Acts 22:30-23:35 Message

Take Courage! You Must Testify In Rome

Acts 22:30-23:35 Lesson 26
Key verse 23:11 NIU UBF 1/25/09

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’”

In today’s passage Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin at the summons of the Roman commander. Though Paul appears to be on trial, he emerges as the spiritual victor. Under great duress, Paul testifies powerfully to the work of God and to the Risen Christ. On the other hand, the Sanhedrin members reveal their lawlessness, hypocrisy and powerlessness before the Almighty God. During this difficult time, the Risen Christ appears to Paul to strengthen him by giving him hope and direction. This was the true source of Paul’s spiritual victory. Through this passage, may we learn the secret to Paul’s courageous witness and victorious life of faith.

First, Paul Fulfilled His Duty To God In All Good Conscience (22:30-23:5).

In our previous study, we learned that Paul brought offerings, a “world mission journey team” and news of his third journey to the elders of the Jerusalem Church. Paul hoped that they could see God working powerfully among the Gentiles and somehow the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians could be re-united. At first they all rejoiced at his ministry. But Paul’s presence soon stirred up the Jews who did not accept the Gospel. There was rioting and false accusations flying everywhere. The Jews finally persuaded the Romans to arrest Paul. The Roman commander, in charge of Paul, wanted to find out why Paul was being accused. So he ordered the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to assemble and brought Paul to stand before them. It was like a grand jury formed to get information. Was Paul scared? No way! Paul could see that God was using this chaos as an opportunity to witness for God was using even his enemies to create a platform for Paul to address the entire Sanhedrin, or Jewish ruling council.

Paul was bold and fearless. Look at verse 1. “Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, ‘My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.’” Paul was bold and fearless. He took the initiative and spoke first. His words are indeed meaningful. He said, “I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” Paul was saying that, even though he was a sinner, in need of salvation, he was right with God in that he had completed the mission God gave him, and that his conscience bore witness to this fact.

Let’s think a little bit about what it means that his conscience was clear before God. When God made man, he gave him a conscience. Our conscience is nestled deep within our psyches. God works through our conscience. Our conscience helps us discern and choose what is good. As long as one does what is right before God, his conscience is at peace and he is happy. But when one does evil, his conscience is burdened with guilt. (Ro 2:15). Our consciences affect us even when we are apart from Christ. For example, some young people engage in debauchery and promiscuity hoping to have a little fun to quell their restless hearts. After sinning they think they can forget about it afterward. But soon, terrible guilt settles upon them. In my case, I suppressed my guilty conscience. I claimed that “I was O.K” But my guilty conscience caused me to suffer in other ways. I felt fruitless and useless and meaningless. The root of all this was my guilty conscience. No one can live a happy life in this condition. People try in many ways to drown the voice of their conscience. Some loose themselves in a hedonistic lifestyle, or in their work. If we suppress our consciences too long we are danger of becoming mentally ill, or even commit suicide. Some harden their hearts and become like Judas. A person becomes very dangerous when they no longer hear the voice of their conscience, for they can do just about anything.

But Paul confessed, “‘My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” How is this possible? Paul had confessed, many times in his Christian life, that he was a terrible sinner (1Ti 1:15). How then could Paul say he had fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience? It was only by the grace of Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb of God who shed his blood on the cross for sinners. God made Jesus the sacrifice of atonement for our sins (Ro 3:25). Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ...cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death so that we may serve the living God!” There is power in the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death. The blood of Jesus enables us to stand before the holy God with a good conscience. The blood of Jesus enables us to serve the living God. This is what we all really want to do. Is it not? This makes us happy. Paul claimed the blood of Jesus as his righteousness. From the moment Paul’s conscience was cleansed, Paul served God wholeheartedly. He discovered his priestly duty to God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (Ro 15:16). For this, Paul had made three long and dangerous mission journeys. He shared in the remaining sufferings of Christ. In this way, he had fulfilled his duty to God. Now, Paul could stand before God with a good conscience. He also had no problem to stand before the corrupted religious leaders.

Paul was a good shepherd at all times. He deeply understood the agony of the Jewish religious leaders, for he was once one of them. They wore fancy gowns and had positions of honor. They made a tremendous effort to obtain legalistic righteousness. But without Christ, they could only condemn others while living as hypocrites. They did not know God. They did not really know themselves. Their hypocrisy made them miserable. They had no joy of serving God. They had no satisfaction of finishing their mission before God. To them, religious duty was a heavy burden. But they dared not put it down for the sake of their pride and position and their job security.

Paul’s opening statement had shocking effects. The High Priest, Ananias, ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth (2). Ananias seems to be like some kind of thug. Actually, he was a tool of the devil who wanted to suppress the truth of God. He was supposed to be in charge of this proceeding. But after hearing Paul’s claim that he served God faithfully, with a good conscience, Ananias lost his composure, and became like a brute beast.

