SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/20/2018
8:50 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Consequences of Paul’s Testimony
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
26:24-32
Message of the verses: “24 While Paul
was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you
are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you
mad." 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most
excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 “For the king knows
about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am
persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been
done in a corner. 27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that
you do." 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will
persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would
wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all
who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." 30 The king stood
up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and
when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying,
"This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." 32
And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to
Caesar."”
There
are a couple of things from this section of Scripture that I enjoy reading when
I come to this section and one of them is what the first highlighted section “Your
great learning is driving you mad,” and the second one is “except for these
chains,” and I suppose there is a third on which comes at the end of verse 32
which speaks of Paul could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. The first highlighted section speaks of an interruption
from Agrippa as I’m sure that Agrippa knew that Paul was a very intelligent
person, but how could an intelligent person actually believe that Jesus Christ
was raised from the dead? That is one of
the keys to the book of Acts as the preaching in this book speaks almost always
of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, which is the key to the gospel,
for if Jesus had not risen from the dead then there would be no gospel and as
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life
only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” The truth is that Jesus Christ did rise from
the dead and all who have their hope in Christ are certainly not to be pitied.
Paul
is not the only person in Scripture that has been accused of being insane as
our Lord was also accused of being insane.
David tried to act insane when he feared for his life while in the enemies’
city. Paul, Jesus, nor David was insane
as we well know.
Paul
comes back to say “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter
words of sober truth. 26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak
to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things
escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.” It was common knowledge that Jesus Christ
rose from the dead in Judah, thus Agrippa knew about these things even though
he may not want to admit to knowing them.
Paul
continues his witness to Agrippa “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I
know that you do." Paul’s question implied that if he did, he would have
to concede that Jesus was the Messiah.
MacArthur adds “Agrippa was stuck in a quandary. Admitting his belief in the prophets was
tantamount to acknowledging Jesus as Messiah.
That would make him look foolish before his Roman friends and outrage
his Jewish subjects. Yet a Jewish king
could hardly disavow the revered prophets of his people. Consequently, he avoided the question,
mockingly replying instead ‘to Paul, ‘In a short time you will persuade me to
become a Christian.’” It seems that this
phrase is better suited as a question.
Paul
answers the question with a gracious and dignified answer “I would to God, that
whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this
day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.” This is typical of Paul’s giving out the
gospel, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who has to give an effectual call,
and Paul was not concerned so much for the timing, but that those who heard him
would one day be saved.
Now
we come to the last highlighted phrase in which after Paul’s gives his
testimony and witness to those in attendance and then leaves the room we see
Agrippa and Festus saying that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar then he could
have been set free for he did nothing wrong, and yet both Felix and Festus knew
this but because they wanted to keep in the good graces of the Jews they chose
not to set him free. And yet I have to
say that even though they were wrong, and to be sure they were wrong, it was in
God’s plan that Paul go to Rome. They
perhaps will be judged for this at the great white throne judgment if none of
them every accepted the forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ.
John
MacArthur quotes and expert on Roman law A. N. Shervin-White who writes:
“When Agrippa remarked: ‘this man could have been released if he had
not appealed to Caesar,’ this does not mean that in strict law the governor
could not pronounce an acquittal after the act of appeal. It is not a question of law, but of the
relations between the emperor and his subordinates, and of the element of non-constitutional
power which the Romans called suctoritias,
‘prestige,’ on which the supremacy of the Princeps so largely depended. No sensible man with of promotion would dream
of short-circuiting the appeal to Caesar unless he had specific authority to do
so.”
Paul
could take courage in the message given to him in Acts 23:11 “Take courage; for
as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, co you must witness at
Rome.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It is good to know that God is in charge of
all things including the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who
although was perfectly innocent, yet it was in the plan of God that He suffer
and die because God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die in my place,
and not only mine, but all who will accept this truth and exchange their sin
for Christ’s righteousness so that one day they will be with Him in glory.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to draw near to the Lord and trust
Him to get me through situations where my IBS can give me trouble.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Fourteen” (Genesis 41:1-4).
Today’s Bible question: “What shall every tongue confess?”
Answer in our next SD.
9/20/2018 9:47 AM
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