Acts 28:23-31

At first, I thought Paul may have had this meeting wherever the Jewish leaders normally congregated, but then I remembered that Paul was under house arrest, so it makes sense that they had to come to him.

“From morning till evening,” Paul explained and testified to the truth, using the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets to show that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Savior. As he had experienced before, some believed, while others had a harder time accepting what he was saying. While many might have left it there, Paul went a step further and closed out his session by quoting Isaiah—a direct reference to what they were doing in that very moment.

Paul certainly left his mark on people. He was not afraid to challenge their thinking or remind them of God’s words of admonishment when warranted.

In the early days of the spread of the Gospel, strict adherence to the Word of God was oh so important. Undoubtedly, there has been mission drift through the years, and at different times throughout history, God has had to adjust the course of His Church when it has gotten far off track. A ship that is only one degree off course may not seem to be in much trouble at first, but travel far enough, and it can end up in an entirely different place than intended.

Paul took his role very seriously and dealt firmly with compromise because he knew where compromise would eventually lead. A little deviation, left unchecked, can eventually become a completely different destination.

Where are we in our understanding of the Gospel? Do we consider it a nice bedtime story, or do we recognize it as the very words by which we are to live? When we look at Paul, we see that these were not merely words he preached—they were words he lived by, words he suffered for, and ultimately, words he was willing to die for—and did.