Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: King
- King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle. When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king. Authority comes from Him. Power comes through His authority. He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.
We are in the middle of a series of about three chapters that are
not particularly theological in nature.
Rather, their nature is about showing the process of Paul’s journey to
Rome. These chapters are about the
influence of humanity in the midst of God’s hand at work.
Felix – from the last chapter – kept Paul around hoping for a
bribe. In the last chapter and in this
chapter we see that the Jewish leaders wanted Paul to come to them so that they
could ambush him along the road and kill him outright. Felix wants to try Paul in Jerusalem so that
he can gain favor with the Jews.
Everyone has an agenda.
But look at Paul and the example that he sets before us. He sticks to the truth. He doesn’t deny anything that he has done,
but he does refute the trumped up and impossible charges of the Jews. He sticks to the work that his true king –
God, the Father – has placed before him.
He lives out of the authority and power that his true king has granted
to him.
Even when Paul appeals to Caesar, he is living out of the
authority that God the king has given to him.
God desires Paul to go to the Gentiles, not the Jews. God desires Paul to even proclaim the Gospel
of Jesus Christ all the way up to the household of Caesar himself! When Paul appeals to Caesar, Paul is living
out God’s plan for him. Paul is living
out the authority that he has been granted.
Even in this chapter that is largely about the worldly agenda around
Paul, we see that Paul is still living out the desires of the king. God is still in charge in Paul’s life even
though human agendas seek their own end for Paul.
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