{"id":2024,"date":"2020-01-22T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T19:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2024"},"modified":"2020-01-22T11:00:01","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T19:00:01","slug":"devotion-acts-222-5-our-very-own-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2024","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 22:2-5 Our Very Own Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 22:2-5\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,\u00a0they became very quiet.\u00a0 Then Paul said:\u00a0<\/i>3\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>\u201cI am a Jew,\u00a0born in Tarsus\u00a0of Cilicia,\u00a0but brought up in this city.\u00a0I studied under\u00a0Gamaliel\u00a0and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.\u00a0I was just as zealous\u00a0for God as any of you are today.\u00a0<\/i>4\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>I persecuted\u00a0the followers of this Way\u00a0to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,\u00a0<\/i>5\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>as the high priest and all the Council\u00a0can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates\u00a0in Damascus,\u00a0and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,\u00a0they became very quiet<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0They became quiet because of a couple reasons. One is that there was an instant affiliation.\u00a0\u00a0He was one of them.\u00a0\u00a0Not only likewise a Jew, but an educated Jew.\u00a0\u00a0Many Jews from the Dispersion could not speak either Hebrew or Aramaic.\u00a0\u00a0In fact their reputed greatest scholar of the first century (Philo of Alexandria) could not read the books of Moses in Hebrew.\u00a0\u00a0So they were instantly interested in what Paul had to say.\u00a0\u00a0They recognized that not only was Paul a Jew, but an educated one.\u00a0\u00a0Since he was born in Tarsus and then raised in Jerusalem, he may also have been considered a Hellenistic Jew.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Paul said:\u00a0<\/i>3\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>\u201cI am a Jew,\u00a0born in Tarsus\u00a0of Cilicia,\u00a0but brought up in this city.\u00a0I studied under\u00a0Gamaliel\u00a0and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.\u00a0I was just as zealous\u00a0for God as any of you are today.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul\u2019s defense, or explanation of his ministry will come in three parts: 1) His life before Christ. (Vs 1-5<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02) His encounter with Christ (submitting to Christ). (Vs 6-16<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03) His ministry in Christ. (Vs 17-21<\/b>)<\/p>\n

As previously mentioned Paul was born a Jew in the city of Tarsus.\u00a0\u00a0He later was raised and educated in Jerusalem.\u00a0\u00a0He states that he studied under one of the legends of his time and so was thoroughly trained in the law.\u00a0\u00a0Notice that He is saying that he was trained in the law of \u201cour\u201d ancestors.\u00a0\u00a0He is speaking in a language they understood and so that piqued their interest.\u00a0\u00a0Now he is relating to them about his impressive scholarship of The Law that they share as common ancestors.\u00a0\u00a0He is now shared his knowledge of the language and his education in the Law and certainly has done so to create a bond.<\/p>\n

He notes that he was not a sit-on-the-couch-all-week person, but a zealous Jew who was a guardian of their beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0He said he was zealous as they are.\u00a0\u00a0Again, surely meant to unite and not to divide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI persecuted\u00a0the followers of this Way\u00a0to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,\u00a0<\/i>5\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>as the high priest and all the Council\u00a0can themselves testify.\u00a0\u00a0I even obtained letters from them to their associates\u00a0in Damascus,\u00a0and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Driving forward Paul said that in his great zeal to protect their common loyalty to the law, he persecuted the very people whom he now is associated with.\u00a0\u00a0As the mob was persecuting him, he had likewise done in an official capacity as the high priest and the Council had given to him letters (Acts 9:1-2<\/b>) to arrest and bring those of the Way to Jerusalem for trial.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, Paul said, these people who are among you can testify of what I have said.\u00a0\u00a0Surely they were present with the mob.\u00a0\u00a0Now he has given them three reasons as unifying bonds, language, The Law and zeal for The Law.<\/p>\n

Paul had formerly been convinced that to show his loyalty to God he must do his part to stomp out followers of the Way.\u00a0\u00a0Likewise, he was convinced that many there were also those who were zealous to please the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0They, like he, were fighting against God instead of for Him.\u00a0\u00a0Paul could understand how they could be zealous for God and yet so wrong in their conviction.\u00a0\u00a0He longed to change their minds so that they could be right with God.<\/p>\n

Family, we can share our faith in the same way manner that Paul here shares.\u00a0\u00a0We read a short statement of his life before Christ.\u00a0\u00a0He will, in the succeeding verses, share how he came to Christ and how his life has changed since coming to Christ.\u00a0\u00a0We can do that!\u00a0\u00a0Here is a short version of how I have done that: Before I was a Christian many people thought I was a very happy person.\u00a0\u00a0I always had a smile on my face.\u00a0\u00a0I was not faking happiness, in a way, I was happy about much of my life.\u00a0\u00a0My childhood was very good!\u00a0\u00a0But into my teens an awareness crept into my life and I began to become depressed, though I did not share that with people.\u00a0\u00a0I still smiled and laughed but I knew I was missing something.\u00a0\u00a0I even contemplated suicide.\u00a0\u00a0I even began conditioning myself to be able to do it.\u00a0\u00a0I knew that I needed to know that someone loved me not because I was born to them, but because they chose to love me.\u00a0\u00a0So I concluded that I needed a girlfriend.\u00a0\u00a0However, even after finding the girl who loved me greatly and who would become my wife, her love could not take away that awful feeling.\u00a0\u00a0I still was hurting for something and I did not know what it was.<\/p>\n

Then, at my place of work, I met some Christians who were on fire for the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0They shared Jesus with me and my aunt and uncle presented the Gospel to Teresa and me.\u00a0\u00a0We also began attending a Bible teaching church.\u00a0\u00a0We gave our lives to Jesus.<\/p>\n

After coming to the Lord I realized that the love I had searched for was only available from God.\u00a0\u00a0I learned that God who created me had created me had created me with a desire for a love so great only He could fulfill it.\u00a0\u00a0No parent, no sibling, no girlfriend, nor any other relative or friend could soothe my hurt.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As it has been often said, there was a God sized hole in my heart and only He could fill it.\u00a0\u00a0So, though I was once so hurt that I was suicidal, now that hurt is gone away.\u00a0\u00a0I live to serve the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0Though I can be separated from anyone on earth, He is with me always.\u00a0\u00a0He is the companion, the love, the One for whom I was meant to spend eternity with.\u00a0\u00a0Now, my spirit, my soul, is at peace\u2026forever!<\/p>\n

Family, we all have a story, to the praise of our God, let us tell the story of our relationship with Jesus!\u00a0\u00a0Let us always praise God!\u00a0\u00a0Thank you Jesus!\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acts 22:2-5\u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,\u00a0they became very quiet.\u00a0 Then Paul said:\u00a03\u00a0\u201cI am a Jew,\u00a0born in Tarsus\u00a0of Cilicia,\u00a0but brought up in this city.\u00a0I studied under\u00a0Gamaliel\u00a0and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.\u00a0I was just as zealous\u00a0for God as any of you are today.\u00a04\u00a0I persecuted\u00a0the followers of this Way\u00a0to their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-2024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2024"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2025,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2024\/revisions\/2025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}