Welcome to Books of the Book.
I'm glad you have joined us here
00:00:22.53\00:00:24.79
for our study of the book
of Acts. My name is Pastor Mark
00:00:24.82\00:00:28.36
Howard and I'm here with my
co-host Pastor Jim Howard who is
00:00:28.40\00:00:31.95
also my brother, by the way.
We have been plowing through the
00:00:31.99\00:00:35.98
book of Acts and learning some
exciting things here. But before
00:00:36.01\00:00:39.39
we dive in today we want to
start with a word of prayer, so
00:00:39.43\00:00:42.74
I want to invite our viewers to
join us as we ask God to bless
00:00:42.77\00:00:46.05
our time in his word.
Father in heaven, we thank you
00:00:46.08\00:00:49.30
for the guidance of your spirit
and we ask for his guidance now
00:00:49.34\00:00:54.46
in our study today. We ask these
things in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:00:54.49\00:00:58.51
Now our last time together and
Jim you may recall as we were
00:00:58.55\00:01:02.70
studying through Acts, we
were in chapter 21 and you were
00:01:02.73\00:01:06.97
sharing about some advice that
James and the leading brethren
00:01:07.01\00:01:11.22
had given the Apostle Paul
to make a concession with the
00:01:11.25\00:01:15.01
people, with some of the
Jews because of some of the
00:01:15.05\00:01:19.17
complaints that had been
leveled against him that he was
00:01:19.21\00:01:23.26
forbidding them to be able to
circumcise their children, that
00:01:23.30\00:01:26.32
he was teaching against the law
of Moses and rather than these
00:01:26.35\00:01:30.38
leaders standing in defense of
the apostle, it's not like they
00:01:30.41\00:01:34.82
took sides with, at least openly
with the complaints, but they
00:01:34.85\00:01:39.22
seemed to have some kind of
sympathy with the complainers.
00:01:39.25\00:01:42.43
And they counseled Paul to go
along with a ritual cleansing to
00:01:42.47\00:01:47.84
prove some of the allegations
false. It almost seems that
00:01:47.87\00:01:51.68
they wanted to see if he would
go through to see how on board
00:01:51.71\00:01:54.64
he was. You remember Paul had
been a persecutor of the church
00:01:54.67\00:01:57.76
and I think that stuck with him
all through his ministry to a
00:01:57.80\00:02:01.04
degree. We don't want to imply
that the leaders in Jerusalem
00:02:01.08\00:02:04.28
were always making wrong
decisions, but we do see here
00:02:04.32\00:02:07.47
that the council they gave him,
or we will see in a moment, that
00:02:07.51\00:02:10.77
the counsel wasn't the greatest
counsel. The purpose was to
00:02:10.81\00:02:16.21
smooth things over with the
Jews to try to accommodate them
00:02:16.25\00:02:22.31
to make things better. But as we
read on in verse 26 and onward
00:02:22.34\00:02:26.63
here it says that Paul took the
men that they had counseled him
00:02:26.66\00:02:30.91
to take. The next day, having
been purified with them, and
00:02:30.95\00:02:33.85
he entered the temple to
announce the expiration of the
00:02:33.89\00:02:38.27
days of purification. And it
goes on to say that when some
00:02:38.31\00:02:42.61
of the Jews from Asia saw him,
they recognized him. They cried
00:02:42.64\00:02:47.93
out, in verse 28, Men of Israel,
help. They go on to say this man
00:02:47.97\00:02:51.81
brought Greeks into the temple
and defiled the temple, which he
00:02:51.84\00:02:55.95
had not done. But they make this
accusation and immediately...
00:02:55.99\00:02:59.85
This is an example now again
of the crowd being stirred up.
00:02:59.88\00:03:03.67
In this case, a false accusation
this is the man who caused this
00:03:03.70\00:03:07.53
trouble. And immediately Paul
is grabbed, he is dragged out.
