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¹⁷ “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” (Acts 22:17–21)

The Apostle Paul concluded his address to the Jerusalem Jews, and the Roman soldiers stationed in the city, by recalling an event that does not previously appear in Luke’s account of Paul’s conversion to Christianity. It was an event which occurred in Jerusalem, most likely when Paul first returned there from life changing journey to Damascus (Acts 9:26-30).

Paul recounted how when he returned to Jerusalem, following his conversion, he was praying in the temple. This was something every devout Jew would naturally do. This continues to be done in our present day when devout Jews, along with others, pray at the area known as the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall. Paul wanted his audience to know that he respected the temple and would not desecrate it in any way.

It was when Paul was praying in the temple that he fell into a trance, which can either mean a moment of utter amazement or an ecstatic vision (see Acts 10:9-10 and Revelation 1:10). Paul attributed the source of this trance being the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord said to Paul, “‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” Jesus warned Paul that in spite of his sincere conversion, unbelieving Jews would be as antagonistic about Paul’s message of the Gospel as he had been prior to his spiritual transformation. The Jews would not only reject the Gospel, but they would also seek to kill Paul for preaching the Gospel.

However, Paul remembered not being easily persuaded by the Lord. Amazingly, he argued with the Lord and said, “Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.” Paul wanted to remain in Jerusalem and preach to his fellow Jews, even if it meant forfeiting his own life, like Stephen (Acts 7; Romans 10:1-4).

However, the sovereign Lord Jesus had other plans for Paul. “And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” The Lord’s command to Paul was clear: it was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even though Paul loved his fellow Jews, he loved the Lord more and would consequently obey Him by becoming a missionary to the Gentiles.

Paul encountered a moment in his Christian life which every believer in Christ experiences. That moment concerns the will of God for your life and discerning between that which is good verses that which is best. It was good for Paul to want to preach to his fellow Jews. However, God’s best was for him to preach to the Jews living in Gentile countries.

We may discover at times that God’s will for us is biblically clear. At other times, it may be unclear regarding a specific situation. Until clarity comes, obey God’s Word and pray for divine guidance.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:12–16)

The Apostle Paul continued his testimony to the Jews, and the Romans, in the city of Jerusalem following, respectively, his beating and arrest. He recalled how a Christian brother named Ananias came and ministered to him in the city of Damascus following Paul’s encounter with the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road.

Paul described Ananias as a devout man according to the Mosaic Law of God. He was well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus. It as Ananias who said to Paul, “‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.” It was at the precise moment that Paul received his sight.

Paul also recalled that Ananias said to him, “The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

Throughout Ananias’ speech, the sovereignty of God is predominant. It was the Jew’s One, True God who had chosen Paul to be His chosen instrument. It was the Jew’s One, True God who had chosen Paul to do the Lord’s will. What was the will of God for Paul?

Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes, “On the basis of seeing and hearing Jesus, Paul became an apostle. When he saw Jesus and heard His voice, he understood the will of God. For Paul then, proclaiming the resurrected Jesus to all men everywhere became equivalent of Doing God’s will.”  

God chose Paul for a great mission (Acts 9:15). However, God also choses believers in Christ today to fulfill His purpose in their lives. It may not be exactly the same as Paul’s mission, but it is no less important. Let each of us resolve to obey the tasks the Lord has set out for each of us, whether it be great or small.

Soli deo Gloria!

^9 “Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.” (Acts 22:9–11)

Paul continued his personal testimony, and defense of the Gospel, before the Jews and the Romans as today’s text reveals. As he continued to share the events which occurred on the Damascus Road resulting in his conversion to Christianity (Acts 9), he stated that those who were him say the light of God’s glory, but did not understand what the Lord Jesus was saying to Paul. However, Paul (or Saul) certainly did.

Paul told the crowd his response to the Lord Jesus: “What shall I do, Lord?” Whereupon, Paul then recalled what Jesus answered and said to him: “Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.”

Paul then related that he had become blind in his encounter with the risen and glorious Christ. It was necessary, Paul stated, that he be led by the hand by those who were with him. As one pastor comments: “Jesus had radically altered the direction of Paul’s life.”

Much like the man born blind, and the religious leaders who doubted the miraculous event of Jesus giving him sight (John 9), prior to his conversion Paul thought he possessed spiritual sight, but in reality he was spiritually blind. Ironically, it was when he beheld the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and became physically blind, that at that moment he gained spiritual sight and was converted.

John Bunyan’s words ring true in the life of Paul the Apostle, Bunyan himself, along with a host of other believers in Christ.  

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.                                                                    That saved a wretch like me.                                                                                        I once was lost, but now am found.                                                                           Was blind, but now I see.  

Soli deo Gloria!

⁶ “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ (Acts 22:6–8)

Falsely accused and brutally attacked by a Jewish mob, resulting in his arrest by the Roman tribune in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul stood before both people groups, Jews and Romans, and made his “defense.” As previously noted, what Paul did at this time he would also do on several other occasions (Acts 24:10; 25:8; 26:1-2; 24). He would defend himself as he defended the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which God requires of each believer (I Peter 3:15).

