The Providence of God

 Protection in a Stormy Voyage

Book of Acts Chapter 27

We seem to forget that when God gives us something to do, that He will keep us safe until we have accomplished what He gave us to do. This does not mean we will not suffer. 

The Lord had told Paul in a vision that he would testify in Rome and nothing in this world could stop this from happening, as long as Paul put forth the effort to do so. Paul would never quit on God even though it nearly costs him his life many times.

What had God told Paul? That he would be a witness for the Gospel in Rome.

Act 23:11  And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

It is at this point that Paul should have realized that he was going to Rome under the providence of God, and nothing in this world could stop this from happening.

When Paul appealed his case to Caesar, Festus had no legal choice, but to send Paul to Rome because this was Paul's right as a Roman citizen.

We sometimes make good plans for the things in our lives, but our plans will always be what the Lord has planned for our lives, and we will always be better for it.

We sometimes seem to forget the power of God.

I believe this is why this story is in the Bible.

Jehovah God controls all aspects of what happens to us as we live upon this earth.

We read of a great storm in the Mediterranean Sea and just how powerless we are as humans to endure such things in nature.

Now we already know that God does not cause the terrible things that happen in this world, but He does not always stop them from happening when He certainly has the power to do so.

Paul would make a safe journey to Rome though it would be a rough journey.

Paul was traveling with hardened soldiers and men of the sea, who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Maybe God allowed all these things to happen just so some of them would recognize that there is a God and He was the God of the Apostle Paul and some of them would be saved.

Unlike Jonah who was running away from God, Paul was running to God, but both were under the control of the providence of God.

God will have His way with us!

God will also test us in many ways!

As Christians we must trust that God will do as He says He will do.

We must know that God does not ever make a mistake. (Not Ever)

God does care for us.

1Pe_5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

So far, Paul's keepers had made the right decisions on this trip to Rome.

Those captains of those ships had also used their knowledge of the Seas to do the right things.

Where they would fail is when the man of God, Paul, gave good advice and they ignored the Word of God, but God still did not allow even one man to lose his life.

There were certain times of the year when the Mediterranean Sea was more dangerous than at other times.

This proved to be true, as Paul sailed toward Rome as a prisoner but still a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 27:14  But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

As Christians in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will find that the winds are not always favorable to our Christian journey.

We may find many fair havens.

These fair havens may not meet the desires of the world but are just a refuge from those storms.

Many will leave these places just because of their distance from the world when they are the safest places to stay.

To the Christian, our fair haven is the Bible believing Church.

When we are driven to a haven such as this, let us be content because the Church exists by of the "Grace" of God.

It is the ways of sin that are too easy, not the path of God, but the path of God leads to Heaven the fairest of all havens.

Paul never admits to being a sailor because he was a land man with no knowledge of the seas, but he did have the mind of Christ.

We find that men of the sea (the world) do not like land men (Paul the Christian) to interfere in the affairs of the sea (society).

We can find many types of biblical learning in these things of the Apostle Paul, and we can see how they affected all the books that he wrote led by the Holy Spirit.

A Euroclydon would be a typhoon like wind. This wind from the south could at times turn to be from the north with the same destructive power and it is these storms that last so long such as the fourteen days in this lesson from the Book of Acts.

A Euroclydon is now called Levanter but has the power of a typhoon.

These winds would not carry this ship in one direction but would be tossing them backward and forward.

*****Act 27:15  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 

There was no way to control the direction of the ship so they just allowed the ship to go wherever it would go. 

The ship was out of their control and was in the hands of God.

This is what happens when we try to leave Satan's control for the hand of God.

This ship was in the hands of God before the storm, but they did not recognize it. 

Remember, God told Paul he would preach in Rome.

We should understand that danger is always a test of character!

The impulse of self-preservation is so strong, it will defeat itself and many will die that could otherwise be saved.

Paul was safe because the Lord had said he would remain safe.

Paul was the valuable property of the immortal Jehovah God.

Paul had resources of strength and comfort that those around him did not have except maybe the Christians that traveled with him such as Luke.

Paul now became a comforter and an adviser to all this ship.

The promises of God will always be fulfilled!

*****Act 27:16  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 

Act 27:17  Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 

Clauda was a small island off the southwest coast of Crete and one of the last places they could still recognize as the storm became fiercer.

