Paul’s confidence and assurances had to have encouraged everyone aboard—enough so that they were finally able to eat. I don’t know about you, but when stressful times come, I generally have no appetite, as appears to have been the case here. They had gone without eating for fourteen days.

I was curious about the statement that there were 276 people on board, and Luke writes, “all 276 of us.” Then it dawned on me—Luke was one of them! Throughout Acts, there are times when Luke writes using the word “they,” and other times when he uses “we,” indicating that he was personally traveling with Paul. This was one of those times.

Luke wasn’t merely recording a story someone had told him. He was experiencing this storm in real time. He felt the wind. He saw the waves. He endured those terrifying nights. He watched the sailors throw cargo and equipment overboard, and he experienced the same uncertainty everyone else did. Much of the vivid detail we have in this chapter comes from someone who was actually there. Both Luke and Aristarchus were traveling with Paul.

I can’t tell you how many times I have read Acts and never really noticed that. Such is the beauty of Scripture—there is always something more to discover.

Luke played such a prominent role in the early days of the Church and yet often goes unnoticed. But it hit me differently when I realized that Luke was in just as much danger as Paul was. When Paul stood up in the middle of that storm and told everyone that an angel of God had appeared to him and assured him that not one of them would lose his life, Luke heard those words too.

Imagine what they must have meant to him as a fellow believer.

By this point, Luke had undoubtedly come to know Paul well. He had witnessed his faith, his integrity, his perseverance, and the hand of God upon his ministry. Now, in the middle of a raging storm, Luke was watching that faith in action. When everyone else had lost hope, Paul had heard from God—and his confidence became a source of strength to everyone around him.

Luke’s role was different from Paul’s, but it was no less important. Paul was called to preach and establish churches throughout the Roman world; Luke was called alongside him, serving faithfully and ultimately recording much of what we know about those incredible years. In fact, through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, God used Luke to preserve an extraordinary portion of the history of Jesus and the early Church for generations yet to come.

It reminds me that we don’t all have the same assignment. Some are called to stand at the forefront, while others are called to walk faithfully alongside them. Some speak the message, while others help preserve it. Some plant, some water, but God uses each one to accomplish His purposes.

Everyone has a place and a purpose in God’s plan, and those purposes often intersect beautifully with the lives and callings of others. We may not always realize the significance of the part we are playing, but when we faithfully occupy the place God has given us, our contribution can reach much farther than we could ever imagine.

Can you imagine going through this for 14 days? It had to be quite a storm to have lasted this long, and unfortunately, it was dragging them all along with it. The nights must have been terrible. With the cloud cover, it had to be pitch black, making it difficult to see what was ahead.

It seems the sailors sensed they were approaching land, no doubt drawing upon instincts they had developed through years of sailing. The danger now was running into a reef or running aground in the darkness with little visibility. Some of the sailors were going to make a run for it, but Paul put a stop to it. By this point, it seems he had garnered a measure of trust from the commanding officer and soldiers, and in an incredible act of faith on their part, they cut the lifeboat loose. Can you imagine that?

The ocean can be a scary place. Several years ago, my husband and I went on our first cruise—a five-day cruise in the Bahamas. On the third day, some weather was expected, but when we got up that morning, the seas were relatively calm, so we decided to take a tender over to the island. Unfortunately, we made much the same mistake they did—the weather looked manageable at the moment, so we went ahead despite what was coming.

We had only been on the island for about 45 minutes when the weather started to turn, and we decided to head back to the ship. As we sat on the tender waiting to leave, we watched a waterspout scoot across the other side of the island.

Unfortunately, the seas had picked up considerably, and it was taking a long time for each tender to reach the ship and safely get the passengers aboard—in some cases, as long as 45 minutes. By the time we reached the ship, the swells were about 10–12 feet. Even with the captain positioning the ship to help block the waves, the tender and the gangway were pitching up and down, making it very dangerous to cross.

About three-quarters of the people on our tender were able to get onto the ship before the decision was made to take the rest of us back to the island. I will never forget being broadsided by the waves as we pulled away from the ship and feeling as though we might capsize. There was nothing we could do but pray.

Thankfully, we made it safely back to shore without further incident, aside from the harrowing trip back to the inlet. About 1,400 of us from the ship ended up spending the night on the island, which at the time had little more than lounge chairs and hammocks. The winds had picked up to around 30 miles per hour as the cold front moved through, the temperatures dropped, and most people were dressed in bathing suits and other beach attire.

Throughout the night, the cruise line made trips back and forth from the ship to the island, bringing sweatshirts, blankets, food—whatever they could find. I happened to speak with one of the cooks they brought over, and he told me that getting to the island was one of the scariest things he had ever done. First, they had to get onto the small boat they were using, and then they had to navigate through those waves to the island in the darkness.

My husband and I affectionately call it our “Acts 27 cruise!”

So, as I read Paul’s account, I can somewhat relate, although I think what they experienced was far worse.

Never underestimate God’s ability to keep you safe, even in the most trying circumstances. But also, never underestimate the importance of listening to what He has to say, especially amid the chaos of uncertainty.
Paul’s instructions were clear: “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” God had already promised that everyone aboard would survive, but His promise did not make their obedience unnecessary. In fact, obedience was part of the means through which His promise would be fulfilled.

Sometimes faith looks like holding on; other times, faith looks like cutting the lifeboat loose.

Thankfully, they listened—and they lived to tell the tale, as we shall see.

There is nothing like an angelic visitation at just the right time! God’s purpose, as we have been speaking about, will not be thwarted because of contrary circumstances. And God, in His goodness, “has granted safety” to everyone on board—meaning it had already been decreed. As far as Heaven was concerned, it was a done deal. What God says, God does.

That had to be welcome news for some, although I am sure there were still a few skeptics in the bunch—but not for long.

When God decrees something, it has the full backing of Heaven. He can move heaven and earth on our behalf. The accounts of God intervening in the affairs of men are abundant throughout Scripture, and yet how skeptical we can be sometimes. There are those who readily accept the biblical accounts of God interacting with mankind through angels, visions, dreams, and other heavenly encounters, yet when we hear similar claims today, we tend to question them.

Granted, there are charlatans who make unsubstantiated claims in hopes of gathering a following, and eventually their fruit—or lack thereof—usually exposes them.