00:03:07.57\00:03:12.01
In verse 31 it says, They were
seeking to kill him. This was a
00:03:12.04\00:03:16.48
big tumult that was raised very
quickly and the news traveled to
00:03:16.51\00:03:20.91
the commander of the Roman
army, Claudius Lysius, who comes
00:03:20.94\00:03:25.20
running with his soldiers. Verse
32 says, He immediately took
00:03:25.23\00:03:29.12
soldiers and centurions, ran
down to them and when they saw
00:03:29.16\00:03:32.62
the commander and the soldiers,
that's the Jews, they stopped
00:03:32.66\00:03:35.82
beating Paul. So already they
had taken him out, they didn't
00:03:35.86\00:03:38.47
just ask him to leave, they'd
taken him out and began to beat
00:03:38.50\00:03:41.08
him and they were intending
to beat him to death. So the
00:03:41.11\00:03:45.26
commander rescues Paul and
it goes on to say that, in verse
00:03:45.29\00:03:49.22
35, that when they reached the
stairs Paul had to be carried
00:03:49.25\00:03:53.05
by the soldiers because of
the violence of the mob. For the
00:03:53.09\00:03:56.24
multitude of people followed
after crying, Away with him.
00:03:56.28\00:03:58.78
In other words, if they
hadn't taken him physically, the
00:03:58.82\00:04:01.47
soldiers, and carried him
out, he would have been torn to
00:04:01.50\00:04:04.11
pieces by the mob. So
you look at the situation and
00:04:04.15\00:04:07.22
the leading brethren had thought
that by Paul going through this
00:04:07.25\00:04:11.12
ritual cleansing, that the Jews
would look at that and say, oh
00:04:11.15\00:04:15.94
look. But as soon as they saw
him, before they even took note
00:04:15.98\00:04:19.86
of what he was doing they
already were there to accuse him
00:04:19.89\00:04:23.70
and they had no openness really
to what the Apostle Paul had to
00:04:23.74\00:04:28.24
say. That's right. And there's a
00:04:28.27\00:04:30.08
lesson in this for us. To make
accommodations with the enemies
00:04:30.12\00:04:36.68
of the truth will never lead to
a peaceful situation or for the
00:04:36.71\00:04:42.36
furtherance of the gospel of
Christ. Let me put it this way,
00:04:42.39\00:04:47.15
it won't ever lead to a peaceful
situation until the person who
00:04:47.18\00:04:51.22
is accommodating completely
lays down their faith. So their
00:04:51.26\00:04:55.53
counsel did not help out in the
situation. You know, the real
00:04:55.57\00:04:59.80
reason, Jim, was that these
accusations about him saying
00:04:59.84\00:05:02.86
these things against the law
or whatever were not the real
00:05:02.89\00:05:05.67
issue. The real issue were that
people were convicted and they
00:05:05.70\00:05:08.45
were trying to silence the
conviction by silencing the
00:05:08.48\00:05:10.69
messenger, not realizing that
the true messenger was the Holy
00:05:10.72\00:05:15.67
Spirit and the God of heaven.
So we come into verse 37 and
00:05:15.70\00:05:20.58
they're going to lead Paul into
the barracks for his protection
00:05:20.62\00:05:24.27
and he has a little conversation
with the commander here and asks
00:05:24.30\00:05:28.81
for an opportunity to speak to
the Jews, which is granted here
00:05:28.85\00:05:32.14
in this situation. We see in
verse 40, so when he had given
00:05:32.17\00:05:35.53
him permission, Paul stood on
the stairs, so he's protected,
00:05:35.56\00:05:39.07
by the soldiers and in chapter
22 verse 1, it says, Brethren
00:05:39.11\00:05:42.69
and fathers, hear my defense
before you now. And when they
00:05:42.73\00:05:45.98
heard that he spoke to them in
the Hebrew language, they kept
00:05:46.02\00:05:49.50
all the more silent and he went
on and began to tell them his
00:05:49.54\00:05:54.17
story. I am indeed a Jew, born
in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought
00:05:54.21\00:05:58.32
up in this city at the feet
of Gamaliel, taught according to
00:05:58.36\00:06:02.85
the strictness of our fathers'
law and was zealous toward God
00:06:02.88\00:06:06.77
as you are this Way and I
even persecuted this Way. So he
00:06:06.81\00:06:10.66
begins to tell them of
his experience in binding up
00:06:10.69\00:06:14.70
believers and carting them off
to prison and even consenting
00:06:14.74\00:06:17.63
to their death. He was saying
I know where you guys are coming
00:06:17.66\00:06:20.52
from but I want to tell
you something about the way in
00:06:20.55\00:06:23.65
which I followed.
