DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY-THREE

Transcription

1 DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY-THREE Shaken But Not Saved Anyone attending the legal proceedings being held at Herod s Praetorium in Caesarea would have assumed the short, balding, middle-aged Jew in chains was the individual on trial for his life. However, such was not the case, as Paul s life was secure in the hands of his sovereign Lord while those making the accusations, the governor presiding over the case, and his wife were in fact tittering on the brink of eternal judgment as Paul presented the case for Christ to them. Governor Felix, who presided over the trial, was a former slave. His very name, Felix, is Latin for fortunate or lucky. He had risen to his position as a result of his brother s personal friendship with Caesar. He would serve seven years as governor. A Roman historian said Felix had the power of a king but the mind of a slave. He would be summoned to Rome and removed as governor two years later as a result of his brutal oppression of the Jewish minority living in Caesarea. He was married three times, all to princesses. His first wife was the granddaughter of Cleopatra. His third wife, Drusilla, was the daughter of King Agrippa I and the sister of King Agrippa II, whom we will meet in Acts 25. Drusilla, renowned for her beauty, was first married to a king at age sixteen before Felix lured her away from her husband and into an illicit marriage. Paul, rather than plead for his release from unjust charges, used this opportunity to once again preach the gospel to those at his hearing and later repeatedly to Felix and Drusilla. Paul didn t hesitate to preach the full gospel, speaking on righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come to the governor and his wife. Felix, already familiar with the Way, was a man under conviction as he was literally shaken and trembled with fear when he heard the message. The Jailer of Philippi when shaken to his core asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30). In contrast, Felix procrastinated putting off his decision for a "more convenient time." Repeated exposure to the gospel without a response creates a callusing of the soul, making conviction even more difficult. By way of illustration, a newly hired kitchen worker usually finds the dishes emerging from the dishwasher near scalding in temperature but after weeks of callusing, the same worker has become insensitive to the warning signals coming from his fingertips. Charles Spurgeon, preaching on this passage of Scripture, warned his congregation of the danger of procrastinating when they hear the call for repentance. I fear some of you should live in the midst of light with blinded eyes, should dwell with deaf ears where the silver trumpet sounds and so the Kingdom of God should come very near to you and yet you should not enter it. 1 In addition to the danger of procrastination, Felix and Drusilla lived a decadent life of luxury, which extinguished any sense of urgency to Paul s call for conversion. They, like many in our society opted to live the good life rather than a godly life in Christ. In the movie God s Not Dead, 1

2 a successful and self-indulgent businessman rhetorically asks his mother, You prayed and believed your whole life. Never done anything wrong. And here you are. You re the nicest person I know. I am the meanest. You have dementia. My life is perfect. Explain that to me! His mother, emerging from her nearly comatose condition, says it so well, Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn t want them turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn t seem to be any reason to leave. The door s wide open. Till one day, time runs out, and the cell door slams shut, and suddenly it s too late. 2 Like Paul, it is our role to present the whole truth of the gospel to the unsaved, while it is the work of the Holy Spirit to remove the calluses of the soul and convict the world of sin and the need for conversion (John 16:8 11) Luke records twelve speeches of Paul. Paul s explanation of the gospel in this lesson is his longest recorded sermon. This chart gives their audience, immediate location, geographic location, and scriptural reference for all of Paul s speeches. 3 Speech Scripture Audience Place Location 1 Acts 13:6 11 Jew: Bar-Jesus Governor s praetorium Paphos (Cyprus) 2 Acts 13:16 41 Jews, God-fearers Synagogue Antioch (Pisidia) 3 Acts 14:15 18 Gentiles, polytheists Before Temple of Zeus Lystra (Galatia) 4 Acts 17:22 31 Gentiles, aristocrats Areopagus Athens (Achaia) 5 Acts 20:17 38 Christians; elders Church meeting place Miletus (Asia) 6 Acts 22:1 21 Jews Outer court of temple Jerusalem 7 Acts 23:1 6 Jews, aristocrats Sanhedrin Jerusalem 8 Acts 24:10 21 Gentiles, Governor Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) Felix 9 Acts 25:8 11 Gentiles, Governor Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) Felix 10 Acts 26:1 23 Festus, Agrippa Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) 11 Acts 28:17 20 Jews, Jewish leaders Prison Rome 12 Acts 28:25 28 Jews, Jewish leaders Prison Rome 3 Modified from Schnabel, Eckhard. Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 552. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Memory Verse For God says, At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT 2