So how do we know what is genuine? This is where our relationship with the Holy Spirit is so important. Jesus said that the Spirit of truth would “guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit in various ways, always consistent with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes something simply doesn’t seem right—there is an uneasiness in your spirit that won’t go away. Other times, you suddenly “just know” something you didn’t know before, almost like a download of information deposited into your spirit. And sometimes He brings a Scripture to mind at precisely the right moment.

The importance of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives cannot be overstated. So much so that Jesus commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem after His resurrection until they were endued with power from on High. It wasn’t a suggestion.

The Holy Spirit is our constant Companion, and Paul was certainly dependent upon Him throughout this storm. Storms have a way of doing that in our lives. There are times when we face situations far bigger than our capacity to handle, and in those moments, we had better know Who to call.
And there is no one better than Jesus!

When our resources have been exhausted, when circumstances are beyond our control, and when there appears to be no way out, He is still Lord over the storm. There are times when God may lead us to speak to the storm in faith, exercising the authority He has given us, and there are other times when He calls us to trust Him as He carries us through it. The key is knowing His will and following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our authority is never independent of His authority; it flows from it.

No one delivers like He does.

Just like Paul said…unfortunately for all of them, they were now caught in a dangerous storm that raged for many days. Paul had warned that trouble lay ahead—that there was potential for the loss of cargo, their ship, and even their lives—but the ship’s owner and captain had persuaded the Roman officer to continue farther up the coast to winter at Phoenix. Now we see them having to throw cargo overboard for their own safety as they were stuck in this tempest that eventually sapped the hope of even these hardened sailors.
But God! Paul still had a promise, and God was going to fulfill it.

Who hasn’t made mistakes in life? Who hasn’t had to suffer the consequences of those mistakes? The hope is that we learn from them. These men were about to get a lesson in the providence of God, and at just the right moment, Paul was going to speak up. There would, however, be much loss, as we shall see.

What is also interesting is that Paul wasn’t in this storm because of a bad decision he had made. He had warned them! He was suffering the consequences of someone else’s bad decision. There is a great difference between being in a storm because you disobeyed God and being in a storm because someone else did—but either way, God is still able to accomplish His purposes. Their bad decision could not cancel God’s promise to Paul.

This reminds me of Jonah, who was given a message from God for the Ninevites. It appears Jonah didn’t particularly like the Ninevites, and he decidedly went in the opposite direction, thinking he could run from God. God found him on a boat headed to Tarshish, and similar to Paul’s circumstances, they encountered a terrible storm.

Jonah, knowing it was all his fault, told them to throw him overboard and the tempest would stop. Jonah probably thought he was going to die, but God had a purpose for him, so God arranged for a great fish to swallow him and ultimately deliver him to shore. From inside that fish, Jonah cried out to God—and God heard him.

There is an interesting contrast between these two storms. Jonah was in a storm because he was running from God’s will; Paul was in a storm while walking in God’s will. We should never automatically assume that a storm means we have done something wrong. Sometimes our own choices put us there; sometimes the choices of others put us there; and sometimes storms are simply part of the journey. What matters is that God is still God in the midst of them.

The moral of Jonah’s story is pretty simple: first, when God speaks—listen; secondly, don’t run from God; and thirdly, when you realize you are wrong, don’t waste any time getting it right!

And from Paul we learn something equally important: when God has given you a promise, even the bad decisions of others cannot prevent Him from fulfilling it.

For now, we will leave Paul in this predicament and find out tomorrow what happens to him…unless you want to read ahead :)

The best thing these guys had in their favor was that Paul was with them—they just didn’t realize it yet. God wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to Paul, for there were still places for him to go and people for him to see—namely, Caesar.

I think what I get most out of this passage is that even though they didn’t listen to Paul, and things were completely out of Paul’s hands, God was still watching over him—and them by default. However, they certainly would have done better had they listened to him in the first place!

There are times when we find ourselves at the mercy of other people’s decisions. It is not the most comfortable position to be in, especially when we can see that they are making the wrong decision and there is little or nothing we can do about it. Yet we will see that, in spite of the crew’s bad decision, God still protected Paul—and He will protect us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

I am so grateful for God’s continued protection. He who began His good work in you and me will continue it until it is time for us to go home. We may not always get to choose the route, and sometimes the decisions of others may even affect the journey, but they cannot derail the purposes of God for our lives.

Our destination is secure, no matter the route.

This is the start of a long and arduous trip for Paul. He had a promise from the Lord Himself that he would testify before Caesar in Rome, but the journey was going to test his faith along the way.

Many times we have a promise from God, however, He doesn’t always reveal the individual steps of the journey. There is a wonderful book called “Hinds Feet in High Places”—an allegory—which addresses this reality. Much afraid, the main character of the book, embarks on a trip to the High Places thinking it will be a relative short trip but encounters many “detours”, adding at times to her distress. The journey challenges her in more ways than one and at times she would get discouraged. At one point, Much-Afraid is carried by the Shepherd (representative of the Lord) from the valley to above the clouds to see the High Places and then brought down again to the valley and the lesson is clear—though the clouds sometimes block the view, the High places are still there.

Many times God will show us a glimpse of our future but the path to our future often has many unsuspecting twists and turns that will no doubt enrich our experience in ways that will leave us with invaluable lesson gems, much like Much-Afraid’s little stones she put in her pouch. At every detour, she would pick up a stone, representative of that place as a reminder of where she had been.

Paul was about to have plenty of stones, which thankfully Luke wrote an accounting of so we can share in his journey. His destiny was certain for God had promised him, but he left out the “detours that Paul would face in the days ahead.

Paul’s testimony probably seemed a bit fanciful to Festus, who may have been unfamiliar with the Torah and the Jewish prophets, which could have accounted for his disbelief. But not King Agrippa. Agrippa was well acquainted with Jewish customs, controversies, and the prophets. In fact, it seems that Paul’s words may have hit a little too close to home for Agrippa’s comfort, prompting his response to Paul and, shortly thereafter, the conclusion of the hearing. They had heard enough—but all that needed to be said had been said, and the seed had been planted.

It is in moments like these that I am reminded that when the Word of the Lord is sent out, it always accomplishes its purpose. God makes sure of it. As He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:12 (NASB1995):
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.’”