How did Paul respond? Look at verse 3. “Then Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!’” The time for formalities and niceties were over for these guys. Paul was so sincere before these people. He brought an offering. He brought a world mission team. He tried his best to befriend them and do what was right before God. But still these men rejected Paul. Actually they were rejecting Jesus. That is pure evil and stubbornness. How evil they were! How maddening they must have been to Paul. Paul was sure that Ananias would be judged by God. According to the historian Josephus, when the Roman army invaded Jerusalem, Ananias was killed by his own people. In this part we learn that one man who has fulfilled his duty to God, in all good conscience, is more powerful than the religious establishment. We can be people of good conscience when we accept the blood of Christ and give our lives to fulfill God’s holy mission he has called us to, in our lives.

Second, Paul’s Hope In The Resurrection Of The Dead (6-10).

Paul turned their attention away from him and towards Jesus and the Gospel. Look at verse 6. “Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.’” Paul knew the Sanhedrin well. It was made up of two major parties: Sadducees and Pharisees. They seemed united in their attack on Paul, but they disagreed strongly on their religious beliefs. The Sadducees believed in the five books of Moses. Based on their understanding of these books they said that there was no resurrection and that there are neither angels nor spirits. But the Pharisees acknowledged them all. When Paul identified himself clearly as a Pharisee and declared his hope in the resurrection of the dead it caused a dispute to break out that threw the Sanhedrin into chaos. Some Pharisees began to side with Paul, saying, “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute was so violent that the commander had Paul removed by force. In this way the trial ended.

At first glance, it may seem that Paul was playing politics with the Sanhedrin. However, Paul meant what he said. He stripped away all pretext and revealed the core matter of this trial. There was no legal charge against Paul. He was on trial because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead. There was no reason for him to be on trial. In fact, he was on trial only because enemies of the gospel had conspired against him.

Paul was eager to make the hope of resurrection the topic of discussion. Nowadays people don’t like to think too much about the resurrection. Today a friend said that he wanted to travel and see as much as he could, and do as much as he could before he passed on to the “next”. That is as close as some people get to thinking about the resurrection. Thank God for Easter, where we will focus deeply on the resurrection. What did Paul believe about the resurrection? Well he believed what all Christians must believe. Paul believed that Christ rose from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He believed that Christ’s resurrection was the first fruits, and that all who believed in him would also be raised from the dead. Paul believed that he himself would be raised from the dead and transformed into the glorious image of Christ. Paul believed that Christ’s resurrection proved God’s power to destroy all unrighteousness and restore the kingdom of God. Paul looked forward to a new heaven and a new earth and eternal life in the glorious kingdom of God. Because he had this hope, Paul freely committed his life to God’s mission. Because he had this hope, Paul was willing to suffer to preach the gospel. Because he had this hope, Paul was bold and courageous even in the face of death.

Peter also had this hope. He said in 1 Peter 1:3,4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you....” Those who believe the resurrection of Christ can see the kingdom of God. They have a living hope in the kingdom of God. Before having resurrection hope, most people cling to their lives in this world as though it were everything. They become very stingy with their time and money. They do everything to ensure a better life in the world for them and their family before they die. But the resurrection of Christ gives us a living hope beyond this world. We have eternal life in the kingdom of God. This translates practically in our lives. It means we can be generous with our time and money. We can love others from our hearts without worrying about ourselves. We can serve God with no reservation. It was because Paul had hope in the resurrection that he could boldly enter Jerusalem, be ready to be bound and be ready to die for the name of Jesus. If there was no resurrection, Paul’s attitude would have been different. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:32b, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Even Paul would have been a hedonist if there were no resurrection of the dead and that is what most people are choosing to do today.

We Christians serve Christ sacrificially because of our hope in the resurrection. However, sometimes we expect tangible blessings from God. Surely, God blesses our lives on earth abundantly. God is blessing Tim and Andrew with the means to get a degree and a mission during their student lives. God is blessing Jay and Carrie with a new apartment and a new baby. Kathleen has been blessed with a new job position and hope and vision for the future. There are many benefits in this life as we serve Jesus. But there is guarantee that we will be blessed physically in this world. This cannot be our ultimate hope. Our ultimate hope, and absolute guarantee from God is the resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the kingdom of God. This hope makes us courageous and strong. With this hope, both Peter and Paul gave their lives to pioneer Rome. With this hope, we can give our lives to establish a 120 1:1 discipleship ministry at NIU and to establish America as Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.

Third, “Take Courage! You Must Testify In Rome” (11).