That's right. So he made it
00:06:23.69\00:06:26.26
clear that he comes from the
same heritage and he spoke about
00:06:26.29\00:06:30.71
how he had been trained
in the strictness of the law.
00:06:30.74\00:06:33.12
But something happened in verse
6. It says, Now it happened as
00:06:33.16\00:06:36.77
I journeyed and came near
Damascus about noon suddenly a
00:06:36.80\00:06:40.20
great light from heaven shown
around me. Then he begins to
00:06:40.23\00:06:44.33
recount this story; we've read
it previously in Acts chapter 9
00:06:44.36\00:06:48.42
where the Lord speaks and
says Saul, Saul, why are you
00:06:48.45\00:06:50.46
persecuting me. It is hard for
you to kick against the goads.
00:06:50.49\00:06:54.78
And he continues telling the
story of how then he was blinded
00:06:54.81\00:06:59.70
and he realized the he had
been guilty ultimately. That it
00:06:59.73\00:07:04.08
wasn't these Christians who
were in the wrong but it was he
00:07:04.12\00:07:08.90
and then Ananias, someone
appointed by the Lord himself,
00:07:08.93\00:07:13.64
to go and talk to Paul and give
him his sight back, hooked up
00:07:13.68\00:07:17.71
with him, gave him his sight
back. He describes this whole
00:07:17.75\00:07:21.75
story. When he gets down
to verse 17, he says, Now it
00:07:21.79\00:07:26.81
happened when I returned to
Jerusalem and was praying in the
00:07:26.85\00:07:30.09
temple that I was in a trance
and saw him saying to me, Make
00:07:30.13\00:07:32.98
haste and get out of Jerusalem
quickly for they will not
00:07:33.01\00:07:35.83
receive your testimony
concerning me. So after the
00:07:35.87\00:07:38.57
conversion of Paul he explains
how the Lord told him, You're
00:07:38.61\00:07:42.72
going to need to get out of
Jerusalem because the Jews in
00:07:42.76\00:07:46.62
Jerusalem are not going to
accept your testimony and he
00:07:46.66\00:07:50.45
goes on to say in verse 20, I'm
sorry I'll start back in verse
00:07:50.48\00:07:54.86
19, So I said Lord, they
know that in every synagogue I
00:07:54.89\00:07:58.69
imprisoned and beat those
who believe on you and when the
00:07:58.72\00:08:02.68
blood of your martyr Stephen
was shed, I also was standing by
00:08:02.71\00:08:06.64
consenting to his death and
guarding the clothes of those
00:08:06.67\00:08:08.52
who were killing him. It's
interesting that the Greek word
00:08:08.56\00:08:12.33
for martyr here is the same
one translated witness in other
00:08:12.36\00:08:15.71
places. Your witness Stephen,
your martyr. It says something
00:08:15.74\00:08:19.52
about what it means to witness.
It's courage and fearlessness.
00:08:19.55\00:08:23.01
In verse 21, it says, Then
he said to me depart, for I will
00:08:23.04\00:08:26.39
send you far from here to
the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul
00:08:26.43\00:08:31.73
became the great apostle to the
Gentiles. But when this
particular portion of
00:08:31.77\00:08:36.97
his discourse came out of his
lips, the response, the openness
00:08:37.00\00:08:41.43
that seemed to be there ended.
And you'll pick that up in verse
00:08:41.47\00:08:45.87
22 where those who were
listening were not very happy
00:08:45.90\00:08:47.94
about this part about
going to the Gentiles.
00:08:47.97\00:08:50.18
That's right, but it's an
important thing to note here
00:08:50.21\00:08:52.24
that Paul when he was converted
was sent from Jerusalem and
00:08:52.28\00:08:56.34
this explains a little bit
of his burden. He had never had
00:08:56.38\00:09:00.38
the opportunity to go and preach
the gospel in Jerusalem and even
00:09:00.41\00:09:04.77
though he knew it was going
to hard and it may cost him his
00:09:04.80\00:09:08.09
life, he wanted them to have
that opportunity. The Lord Jesus
00:09:08.12\00:09:11.37
wanted him to have that
opportunity in Jerusalem, but
00:09:11.40\00:09:14.21
when he mentioned the Gentiles,
verse 22 says they listened to
00:09:14.24\00:09:17.54
him until this word and then
they raised their voices and
00:09:17.57\00:09:20.80
said away with such a fella from
the earth for he is not fit to
00:09:20.83\00:09:24.97
live. Then as they cried out and
tore off their clothes and threw
00:09:25.01\00:09:29.12
dust into the air, the commander
ordered him back into the
00:09:29.15\00:09:31.85
barracks, etc. I tried
to picture this, Jim. I mean
00:09:31.88\00:09:34.09
they're tearing off their
clothes and we saw the same
00:09:34.12\00:09:36.26
thing at the stoning of Stephen.