Isaiah expresses a similar truth when God declares that His Word “will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire” (Isaiah 55:11 NASB1995).

It is somewhat bittersweet at the close of this chapter that both Festus and Agrippa come to the same conclusion: Paul could have been set free had he not appealed to Caesar. But Caesar was in the plan, and now Paul had passage to Rome on their dime!

God always provides passage to where He wants you.

As I have heard it said, people like to make their own plans and then ask God to bless them. Instead, if they would just ask God what the plan is, they would find that His plan is already blessed. What God orders, He pays for.

We have already been paid for—“bought with a price,” the Scriptures tell us. Our job is to get in line with His will. When we do, we may discover that what initially looked like a setback was actually God's means of getting us exactly where He intended us to be.

Paul was a prisoner, yet God was providing his transportation to Rome. The Roman government thought it was sending Paul to stand before Caesar; God knew He was sending His ambassador to proclaim the Gospel.

Never judge God's plan by your present circumstances. What looks like a detour may actually be the passage God has provided to get you where He wants you to go.

As Paul continues to recount the amazing encounter he had with the Lord, the clear commission he received from Him, and his obvious obedience to this heavenly mandate, I have to think that everyone in the audience hall was moved in some measure by the realization that God was not just including the Jews, but the Gentiles as well, as recipients of His incredible grace poured out through Jesus.

And I am not sure how openly Satan was discussed in a public forum in those days, but Paul clearly articulates who holds people captive apart from the saving knowledge of Jesus—a point I am sure did not fall on deaf ears. Without Christ, we remain under the power of darkness. Oh, we may not knowingly worship Satan as some do in an attempt to gain power or advantage in this world, but apart from the atoning work of Jesus, we remain in the fallen condition into which mankind was born. That is why Jesus had to come and do what He did for us—to purchase our freedom.

But that freedom must be received. There must be a turning from the old life to the new. Notice Paul’s words when he says, “…that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.”

In other words, genuine repentance produces evidence. The good works do not purchase our salvation; rather, a changed life demonstrates that something has truly happened within us.

It was this very message that landed Paul in hot water with the religious Jews and was the reason he was standing before them that day. Yet even in the midst of his circumstances, Paul acknowledges God’s hand at work. God was fulfilling His word to Paul and accomplishing through him the very purpose for which He had sent him.

Think about it: Paul had been commissioned to take the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike, and there he stood doing exactly that! Only instead of preaching in a synagogue or marketplace, he was proclaiming Christ before kings, governors, military commanders, prominent citizens, Jews, and Gentiles—all gathered together in one audience hall.

Something else worth noting is how many influential people were in that room. Their salvation had the potential to spread the Gospel far beyond those walls and into their own circles of influence. Paul may have been the prisoner, but the Gospel certainly was not imprisoned.

We must bear in mind that God will accomplish in and through us what He intends, even when it doesn’t appear that anything is going according to plan. From Paul’s perspective, imprisonment could have looked like an interruption to his ministry. From God’s perspective, it became a platform for it.

In what other scenario would Paul have been able to garner such an audience?

Sometimes the very circumstance that appears to be preventing us from fulfilling God’s purpose may actually be the means through which He intends to accomplish it.

King Agrippa and Festus had to have taken notice that this man, Saul, later known as Paul, was completely changed after his encounter with the risen Lord. Paul’s testimony was compelling, for what else would cause a man so determined and zealous in his persecution of the Way to suddenly stop and do an about-face? And how sobering it must have been for Paul when the realization hit him that the Man he was persecuting was, in fact, the Messiah—THE Lord, the very One his faith was centered around.

Have you ever been on the wrong side of an issue, only to find out later that you were wrong? It is amazing how passionate and sincere we can be about something, yet be passionately and sincerely wrong. It happens to all of us, but what is important is what we do after we realize it. Do we admit we were wrong and make amends, or do we try to cover our tracks? We must also be prepared for pushback from those with whom we were once aligned.

Paul was faithful to the Lord after this encounter, a response that eventually landed him in prison at the hands of the very religious leaders with whom he had once stood. What Paul did was treasonous in their eyes; they considered him a turncoat. But the truth of the matter was that they could not both be right, and Paul’s testimony forced that reality out into the open. Everyone who heard his testimony was faced with a choice about whom to believe—and, really, whose testimony was more believable.

I believe King Agrippa, Festus, Bernice, and all who were present that day could not simply dismiss Paul as a madman. He was measured, articulate, and truthful in his defense. In fact, Paul was gradually turning the tables on his listeners. The man who stood before them on trial was now presenting them with the evidence, and they were being confronted with a decision of their own. They were now accountable for the truth they had heard.

Paul entered the room as the defendant, but we shall see that before his defense was finished, Agrippa was the one being asked to render a verdict—not merely about Paul, but about Jesus.

Paul masterfully takes command of the room as he is given the go-ahead by King Agrippa. I found it interesting that Paul began his defense by gesturing with his hand. When I looked this up, I discovered that extending the hand was a common gesture an orator would use when addressing an audience. Paul certainly knew how to make a compelling and well-reasoned defense.

What I love about this portion of Paul’s defense is how he broke the issue down to its simplest form. He was on trial for his hope in the resurrection of the dead—a belief many of the Jews shared, and one King Agrippa would certainly have been familiar with. So why was Paul on trial for having this hope?

We say we believe a lot of things, but contrary circumstances have a way of flushing out what we truly believe. Circumstances sometimes force—or demand—that we take a stand or choose a side, if you will. Remaining neutral is not always an option.

Nothing revealed this to me more than what our world recently went through with COVID. The general populace was dealing with an unknown that was affecting virtually every aspect of our lives. Fear was rampant and, for some, immobilizing.

My husband shares that the turning point for him came when we were at a gas station and saw a person in front of us wearing gloves and a mask and using sanitary wipes to wipe down the gas pump handle. He recognized how deeply fear had taken hold.

I had a similar epiphany while cleaning and sanitizing our house. I suddenly realized there was no possible way I could clean everything, and I sensed the Lord whisper in my heart, “Why don’t you trust Me to keep you safe? That is what you believe, right?”