Those things called “helps” were big ropes or cables passed under the ship and secured on both sides to keep the timbers from separating.

This also means this was an old ship as ship building had already improved a great deal at this time.

These quick sands were huge sand banks on the shores of the Gulf of Sidra on the coasts of Tripoli and another on the coast of Tunis or Carthage. These were a known source of danger to mariners because of their shifting sands and cross currents.

Remember this ship had left Fair Havens because of a southernly wind but they had sailed close to the shorelines to avoid as much of those winds as possible.

It was a rough voyage.

*****Act 27:18  And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 

Act 27:19  And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 

On this second day they set about throwing the cargo overboard.

This cargo was probably corn from Alexandria Egypt to Italy and its load would have been very heavy and its removal would have made the ship much safer.

For this ship to throw its tackle overboard, then we can believe this ship was taking on water and in danger of going down early in this storm.

It also shows us the experience of the captain of this ship.

Even Paul and those with him helped to throw these things overboard, because the danger of sinking was so great.

They were now on their third day of this storm.

Paul had tried to warn those in charge of the coming danger.

We know that few are listening to the Christians today. 

Few are paying attention to the dangers that lie ahead as we approach the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1) We as Christians will also suffer through these things but financial gains will not be of much value in the last days.

2) We as Christians know that if our ship goes down, the body in which we dwell, our souls will be saved.

3) We as Christians know that no matter how far we drift, God knows where to find us. Sometimes we may even be immortal until the promise of God is fulfilled as was Paul.

4) When we as Christians are praying, it may be more important than all the work of the ship’s crew. Paul was pursuing his duty as a Christian.

5) When we as Christians are in such danger, we will always be more at peace than those who do not have a relationship with the Lord.

6) We as Christians may lose the sight of the natural sun and the star, but we will never lose sight of the Divine Son of God and the Star of Bethlehem.

It is extremely dangerous to ignore the warnings of God!

All of a sudden, they were sailing in almost total darkness.

*****Act 27:20  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Act 27:21  But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 

We can say without a doubt that this ship, this crew, and Paul did not know where they were.

They were desperately lost at sea.

Again, I can imagine that many lessons in typology have been taken from this passage.

It was only natural that a sense of hopelessness would come over the crew of the ship, but also just as true that Paul and those who traveled with him did not feel this hopelessness.

God always knows where his children are located, and God is always in touch with His children, no matter where they are located!

Many days had now passed, yet this storm was still raging.

This is the same thing that sin does. Sin begins anew every day and has no end without the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the way died to pay the debt of all sinners.

 The man of God, the Apostle Paul had the answer to hopelessness!

The Christian should have courage in all situations!

The trials of life will not break us down if we truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!

1) Paul first proclaimed their failure in listening to the Word of God.

Paul had warned that if they continued to follow the course of pleasure and greed, they would run the risk of loss and doom, of hurt and damage, but worldly people always have their own wrong answers.

Paul led by the Holy Spirit had warned those in charge of the ship.

Act 27:9  Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 

Act 27:10  And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 

2) Paul proclaimed God's promise.

God had promised that all on board would be saved if they would obey God's messenger.

This is all we have! We have the Word of God to be given to all the world and it is the Word of Truth.

Jehovah God is the only true God all other so-called gods are false!

This ship sailed with the idols of false gods, and they had done nothing to save this ship and its crew.

Paul proclaimed his faith in God's promises. 

Paul could not have known that no one would lose their life if not for God the Holy Spirit giving him this knowledge.

*****Act 27:22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 

Act 27:23  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 

Act 27:24  Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 

Act 27:25  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 

Act 27:26  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 

God knows what lies ahead in our daily walk in this life!

3) Paul stated that we all must have faith in the promises of God.

God had spoken to Paul using the many methods He chooses to speak to us, and we can trust the promises that God makes to us.

None of His promises have ever failed!

4) Paul proclaimed that these trials are necessary to prove our trust in the Lord our God.

We all have to listen to the Word of God and make that decision to trust what God has said!

The proof of true faith is enduring until the end of these trials.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

*****Act 27:33  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 

Fourteen days and nights had passed yet the storm seemed to have no ending.

During the night some of the crew felt like they were close to land so they began to take depth readings and sure enough the water was getting shallower, and they cast out four anchors out the rear of the ship.

In all honesty anchors should be from the front of the ship except under certain conditions.

