) - PA
Vs. 4-5 I persecuted this Way to the death - Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, and then claimed to be the only Way to be right with God, by continuing, "no one comes to the Father but by Me." So His followers were called followers of The Way. Paul was called Saul in those early times, and he was zealous, just like these people who were trying to kill him on this day, and he hunted Christians. This is the beauty of a true testimony, "this was me, this was my sin, but I met Jesus and this is why I am different, this is why you can't stand me. I am falling more in love with the Way, and you are still in love with the world, or with a religion that hasn't changed your heart. This shows the pattern of Paul's repentance, his turning away from his former life.
…4though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.…
7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.… Philippians 3: 4-9
Vs. 6-8 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me - Now he moves into his encounter with Christ, what changed it all. This is his Lazarus come forth moment, on my way to kill Christians, thinking I am alive, though dead in my trespasses and sins, thinking I am doing God's work, thinking I can see clearly, and then boom!
…44And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ 46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”… Matthew 25: 44-46
12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service. 13 I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. 14And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.… 1 Timothy 1: 12-14
Vs. 9-11 But did not understand the voice of the One - This is an interesting point to his testimony, that there were others with him that witnessed the light, the physical phenomena, but they did not hear Christ's voice. It's sad for them, but compelling as testimony, because he doesn't say that they can attest to all that Paul is saying, only in part. They did have to lead him away as well since he was physically blinded by this phenomena.
Vs. 12-16 Regain your sight - God is able to convince even the most stubborn, there is no one outside of or above his sovereignty, if He so chooses to save you then you will come humbly and willingly as He brings you.
MacArthur writes that Paul "wants the people who are hearing him below him to know that this Christianity was not something concocted by a bunch of anti-Jewish people. He was pro-Jewish. It was Jesus of Nazareth, whom they knew to be Jewish, that spoke to him. It was Ananias who was a devout Jew, who was involved. So far, the whole thing is Jewish." (Sermon) _ PA
Vs. 17-21 For I will send you far away to the gentiles - It is interesting that God takes the most studied Jew and sends him to the gentiles. Paul would be able to give the most complete, technical picture of the gospel, from Genesis till his time. His is the testimony of a changed life that points to God as the soul reason. Paul has a great heart for his people even after all the abuse, and he goes to their synagogues in every Gentile town that he can find one. There are missionaries who give all like that even to this day.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.