Year 1, Day 258: Acts 25

Paul appeals to Caesar and his fate is sealed.  Here it happens, and we are now only a few chapters from the end.  He will present his testimony before Caesar as Christ has already prepared him to do.  Largely this chapter is simply giving the context for the chapters to come about Paul’s journey.

More Deceit

But there are a few things I’d like to bring up.  First, notice that the Jews request Paul to be brought to Jerusalem.  But the reason is not so that he might be tried.  The reason for this is so that they might ambush him along the way!  They plan deceit and make it look innocent along the way!  Such is the world.  I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have been cordially invited into a meeting only to find the meeting a place and a time for butchering someone – perhaps even me! 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind people talking to me about what they think I am doing wrong.  Often they are even correct!  But what I do mind is the deception.  If we need to have a meeting because I’ve offended or done something wrong, then tell me that is the purpose of the meeting!  We shouldn’t ambush people who think one thing is going to happen when another thing is secretly on the agenda. 

But that is how the world operates, is it not?  Even in the church we live under the constant threat of closed and hidden agendas.  Even in the church we find wolves who are dressed as sheep.

Paul’s Defense

However, notice that Paul’s defense is accurate.  He hasn’t done a thing to offend the Jews.  He hasn’t done a thing to warrant their judgment upon him.  We talked about his innocence yesterday, so I won’t go into those details today.  But he allows the truth to be his defense and work for him – even if it does possibly lead him into death once he gets to Rome.

I am reminded of Matthew 10:16-25.  “Don’t worry,” Jesus says.  “They’ll drag you before authorities.  They’ll drag you before judges.  But don’t worry.  The Holy Spirit will give you the truth upon which you will stand.  The Holy Spirit will be with you in those times.”

Jesus doesn’t say we will avoid persecution.  Actually, He says the opposite.  It will come.  It is a given.  If we are a peculiar people in the world because we live to a different agenda, then we are going to experience persecution.  It’s a foregone conclusion.

But God will give us a leg to stand upon.  And even should that persecution lead to death as it so often did in the early church – and still does in many places in the world – it’s alright because we have the promise of faith.  I am now reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy, perhaps the last words Paul ever said to Timothy.  In 2 Timothy 4, Paul tells Timothy that “I have fought the good fight and finished the race.”  Paul is about to be poured out as a drink offering and he’s perfectly content with that.  And he encourages Timothy to do the same because even in death God is able to bring us into the new kingdom.

So Paul begins the trek to Rome.

He meets Agrippa, the king of the land, who is still underneath the Roman Emperor.

Paul was called to the Gentiles and he lived out that calling in freedom.  Now he is called even more to the Gentiles and in this journey he will live out that calling in bondage.  We’ll see tomorrow how that calling begins to play itself out.

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