Explore the Bible Lesson Preview February 18, 2018 Answering Critics Background: Acts 23:23-26:32 Lesson: Acts 26:19-29

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview February 18, 2018 Answering Critics Background: Acts 23:23-26:32 Lesson: Acts 26:19-29 Motivation: After hurrying to Jerusalem, Paul now finds himself in a holding pattern for two years! He is confined because of lies, false charges and political intrigue. Even his witness to Felix seems ineffective. Yet, Paul has an unshakable sense of God s purpose upon his life (9:15, 23:11, 23-24) and continues to move towards his destiny. Examination: I. Safe in Caesarea (23:23-35) A. Force He summoned two of his centurions and said, Get 200 soldiers ready with 70 cavalry and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Al so provide mounts so they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor. (23) The lengths that a heathen commander would go to protect one life is in sharp contrast to the lengths to which the righteous Jews were willing to go to destroy the same life. The first part of the journey was through mountainous country, full of ambush sites. At Antipatris (31-32), terrain became flat and uninhabited, so the mounted force could go on to Caesarea alone. B. Facts Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix (26) The Roman commander sets out the facts in an impartial manner. In verse 27, he casts his motives in a more favorable light and conveniently omits the part about scourging. (22:24) 1 / 14

2 C. Felix - William Barclay, Acts of the Apostles, p : The governor to whom Paul was taken was Felix and his name was a byword. For five years he had governed Judaea and for two years before that he had been stationed in Samaria; he had still two years to go before being dismissed from his post. He had begun life as a slave. His brother, Pallas, was the favorite of Nero. Through the influence of Pallas, Felix had risen first to be a freedman and then to be a governor. He was the first slave in history ever to become the governor of a Roman province. Tacitus, the Roman historian, said of him, He exercised the prerogatives of a king with the spirit of a slave. He had actually been married to three princesses one after another. The name of the first is not known; the second was a granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra; the third was Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa the First. He was completely unscrupulous and was capable of hiring thugs to murder his own closest supporters. It was to face a man like that that Paul went to Caesarea. II. Trial Before Felix A. Demand (24:1-9) 1. Inappropriate After five days Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor. (1) God s law clearly said that the accused was to have evidence presented against him/her by two or three witnesses (Deut 17:6). Paul pointed this out in his defense (13, 19). 2. Insincere When he was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: Since we enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation by your foresight, 3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with utmost gratitude. (2-3) William Barclay calls this... nauseating flattery, every word of which he and Felix knew was quite untrue. ( Acts of the Apostles, p.168). In fact, Felix s reign was characterized not by peace but by increasing civil unrest towards Rome. The invasion by Titus legion and the total destruction of Jerusalem would occur within a decade. Regarding benefit of this nation, it was actually a time of severe famine that had prompted Paul s relief offering for the Jerusalem Church. 2 / 14

3 3. Inaccurate For we have found this man to be a plague... (5) Tertullus charge was at three levels: a. an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world (5) Even though it was a lie, Tertullus knew that Felix could not dismiss this charge easily. The Empire would not tolerate civil unrest; Palestine had seen its share of false Messiahs and revolutionaries and Roman justice crushed them ruthlessly. This charge had been leveled at Jesus in Pilate s court and had resulted in His crucifixion (John 19:12). Christians today who try to change society are often charged with creating dissension. Society values peace over truth. When someone tries to stand for truth, they are often marginalized as a fundamentalist, radical or out of the mainstream. Jesus reminds us Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I come not to send peace, but a sword. (Matt 10:35) Blessed are you, when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:11-12; 23:25). If we fit too comfortably into this world s culture, and fail to create any agitation, then we re not standing up for what we believe! b. a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes! (5) Again, Rome had experience with revolutionary Messiahs who caused revolt and trouble (Luke 13:1). Rather than call them Christians, Tertullus tried to localize them as a threat to Felix s reign. c. He even tried to desecrate the temple... (6) The high priest represented the party of the Sadducees, a pro-roman faction of Judaism. The charge of temple desecration, though untrue, was sure to get sympathetic review by Felix. B. Defense When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied (10) 1. Facts You are able to determine... (11) Paul begins and ends his defense with the simple facts. It was recent, there were witnesses and it was all verifiable. He appeals to Felix s sense of fairness you have been a judge of this nation for many years (10) Because the facts were so clear, Paul had no need of an attorney, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me. 3 / 14

