{"id":2094,"date":"2020-03-13T13:43:52","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T21:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2094"},"modified":"2020-03-13T13:43:52","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T21:43:52","slug":"devotion-acts-2410-21-truth-rises-to-shine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=2094","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 24:10-21 Truth Rises To Shine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 24:10-21<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/i>Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: \u201cInasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself,\u00a011\u00a0because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem\u00a0to worship.\u00a012\u00a0And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city.\u00a013\u00a0Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.\u00a014\u00a0But this I confess to you, that according to\u00a0the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the\u00a0God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in\u00a0the Law and in the Prophets.\u00a015\u00a0I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept,\u00a0that there will be a resurrection\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0dead, both of\u00a0the\u00a0just and\u00a0the\u00a0unjust.\u00a016\u00a0This\u00a0being\u00a0so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.\u00a0\u00a017\u00a0\u201cNow after many years\u00a0I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,\u00a018\u00a0in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me\u00a0purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.\u00a019\u00a0They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me.\u00a020\u00a0Or else let those who are\u00a0here\u00a0themselves say\u00a0if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, 21\u00a0unless\u00a0it is\u00a0for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them,\u00a0\u2018Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.\u2019\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: \u201cInasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul could not honestly give the governor, him being unjust and corrupt, high praise, like the unscrupulous Tertullus did.\u00a0\u00a0Instead he only said what he knew as the truth.\u00a0\u00a0Basically it was an acknowledgement of his tenure, if there is any praise in that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul was speaking for himself.\u00a0\u00a0The Jews hired a professional speaker who was skilled in being persuasive to speak for them.\u00a0\u00a0Paul was an educated and intelligent man.\u00a0\u00a0He knew the truth. Yet he was most confident that the Lord was with him and would give the words he needed.\u00a0\u00a0He was aware of their accusations and of the fact that they had no actual witnesses or original complainants.\u00a0\u00a0Even justice back then demanded actual witnesses and complainants.\u00a0\u00a0With the truth in hand, Paul was eager to speak on his own behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem\u00a0to worship.\u00a0\u00a012\u00a0And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city.\u00a013\u00a0Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.\u00a0<\/i>\u201d They had accused him of being one who went about causing religious and political riots.\u00a0\u00a0Paul responds to that by noting that he had not been in Jerusalem long.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul had not evangelized, he had not disputed the Law or the Prophets.\u00a0\u00a0He had only been in the temple in paying for the young men going through the Nazarene vows.\u00a0\u00a0He was in the temple only to assist these Jewish men.\u00a0\u00a0He was not arguing with anyone or inciting anyone in the synagogues or in the city (Jerusalem).\u00a0\u00a0He not only denied this charge of civil and religious unrest, but he asserted that they could not prove their charges.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut this I confess to you, that according to\u00a0the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the\u00a0God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in\u00a0the Law and in the Prophets.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul is saying that he, along with all of the Way (Christians), believe all the things in the Old Testament.\u00a0\u00a0So there is no disagreement there.\u00a0\u00a0We remember that Paul was a top Old Testament scholar.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Jews and the Way have no dissention there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have hope in God, which they themselves also accept,\u00a0that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of\u00a0the\u00a0just and\u00a0the\u00a0unjust.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul asserts that he shares the same faith as they that there will be a resurrection for all of humankind.\u00a0\u00a0Paul knew the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.\u00a0\u00a0But the larger group of rabbis and scholars did.\u00a0\u00a0Something distinct in this verse is that Paul mentions that both the just and the unjust will be resurrected and stand before God to be judged.\u00a0\u00a0For the just, those whose sins are washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus, this our blessed hope.\u00a0\u00a0The unjust, those who reject Jesus, will naturally not want there to be a resurrection and judgement day as described in the Bible because, if what the Bible says is true, that will be an eternally sad day for the unjust.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis\u00a0being\u00a0so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul states that because of the resurrection of humankind, as Jesus was resurrected, he is motivated to live in a way that pleases God, which includes how he treats his fellow man.\u00a0\u00a0We know that this is in line with what Jesus said is most important.\u00a0\u00a0(Mark 12:30-31<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0In this, Paul has a clear conscience.\u00a0\u00a0Oh what a treasure that is!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u201cNow after many years\u00a0I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,\u00a018\u00a0in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me\u00a0purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.\u00a0\u00a019\u00a0They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul now explains that the reason he was in Jerusalem was because of his love for it.\u00a0\u00a0He was bringing a love offering from the Gentile believers to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem.\u00a0\u00a0He had been a mission of love and mercy to his people whom he referred to as \u201cmy<\/u>\u00a0nation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Once again, he was not there for trouble, but for love for his fellow Jewish Christian.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul was not impure when he was in the temple, so he had in no way defiled it in that way.\u00a0\u00a0He was not even teaching anything so he was in no way defaming the temple.\u00a0\u00a0He was in the temple because he had submitted to the elders of the church there who thought that he sponsoring the young Jews in the rite would help bring peace.\u00a0\u00a0So, what he was doing was actually meant to be a healing and peaceful act.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul said that the people who originally had created the riot, who had accused him, were not even there to give evidence.\u00a0\u00a0Why not?\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps because their lies would have been exposed.\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps because the Sanhedrin had realized they could not prove the accusations they then altered their strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the way, where were the church elders at Caesarea?\u00a0\u00a0The Jews had come to accuse Paul, after Paul was doing what the church elders had instructed, why didn\u2019t they show up to encourage and defend Paul.\u00a0\u00a0They could have been witnesses in Paul\u2019s behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOr else let those who are\u00a0here\u00a0themselves say\u00a0if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, 21\u00a0unless\u00a0it is\u00a0for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them,\u00a0\u2018Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.\u2019\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0Since those present who were accusing them had no eyewitnesses, they should not hide behind their paid speaker but step out and themselves prove these charges.\u00a0\u00a0Of course they would not because they could not.\u00a0\u00a0So then Paul exposed what this was all about.\u00a0\u00a0It was about a difference of religious beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0And that was about the resurrection, which many in the Jewish faith differed on.\u00a0\u00a0Certainly there was no legal charge for Rome to find him guilty of.\u00a0\u00a0He was not a seditionist.\u00a0\u00a0This was all about religion and not about anything criminal under the law of man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus had prophesied that we would be persecuted and wrongfully charged because of being His disciples.\u00a0\u00a0Of those times Jesus said \u201c<\/span>When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/i>12<\/a>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span>for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0(Luke 11-12<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Here we see the Holy Spirit giving Paul the words to speak.\u00a0\u00a0Paul was putting into action\u00a0Psalm 62:5-8<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0May we all be diligent in our service to the Lord and, knowing Him, may we trust Him!\u00a0\u00a0Praise God always!<\/span><\/p>\n

P<\/b><\/span>salm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/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.<\/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.<\/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 24:10-21\u00a0–\u00a0Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: \u201cInasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself,\u00a011\u00a0because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem\u00a0to worship.\u00a012\u00a0And…<\/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":[82,106,93,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-2094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-luke","tag-mark","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094","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=2094"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2095,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2094\/revisions\/2095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}