Why are anchors at the front of the ship? When a boat lies on its anchor, it faces the tide and/or wind. The forces can be fairly high, and so it is necessary to present the minimum cross-sectional area and minimum drag, which is the front of the ship. Therefore, holding the bow up to the tide or wind is the best policy.

This is the same for your fishing boat and your pleasure boat.

Some of the crew attempted to flee by escaping in the ship's boat.

A ship's boat is a utility boat carried by a larger vessel. Ship boats have always provided transport between the shore and other ships.

In the early days of shipping this boat would be used to gather drinking water and to ferry people to the shore.

This little boat could not have brought safety to these men, and they would have died unnecessarily.

Paul brought this to the attention of the Centurion and his soldiers.

What we see is when danger is imminent sometimes it is the Christian that needs to step forward after all we do know the truth and the Lord will never forsake us.

*****Act 27:34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 

Act 27:35  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 

Act 27:36  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 

I can tell you after going through this cancer treatment that eating will sometimes become a duty for survival.

Sometimes we should eat whether we feel like it or not, just because we need our strength for what lies ahead.

This is always true of that food that is the Word of God!

God takes loving care of our souls, but He expects us to take loving care of our bodies!

When Paul gave thanks for this meal, Paul showed that is always time to ask for a blessing even if it was a meal eaten in a hurry.

Once the ship was anchored it was only a matter of time before the ship would break up if this storm did not cease its destructive power.

Once the new day arrived and they could see, they took up the anchors and ran the ship aground where the ship did break up.

In the end by trusting the man of God and the Word of God all those on this ship were saved.

*****Act 27:37  And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 

Fear is something we will all deal with from time to time, but God did not give us the Spirit of Fear. 

So when we are afraid, we did not get that feeling from God.

2Ti_1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

This is what most men on this ship saw in the Apostle Paul and it is our example for when things go terrible wrong.

The trials of life will sometimes cause great fear, but we must remember the Lord and the Word of God, and these great examples recorded in the Word of God.

Another thing we should notice there is never a time that we should not ask God for a blessing when we are about to take a meal.

As the messengers of God, we should take charge during these type situations if they arise.

We must believe and trust the Word of God!

We must focus everything upon God's Word and God's Promises!

This is the only way any of us can be saved!

Amen

The Innocent on Trial Against Corruption

 Paul Stirs Up the Sanhedrin

Book of Acts Chapter 23

What is the Sanhedrin Council?

Moses originally created the Sanhedrin Court, in obedience to God.

Num 11:16  And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 

The Sanhedrin was conceived mainly as a court of justice but things had changed because of corruption.

Jesus said:

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

This same council was used against the Lord Jesus:

Mat 26:59  Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 

Mat 26:60  But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 

The members of this council were called councilors.

Mar 15:43  Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. 

The Sanhedrin was abolished after the destruction of Jerusalem and no longer exists.

The existing High Priest was always the Head of this council.

In the time of Jesus Christ this Sanhedrin served only in Judea and had no authority over the Lord while He lived in Galilee.

After the time of Christ its orders were deemed binding to all orthodox Jews. 

Remember these were the Jews that followed that all religious opinion of men should be the standard and not necessarily the exact Word of God.

Jesus Christ was charged with blasphemy and insurrection by this court.

In the days of Rome, the Sanhedrin contained a mixture of Pharisee and Sadducees and Paul used this to his advantage.

When Paul was brought before this council by the Chief Captain of the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, it was not for him to be judged by them, but this Roman Captain wanted to know what Paul was charged with.

Any ruling of the Sanhedrin had no bearing on Roman law!

The Apostle Paul was not only a Jew, but he was also a citizen of Rome by birth.

Act 22:29  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 

Act 22:30  On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. 

The Chief Captain had thoughts of scourging Paul trying to gain the truth from Paul by torture, but since Paul was a citizen of Rome it was illegal to scourge him.

So Paul addressed the Sanhedrin council knowing the High Priest was his true enemy.

*****Act 23:1  And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 

Act 23:2  And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 

Act 23:3  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 

Act 23:4  And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 

Act 23:5  Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. 

Act 23:6  But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 

Paul stared down at this council for it no longer represented the truth of God and therefore they were unable to serve justice.

Paul told this council that his life was now pleasing to God because he had excepted the Gospel truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, unlike them who rejected the truth.