Then, in what I can only describe as a God-moment, I happened upon a box of first-responder cards with Psalm 91 printed on them that the fire department had given us because my husband serves as their chaplain. The next Sunday morning at church, we handed them out to everyone and reminded our congregation that Psalm 91 expressed what we believed. A portion of it reads:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We chose to trust God through the pandemic, and many who took that same stance were villainized or ostracized for pushing back against fear. As a church, we remained open and took some verbal hits for doing so, but my husband felt strongly that we needed to take a stand against what he saw as a tactic of the enemy to immobilize people through fear.

We trusted God to keep us safe and guide us through the uncharted waters of the pandemic, and He did. We were incredibly grateful that we did not lose anyone in our congregation to COVID.

Paul was in uncharted waters as well, but God had given him the assurance that He was with him, and Paul’s trust was completely in God. Though he was a victim of circumstance—and a prisoner, no less—he commanded the room with a gesture of his hand and made the most of this, and every other opportunity God afforded him, to share the Gospel.

We should be just as cognizant of the opportunities God affords us. Instead of allowing ourselves to be buried under the weight of our circumstances, we can use them to highlight God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and His complete trustworthiness. Contrary circumstances have a way of revealing whether what we say we believe is what we truly believe.

May we trust Him to safely guide us through the uncharted waters of life and bring us through to the other side—all for the glory of God!

Back in 2018, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Israel, and one of our stops was at Caesarea Maritima. Caesarea contains some of the most well-preserved ancient ruins, including the remnants of Herod’s palace extending out toward the sea, along with the hippodrome and theater. It was a wonder to behold.

I remember reading a plaque placed at the site discussing an underground T-shaped structure that originally served as a cistern and was later converted into a prison. The sign states that researchers believe this may have been associated with Paul’s imprisonment in approximately A.D. 57–59. There is also a plaque titled “I Appeal Unto Caesar” near a proposed audience-hall area. It quotes Acts 25 and explains Paul’s appearance before Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice. Archaeologists have suggested that a hall in this palace complex may have been the “place of hearing” (akroatērion) mentioned in Acts 25:23. I must say, it is one thing to read about these places and quite another to actually walk where these events happened.

So, Paul is brought into an official audience hall where King Agrippa and his sister Bernice enter with great pomp, accompanied by military commanders and prominent men of the city. Paul wasn’t merely preaching to whoever happened to be nearby. God had gathered some of the most powerful and influential people in Caesarea into one room to hear the testimony of a prisoner concerning Jesus Christ. God continued to give Paul incredible platforms before elite audiences to spread the Gospel.

Festus, however, had a dilemma. Paul was on trial and had appealed to Caesar, but Festus was at a loss as to exactly what charges to specify against him. It made no sense for him to send Paul to Rome without outlining the reason why he was being sent.

As we continue to read over the next few days, Paul gives an amazingly clear testimony before Festus and King Agrippa concerning his background as a Pharisee, his support and active involvement in persecuting the followers of Jesus, and then his encounter with the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus. Paul makes it very clear that he was on trial for believing exactly what the prophets of old said would happen: “that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”(Acts‬ ‭26‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬) This was something King Agrippa, who was familiar with the Jewish Scriptures and their prophetic expectations, would have understood, while Festus, most likely, was hearing and considering it from an entirely different perspective.

Paul’s measured and clear testimony concerning himself and Jesus was about to give everyone in that audience hall plenty to consider as it related to their own lives. When you know what you have seen and experienced, there is a certain conviction that comes through in your voice and demeanor. No doubt, those gathered were about to witness that conviction in Paul as he testified about the risen Christ, leaving them to wrestle with their own thoughts and ultimately decide what they were going to believe.
More to come….

Once again, the value of Paul’s Roman citizenship was immeasurable. Without it, he would not have been able to appeal to Caesar. Otherwise, Paul would have been at the mercy of the local courts—in this case, Festus, who was inclined to send him back to Jerusalem to stand trial, where almost certain death awaited him along the way. I wonder if those guys who took an oath not to eat until Paul was dead were still around? It had been more than two years by this point, so I certainly hope they reconsidered that oath!

The Jews, as Festus himself states, wanted Paul condemned, yet even he was at a loss as to why, for Paul had done nothing deserving of death. King Agrippa and his sister Bernice, along with their sister Drusilla, who was married to the previous governor, Felix, came from a family well acquainted with Jewish affairs. Agrippa, in particular, was knowledgeable about Jewish customs and controversies, and obviously his curiosity was piqued when Festus told him about Paul. Festus, though politically motivated and wanting to keep favor with the Jews, at least recognized that Paul had done nothing deserving of death and was seeking counsel on how best to proceed with his case.

Yet all of this was in the plan of God. How many influential people had the opportunity to hear the Gospel message because of Paul’s imprisonment? Paul may have been imprisoned, but the message was not and was now being heard in the highest offices of the land. Paul would later write, “the word of God is not imprisoned” (2 Timothy 2:9 NASB 1995). Who better, other than the Lord Himself, to deliver the message than Paul? In fact, Paul serves as a valuable witness to the resurrection of the One who was really on trial—Jesus Christ. Paul was seemingly the defendant, but the real issue being examined was whether his testimony concerning the risen Christ was true.

It still amazes me how threatening the message of the cross was to the Jewish leaders of the day. Yet perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me, for these same kinds of animosities can exist even today among Christians, depending on what “denomination” one might be a part of. Sometimes we can become so confident in our own understanding of Scripture that we fail to recognize there may be things we have yet to learn, and yet Scripture reminds us that we ‘know in part’ (1 Corinthians 13:9). What that tells me is that there are things I still don’t know. Therefore, I should always have an open heart and be willing to have the Scriptures explained to me more accurately, just as Priscilla and Aquila pulled Apollos aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:26). We must hold fast to what we know to be true while remaining humble enough to learn.

Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders had become so entrenched in their traditions that they seemed blind to the truth of the very Scriptures they had worked so hard to preserve—a truth that was now being displayed before them in the life of Jesus and subsequently through His disciples. They knew the Scriptures, yet when the One the Scriptures pointed to stood before them, many failed to recognize Him.

It is one thing to miss the boat ourselves and quite another to cause others to miss it as well. That should serve as a warning to all of us. Are there traditions, assumptions, or long-held interpretations that we defend so strongly that we become unwilling to allow Scripture to correct us? We must hold tightly to the truth God has revealed while remaining humble enough to acknowledge that we still “know in part.” May we never become so determined to defend what we have always believed that we fail to recognize what God is trying to show us through His Word.