Having identified who he was (Acts 22:1-5), Paul shared what he became: a follower of Jesus Christ. He shared his experience of traveling on the Damascus Road and encountering a great light from heaven, which was brighter than the noon day sun.

He spoke of having fallen to the ground and hearing a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul told the gathered crowd his question to the source of the voice: “Who are you Lord?” He then related who it was who replied to him: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.”

Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes, “The Jews knew from the Scriptures that light proceeds from God…and that it is a feature God employs to reveal Himself. From their knowledge of Scripture, the Jews knew that when God calls people, He often repeats their name.”

What the Jews, and the Romans also for that matter, did not know was the identity of the divine person who stopped Paul that day. It was none other than Jesus Christ.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The lessons for Paul hearers could hardly be clearer—Jesus of Nazareth is divine and He is not at all pleased by the persecution of Christians.”

 In the Scriptures, we read of many people whose lives were radically changed by an encounter with the living God: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David. How has your life changed upon believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ? Take time today to think about that question and also how your life can be changed to be even more Christ like.

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will devote each Lord’s Day in 2021 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Three: Of God’s Eternal Decree. Part 1.

1. God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;^a yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin,^b nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.^c

a. Rom 9:15, 18; 11:33; Eph 1:11; Heb 6:17. • b. James 1:13, 17; 1 John 1:5. • c. Prov 16:33; Mat 17:12; John 19:11; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28.

2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions,^a yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.^b

a. 1 Sam 23:11-12; Mat 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18. • b. Rom 9:11, 13, 16, 18.

 Take the time today to read each attribute along with its corresponding biblical reference. You will be blessed and edified.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”² And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. ⁴ I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.” (Acts 22:1–5)

As he would do on several other occasions (Acts 24:10; 25:1-8; 26:1-2, 24), Paul made a defense for Christianity by giving his personal testimony of repentance, faith and conversion to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Paul gave us an example of I Peter 3:15: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”  

Paul sought to establish a calm rapport with his audience. First, he did so by using the Hebrew language. He did this because his audience were Jews. The result of this tactic was that it caused the crowd to become extremely quiet.

Second, he immediately identified himself as a Jew. He shared that he was not only born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but also he grew up there.

Third, Paul indicated that the respected rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:33-42) was his primary teacher. Paul related how Gamaliel taught him according to the strict manner of the Mosaic Law. This resulted in Paul being zealous for God, as he said were each one in the crowd.

It was this zealousness for the Mosaic Law (Philippians 3:1-6), that Paul then shared how he had persecuted the followers of Jesus Christ, which was known as the Way (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2). He said, “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness.”

Paul continued by saying, “From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.”

You get the sense in this scene that Paul had the people’s attention. Where moments before there had been verbal confusion and chaos, now there was a quiet stillness by the people who were hearing an eloquent and Spirit led presentation of biblical truth.

Paul had told the people, thus far, what he had been prior to his conversion to Jesus Christ. As he proceeded, he would then relate how he became a fervent follower of the One who he had previously persecuted (Acts 9:3-5). Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road is about to be shared with the people of Jerusalem.

One commentator writes, “Paul strives to show that he once was like his hearers, hating the Way and persecuting its followers. This is an excellent example for us to reach out to skeptics. Seek to find common ground with them, to help them see that you once thought as they. By refusing to place ourselves on a pedestal, we eliminate a potential stumbling block.”

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!                                                                                                                                                                       

^37 “As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” ³⁹ Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:” (Acts 21:37–40)

Upon his arrest in Jerusalem by the Romans, Paul asked the Roman tribune, ““May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?” The tribune known as Claudius (Acts 23:26), was genuinely surprised by Paul’s excellent use of the Greek language. This would be an indication to the tribune that the apostle was more than he appeared.

Claudius than began interrogating Paul, in order to ascertain exactly who he was. The tribune asked, “Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”

During the administration of Governor Felix (Acts 23:23-25), a terrorist group, the Sicarii, engaged in the assassinations of Jewish leaders while being friendly to the Romans. Their name came from the Greek word for dagger (sica), which they concealed in the long, flowing robes. Claudius perhaps suspected Paul of being a leader of this terrorist organization.

Paul responded to the tribune by saying, ““I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” Paul’s speech and demeanor clearly displayed that he was not a desperate criminal. He asked Claudius if he would allow him to speak to the crowd.

^“And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:”  

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Facing the crowd, Paul motions for silence. The crowd, prevented by the soldiers from harming Paul, grows quiet to hear what he will say, and becomes even more respectful when they hear him speaking in the Hebrew language. So Paul calls on his fellow Jews to hear his ‘defense’ of his work as an apostle to the Gentiles.”   