Because Paul accepted the "authority of the Scriptures" Paul was labeled a blasphemer and the High Priests had Paul slapped.

None of us like to be slapped, but to a Jew it was truly demeaning.

For a Jew to strike another Jew was also a violation of Jewish Law.

Paul realized that he had rebuked the High Priest and he immediately repented, and apologized, because this also was against the Mosaic Law.

As for this council, Paul offered nothing but stares, as he was condemned by those who were hypocrites and reprobates.

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 

We must not forget the promise of the Lord, so the Holy Spirit was guiding Paul every step of the way.

Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 

Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 

Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 

The Holy Spirit also reminded Paul of just what type of men were on this council, Pharisee, and Sadducee.

The Pharisees believed in the Spiritual world and the resurrection.

The Sadducee did not believe in the Spiritual world, nor did they believe in the resurrection.

Paul conceived a plan with the Holy Spirit to pit them against each other.

Paul said the reason he had been arrested was because he believed the same as these Pharisees on these issues.

*****Act 23:7  And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 

Act 23:8  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. 

Act 23:9  And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 

We see that the hatred of these two groups for one another overcame any issues they had with the Apostle Paul.

We see that the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ had held true as always, and these two parties began clamoring and arguing amongst themselves.

Paul said in his speech from the stairs that Jesus, whom they knew to be dead, was alive, and that this same Jesus had spoken to him from Heaven and also in a vision.

There is a truth that we sometimes ignore.

1) When a sinner accepts the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is an immediate elevation of the moral sense. We become new creatures!

2) When the Lord Jesus Christ comes near to the mind of anyone and He is rejected then, the last state of the rejecter is worse than the first. Those who reject the truth of Christ Jesus and quench Holy Ghost convictions, sink lower than those who never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

The Sadducees were religious but also liberal politicians of in the days of Jesus Christ.

They were wealthy, aristocratic, and the governing class of leaders in Israel. Not much different from those who govern our own nation today.

The Chief Priest of the Sanhedrin was normally a Sadducee during this time period.

The Sadducee ruled Israel on behalf of the Roman Government!

Act 4:1  And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 

Act 4:2  Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

Act 5:17  Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 

Act 5:18  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

The Sadducees were secular and worldly minded.

They were independent thinkers.

They were heavily entrenched in the priesthood in the days of Jesus Christ.

They regularly collaborated with the Roman government in order to protect their positions, in power and in wealth.

They denied the supernatural.

They denied the resurrection of the saints.

They denied miracles.

They denied life after death.

They denied angels and also evil spirits.

To them, there was no Heaven and no Hell.

To them, there was no existence other than life on this earth.

To them, when someone died, they just cease to exist.

To them, there was no such thing as rewards or punishment in the afterlife.

To them, there was no such thing as eternal life! (Matthew 22:23-33)

We can see the world if full of modern day Sadducees.

It is no wonder that they were "sad you see".

The Pharisee on the other hand were strict religionists.

These men dedicated themselves to practicing Jewish law in the strictest sense.

They felt that if they kept every little detail of the Mosaic laws and customs and taught others to do the same, they could save the Jewish religion and keep it from dying out.

They were the orthodox of their day.

They were strict literalists. They expanded the Jewish Law into thousands of little rules and regulations which we know of as the oral laws.

They were extremely zealous in these beliefs.

There were never many Pharisees because their strictness and their demands were too hard for common people.

They were earnest, dedicated, zealous, self-denying, and moral.

They were self-righteous and hypocritical. They lacked any sense of sin.

They were bitterly opposed to the Sadducees, hating, and despising them. They felt that the Sadducees were traitors to their own nation, and they were.

They were the main opponents of the Lord Jesus Christ and denounced Him. Their attacks on the Lord Jesus Christ were savage.

Why? 

1) Because Jesus did not attend any of their rabbinical schools nor a member of their sect.

2) Because Jesus attacked their rules and regulations which had been added to God's law.

Paul had been a Pharisee before he met Jesus Christ and was saved by the "Grace" of God.

These two groups of men allowed their hatred of each other get out of hand so, the Chief Captain had to put an end to this judgment of Paul.

*****Act 23:10  And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

Act 23:11  And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.  

The dungeon of Antonio Fortress became the one place of safety in Jerusalem for the Apostle Paul, led there by the Holy Spirit.