Thankfully, Paul knew his rights! Is it important to know your rights? Absolutely! The Jews were still planning to kill Paul if they could get Festus to agree to send him to Jerusalem. But Paul, knowing this, as reflected by these words, “…no one has the right to turn me over to these men to kill me,” appealed to Caesar.

In the last couple of weeks, as usually happens on Facebook, I started watching a video reel showing traffic stops recorded on police officers’ personal cameras and dash cams. It seems my Facebook feed is now filled with these videos. What has amazed me is people’s arrogance and complete disregard for the law, claiming rights they are not entitled to, which eventually gets them arrested. I have also been amazed at the level of patience police officers have to exercise when dealing with these people. It is a reminder to me to pray more for these men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

There are things we are allowed to do and things we are not. If you do not know your rights, you can be taken advantage of by corrupt people. You can also miss opportunities that might greatly help your position.

When I played professional golf, there were times when I got myself into a difficult position and needed to call an official to find out what my options were. It was important that I asked what my options were because officials could not volunteer information I didn’t ask for, as that would be considered advice. Often, there were favorable dropping positions available, but they couldn’t tell me unless I asked, “What are my options?”

The societal rules we live by are there for our protection. Sometimes we unknowingly violate them, and hopefully, we learn from those mistakes and are wiser for it. However, we must also be aware that there are those who would like to take our rights away for their own advantage.

Look no further than the Kingdom of God. Satan attempts to keep us in the dark about all the wonderful promises that were purchased and made available to us through Jesus’ sacrificial gift of Himself on the cross. As believers, we often live so far beneath our privileges because we do not know the Bible like we should. There are covenant promises available to us as believers in Christ, but we have to put in the effort to educate ourselves about what they are.

Paul knew both God’s promises and his rights as a Roman citizen, and both served him well in this instance. God had told Paul that he would testify in Rome. Now, through his appeal to Caesar, that was going to happen. God’s purpose and plan for Paul’s life were not going to be thwarted.

Knowing what belonged to him did not make Paul arrogant; it made him prepared. There is a difference between demanding something we are not entitled to and confidently standing upon something that has rightfully been given to us. The same is true spiritually. We cannot stand on promises we do not know. The more we know God’s Word, the better equipped we are to recognize what Christ has provided, what the enemy would try to steal, and what we have every right, through covenant, to believe God for.

As a reminder, Governor Felix left Paul in prison as a favor to the Jews, and now Festus was in charge. While Festus was in Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders, who still had it out for Paul, asked him to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. However, they were secretly planning to ambush and kill Paul along the way. Thankfully, Festus didn’t fall for their plan. Instead, he told their leaders to accompany him back to Caesarea, where they could state their case against Paul.

Mind you, this was two years later...talk about holding a grudge! Paul must have still been making inroads, as were the believers in Jerusalem, for these leaders to still want him dead. You can almost feel the hatred coming from them—and we know where hatred comes from.

It is amazing to me how those who are trying to help people by pointing them to the truth are often villainized by those who don’t want to change. It is like being in a burning building and getting mad at the person showing you the way out. It makes no sense.

What is really egregious is that Paul stood for nothing that the Scriptures had not foretold, and yet they still refused to acknowledge even the possibility that what he was preaching could be true. So sad!

It reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:13:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”
I guess misery likes company.

How tragic it is when someone’s resistance to the truth not only keeps them from receiving it themselves, but causes them to stand in the way of others who might receive it. These religious leaders were not content simply to reject Paul’s message; they wanted to silence the messenger. Yet no matter how hard they tried, they could not stop the Gospel from moving forward. God simply continued opening another door.

Luke, the author of Acts, tells us that Governor Felix was familiar with the Way. An interesting side note about his wife, Drusilla, is that she was the great-granddaughter of Herod the Great, the one responsible for ordering the slaughter of all the baby boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. He was a ruthless man who even had some of his own sons killed, considering them threats to his power. Drusilla was the sister of Herod Agrippa II and Bernice, before whom Paul would later give a defense. Drusilla’s marriage to Governor Felix was her second, as she left her first husband to marry the governor.

It is interesting to see all the intersections Herod’s family line had with the Gospel throughout this pivotal time in history. Much of the family line was exposed to the very Gospel their predecessors had opposed. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall listening to Paul’s conversation with Felix and Drusilla.

However, it appears that Paul’s message touched some uncomfortable areas, particularly as he discussed “righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment.” Considering what we know about Felix and Drusilla, those were certainly thought-provoking subjects! The Holy Spirit is very good at helping us see ourselves in light of the Gospel, which warrants action on our part. We either respond to the Gospel, repent, and turn to God, or we walk away. On this occasion, Felix became frightened by what he heard and chose to end the conversation.

Notice what the governor said: “Go away for now…When it is more convenient, I will call for you again.”

Convenience has nothing to do with it. The Gospel is rarely convenient, yet it is absolutely necessary and requires a response. I am reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 NLT:

“As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

It bears repeating: “Today is the day of salvation.”

Consider also the words found in Hebrews 3:15 NLT:

“Remember what it says: ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.’”

That is a warning we all must take seriously. The Gospel message demands a response. We should never assume that we can put God off until a more convenient time. When God is speaking to our hearts, the time to respond is now. And remember, no response is still a response.

Paul’s defense is short, simple, and to the point. Funny how the group of Jews from Asia didn’t show up. Space would not permit me to go further, but we will see in verse 22 that Governor Felix adjourns the hearing and says, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.”

Governor Felix, however, already had Lysias’ testimony in the letter Lysias had written and sent when he transferred Paul to Caesarea. In that letter, Lysias had even stated that he found Paul guilty of nothing deserving death or imprisonment. Whether Lysias ever came, we simply do not know. What we do know is that Felix delayed making a decision, and as the chapter unfolds, his motives become increasingly questionable. We will see that Paul remains in custody there for two years, though certainly not without effect.

I would like to think that Paul would get a fair trial, but fair or not, God uses Paul’s circumstances to continue proclaiming the Gospel. Herein lies the true purpose of mankind. This life is something we are merely passing through, no matter what station we find ourselves in, because eternity awaits us all. The question for each of us is: Which eternity awaits?