They're laying aside their outer
00:09:36.30\00:09:39.08
garments to be a little
more free to move and they began
00:09:39.12\00:09:42.79
throwing dust. I can't imagine
more of a picture of just a
00:09:42.82\00:09:47.12
total uncontrolled madness, a
demonic madness, that has taken
00:09:47.16\00:09:50.81
over these people, this mob
mentality, and they are ready
00:09:50.84\00:09:54.30
once again to tear Paul in
pieces and the soldiers have to
00:09:54.33\00:09:58.03
take him away. The commandeer
now is curious because he's
00:09:58.07\00:10:02.14
wondering what kind of teaching
or what did he do that called
00:10:02.18\00:10:06.21
forth all of this violence.
It must have been something,
00:10:06.25\00:10:08.80
right? Paul is sitting
here saying I've done nothing.
00:10:08.83\00:10:11.31
It must have been something and
it says that they, the soldiers,
00:10:11.35\00:10:15.81
verse 24, The commander ordered
him to be brought into the
00:10:15.85\00:10:19.43
barracks and said that he should
be examined under scourging
00:10:19.47\00:10:22.98
so that they might know why they
shouted so against him. He won't
00:10:23.02\00:10:27.65
tell us now, we'll beat
him and then he'll tell us.
00:10:27.68\00:10:30.51
That was the mentality. So they
bind Paul ready to scourge him
00:10:30.55\00:10:33.67
and Paul asks the question
of the commander about whether
00:10:33.71\00:10:38.58
it's lawful to scourge a Roman
citizen. And the commander is
00:10:38.61\00:10:42.47
surprised at this because he had
to buy, which some people did,
00:10:42.50\00:10:45.98
Roman citizens had special
privileges and rights, he had to
00:10:46.02\00:10:49.47
buy his citizenship. He
says are you a Roman citizen?
00:10:49.50\00:10:52.40
Paul says that he is which
he thinks he must be pulling his
00:10:52.43\00:10:55.72
leg. Well I obtained this
citizenship with a large sum, he
00:10:55.76\00:10:59.20
says. What about you? And Paul
says I was free born. Suddenly
00:10:59.23\00:11:03.12
things change. The Bible says in
verse 29, Immediately those who
00:11:03.16\00:11:07.01
were about to examine
him withdrew from him and the
00:11:07.05\00:11:09.71
commander was afraid after he
found out he was a Roman because
00:11:09.75\00:11:14.20
he had bound him. It was
unlawful to treat a Roman in
00:11:14.23\00:11:17.35
such a way without any kind
of trial to determine his guilt.
00:11:17.38\00:11:21.19
So now the commander is nervous
and Paul escapes the beating
00:11:21.22\00:11:24.99
this time as we
move on in the story.
00:11:25.03\00:11:27.41
Well let's pick up on verse
30. It says that the next day
00:11:27.44\00:11:31.44
because he wanted to know for
certain why he was accused by
00:11:31.47\00:11:35.07
the Jews, he released him from
his bonds, commanded the chief
00:11:35.10\00:11:38.42
priests and all their counsel
to appear and brought Paul down
00:11:38.45\00:11:42.32
and set him before
them. Then in verse 1,
00:11:42.36\00:11:44.58
Then Paul
looking earnestly at the
00:11:44.62\00:11:46.10
council said, Men and brethren,
I have lived in all good
00:11:46.13\00:11:50.11
conscience before God until
this day. So the Apostle Paul
00:11:50.14\00:11:53.63
believes in all his heart
that he has been doing exactly
00:11:53.67\00:11:57.09
what God called him to do. He
has been actually living a more
00:11:57.12\00:12:00.95
pure experience based on what
the law and the prophets said
00:12:00.99\00:12:04.16
than those who claimed that
he was rejecting the law and the
00:12:04.20\00:12:07.43
prophets. In verse 2 it says,
And the high priest Ananias
00:12:07.47\00:12:11.72
commanded those who stood by
him to strike him on the mouth.