4 (10) 2. Faith And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 I always do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and men. (15-16) Believers Study Bible, p.1586: 24:15 A resurrection... both of the just and the unjust was a source of comfort and a firm conviction of Paul. As he went through what was perhaps the greatest crisis of his life, he seemed to be seized by the conviction that the purpose of all his sufferings and persecutions was the revelation and experience he had concerning the resurrection of the dead. He had seen Christ alive. This he called the hope of Israel several times, with only slight variations in terminology (cf. 23:6; 24:15, 25:19) in which Festus quotes Paul: and 26:6-8; 28:20, I Cor 15:19, Titus 2:13, Rom 15:13, in which the hope of Israel refers to the resurrections from the dead. (Luke 24:44-50, 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:19-21.) 3. Follow up It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges if they have anything against me (19) After a brief review of more facts (17-18), Paul points out that no eyewitnesses have been presented. The leaders present could only give second hand testimony concerning the arraignment before the Sanhedrin (20). Paul summarizes his defense by repeating the statement concerning the resurrection made before the Sanhedrin. (Dan 12:2-3, John 5:28-29) 4. Frustration Leave for now, but when I find time I ll call for you. (25) Believer s Study Bible, p. 1586: 24:25 Paul was tried before Governor Felix whose wife was the Jewess Drusilla. The governor treated Paul with kindness, giving him liberty and allowing him visitors. Subsequently, he permitted Paul to languish in prison needlessly for two years, until his successor Festus arrived. It gave the Hebrews pleasure (v.27) to know that Paul was kept in prison. In his appearance before Felix, possibly feeling that the presence of the Hebrew wife of Felix might give him a more sympathetic hearing, Paul came to the point and reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. The word reasoned can mean to discourse, argue, or persuade; it is from the same root word as that used when Paul reasoned in the synagogues with the Jews (17:2; 18:4). Paul preached the gospel, and he likely stressed the drama of 4 / 14

5 redemption as enacted in Jerusalem a little over three decades before. Felix fell under great conviction, perhaps largely in response to the words judgment to come. Felix had led a dissolute life. Not surprisingly he was afraid. The Greek word emphobos, from which we get our English word phobia, can be translated terrified. Convenient time ( kairos, Gk.) means, when it suits me. In any event, there is no record that the convenient time ever came to Felix again. III. Trial Before Festus (25:1-22) A. Plot to Kill Paul William Barclay, Acts of the Apostles, p.171: For two years Paul was in prison and then Felix went too far once too often and was recalled. There was a longstanding argument as to whether Caesarea was a Jewish or a Greek city and Jews and Greeks were at daggers drawn. There was an outbreak of mob violence in which the Jews came off best. Felix dispatched his troops to aid the Gentiles. Thousands of Jews were killed and the troops, with Felix s consent and encouragement, sacked and looted the houses of the wealthiest Jews in the city. The Jews did what all Roman provincials had a right to do they reported their governor to Rome. That was why Felix left Paul in prison, even though he was well aware that he should be liberated. He was trying to curry favor with the Jews. It was all to no purpose. He was dismissed from his governorship and only the influence of his brother Pallas saved him from execution. With a change of governors, the Jews saw an opportunity, once again, to assassinate Paul. Festus was a Roman and, by all accounts, his brief (two year) governorship was without official criticism. As the new man, he was not taken in by the plot (3), but asked the Jews to plead their case at his home court in Caesarea. B. Paul s Trial Before Festus and Appeal to Caesar (25:6-12) I appeal to Caesar (11) Believer s Study Bible, p.1587; 25:11 These were words of destiny. Roman law made provision for any Roman-born citizen who felt he was not being tried fairly to appeal to Caesar. Where, presumably, he might receive full justice. The emperors, too, abused this, for even in Rome Paul remained in prison for at least two years (cf.28:30). However, within the providence of God, it was during this time that he produced some of his greatest epistles. These are the so-called Prison Epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul s appeal to Caesar was prompted by a two-fold 5 / 14