3 Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three times. Day 1 Paul Accused Before Felix Acts 24:1 9 As mentioned in the introduction, Felix was one of the most hated officials of the entire period of Roman occupation of the Holy Land. For his brutal oppression of the Jews he would be removed from his position of governor and it was only his brother s friendship with Caesar that saved him from imprisonment or execution. The opening statement by the lawyer bringing charges against Paul was the most ludicrous example of flattery in the New Testament. Gossip has been defined as saying things behind a person s back that you would never say to their face while flattery is saying things to their face you would never say behind their back. 1. What points of flattery can you identify in the opening statement of Tertullus? 2. What do the following passages teach us about flattery? a. Psalm 5:9 b. Proverbs 28:23 3. While breaking Jewish laws governing their faith was not a punishable crime in the eyes of Rome, creating dissension and threatening the Pax Romana (Roman peace) was a serious charge worthy of execution. a. What were the charges the Jews brought against Paul? If you look closely you can see Paul accused of breaking: a) Roman Law b) Jewish Law c) God s Law b. How were these charges either half-truths or outright lies? (Give evidence based on what you know of the facts.) 4. For the Jewish leaders the ends (ending Paul s ministry) justified the means (lying before the Roman authorities). Paul chose to merely tell the truth and trusted in the Lord. What 3

4 do we learn from Psalm 52 about the end result of following each of these two different action plans? Memory Verse Fill in the blanks. For God says, just the right, I heard you. the day of, I helped you., the right time now. Today is the of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Day 2 Paul s Defense Before Felix Acts 24:10 21 Prior to becoming governor of Judea, Felix had served as an assistant to the governor of Samaria in addition to being connected by marriage to the Jewish ruling family. All these factors made Felix familiar with the culture, traditions, and current events that brought Paul before him for judgment. 1. How does Paul answer the charges brought against him by his accusers? 2. This is the third time Paul mentions his clear conscience (conscience without offense in verse 16). What statement(s) in Paul s defense would make this a true statement? 3. Twice in his defense Paul refers to the resurrection. In almost every presentation of the gospel that we ve seen in our study of Acts, the resurrection has taken center stage. How do you feel this emphasis on the resurrection is essential to a presentation of the gospel? 4. Paul mentions the hope in God that he shares (at least with the Pharisees). What was that hope? (See verse 15 as well as Daniel 12:2 and Job 19:25 27.) 4

5 Memory Verse Fill in the blanks. For says, just right, I you. the of, I you., the time now. is the of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Day 3 Felix Procrastinates Acts 24:22 27 The accusations of the Jews regarding Lysias (verse 7) allowed Felix to use this as an opportunity to stall on making any decision regarding Paul. Felix served as governor of Judea from AD 52 to 59 before his removal and replacement by Porcius Festus. Festus, unlike Felix, was of Roman nobility and viewed with favor by his subjects. It is before Felix that Paul now makes the third of his six defenses. 1. Apparently, Felix had knowledge of the Way. a. What is meant by the Way? b. Why is having knowledge alone not enough (see James 2:19)? 2. There is an old saying that if you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is likely the one that got hit. Knowing that Felix was a corrupt politician who had lured another man s wife into an illicit marriage, Paul did not hesitate to share the full gospel. What parts of his message hit home with Felix and what was his emotional response? 3. What does 2 Corinthians 6:2 teach us about procrastination? 5

