Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 22
7 This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees—8 for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9 So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” 10 As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”
7 This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees—8 for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9 So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” 10 As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”
Commentary:
23:8 The Pharisees believed in angels and spirits and in a future resurrection, though they did not accept Jesus’ resurrection; the Sadducees rejected the very idea of a resurrection as well as belief in angels and spirits. Consistent with this, the Pharisees granted that a spirit or angel might have visited Paul (v. 9), while the Sadducees rejected this possibility altogether. For more on the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees, see article on Jewish Groups at the Time of the New Testament.
23:11 Paul’s testimony to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem was an especially significant fulfillment of the prophecy about his life in 9:15.
23:11 Paul’s testimony to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem was an especially significant fulfillment of the prophecy about his life in 9:15.
Questions:
- Here Paul once again finds himself in the midst of an angry mob that wants to kill him. But the Lord speaks to him that night saying he should be ENCOURAGED because all this meant he would have the opportunity to preach the gospel in Rome as well. The greek meaning here is implying that he should CONTINUE to have courage in the face of hardship and danger, that it would be ongoing. Jesus is also implying here that Paul would make it to Rome... he wouldn't be killed before then. Once again, God is using incredibly difficult circumstances for His glory. It's not wasted. It's not for nothing. How many times has God done the same for you through difficulty? Could He be doing it now?
- If we are truly following Jesus, we shouldn't be surprised when we too face hardships, persecution and unfair treatment. When the PEOPLE of Jesus follow the WAY of Jesus, THEIR story will look a lot like HIS story. In fact, if following Him isn't costing you anything, are you really following Him at all? Are you convicted by this thought? When was the last time your obedience to God cost you something?
Pray:
- That God would use your difficulty for His glory.
- That you would be willing to be obedient, no matter the personal cost.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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