The Sanhedrin council had no authority over this case of the Apostle Paul and the Chief Captain had not submitted this case to them.

This case was in the hands of the Roman authorities, and it would remain that way.

We can certainly believe that Paul would have had no hope for justice had this case been given to the Sanhedrin and this Roman Captain knew this was true.

The command of the High Priest made sure this was true from the beginning.

In truth, this Sanhedrin Council was more guilty of blaspheming God that Paul was.

The fact that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection and Paul's defense was the fact that the Lord Jesus had certainly raised from that death, was proof that some of the beliefs of the Pharisees were true but not much more.

This doctrine of the Resurrection was the foundation of Paul's arguments for the truth of Christianity.

It is the "Gospel" this "Good News" of Jesus Christ that forms the truth of Christianity.

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Lord Jesus informed Paul:

1) The Lord said to Paul "be of good courage".

2) The Lord assured Paul that his witness in Jerusalem was of God by the Holy Spirit.

3) The Lord assured Paul that he would bear witness of Him in Rome.

The Lord will always stand by our side if we stand by His side!

The Lord will always encourage us and see us through these things.

The Holy Spirit will always give us the things to say in these situations!

Isa 50:9  Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. 

Isa 50:10  Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God. 

There are always those who are not satisfied with the way things are going.

*****Act 23:12  And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 

Act 23:13  And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 

In America today there are many groups such as Antifa, the BLM, and other Soros backed groups, who are devoted to the destruction of our way of life in any means possible, causing harm to individuals and property. 

We could say they conspire together to accomplish these things.

This group of Jews conspired to murder the Apostle Paul, and they actually made a vow to see that it was done and there were more than forty who made this vow.

We already know that Paul was going to Rome according to the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing, not even the best made plan, could stop what God had said would take place!

We should understand about Jewish vows. 

There was always possible for a way to escape if they failed to keep a vow.

The Talmud, the Oral Law, which did not always truly explain the written law of Moses, allowed for an escape of such vows.

One passage from the Talmud reads: "He that hath made a vow not to eat anything, woe to him if he eats, and woe to him if he do not eat. If he eat, he sinneth against his vow; if he does not eat he sinneth against his life. What must such a man do in this case? Let him go to the wise men, and they will lose his vow".

We should note that God does not release us from vows we make unto Him even though He will forgive our sin.

We should understand that since that day on the Damascus Road, the Apostle Paul had been under the providence of God and led by the Holy Spirit.

Paul was safe in the arms of God!

Paul would certainly bear witness of the Lord Jesus Christ in Rome, and nothing in this world could stop this!

God set in motion many human events to take Paul to Rome and in doing so, we as believers can see the hand of God in Paul’s life and it awakens us to the fact that same hand of God participates in each of our lives if we cling to the Lord Jesus Christ.

These men deceived themselves if they thought they could change the things that God had put in place.

We see this same type of foolishness in our world today in the many conspiracies that confront us today.

If our climate is changing, then it is because God is allowing it to change.

Matthew 24 describes to us the many things of our changing world and those are the things we need to be keeping up with.

Paul had appeared before the Sanhedrin court and these men could not stay focused because of the hatred they had for each other.

This was the Jew’s opportunity to paint Paul worthy of death, and they had failed miserably.

Paul would remain in the custody of Rome.

Any attempt to kill Paul would fail because Paul was really in the custody of Jehovah God.

It amazes me how people can deceive themselves in their sinful and wicked deeds, thinking they can overrule what God has said will take place.

If the world does not like the message of God and do not want to hear it, then it is in their best interest to leave the Church alone.

These forty or more men bound themselves under a curse before God. 

The Jewish elders might relieve them of the curse, but God would not.

They had devoted themselves to God under false belief to not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

They thought that this would be pleasing to God. 

No where in the Scriptures does it read that these types of things are pleasing to God!

Paul was God's chosen vessel!

Paul was not evil, but preached the truth of God!

We should understand that no sin is pleasing to God no matter the reason we conjure up in our minds!

Those who think this way are living in deception!

Many in the Church have gone against the truth of God's Word and a preacher who preached the whole council of God, thinking they are right, simply because they listen to the world and ignore the Word of God.

Even modern-day science does not overrule the truth of the Word of God!

These types of people have stifled many a church and brought many of them to destruction.

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 

We are not to judge another church, but when these things take place, it is the Word of God that judges them!