Paul’s strategy turned the tables. Now the Sanhedrin members were on trial before the gospel. God gave Paul spiritual wisdom to win the victory. But still he must have been under great stress. God needed to come and encourage him. Look at verse 11. “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” According to the Risen Christ, Paul needed to take courage. Why? Paul must have been drained spiritually and emotionally. Paul had risked his life to serve God in Jerusalem without seeing the desired result. Jewish and Gentile Christians were not any closer together. The unconverted Jews did not repent; they became more anti-Christian. Paul was a prisoner in a Roman barracks, not knowing what would happen next. The stubborn and vicious religious leaders would never give up. The power of their hatred was deadly. Already, their pressure was being felt around Jerusalem. Moreover, Satan was always looking for the chance to accuse Paul. He may have felt a sense of loss and failure. This is the very moment that God’s servant can fall into fear and sorrow. This happened to Abraham after he rescued Lot, (for those of us who have studied Genesis.)

When Paul was vulnerable, the Risen Christ visited him to impart new spiritual courage in his heart. At the right time, the Risen Christ stood near Paul. Paul was not alone. The Risen Christ, the King of kings, his Savior and Lord was with him. The Lord spoke to him, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” At the words of Christ, “Take courage!” the swelling tides of darkness that threatened Paul’s heart were completely repelled, and dissipated like a mist. Bright heavenly sunshine came into Paul’s heart. The word of Christ assured him of God’s love and made him strong, strong enough to face the challenge ahead.

Then the Risen Christ said, “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem....” As we know, Paul had been burdened with the problem of his own people, the Jews. He knew his trip to Jerusalem would be dangerous. Yet he made it for the sake of helping his people see the work of God. Although his purpose was great, his action in Jerusalem did not seem to be much. But the Risen Christ accepted it. The Risen Christ said that Paul testified about him in Jerusalem. It was as though the Risen Christ said, “You did it! Your mission is was accomplished. Now leave the rest up to me.” Paul would continue to pray for his own people, the Jews. But he could have peace in his heart, knowing that he did everything he could for them and that it was accepted by the Risen Christ. Sometimes we feel that what we have done to pioneer is too little. Jay and Carrie may think that the year they spent in Ecuador as missionaries was too little a time to effect change. But God accepted it all. “As you have testified about me at NIU and in Ecuador..”

The Risen Christ concluded, “...so you must also testify in Rome.” When Paul started for Jerusalem, he had really wanted to go to Rome (19:21). In Romans 1:13a he said, “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)....” Though Paul was eager to go to Rome, he was always prevented from doing so. Now the Risen Christ gave him clear direction and a promise that he would testify in Rome. It was the desire of Paul’s heart. It was time for Paul to pray for Rome, go to Rome, and testify about Jesus in Rome. Paul’s passion to preach the gospel in Rome ignited once more. New vision gave him new strength. He was fully restored in spirit to serve God’s purpose. Here we learn that gospel workers need the encouragement and direction of the Risen Christ. When we are weak or vulnerable, we must depend absolutely on the Risen Christ. When we need clear direction, we must pray until we hear the Risen Christ, “Take courage! As you have testified about me thus far to many Bible students from various backgrounds,, so you must also testify at NIU and to the people of DeKalb, even one day to the DEAR area, Dekalb, Elgin, Aurora, Rockford.”

Fourth, God Sends Paul To Caesarea Under Roman Protection (12-35).

The next day, forty very zealous Jews formed a conspiracy and made a plot to kill Paul. People get this way when the Gospel disrupts their status quo. Paul was revealing their lack of faith and convicting them of their sins. To them he represented the growing Christian church. He represented Jesus before them. And they did not like it. Spiritually speaking, they were the incarnation of Satan.

However, God uncovered their plot through Paul’s nephew. The Roman commander was made aware of it. When we think of early great works of God, we often think of the work of the apostles. But the church could have died if it hadn’t been for the unsung heroes, the men and women though some small committed act stood up for Jesus. Paul’s nephew was one such hero, for he saved Paul’s life by telling officials of the plot. Here, I want to make a special plug for the children among us. It is easy to overlook children, assuming that they aren’t old enough to do much for the Lord. But look at this passage, a young boy played an important part in protecting Paul’s life. God can use anyone, of any age, who is willing to yield to him. Jesus made it clear that children are important in Matthew 18:2-6. Let’s give children the importance that God gives them and pray for our children to grow as servants of God.

What happened next? The commander arranged for Paul to leave for Caesarea with an escort of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen. In all, 470 well-trained Roman soldiers ensured Paul’s safe passage to Caesarea. In Caesarea Paul was handed over to Governor Felix. The letter from the Roman commander explained that there was no charge against Paul, but his case was too controversial to be settled in Jerusalem. Paul was kept under guard in Herod’s palace to await the arrival of his accusers and a trial by Roman officials. Here we learn that God protects his servants he really protects them, even with ten soldiers for every one enemy that is against him. And that the Sovereign God leads his servants where he wants them to be, despite of the hardships. Though our of faith may lead us into some precarious situations, or lives are in the hollow of God’s hand until he accomplishes his purpose in our lives.

Today we learn how to be Jesus’ witnesses. We must have a clear conscience through Jesus’ blood. We must have resurrection faith. We must depend on Jesus for courage, direction and protection.