6 4. When men fail to respond to the clear call of salvation what results from that rejection (see Psalm 95:7, 8)? 5. What additional motivation(s) did Felix have for keeping Paul in jail for two years? Memory Verse Fill in the blanks. For, just, I. the of, I you., the now. is salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Day 4 Paul Appeals to Caesar Acts 25: Even though Paul had been imprisoned for two years, the hatred by Jewish authorities had not diminished with the passing of time. a. What plan did they try to put into action to silence Paul once and for all? b. How was this plan similar to the one they tried two years earlier (Acts 23:12 15)? 2. Despite their repeated attempts to ambush and assassinate Paul, God in His sovereignty preserved his life. How was Paul saved from these plots? a. Acts 23 (see verses 16 22) b. Acts What three points did Paul make in his own defense in this passage? 6

7 4. Why do you think Paul appealed to Caesar? 5. Based upon 1 Peter 2:12 15, what should our response be if we feel we are being treated unfairly by governmental authorities? Memory Verse Fill in the blanks. For,, I. of, I., the. is. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Day 5 Paul Before Agrippa Acts 25:13 27 The King mentioned in this passage is Herod Agrippa II, the son of Herod who had James executed and Peter imprisoned. His grand uncle was Herod Antipas (the Herod of the gospels). His great grandfather was Herod the Great. Bernice was not his wife but his consort and sister. Drusilla, the wife of Felix, was their youngest sister. 1. What was Festus reason for bringing Paul s case before King Agrippa and Bernice? 2. From Festus viewpoint, what was the basis for the dispute between Paul and the Jewish leaders? 7

8 3. Describe the scene as Paul is brought into the auditorium for his hearing before the governor and king. 4. Some have described him as curious but not convicted. Describe Herod Agrippa s attitude about his audience with Paul (verse 22). 5. King Agrippa s great uncle (Herod Antipas) had a similar reaction when he finally got his long-awaited audience with Jesus during his trial. Describe his attitude and the interaction with the Lord (see Luke 23:8-10). Memory Verse Fill in the verse completely from memory.. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Take Away / Summary To avoid walking in circles when lost in the wilderness, survival instructors teach their students to pick out the most prominent point in the distant landscape and walk toward it. In a similar sense we need to pick out the single most important truth in this week s study and apply it in our life as we walk toward Jesus and out of the wilderness. Please share with your group what that truth is for you, and how will you apply it this week: 8

9 Memory Verse For God says, At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT Key Words/Phrases Write out the definition of these key words. You can use a regular dictionary or go to one of the Greek sources listed in the Tool Box at the end of the study. You may also use a concordance to see where else and how the word is used in the Bible. How would these phrases instruct or encourage us today? Conscience Without Offense (Acts 24:16) Reasoned About Righteousness (Acts 24:25) 9

10 Tool Box Step 1: The Bible. Read the passage in a couple of different versions. If you are having trouble understanding a passage, choose a more dynamic version such as New Living Translation or The Message. To focus in on the exact meaning of a verse, choose a more literal translation such as New American Standard Bible or New King James Version. Step 2: Study Tools. Use these to help you dig deeper. Background Information: 1) Unger s Bible Dictionary 2) Bible Dictionaries online at biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com. Word Studies: 1) Zodhiates The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary 3) Strong s Dictionary of Bible Words. Step 3: Commentaries. Commentaries should not be used in place of studying God s Word directly, but they can give you additional insights. Some good commentaries include: J. Vernon McGee, The Expositors Commentary, NIV Application Commentary, H.A. Ironside, William Barclay (great for background and culture but be careful of his spiritual applications). Step 4: Online Assistance. Should you have a specific question about the study please your inquiry to: markn.valor@gmail.com 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. 10

11 Timeline for the Life of Paul 11

12 Message Notes 12