These forty or so men conspired which means, they dragged other innocent men into their destruction.

Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

Mat 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 

They then went to the elders and got them involved and many of those elders were ready to get on board with them in their evilness.

We live in a world today where many a church leader have been deceived into joining in the wickedness of abortion, and the gay lifestyle, along with the transgender movement we see today.

They need to actually read that Bible they say that guides them!

We must get the world out of the Church!

The Church cannot fail, but many a lost person will fail to meet the glory of God because of these things.

This wicked and evil plan would be found out before it could take place.

*****Act 23:14  And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 

Act 23:15  Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. 

Act 23:16  And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

The enemies of the Apostle Paul would not be satisfied until the Apostle was no longer upon this earth.

The law said "thou shall not kill" but these Jews had intended to kill Paul.

They were like wild beasts as they thirsted for blood.

Reminds us of all those shootings going on in our nation as these shooters thirst for the blood of the innocent.

They bound themselves under a curse upon themselves.

There were more than forty of these who would murder an innocent man who only spoke the Word of God.

They were cunning, they knew they could not reach Paul without the help of the Sanhedrin.

This should tell us just how immoral the elders and the rulers of Israel were at this time.

They never gave a thought to the providence of God!

They had forgotten the advice of the teacher Gamaliel.

Act 5:38  And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 

Act 5:39  But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. 

How does God react to these things?

1) God keeps it simple!

We do not know much of Paul's family. We know a little about Paul's mother and his grandmother.

Here we see that he also had a sister, and she had a son who cared enough for Paul to come to visit with him.

God does not ever need to use mighty things to accomplish great things!

2) The way God works is always unexpected!

Little did these conspirators expect their plan to be defeated by an obscure young man.

3) It was natural.

It was natural for this young man to give this information to his uncle.

It was natural for Paul to send his nephew to the Chief Captain.

It was natural for this Chief Captain being a man of honor, to act as he did.

God does not have to exhort to big mighty things to do the things He does so well!

Paul would have a safe journey to Caesarea.

God would raise five hundred soldiers to protect him from forty murderers.

Paul would go before a Roman judge, being innocent of all charges of these Jews.

Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 

God uses simple methods to expose the works of darkness!

As the children of God we should take great comfort knowing that our Lord God will never forsake us, and He will walk with us every step of the way until we finally reach our true home in Heaven.

Amen

Persecution Within the Church

 Paul Faced Persecution in Jerusalem

Book of Acts Chapter 21

As the children of God we must be willing to face difficulties and dangers to be a faithful witness for the Lord.

Those that have not seen persecution will surely see it. Yes, even here in America.

Even our own government is trying to silence the Church today.

The Apostle Paul is probably the most persecuted missionary who witnessed for the Lord Jesus Christ!

Most every man of God and every friend of Paul, tried to warn Paul of the harm that would come to him if he went to Jerusalem.

What was Paul's answer to these things?

Act 21:13  Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Act 21:14  And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem.

We might ask ourselves why Paul would do such a thing and there is no answer except that everything happens for a reason.

Things in Jerusalem started well as the brethren, those who were saved, the Church in Jerusalem, received Paul and those with him gladly.

Paul was warmly received.

*****Act 21:17  And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 

Act 21:18  And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

Paul had a great desire for his fellow Jews to be saved and it is probably this desire that pushed Paul to do the things he did in Jerusalem.

Paul also knew he would not be able to witness for Jesus in Jerusalem unless there was peace.

This being true, then Paul would have to compromise in order to reach those who opposed him.

What Paul did not know was, that they were never going to receive him!

The church in Jerusalem welcomed Paul gladly.

This was probably an unofficial welcome by just a few of his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Next Paul would meet with James the stepbrother of Jesus Christ, the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, and the elders of that church.

These men formed the government of this church, and it was these men who needed to hear the results of Paul's mission trip.

Paul went in with those who had traveled with him.

We know that this church had not tried to help the Apostle Paul, but there were good reasons because this was a church of people who were excommunicated from the Jewish society.

This was an extremely poor church.

It was Paul who brought the love offering from the Gentile churches to help these in Jerusalem.

We should notice that none of the Apostles are mentioned, and we would think that Luke would have mentioned it if they were there.

Paul had with him all those that had helped him in this work for Christ, in hope they would get some recognition for how they had contributed, but at this time not all the church was called together.