6 realization: (1) He knew he could not receive justice in Palestine because of the influence of the Sanhedrin upon the Roman courts there. The prejudice of the members of the Sanhedrin, and of those whose zeal for Mosaic Law was almost identical with their patriotism or zeal for an independent nation, would ensure that Paul would not receive a fair trial. (2) The Roman courts were notoriously unjust when they had sufficient motive. For example, in the case of Paul in Caesarea, one governor, Felix, kept him in prison merely because it pleased the Jews and because he hoped to get money from Paul (24:26, 27). An example of the half-hearted but sincere desire of a Roman official to implement justice appears in the words of Governor Festus, the successor of Felix, which he stated to King Agrippa II (v.27). C. Agrippa s Review 1. The Cast (13) a. King Agrippa: Herod Agrippa II s father died in Acts 12; his great grandfather was Herod the Great. The Romans considered him the current King of the Jews but he ruled over a relatively insignificant territory consisting of Galilee and Perea. Since he ruled at the pleasure of the Romans, it was politically expedient to pay a visit to the new governor. b. Bernice: Agrippa s sister, she was married at age 13 and widowed soon after. She was Agrippa s companion for a number of years, which led to much gossip. c. Festus: The new Roman governor. 2. The Charges (14-19) Festus brought Agrippa up to date on the case and was able to express two charges: some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive (19) 3. The Cause (20-22) The Romans granted Agrippa custody of the ceremonial vestments worn by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. He also had authority to appoint the high priest. In Festus eyes, this made Agrippa an expert on Jewish matters. Since Festus regarded 6 / 14

7 the entire case a squabble over religion, he invited Agrippa to review it. IV. Trial Before Agrippa (25:23-26:18) A. Paul s Appearance Before Agrippa (25:23-27) William Barclay, Acts of the Apostles, p.175: Festus had got himself into a difficulty. It was Roman law that if a man appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome there must be sent with him a written account of the case and of the charges against him. Festus problem was that, as far as he could see, there was no charge to send. That is why this meeting had been convened. There is no more dramatic scene in all the New Testament. It was with pomp that Agrippa and Bernice had come. They would have on their purple robes of royalty and the gold circlet of the crown on their brows. Doubtless Festus had donned the scarlet robe, which a governor wore on state occasions. Close at hand there must have stood Agrippa s suite and also in attendance were the most influential figures of the Jews. Close by Festus there would stand the captains in command of the five cohorts which were stationed at Caesarea; and in the background there would be a solid phalanx of the tall Roman legionaries on ceremonial guard. Into such a scene came Paul, the little Jewish tent-maker, with his hands in chains; and yet from the moment he speaks, it is Paul who holds the stage. B. Paul s Testimony to Agrippa (26:1-18) 1. Crowd Paul had been promised that he would testify before kings and rulers (9:15). Everyone else thought this was a trial; Paul saw it as an opportunity to share his faith. 2. Confession Paul s background and fanatical loyalty to Judaism had once been an immense source of pride. However, Paul realized that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Jews had anticipated (6). Paul had to confess that his initial reaction to Christianity was rage and persecution (11). 3. Conversion Here is the final account of Paul s testimony (9:1-30; 22: 3-21). It is a briefer version but includes a couple of details not shared previously. First, Paul was journeying at midday, a time that most travelers rested from the oppressive sun. This urgency to arrive at Damascus revealed the intensity of his hate for the Christians. Only here do we find that all his companions were affected by the intense light and fell to the ground. Also, only here does Paul 7 / 14

