From
Acts to Revelation
Part
64 – Paul's Defense II
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Paul is in chains, and surrounded by the
Roman guards. Arrested in the temple when a crowd of Jews began beating him to
death.
These guards pulled him from the masses,
and took him to the gate, where they were going to lock him up. However, Paul
asked the Commander in Greek, if he could speak to the crowd. The commander
agreed.
Paul spoke to the Jews in Aramaic,
explaining that he was a Jew, how zealous he was, and how me met Jesus.
Paul continues as he explains his
situation, in hopes of gaining understanding from the Jewish brothers he is
speaking to. However, instead of understanding, they explode.
So, last week we saw Paul explain he was a
Jew, he was educated and zealous for God, and how he met Jesus.
Today’s verses will show us how volatile
hate can be, and how hate can grow from religion.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 22:22-30
22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said
this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of
him! He’s not fit to live!”
23 As they were shouting and throwing off
their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul
be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and
interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like
this. 25 As
they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there,
“Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found
guilty?”
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to
the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man
is a Roman citizen.”
“Yes, I
am,” he answered.
“But I
was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 Those who were about to interrogate
him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he
realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30 The commander wanted to find
out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he
released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the
Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
I.
THE CROWD EXPLODES
a. The
crowd had listened to Paul until this point.
b. The
scripture says that they listened until he said this.
i.
Referring to vs. 19-21 “19 “‘Lord,’
I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to
imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And
when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my
approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 “Then
the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the
Gentiles.’ ”
c. The
Jews' response to Paul was religious
i.
“Rid
the earth of him, he's not fit to live!”
a.
These Jews are claiming that they are scriptural
in demanding Paul's life.
ii.
They were so upset, we see the scriptures
describe how they tore their cloaks and threw dust in the air.
d. Religion
always hates
i.
Throughout scripture, we see it time and
time again, religious people who hate.
a.
We still see these abuses today.
1. Sexual
predator clergy
2. TV
Evangelists
3. Cult
Leaders
b.
Using religion to gain something, or being
religious and destroying the true church.
c.
Remember, Jesus called these religious
people a brood of vipers, and the synagogue of Satan.
d.
Jesus said they carried out their fathers
will (Satan’s), which was destroying the church.
II.
THE CROWD REACTS TO PAUL'S CONFESSION
a.
23 As they were
shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken
into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in
order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.
i.
Scourging (or flogging) is a terrible form
of torture.
ii.
Because Paul spoke to the crowds in
Aramaic, the Roman Captain did not know the reason the crowd was violent
towards Paul. This is how they interrogated people.
b.
25 As they stretched
him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal
for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
i.
Paul did not cower from the beating when it
was directly connected to the name of Jesus.
ii.
Perhaps Paul felt he deserved punishment
for his many crimes against Christ?
iii. Perhaps
he felt he deserved what was coming to him?
iv.
However, he did quietly, and with dignity,
try to avoid it when ordered by official ignorance.
a.
The Romans weren't beating him “because” of
Jesus...they had no clue. They were going to beat him for information.
v.
So Paul asks, “Is it legal for you to flog
a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
c. 26 When the centurion heard this, he went
to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This
man is a Roman citizen.”
i.
The rights of Roman citizens were guarded
as something sacred granted by Rome.
d. 27 The commander went to Paul and asked,
“Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered.
i.
The Captain was afraid, because he had
actually already broken the law, just by binding Paul.
e. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a
lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
i.
One of the ways you could gain Roman
Citizenship was by purchasing it.
ii.
However, Paul was born a Roman citizen.
iii. Either
through some service preformed by his family, or because of living in the City
of Tarsus.
III. OUT OF
THE PAN
a. 29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew
immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had
put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
i.
Paul was no longer in chains, but still
held in custody by the Captain, in hopes he could find out what was going on.
b. 30 The commander wanted to find out exactly
why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released
him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the
Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand
before them.
i.
The Jewish Sanhedrin was the Highest Jewish
Council, ruling Civil and Religious matters among the Jews.
CONCLUSION
The Lord lead Paul to Jerusalem
so he would be there during the Passover, when all of the God-fearing Jews from
around the world would be present. Giving God, through Paul, one last attempt
at re-directing the Jews from the err of their way, back to the way of God,
which taught of a coming savior whom is the lord their God.
Now that Paul has attempted to
speak one last time to the people, God has protected him, and moved him to the
highest of Jewish council's, so that he may try to convince the religious
leaders of the Messiah's coming.
The Lord is trying to reach
them, as a whole, for the last time.
Paul, being trained by
Gamaliel, could reason with the council on their educated level.
We can see how religion, and
religious people do harm to the Body of Christ, and work towards destroying the
church, rather than edifying and building it up by strengthening the people.
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