the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people ******* Acts 21:26 – 22:30 ~ We have arrived back in Jerusalem with Paul in this leg of our Spiritual Safari and Paul receives a royal reception from the church there! The problem is: the reception from the rest of the citizens isn’t going to be quite so royal! In our last report Paul made his own report to the church upon his arrival. Of course, Paul’s custom was to report to the church in Antioch because they are the ones who had sent him out. Well, Paul has come to this church in Jerusalem to bring them the gift that he had for them. The church there listened intently to the report of how Paul had saved so many Gentiles but they also know there were thousands of Jews right in their own midst that were now trusting Christ; they had all turned to the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of Paul’s missionary efforts! Naturally, the church didn’t want there to be division between the Jews and Gentiles – they desired for all to be one – so they ask Paul to go with the four men who had made a vow and were going into the temple. Remember, to the Jews Paul became as a Jew and to the Gentile Paul became a Gentile! See, Paul wasn’t doing any of this from a command – Paul did these things because he wanted to win these people for Christ! ~ XXI 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 28 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. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) ~ As always, the mob gets their facts totally mixed up. This mob erroneously thought that Paul had brought this man Trophimus into the temple. Here, we need to make a very fine distinction: Paul was a Jew and he was brought up in the tradition of the Old Testament law – he knew the Mosaic Law better than anyone else there. So, when he came to Jerusalem he went into the temple. Trophimus, of course, was an Ephesian and was obviously one of the converts of Paul. Trophimus was in Jerusalem but he wasn’t going into the temple! Trophimus had no reason to go through the rituals and he likely had no desire to do so, either! Even so, under grace, if he wanted to he could have but if he didn’t want to he didn’t have to! Paul had taken a vow of fasting and eating certain things and not eating other things so Paul was accustomed to observing the law. Today, we have a whole lot of Christians who are faddists in their diet. As we know, a diet will not commend us to God. We are under grace so we can either eat or not eat – it just doesn’t matter! You might want to consider your health or your physical condition - but your relationship to God and your salvation just isn’t part of the dietary equation! If God’s people could only make that distinction today it would make all the difference in the world. If the mob in Paul’s day could have made that distinction then they wouldn’t have intended to kill him! It would have also made a difference in their bitterness and hatred of this man! Paul was teaching that one didn’t have to perform the rituals of the Mosaic System to be saved. Well, his teaching didn’t quite accomplish the purpose that Paul had in mind; but it did accomplish a God-given purpose! ~ 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. ~ If this captain had not intervened then this would have been the end of Paul. Of course, this captain didn’t know Paul as some great apostle to the Gentiles, either! The captain thinks Paul has probably committed some heinous crime because he puts Paul in chains. Naturally, in the mob, some were saying one thing and some were saying another – that’s always mob mentality! So, when this captain can’t understand the charge against Paul he tries to take him in where they can calm everyone down. I’m sure the captain thinks Paul is some common criminal but he is amazed that Paul speaks fluent Greek! As a foreign emissary the captain had a total misconception about who he had in chains here; in fact, the captain thinks Paul is some Egyptian killer! ~ 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, ~ So, we now know Paul is a Greek speaking Jew. The captain is more than happy to have Paul make an attempt to quiet this crowd down. That brings us to Paul’s message before the mob. Of course, Paul is going to recount his own encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ on that road to Damascus and the subsequent experience that has brought him here at this time. We also see in this next chapter Paul declares his Roman citizenship to deliver himself from the terrible beating that would have been given any other prisoner. So, Paul is speaking Greek to the captain but he is speaking to the mob in their Hebrew native tongue. These people loved the Hebrew language and they certainly understood it; so, the minute Paul started talking they knew he was one of them! The way the mob quiets down is the same as when Jesus commanded the raging waves on the ocean to be still, too, by the way! ~ XXII 1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. ~ This will mark the beginning of a bitter persecution by the religious rulers. Paul had been one of them – he was a Pharisee. The main reason Paul was so sympathetic and loving towards these religious rulers is because he had been one of them before his conversion and he knew exactly how they felt about this Jesus business; Paul had performed the same persecutions of Christians! Well, Paul wants to win them for Christ so he begins with this background in an effort to identify with them. Tarsus was the absolute center of learning in that day and the Paul had attended the finest Greek university there – as we have already seen on this safari! The universities in Athens and Corinth were community college satellite campuses compared to the Ivey League of Tarsus. Well, Paul not only had that background but he had spent a whole lot of time in Jerusalem studying under Gamaliel! That was no small accomplishment, either; these people knew this man was highly educated and experienced. You could say Paul had his doctorate degree under the most outstanding scholar of the day! So, they’re apt to listen to him now. Well, Paul doesn’t call the believers ‘’Christians’’ and he doesn’t use the term ‘’church,’’ either – he uses ‘’that way’’ because that’s something these people could understand. Actually, I think it’s still a good term to use, by the way. ‘’This way’’ is The Way, The Truth and The Light, too! We’re talking about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ now! At this point I think you could have heard a pin drop on the streets, too! ~ 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. ~ You will recall that when we examined the record of Paul’s conversion - in chapter nine at seven – the record says the men that were with Paul ‘’heard a voice’’ but I said they didn’t hear the voice – what they really heard was a noise! They heard something alright – but they didn’t understand it! This is no contradiction, either, by the way – although it does appear to be one at first glance. I call this out because I think it’s important as this is where the critic likes to pounce in and try to have some fun. The truth is: there’s no fun here for a critic – they just cannot understand Scriptural truths and realities – because they cannot hear the voice of God…. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ~ Verse fifteen tells us of a private interview Paul had with Christ; and I am sure this was done out there on the backside of that Arabian Desert. Well, Paul never forgot that he had charge over the stoning of Steven, as we see in verse twenty, and he confesses it more than once. That murder left an indelible stamp in Paul’s mind and I believe that’s a huge part of what led to his own conversion. Well, verse twenty one is where Paul mentions the Gentiles – and this crowd knows Paul had been out converting them. Unfortunately, the moment Paul mentions it the fuse is lit on a great big pile of dynamite! This is where they aren’t going to listen any longer…. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? ~ So, the captain doesn’t speak Hebrew so he has no idea what Paul was saying. All the captain knows is that he has a prisoner so he might as well beat him half to death. The crowd is just thoroughly confused and they totally misunderstood Paul. They thought Paul was an Egyptian killer – but he isn’t that. They thought he had brought Trophimus into the temple but he didn’t do that, either. The fact that he is a Greek speaking Hebrew just adds chaos to the turmoil. The clincher is that Paul is also a Roman citizen! ~ 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. ~ Well, the old captain was an ex-slave who had either saved up some cash or someone had bought him out of slavery! One way or another he had gotten free and had advanced in the Roman army. He is, obviously, shocked that he has a Roman citizen who had been born free in chains! That could have sent him right back to slavery in an instant! This all means that Paul is going to get a hearing. From here on Paul is going to have to defend himself against these charges. He is going to appear before several rulers but the religious rulers are planning to kill him way before any of that happens. They want Paul dead, to be sure – with or without a trial. We’re going to find Paul make a defense before the Sanhedrin and then we’ll find him in prison for about two years in Caesarea before he makes yet another appeal and is shipped off to Rome! The Lord will assure Paul he is going safely to Rome and God assures Paul that His providence is the one conducting him. We’ll see all that as we continue on in this safari and I hope you can go with us ~
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 11:56:58 +0000
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