8 include the phrase It is hard for you to kick against the goads. (26:14) William Barclay, Acts of the Apostles p.178: The Risen Christ told Paul that it was hard for him to kick against the spikes. When a young ox was first yoked it tried to kick its way out. If it was yoked to a one handed plough, the ploughman held in his hand a long staff with a sharpened end which he held close to the ox s heels so that every time it kicked it was jagged with the spike. If it was yoked to a wagon, the front of the wagon had a bar studded with wooden spikes, which jagged the ox if it kicked. The young ox had to learn submission the hard way and so had Paul. (Matt. 11:28-30) 4. Call (16-18) a. Stand stand on your feet (Ezek. 2:1; Eph.6:13; I Cor. 10:12) b. Share servant and a witness Paul had been an ambassador for the Sanhedrin (10), and now he was to be an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) Believer s Study Bible, p :17-18 Paul understood Christ s commissioning to mean that the Gentiles salvation depended on his presenting the gospel to them. No wonder he felt as though he was charged with a debt to the Gentiles (Rom.1:14). These people were not saved prior to the hearing of the gospel; they needed to hear the message of salvation from one like Paul (Rom.10:14). c. Safe I will rescue you (17) Paul evaluated everything in light of his God-given mission. He knew that he was not safe from persecution or death; but he would be delivered by God until the gospel was preached everywhere God intended for Paul to preach it. d. Sent Paul s commission (18) is a wonderful synopsis of what Christ does for a person: 1. Christ clarifies to open their eyes. 8 / 14

9 2. Christ changes so they may turn from darkness to light. (Col 1:13) 3. Christ converts and from the power of Satan to God. (II Cor. 4:3-6) 4. Christ cleanses that they may receive forgiveness of sins. (Rom 4:25; Col 2:3) 5. Christ consecrates and a share among those who are sanctified. (Eph. 2:8-10; I Pet 1:3-4; II Pet 1:3-4) V. The Gospel Told Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple complex and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have obtained help that comes from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place 23 that the Messiah must suffer, and that as the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles. (26:19-23) A. Charge to the Jews and Gentiles (20) 1. they should repent (Luke 13:5) 9 / 14

10 2. turn to God 3. do works worthy of repentance B. Charge by the Jews For this reason, the Jews seized me in the temple complex and were trying to kill me (21). Paul declares that the charges brought against him (desecrating the Temple) were phony; the real reason he is on trial is an attempt to halt the spread of Christianity. C. Charge to the Audience 1. Assistance I have obtained help that comes from God (22) (II Cor. 9:8). Paul saw all his support, whether from the Gentile Churches, believing Jews or the Roman enemy, as coming from God. 2. Assurance (22) I stand Paul s confidence came from his reliance on God s power, testify to both to small and great In Paul s worldview, he was not the person on trial; in fact, everyone else in the courtroom would one day stand before God as accused or acquitted (Phil 2:10) saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place Paul begins to conclude on the same theme that he began (6-7) (Luke 24:44-50; Isaiah 46:9-10). 3. Atonement (23) that the Messiah must suffer (Isa 53; Ps 22). that as the first to rise from the dead (I Cor. 15:23; Col.1:18) He would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles (Isa 9:2; John 8:12). VI. Objections Rebuffed 10 / 14