Paul recognized the elders of this church.

*****Act 21:19  And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 

After Paul recognized these elders, then the Apostle Paul gave God the glory for the accomplishments that were made, and the souls that were saved.

It had been at least five years since Paul had been in Jerusalem and much work had brought many accomplishments in the name of Christ Jesus.

Many churches had been planted and each one had elders just as this church in Jerusalem.

Since he had saluted the Church, when he had probably seen James last, he had labored at Antioch, in Galatia and Phrygia, and had wrought a mighty revolution in Asia. 

He had consolidated his work in Macedonia and Achaia; he had held his visitation of Gentile elders in Miletus; he had visited Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea, great Gentile cities, and had seen everywhere astonishing tokens of the grace of God which was with him. And now he pours his tale into the ears of the chief pastor of the mother Church of Jerusalem, and those of the Jewish elders. 

It is at this time that James and the elders praised the Lord for what He had done.

It is James who points out some things of the saved Jews.

James also points out that they still were zealous of Moses' Laws.

We should also notice that there was no unfriendliness shown to Paul or these with him.

*****Act 21:20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are  all zealous of the law:

Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

These that remained zealous for the Law were some of the same ones who caused problems in the Church.

Still yet, there was not much printed material in the teaching of the New Testament Church and the truths of God.

As Paul later began to write the New Testament, he wrote many things about the Law.

That word "particularly" in verse nineteen means, one by one, in great detail, step by step, Paul described all the things that had happened.

It is always good for the Church to know these things!

Paul gave all the credit to God, and James and these elders they also glorified God, as we all should.

1) Churches should be informed of mission trips in great detail.

2) God alone should be recognized and credited as the One who caused the work to be a success.

That is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).

3) God alone should get all the praise for what was done and what was accomplished.

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

These are things that make God happy!

3Jn 1:3  For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 

3Jn 1:4  "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth". 

If we want to make God happy, then we should walk in the truth of God!

After all these things are said and God is praised and glorified, then James and these elders asked Paul to compromise.

We are taught to never compromise when speaking the message of God.

Thousands of Jewish believers were disturbed with the preaching of the Apostle Paul, but Paul preached the truth of God!

What did James suggest to the Apostle Paul?

*****Act 21:22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. 

Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 

Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

What we see is, that most of these Jewish Christians refused to give up the ritualism in which they had been brought up.

Remember ritualism has nothing to do with salvation, and in fact, could be considered detrimental to "faith".

Many of these Jews were still zealous of the Laws of Moses, and considered them too important than to just give them up.

If not cleared up, these things can warp our judgment!

We might ask ourselves, what is bigotry?

Bigotry consists in being obstinately and perversely attached to our own opinions, or, as some have defined it, “a tenacious adherence to a system adopted without investigation and defended without argument; accompanied with a malignant, intolerant spirit towards all who differ.”

These Jews were suffering from bigotry!

The Church is suffering from democratic bigotry in our own nation today!

It is this bigotry that had kept the truth of Grace from being received by all!

We should understand that some twenty-five years have passed since the church in Jerusalem had been formed.

There had been plenty of time for these zealous people to learn the Gospel facts!

It goes to show us that once false teaching enters a church, it can be hard to get rid of.

Bigotry still exists in the Church today!

It is true that we need peace in the Church!

We know that Paul had circumcised Timothy to keep the peace when it was not necessary for Timothy to be circumcised, because salvation comes by the "Grace" of God through "faith".

Paul had never preached that the Jews should give up the Law, but Paul had preached that the Gentiles were not to observe the Laws of Moses.

You see we are not to become Jews, to then become Christians, and this is the message that would have been sent to the Church.

1Co 7:18  Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 

1Co 7:19  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 

1Co 7:20  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 

Paul had his way about certain things:

1Co 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 

1Co 9:21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 

1Co 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

1Co 9:23  And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 

There were four men who had made the vow of the Nazarene and Paul was asked to join them.

We are never to compromise on the Word of God, but if we have the love of Jesus within us, then we should work on ways to settle social discords.

**Paul joined these Nazarites, not as a slave to human ordinances, but in the light of Christian liberty!

1Co 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

**Paul joined these Nazarites in the spirit of brotherly love!

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

**Paul joined these Nazarites in the spirit of conciliation!

1Co 9:1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 

1Co 9:2  If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 

1Co 9:3  Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 

1Co 9:4  Have we not power to eat and to drink? 