Paul’s arrest was perhaps a time of mourning for his colleagues and friends. It was a time of rejoicing by his enemies. However, the sovereign and providential God of the universe meant it for good. It would be, while in Roman custody, that Paul would eventually reach the capital of the empire and be the instrument God used to touch many lives.

Take heart, while in the midst of your circumstances. You never know how God will use you: not in spite of, but through the providential circumstances of life.

Soli deo Gloria!  

^33 “Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. ³⁵ And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶ for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:33–36)

God’s providence, or divine intervention, can occur at any time in our lives. Today’s text is an example of how God’s providence occurred in Paul’s life. At the mercy of a riotous mob who sought to kill him (Acts 21:22-31), the Lord used a Roman tribune and his soldiers to rescue Paul from the mob by arresting him and placing him in chains. Certainly, God causes all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28).  

Upon Paul’s arrest, the tribune continually sought to find out who Paul was and what he had done to warrant such a reaction by the Jerusalem citizens. The reason was that the crowd was in complete confusion. Some were shouting one thing about Paul, while others were shouting something else. The result of this scene of turmoil and confusion was that the tribune could not ascertain the facts. Therefore, the tribune ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks.

The intensity of the scene is evidenced by the soldiers. They literally had to carry Paul into the barracks because of the violence of the crowed. This was done because either the tribune, or the soldiers, feared for Paul’s life, or because he had been so badly injured and weakened by the crowds’ violence that he could not climb the steps.

Mirroring the crowd’s reaction to Jesus years earlier (Luke 23:18; John 19:15), they shouted for the Romans to execute Paul. This would have been done by crucifixion. Placing Paul under arrest and bringing him into the Roman barracks, proved to be a providential decision safeguarding the apostle’s life and wellbeing.

Can you recall how God has providentially intervened in your own life, with circumstances, at least on the surface, which appeared to be less than ideal but which proved to a blessing from the Lord?  Take time today to not only think about such things, but to also thank God that He continues to intervene in our lives.

Sol deo Gloria!  

^30 “Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. ³¹ And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³² He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.” (Acts 21:30–32)

Much like the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-34), the city of Jerusalem was in an uproar due to the false accusations the Asian Jews made against the Apostle Paul. As a result, the people rushed together in a riotous assembly. They seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple area, whereupon the temple guards shut the gates to the inner temple courts.

The rioting crowd sought to kill Paul. It was providential that at that precise moment the news of what was happening came to the tribune’s attention. The tribune was the commanding officer of the Roman cohort, or band of soldiers. A tribune would command 1,000 soldiers.

The tribune immediately sent soldiers and centurions and ran down to where the riot was occurring. When the crowd saw the tribune and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “Adjoining the temple area to the northwest was the Fortress of Antonia with two flights of steps leading into the outer court of the temple. Troops were stationed there, and more were added during Jewish feast days. They were part of the Roman Tenth Legion. The commander of the troops at the fortress, Claudius Lysias (cf. 23:26), at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. “Commander” is chiliarchos, leader of a thousand soldiers (25:23). The “officers” (hekatontarchas, lit., “rulers of hundreds” or centurions) indicates at least 200 soldiers were involved since the noun is plural.”

Then and now, it does not take much to stir up a crowd into committing acts of violence. Any excuse or reason will do. This is especially true where the Gospel is concerned, for unconverted people love to hate the good news of Jesus Christ.

Resolve today to be strong and courageous as you live out, and when you share the Gospel.

Soli deo Gloria!

^27 “When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.” (Acts 21:27–29)

Following the Jerusalem church elders instructions (Acts 21:22-24), the Apostle Paul, and the four Nazarites, had almost completed their seven day purification ritual. It was at this time that certain Asian Jews, seeing Paul and the other four began to stir up the crowd. This means that they began to cause confusion and consternation. In other words, these Jews were seeking to create anxiety and worry among the people.

Having seized Paul, they continually shouted and screamed, ““Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”  

The Asian Jews accused Paul of teaching against the Jewish people, the Mosaic Law, and the Jewish Temple. They also assumed that the four Jews with him were Gentiles and accused Paul of defiling the temple. Additionally, they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they presumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Placards on the low wall separating the courtyard of the Gentiles from the Israelite women sharply warned uncircumcised males not to proceed beyond that point to enter the areas nearer to the temple building itself. Paul’s accusers, Jews from Asia, assumed and alleged without proof that he (Paul) brought an Ephesian Gentile colleague into a forbidden area of the temple precinct.”

In spite of these misleading and false accusations, the inflammatory charges have their desired effect. We will examine what were the results of these accusations when next we meet. WE will see that God the Father was already working His providential will in Paul’s life in order for him to eventually reach the city of Rome.

To this day, the Jews hold the temple area in high respect. However, Jesus proclaimed that God can be worshipped anywhere (John 4:21). The only qualification is that worship of God is to be done in spirit and in truth. Respectively, this means with one’s sincere thinking, emotions and will along with biblical truth.

Soli deo Gloria!