Our lives are meant to be spent as witnesses of the one true King so that we might bring as many people with us as possible. Many, however, make life entirely about the here and now—pursuing selfish ambition, personal gain, recognition, and success. Yet, as eternity begins knocking at the door, we quickly realize how ill-prepared all those earthly accomplishments have left us for what comes next.

There is only One who can get us safely into eternity with God, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the message Governor Felix is going to hear from Paul repeatedly over the next two years. Paul will speak to him about faith in Christ Jesus and, specifically, about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment—a message that will eventually frighten Felix.

That is what the Gospel does. It confronts us with an unavoidable decision. If the Gospel is true, then we must align our lives accordingly. We cannot simply remain neutral forever.

Are we really willing to stake our eternity on the chance that it isn’t true?

Five days later, the high priest and some of the Jewish elders arrived in Caesarea, along with a lawyer named Tertullus, to present their case against Paul. I am guessing they used at least some of those five days to come up with a strategy because Tertullus certainly came prepared.

It is interesting that they decided to throw Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander who saved Paul, under the bus by saying that he, “with much violence,” took Paul out of their hands. What Tertullus conveniently left out was the fact that they were the ones trying to kill Paul—a Roman citizen—without a trial. The commander simply removed Paul from their murderous hands. That was a rather significant detail to omit.

It is also curious to me that Tertullus accused Paul of stirring up dissension among the Jews throughout the world when, in fact, it was the Jews from the province of Asia who had stirred up the trouble in Jerusalem. They didn’t like what Paul stood for, so they falsely accused him and got the whole community riled up against him.

Why do we see this pattern time and time again? They said similar things about Jesus, and a quick browse through history shows that those desiring to bring positive change are often accused of stirring up trouble by those who resist that change. As I have heard it said, “When the argument is lost, people resort to violence.”

Thankfully, Paul had rights in this Roman proceeding as a Roman citizen—a pesky detail that the Jewish elders had to acknowledge and abide by. They had been ready to kill Paul without examining the facts of the matter, yet Paul’s citizenship afforded him the opportunity to have his day in court before Governor Felix and, eventually, to appeal his case to Caesar in Rome.

I believe we will see that Tertullus met his match in Paul, who was an excellent debater and conveyor of the truth. Tertullus may have sounded convincing in his opening argument, but now Paul would have the opportunity to answer the charges for himself.

As Proverbs 18:17 NLT states:

“The first to speak in court sounds right—
until the cross-examination begins.”

Let the cross-examination begin...

Citizenship has its privileges. As we discussed before, the fact that Paul was a Roman citizen afforded him certain protections that non-citizens were not entitled to. It very well may have been the thing that saved his life.

It is also interesting that, as an outsider to the Jewish community, even this Roman commander recognized that Paul was not guilty of anything deserving imprisonment or death. However, it is equally interesting that the commander fudged the truth just a little in his letter to Governor Felix. He claimed that he had rescued Paul after learning that he was a Roman citizen. In reality, the commander did not discover Paul’s citizenship until the following day, when Paul was being tied down to be whipped in an effort to extract a confession from him. It was at that moment that Paul asked:

“Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” (Acts 22:25 NLT)

That changed things quickly!

Governor Felix also showed Paul favor by agreeing to hear his case once his accusers arrived.

However, back to my opening statement—citizenship has its privileges. This is an important distinction that seems to have become somewhat lost in our country today. Citizenship establishes a person’s legal membership in a nation and carries with it certain rights and privileges that do not automatically belong to everyone. In the United States, for example, certain political and legal rights are reserved specifically for citizens, including voting in federal elections, serving on a federal jury, obtaining a U.S. passport, and having the unrestricted right to enter and remain in the country.

It is important that we understand this distinction because, spiritually speaking, the Kingdom of Heaven operates on a similar principle. There are privileges associated with Kingdom citizenship. The Bible tells believers:

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” (Philippians 3:20 NLT)

Heaven has a strict immigration policy, if you will—it requires allegiance to the one true King, Jesus!

God certainly demonstrates goodness and mercy toward all mankind. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father “gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike” (Matthew 5:45 NLT). Yet there is a distinction between experiencing the general goodness of God and being in covenant relationship with Him.

God has made specific covenant promises to those who belong to Him. The Old Testament repeatedly demonstrates the importance of covenant, and the New Testament reveals that we enter into the New Covenant through faith in Jesus Christ. We don't earn our citizenship; Jesus purchased it for us. But we must receive what He has provided.

Paul wrote:
“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13 NLT)

What a transfer of citizenship that is!

If we have never entered into covenant with God by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, we cannot expect to receive the covenant promises made specifically to those who belong to Him. The wonderful news is that the invitation to become a citizen of Heaven is open to everyone who will come to Christ.

Trust me when I say, you do not want to leave this earth without becoming a citizen of Heaven. Earthly citizenship has its privileges, but none can compare with the privileges of belonging eternally to the Kingdom of God. Remember, when you leave this earth, the one to whom you belong comes to get you. Let’s make sure we belong to Jesus, because we already know how the story ends for the devil and those who follow him.

Talk about protection! Thank God for this Roman commander, who made a decisive decision to get Paul to safety by acting so quickly. A total of 470 men were called into action to transfer Paul to Caesarea—200 soldiers, 200 spearmen, and 70 horsemen. They traveled as far as Antipatris that night, putting considerable distance between Paul and the 40 men in Jerusalem who had bound themselves by oath to kill him. From Antipatris, the horsemen continued on with Paul to Caesarea. Only fools would attempt an ambush against a Roman escort of that size!

Just a side note, but I wonder how long it took those men to break their oath once it became apparent they weren’t going to get to Paul.

This Roman commander was not only looking out for Paul’s safety but his own as well. He did not want something to happen to Paul, a Roman citizen, while under his care. He was bound by duty and decided to expedite Paul’s case through the legal channels, fast-tracking him to Governor Felix.

Yet we can see God’s hand guiding this whole process. What was intended to silence Paul was actually moving him closer to an even broader audience. Paul had already shared his testimony in Jerusalem, and now he was being transported to Caesarea, where he would eventually stand before rulers and officials. They even provided horses for Paul to ride, ensuring that he arrived safely. God’s favor and protection were upon him every step of the way.