1Co 9:5  Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 

1Co 9:6  Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 

1Co 9:7  Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 

1Co 9:8  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 

It was clearly understood that the Gentiles who came to the Lord by the "Grace of God", would not be asked to do such things as this.

*****Act 21:25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. 

James wanted Paul to know that nothing had changed since the Council of Jerusalem where these things of the Gentiles had been established.

What had James written?

Act 15:20  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 

We can see the integrity of James the half-brother of our Lord, making sure the Gentiles would not get caught up in this Jewish bigotry.

Paul followed through with this discussion with James and the church elders, but even this trouble came from the Judaizers, who traveled to the places where Paul preached just to cause him trouble.

There are people in America today who are on Soros's payroll, who travel from city to city just to stir up trouble especially during protest.

They are not protesters; they are law breakers seeking to cause damage to a free America and push socialism and communism!

*****Act 21:26  Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. 

Act 21:27  And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 

Act 21:28  Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

Act 21:29  (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 

Paul yielded to the advice of James and those church elders against his own judgment.

To us here today, this advice would seem to carnal wisdom rather than Spiritual wisdom.

Paul would seem to be something that he was not, making it as if he believed the law was still in force for salvation when it was not.

Salvation is by Grace through faith, and it will remain this way.

What was that old law?

Num 6:13  And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 

Num 6:14  And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, 

Num 6:15  And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

To be a Christian, is much better than to claim the law of the Nazarite without these sacrifices!

Paul was an apostle, but he respected the officers of the local church, and he showed respect to their judgment.

We need to understand that the work of God must be done in God's way!

We must stick to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

If we obey the law of Jesus Christ, we will automatically be obedient to any of those old laws of the Old Testament!

We should be clear, those in Jerusalem had not liked the Apostle Paul since he became a Christian.

This was not going to change! Even the church had some of these people on the inside as we have already seen.

We must never compromise the truth of God!

Those Paul haters were in this church crowd trying to dictate the policy of one of the greatest Christians upon the face of this earth at this time.

Though this thing was not right, Paul was willing to become "all things to all men" that he by any means might save some.

Paul consented to these certain customs of the Jews to prove himself orthodox!

Those who seem to be orthodox are those whose religious opinion is in accordance with some assumed standard!

In other words, it is nothing more than an opinion and it is not the same in all churches.

We must not add to, nor take away from the Word of God at any time in any church!

We must focus on being right in the eyes of Jesus Christ, and not the eyes of public opinion!

As teachers we have one rule and it is to follow the Scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not get caught up in orthodoxy.

What is the only truth we need?

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Joh 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 

 What is our directive in the Word of God?

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

What are we to do?

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 

Rom 16:18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Before these seven days were ended, notice it was Jews from Asia who stirred trouble for the Apostle Paul, so it did not matter the thing he was trying to accomplish at the advice of the church in Jerusalem.

Their claim was, that Paul taught against the Jewish nation, a nation Paul loved.

Their claim was that Paul taught against the laws of Moses, which Paul only said keeping those old laws could not bring salvation and that no one could keep all those laws.

Their claim was that Paul taught against the Temple, which was a Jewish worship center but not a Christian church.

Their claim was that Paul had polluted the Temple by bringing a Gentile into the inner temple, which was a lie.

No uncircumcised person could go beyond the court of the Gentiles.

All these things were lies!

Many a true theologian have suffered disrepute in the name of orthodoxy!

Some of these being Johnathan Edwards, Luther, and many others.

We can understand that outsiders are sometimes guilty of causing trouble in the church, but many times the troubles in the church come from those within the walls of the church, because of the way they interpret Scripture, when God says there is to be no self-interpretation.

The Scriptures speak for themselves rightly divided!

We must never allow customs and rituals to replace the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Act 21:30  And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. 

Act 21:31  And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 

Act 21:32  Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 

Again, we see here the providence of God.

God was not through with the Apostle Paul, and God used some unknowing Gentiles to save Paul.

Paul had wanted to go to Rome, and he would soon go there.

The hand of God can be seen to be moving through this whole event.

As the servants of God, we can trust our life to be in God's hand through all life's trials and we see it here in the middle of a mob's attack.

No matter our trial God is working out His will in each believer's life!

When our job is done here on earth, then God will take us home as he did the Apostle Paul!

Amen