00:12:11.76\00:12:15.72
Then Paul said to him, God
will strike you, you whitewashed
00:12:15.75\00:12:19.74
wall, for you sit to judge me
according to the law and do you
00:12:19.77\00:12:23.59
command me to be struck contrary
to the law. That's some pretty
00:12:23.63\00:12:27.41
bold words. Well he's
figuring he's probably
00:12:27.45\00:12:30.70
going to die anyway.
That's exactly right.
00:12:30.73\00:12:33.91
It's interesting here: Ananias
commands him to strike him and
00:12:33.94\00:12:37.74
Paul uses this term whitewashed
wall. It reminds me of Jesus
00:12:37.78\00:12:41.55
when he spoke to the Pharisees
and said they were like
00:12:41.58\00:12:44.12
whitewashed tombs. Outwardly
they looked beautiful but inside
00:12:44.16\00:12:48.69
they were full of dead
men's' bones. So here we see the
00:12:48.73\00:12:51.79
Apostle Paul using similar
language. He's speaking about
00:12:51.83\00:12:54.82
the hypocrisy of Ananias. Here
Ananias is bringing him before
00:12:54.86\00:13:00.20
him to arraign him for breaking
the law and yet having him
00:13:00.24\00:13:04.78
struck contrary to law. Because
remember here, the Apostle Paul
00:13:04.81\00:13:09.32
is here standing before the
Sanhedrin. He was part of the
00:13:09.35\00:13:13.03
Sanhedrin. The Apostle Paul
probably as he was looking out
00:13:13.06\00:13:17.05
at the Sanhedrin saw some faces
that he still recognized from
00:13:17.08\00:13:21.11
when he himself served there. So
he understood the law and Jewish
00:13:21.14\00:13:25.07
law was very clear that he was
not allowed to be beaten until
00:13:25.10\00:13:29.03
getting a fair trial and a fair
hearing. So he knew that Ananias
00:13:29.07\00:13:32.82
was actually acting contrary
to the law under hypocrisy where
00:13:32.86\00:13:36.55
while here Paul was living in
all good conscience. But then in
00:13:36.58\00:13:40.25
verse 4 it says, that those
who stood by said, Do you revile
00:13:40.28\00:13:43.59
God's high priest. And Paul
gives an interesting response
00:13:43.62\00:13:46.86
here in verse 5. Then Paul said,
I did not know, brethren, that
00:13:46.90\00:13:50.20
he was the high priest. For it
is written, you shall not speak
00:13:50.24\00:13:54.74
evil of a ruler of your people.
So apparently we understand
00:13:54.78\00:14:00.13
whether it was tied to his
blinding on the road to Damascus
00:14:00.16\00:14:05.48
or whatever it may have
been, the Apostle Paul...
00:14:05.52\00:14:08.21
Or had the confusion of
the trial and all the voices.
00:14:08.24\00:14:11.31
Right, but he had vision
problems we understand and so it
00:14:11.35\00:14:14.83
could have been that he didn't
recognize that it was Ananias
00:14:14.86\00:14:17.94
the high priest. It could have
been, as you stated, that the
00:14:17.97\00:14:20.70
voice was coming from here or
there and he didn't know exactly
00:14:20.73\00:14:23.84
who it was. We don't really know
exactly why, but the Apostle
00:14:23.87\00:14:26.83
Paul apparently was not fully
aware that this was the high
00:14:26.87\00:14:29.99
priest and then he actually
quotes scripture to say I would
00:14:30.03\00:14:33.87
not have taken that road and
I would not have spoken in that
00:14:33.91\00:14:37.43
way had I known that because it
says, You shall not speak evil
00:14:37.46\00:14:41.24
of a ruler of your people. So
this is a fascinating story but
00:14:41.28\00:14:45.05
before we continue, we're going
to have to go to break. So stay
00:14:45.09\00:14:48.14
tuned and we'll be back in just
a moment with Books of the Book.
00:14:48.17\00:14:51.19