No matter our circumstances, we are called to be His witnesses. Paul was going to trial for being just that—and, ironically, the trial itself would give him even more opportunities to witness. With each step, God was providing him a grander and broader audience.

You have to wonder what conversations Paul may have had with the soldiers closest to him along the way. Even they must have realized this was an unusual assignment. Why did one prisoner require an escort of 470 armed men in the middle of the night? Surely the urgency of the mission prompted some questions, and knowing Paul, I doubt he wasted an opportunity to talk about Jesus.

We are called to make the most of every opportunity that comes our way, and Paul was a master at it. Sometimes what looks like an interruption, a setback, or even an attack may actually be the very thing God uses to move us into the next place He wants our witness to be heard.

There is a serious amount of hatred being directed toward Paul. What drives people to go to such extremes to silence a voice of truth? As Jesus warned His disciples, there would come a day when people would kill believers thinking they were doing God a favor.

Ideological hatred is probably one of the most dangerous and destructive forces on the earth. People can pacify their consciences and justify evil actions by convincing themselves that because what they are doing is in the name of God, it must be okay. Yet God’s command is clear: “You must not murder.” Murder is the intentional taking of innocent life. Here we see a group of Jewish men taking an oath to kill Paul, with the leading priests and elders willing to participate in the plot. Ironically, we will see this Roman commander operate with more honor and integrity than those who were supposed to represent God.

Thankfully, it wasn’t Paul’s time yet, and the plan was exposed. Never underestimate God’s ability to keep us safe in the most difficult situations. God did not prevent the plot from being formed, but He made sure it did not succeed. What the conspirators planned in secret, God brought into the light.

And look at whom God used—a young man, Paul’s nephew, whose name we are never even given. As we will see, he played a part in saving Paul’s life, no doubt taking a risk himself by delivering the news to the Roman commander. Never underestimate the part you play in this life. We may think our contribution is small or insignificant, but one act of courage or obedience can have consequences far beyond anything we could imagine. This young man could never have known how God would use that one courageous act as part of His larger plan to get Paul to Rome.

And because Paul made it to Rome, the Gospel continued to spread. What was intended to silence Paul actually helped move him closer to the very place God had already told him he would go.

I wonder if this Roman commander ever came to know the Lord through all of this. We aren't told, but he certainly received a front-row seat to watch God's hand at work in Paul's life. Persecution, especially when it is unjustified, has a way of amplifying the very message the persecutors are trying to silence. You can imprison the messenger, but you cannot imprison the Gospel.

As mentioned yesterday, Paul took a quick scan of his audience and realized that he had a mixed crowd of Pharisees and Sadducees. Working that to his advantage, he appealed to those who shared his belief in the resurrection. As a former Pharisee himself, Paul knew exactly where the theological fault line was. It wasn’t long before the whole gathering was in such an uproar over their differences that the Roman commander had to intervene.

Yet behind the scenes, God was setting the stage for Paul to eventually be taken to Rome, where he would share the Good News and bear witness of the King of kings.

A closer look at the Pharisees and Sadducees reveals some stark differences. The Pharisees were strict traditionalists who placed great weight on the traditions and interpretations that had developed around the Scriptures over the years. The danger, as Jesus often pointed out, was that they could hold so tightly to their traditions that those traditions took precedence over the actual Word of God. We must never allow our traditions to trump Scripture. Yet the Pharisees did have a strong belief in the resurrection, angels, and the supernatural, so what Paul was presenting was at least within the realm of possibility for them.

Not so with the Sadducees. They were closely connected to the religious establishment and political structures of the day and were more skeptical when it came to the supernatural. They did not believe in the resurrection, angels, or spirits, so what Paul was presenting seemed out of the realm of possibility to them.

Do we not have similar divides among Christians today? We have those who strongly believe in angels, the supernatural, and God’s active presence and working in the believer’s life, while others are skeptical of anything supernatural. Sometimes it can be difficult to find common ground, but common ground we must find if we are going to walk together. As Amos 3:3 asks:

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”

And in order to agree, we must first know what we are agreeing upon. Many call themselves Christians but have minimal knowledge of what is actually in the Book—the Bible. When our beliefs are shaped more by traditions, experiences, opinions, or culture than by Scripture, division is almost inevitable.

The beauty of being in Christ is that, collectively, the closer we draw to God and the more aligned we become with His Word, the closer and more aligned we should become with one another. Think of spokes on a wheel: the closer each spoke gets to the center, the closer the spokes get to each other.

Jesus is that center. He is the great unifier.

Unity does not mean that we will agree on every theological detail, but it does mean that we have a common Lord, a common foundation, and a common authority. When Christ is truly King, our goal is no longer to get everyone else to line up with us, but for all of us to line up with Him.

Perhaps the better question is not, “Do they agree with me?” but rather, “Are we both drawing closer to Jesus and allowing His Word to shape what we believe?”

The end of Acts 22 closes with the commander of the Roman guard ordering the leading priests and the Jewish high council into session to find out what all the uproar was about. Paul begins his defense before the council by stating that he had lived before God with a clear conscience. The high priest took exception to Paul’s claim and ordered him to be struck in the mouth. We get a glimpse of Paul’s fiery personality in his response, calling the high priest a corrupt hypocrite—words he quickly took back upon learning that Ananias was the high priest.

It is not clear why Paul did not recognize Ananias as the high priest, but what we can glean from this exchange is Paul’s quick repentance upon learning who Ananias was and his willingness to submit himself to Scripture. Sometimes, even when someone else’s actions are wrong, it doesn’t give us license to do wrong in response. Ananias was breaking their own law by ordering Paul to be struck before he had even been found guilty, and Paul rightly called him out for it. However, Paul owned the name-calling and corrected himself when confronted with what Scripture said.

That is something we would all do well to remember. It is easy to justify a wrong response when we feel someone else started it. We may even be completely right about what they did, but being right about their behavior doesn’t necessarily make our response right. We all answer to the Highest Judge, and Jesus reminds us that we will give an account for every idle word we speak. Our responsibility is to hold up the standard of truth, allowing each person, ourselves included, to examine their own heart in its light.