11 As he was making his defense this way, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, You re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad! 25 But Paul replied, I m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I m speaking words of truth and good judgment. 26 For the king knows about these matters. It is to him I am actually speaking boldly. For I am convinced that none of these things escapes his notice, since this was not done in a corner. (Acts 26:24-26) Believer s Study Bible, p.1589: 26:24 In his defense, Paul wisely stresses the fact that the Hebrews persecuted him for something, which they themselves believed, namely, that the hope of Israel was the resurrection of the dead. Paul observed that all the striving and serving of the twelve tribes of Israel throughout the centuries had been for this hope s sake (v.7). Paul appealed further to the idea that it was not incredible that God should raise the dead (v.8). Paul completed his appeal with great stress on the resurrection of the dead, concluding with his usual claim that he had encountered Christ personally on the road to Damascus shortly after Christ had suffered and been raised from the dead (v.23). (Col. 1:27; I Cor. 15:4; Phil 3:10; John 11:25). A. Response of Festus Much learning has driven you mad (24). Explore the Bible Commentary, pp At this point Festus interrupted Paul s address. The apostle s reference to the resurrection made the governor shout out, you are out of your mind, Paul (26:24). No sensible Roman could believe in the resurrection of a person from the dead. Even if he privately accepted such an unusual belief, he would not allow it to affect his practical living or bring him into danger of death. Festus concluded, therefore, that Paul s great learning had made him insane. This practical Roman official had no time for religious speculations. Paul politely addressed the governor as most excellent Festus and firmly insisted that what Festus declared to be madness was true and reasonable (26:25). B. Response of Agrippa You almost persuade me to become a Christian (NKJV vs.28) Beli ever s Study Bible p.1589: Agrippa seems to give more than an implied admission that he thought Paul was right. The context here is an example of evangelicalism and evangelism at their best. This is a difficult passage, but it does reveal clearly that Paul was reasoning and preaching forcefully. Regretfully, Agrippa, a great man whose mind was apparently drawn toward the reality of the gospel of Christ, turned his back on the God-given privilege. (Heb. 9:27-28). 11 / 14

12 VII. Invitation Given King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe. 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily? 29 I wish before God, replied Paul, that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am except for these chains. (Acts 26: 27-29) A. Appeal do you believe the prophets? I know you believe. D. James Kennedy cites 333 Old Testament prophecies that allude to Jesus first coming. Prophecy serves as an internal source validating Christ s Messiahship. B. Answer Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily Easily can also be translated in a short time. On the one hand, the response implies that this is a weighty decision that requires deliberation. But on the other, it minimizes Paul s arguments. The term Christian is found only here, in Acts 11:26 and 1 Peter 4:16. That Agrippa used it is further evidence of Christianity s impact throughout the Roman Empire. C. Argument I wish before God, replied Paul, that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am except for these chains. Earlier, Festus had accused Paul of insanity. Now Paul wished everyone within his hearing to become as I am, not insane but complete in Christ. Tommy Hinson once shared these implications: 1. You can t share Jesus with someone God doesn t love (John 3:16) 2. You can t share Jesus with someone God hasn t prepared (Acts 10:1ff) 3. You can t share Jesus with someone who wouldn t be better off receiving Him (James 2:5) 12 / 14

13 4. You can t fail in sharing Jesus if you faithfully glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31; John 15:8) Application: 1. A witness is to be prepared to share Christ any place at any time. (I Pet 3:15). 2. A witness is transparently honest about the change Christ has made. (II Cor. 5:17). 3. A witness is no respecter of persons, but understands that everyone needs Christ; rich or poor, learned or ignorant, powerful or weak. (II Cor. 4:6; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Heb. 4:12, 11:6). Leader Pack Item 8: Chart: Paul s Recorded Sermons No Illustrator article Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: g ; Dates: 1/23-2/27 Tues. eve The Table; 2/23 Multisite Night Out Rockets game; 2/24 Men:Serve; 2/25 - Parent Commitment; 2/25 World Mission Offering; 3/3 - Mentoring Conference; 3/ / 14

14 Rushmore; 3/10 Senior Adult Roundup; 3/23-25 IMPACT Spring Retreat; 3/30 Offices closed Good Friday; 4/1 Easter; 4/6 A Night of Worship; 4/8 MIYCO; 4/15 LBS Spring Luncheon; 4/21 Blended & Blessed Conference; 4/26-28 Spring Weekend of Choir; 5/5 Men:Serve; 5/12 IMPACT Crawfish Hunt; 5/12 - SoFA Recitals; 5/17 VBS Director/Teacher training; 5/18-20 Summit Spring Retreat; 5/20 - Parent Commitment; 5/20 First Grade Bible Presentation; 6/1 - Family Typhoon Texas; 6/8-9 Life of a Single Mom Conf. 14 / 14