APPEALING TO A HIGHER POWER (PART 5)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.”

Acts 26:9-11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Paul had just delivered his opening statement after King Agrippa asked him to speak at a hearing within the audience room of the Roman governor Festus.

Through his words, Paul detailed the reason why he was even in the place he was. The Jewish religious authorities had levied false accusations against him and he felt Agrippa would understand what he was talking about because the king was well versed in Jewish “customs and controversies.”

Paul then proceeded to let Agrippa know that he was as much a Jew as his accusers, spending much of his life in Israel’s capital city. There, he “conformed to the strictest sect” of Judaism while “living as a Pharisee.”   

Since Paul was well versed in the Jewish religion, he was knowledgeable in the scriptures, particularly the Mosaic Law and the predictions of the prophets. Paul asserted that he was being placed on trial for simply believing in Jesus who had been the hope the Israelites had been waiting for. Sent by God, Jesus brought deliverance from sin and salvation for anyone who believed in Him, whether Jew or Gentile. And believing Jesus was God’s Messiah, Paul placed his trust in Him as Savior and that God had resurrected His Son from death to life.

It was this point that Paul believed he was being persecuted for and as he finished his opening, he posed a simple question which, when paraphrased, went something like this:

With God being God and possessing the power to do all things, why would anyone think it impossible that He could raise the dead to life?

And with that question left for the king and his audience to ponder, Paul began the second part of his message, one grounded in confession. Look again at his words here:

“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.”  Acts 26:9-11

Here we find Paul testifying that he had once behaved badly as a fervent Pharisee before he came to believe in Jesus. He saw it his duty to “do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus” in Jerusalem and other foreign cities, all with the blessing and support of the chief priests.

What were some of the actions taken by Paul?

He tells his audience saying that he “put many of the Lord’s people in prison” and “cast his vote” in favor of killing Christians. He also went from one synagogue to another in order to punish Jesus believers, even trying to force them to commit blasphemy which would justify their killing.

Yes, Paul was an enemy of Christians and he wanted everyone to know it. He condemned the false charges being brought on him by the Jewish religious leaders but if the truth was to be told, he was no better than they were. He had innocent blood on his hands too.

This is the point the apostle is trying to convey as he speaks in this section of his message.

But what changed Paul? What happened to turn him from being a Christian persecutor to a Christian himself?

We’ll see him testify all about it in tomorrow’s devotion. I hope you’ll come back to take it in then.

Be blessed.

In Christ,

Mark

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