Paul then takes a quick survey of the room and recognizes his mixed audience—Pharisees and Sadducees. He immediately uses that to his advantage by revealing his heritage as a Pharisee and explaining that he was on trial because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead. That started a firestorm among the council because, while the Pharisees believed in the resurrection and in angels and spirits, the Sadducees did not.

Basically, Paul got them arguing among themselves, shifting the focus from him to a theological disagreement that was already simmering beneath the surface. As we will see, the situation gets out of hand quickly, and once again the Roman guard will have to step in.

This is an interesting twist in the plight of Paul. Arrested by the Roman guard, Paul was about to be whipped and interrogated to confess his “crime” when he asked a simple question: “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” It seems Paul was saving that little tidbit of information until he needed it. Now seemed like a pretty good time.

Being a Roman citizen by birth meant that Paul had inherited his citizenship through his family. Scripture doesn’t tell us how his family originally obtained it, but it came with certain privileges and legal protections. One of those protections was that a Roman citizen could not simply be beaten and punished without due process. It is similar to our concept of being “innocent until proven guilty.” The Roman commander could have gotten into some serious trouble had he gone through with the whipping.

It is that very same citizenship that would eventually allow Paul to appeal his case to Caesar and ultimately be sent to Rome. What looked like an unfortunate chain of events was actually moving Paul closer to where God wanted him to be. And as we will see, the Gospel would be shared in some of the highest halls of Roman government.

No matter what our station in life, we are called to be God’s witnesses wherever we find ourselves. When we look through biblical history, we find time and again that God was at work in the lives of those committed to Him, even when their circumstances seemed to say otherwise. Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison, yet that very incarceration became part of the path that eventually led to him becoming second in command over all Egypt.

We may not always understand the path God allows us to walk, but we can trust the One who knows where it leads. What appears to be an interruption, injustice, or setback may actually become the platform God uses for His purposes.

May we be found faithfully and unashamedly sharing the Gospel wherever God places us, trusting that He can use every circumstance for His glory.

Everything seemed fine until Paul mentioned the word “Gentiles.” Why would the fact that God wanted to take the message to the Gentiles upset them so?

Remember, Paul is in this predicament because the Jews thought he was ignoring God’s laws and had brought a Gentile into the Temple. This statement seemed to confirm their suspicions.

However, the real issue at hand was not that God wanted to include other nations in His covenant promises—He had promised that to Abraham. It was more the fact that they didn’t have to become Jews first. That was where the real rub was. On top of that, the nation of Israel had suffered greatly under Gentile rule and was now under Rome. Their expectation was that the Messiah, when He came, would deliver them from Gentile oppression. That didn’t happen when Jesus came, so they rejected Him. And now Paul was explaining that God’s promises were available to the Gentiles apart from the Mosaic Law. Yeah, that might upset them.

Paul enlightens us in Romans 11:11:

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.”

Change is always hard. Nothing was taking place that hadn’t already been foretold in the Old Testament, and yet many of the Jews were so hard-hearted that God had to shake them out of their stupor another way.

Unfortunately, this tension between Jew and Gentile still exists today—a tension I personally experienced on a trip to Israel a few years ago. While in Jerusalem, a religious Jewish man overheard some of us speaking about Messianic Jews and asked for clarification about what that meant. My husband said plainly that they were Jews who believed in Jesus. His reaction was immediate and filled with disdain when he said, “You all believe in a dead Jew!”

He was only partially right. He was dead, but He lives again! That is the message!

And that was the message Paul was trying to convey. The Messiah they were waiting for had come, but not in the way they expected. They wanted deliverance from Gentile rule; Jesus came to deliver them from sin. They expected the Gentiles to come under Judaism; instead, God was inviting both Jew and Gentile to come to Him through Christ.

Sometimes our greatest obstacle to recognizing what God is doing is what we have already decided He should be doing. Everything happening had been foretold in Scripture, yet their traditions, expectations, and prejudices made it difficult for them to see it.

We have to guard against the same thing. God’s truth does not change, but sometimes our understanding needs to.When Scripture challenges what we have always believed, are we willing to examine our thinking and let God’s Word have the final say?

The Gospel leveled the playing field. Jew and Gentile alike needed the same Savior, and neither could earn their way in.

That is the beauty of grace—we all come to God the same way: through Jesus.

This is such an amazing testimony. We read about it earlier in Acts, but hearing it again is astounding. I have to believe that there were possibly some in the crowd who remembered Paul by his former name, Saul. I also have to think that many probably wondered, Whatever happened to that guy? Well, his testimony was certainly filling in some of the blanks—and challenging them as well. They surely knew about Jesus, and His message lived on in the lives He continued to touch even after His death and resurrection.

But what would they do with this information? Did they think Paul was lying? If anyone cared to check the validity of his story, they could seek out Ananias, whom Paul said was deeply devoted to the law and well regarded by the Jews in Damascus.

Ananias’ message from the Lord to “Saul” had to stir them as well, for they were all waiting for the “Righteous One,” as foretold in the Old Testament. Here Ananias was telling Paul that he had been chosen by God to know His will, see the Righteous One, and hear Him speak. That should have gotten everyone’s attention! Paul, true to the word, was simply telling people what he had seen and heard; yet, just like their ancestors, they continued to try to kill the messenger. “See something, say something” wasn’t so well received in this time period.

Witnesses to the facts can be very dangerous to those who are trying to keep the truth from people. Why do you think we have witness protection programs in place? Everyone must decide which side they want to be on. Are we for the truth, or are we against it? If we are for the truth, are we willing to be challenged in our thinking when the truth dislodges some erroneous beliefs we may have? That was the dilemma facing all those within earshot of Paul. The truth was out of the bag, and they could either take the message to heart or dismiss it.

How about us? What do we do when we are challenged in our thinking? Do we truly want to know the truth, or would we rather remain pacified in our delusion? To know the truth, we must seek it, for “the world” will not readily offer it to us. Yet if we seek the One who is Truth, He says that we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Perhaps the greater question is not simply whether we have heard the truth, but whether we are willing to allow it to change us. Paul had been forced to confront the possibility that everything he believed about Jesus was wrong. When confronted with the Truth Himself, he surrendered. The crowd listening to him was now being given that same opportunity. And every time God’s truth confronts something within us that needs to change, so are we.