- 6/11/2025
Today’s message covers Acts 23 and the dramatic legal battle over Paul.
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00:00Welcome to Studies with Stearman. Join us as we look deeper into the Bible.
00:10Strengthen your faith with us, even as we see the day approaching.
00:15And now, here's Gary.
00:18One of the things that has impressed me on this trip through Acts is that the Holy Spirit
00:25often takes us to places that we don't necessarily want to go.
00:30And he keeps us from going in places we do want to go, called the leading of the Holy Spirit.
00:36But he does it for his purposes, which are much higher than ours.
00:40And they are so high, in fact, that we have trouble understanding them sometimes.
00:45And that's why we have to have faith.
00:48Paul's third missionary journey.
00:51We traveled with him all the way around the Aegean Sea, back down the east coast of the Aegean Sea,
00:57around Miletus, over to Tyre, south to Caesarea, down to Jerusalem.
01:03People said all the way, Paul, don't go, don't go.
01:06You're going to be bound. You're going to be imprisoned.
01:08They're going to try to kill you.
01:10And Paul said, no, I'm going, I'm going.
01:13Don't try to stop me.
01:14It's necessary that I go up to Jerusalem.
01:17Last week, we were in chapter 22 of Acts.
01:22It's about the year A.D. 58 at this time.
01:27Nero has been in power for four years.
01:30The political situation in Rome is very stable after Claudius.
01:36The first four to six years of Nero's reign were actually quite good, quite peaceful.
01:44Nero was a good guy.
01:45Everybody thought, wow, after a series of rotten emperors like Caligula and Claudius,
01:51who really had it in for the Jews, Nero comes along.
01:56And Nero is not only kind to the Jews, he's kind to the Christians.
02:00And so things look peaceful.
02:01But out on the frontier in Asia Minor and all the way over into Israel, things are bad politically.
02:09We're going to see that in today's study, because the politics of Judea was just not only dirty
02:17and rotten, but totally unstable.
02:20And here it is, A.D. 58.
02:22We're about 12 years away from the Roman destruction of the temple.
02:25And between 58 and A.D. 70, things continued to get worse and worse and worse and worse
02:32for Jews and also for Christians, by the way.
02:35Because by the end of Nero's reign, which came in A.D. 68, two years before the temple was destroyed,
02:44by the time of the end of Nero's reign, Christians were fair game.
02:48They were being burned at the stake, everything you can think of.
02:51Paul comes back to Jerusalem, and he goes to the temple.
02:57We had just stopped at Acts 22.22 last week, where he was speaking about his experiences.
03:06And you come to verse 22, where it says,
03:10And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices and said,
03:16Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it's not fit that he should live.
03:21And what had Paul said that got the Jewish authorities in such an uproar?
03:27By the way, Ananias, the high priest, was there, and a number of witnesses from the temple.
03:34But when Paul said in verse 21,
03:36Where the Lord told him, Depart, for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles.
03:41That's where they cut him off.
03:43That's the end of it right there.
03:44Because Paul said, The Lord told me to go and preach salvation to the Gentiles.
03:50And the Jews were not having any part of it.
03:52They did not want to share their God with any Gentile.
03:57And that's the way it was with Judaism in the first century.
04:00Actually, for the preceding four centuries, the Jews were so absolutely antagonized by the Gentiles,
04:08by every Gentile emperor since Antiochus IV Epiphanes,
04:12that they weren't going to have anything to do with Gentiles.
04:15They cut him off.
04:16We've got to tell Gentiles about our God.
04:19Which is a violation of the law, by the way,
04:21because the Lord had intended for the Jews to proselytize the nations,
04:25to send the word of God around the world.
04:27They failed to do it.
04:28But after the resurrection of Christ,
04:31then the followers of Christ did what God had always wanted the Jews to do,
04:37to send out missionaries.
04:39And so when Paul said, The Lord told me to go to the Gentiles,
04:43they said, Away with this guy.
04:46It's not fit that he should live.
04:47And as they cried out, they cast off their clothes.
04:49They threw dust in the air.
04:51The chief captain, the Kiliarch,
04:53the commander of 1,000, commanded him to be brought into the castle.
04:59That's the Antonia Fortress at the northwest side of the Temple Mount.
05:04And the Antonia Fortress, of course, was a Herodian slash Roman fortress
05:09that was commanded not only by Nero, but also by the Herodian dynasty.
05:14It was kind of a co-regency, if you will.
05:16So the chief captain brought him into the castle and said,
05:22Examine this man by scourging.
05:25Now, scourging, the Greek word is phragelion.
05:29The Roman equivalent of the word is flagellum.
05:34That's that cat of nine tails where you take a stick
05:36and you tie nine leather cords on it.
05:39You weave all kinds of nasty things into the cord,
05:43like pieces of brass and broken glass and all kinds of things
05:46so that when you whip somebody with it, it rips them open.
05:50In Matthew 27, 26, Mark 15, 15, Jesus is shown as being scourged.
05:55And you remember what happened to Jesus that nearly killed him.
05:58Scourging was horrible.
06:00In fact, it was against Roman law for any Roman citizen to be scourged.
06:05It was considered to be such a horrific punishment and torture
06:08that it was against Roman law for any Roman to be scourged with a flagellum.
06:14So we have here chief captain commanding that Paul be scourged,
06:19that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
06:22In other words, we're going to whip him really good
06:24and then he'll tell us the truth.
06:26And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by,
06:30Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that's a Roman and uncondemned?
06:34Of course it was not.
06:34And when the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, the Kiliarch.
06:40And by the way, a Kiliarch, a commander of 1,000, is called a tribune.
06:45If you've watched some of the old movies like Ben-Hur, you know what a tribune is.
06:49He's the guy in the leather vest with the leather, I don't know what you call it,
06:53I forget the name of it, but the leather guards that go around the legs.
06:57And he has a short sword at his side and a helmet with plumes on top.
07:01Now, this is the guy, this tribune, is the guy that's right in the middle of the problem.
07:08And so the centurion tells this tribune, called chief captain in the King James,
07:13saying, Take heed what thou doest, for this man's a Roman.
07:16Then the chief captain came, said to him, Tell me, you're a Roman?
07:20He said, Yeah.
07:22Chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom.
07:26Paul said, I was born free.
07:27Well, not only was Paul freeborn, but Paul was a university graduate.
07:34He was a member in good standing of his community back in Cilicia.
07:38He was not only that, but he was an ex-member of the Sanhedrin.
07:42And they were just beginning to find out this guy's background.
07:46Then straightway they departed from him, which should have examined him.
07:50They just scattered out of there.
07:52And the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, because he had bowed him.
07:59And so Roman law saves Paul.
08:01This is what we talked about at the conclusion of last week's study.
08:05Verse 30 says, On the morrow, because he would have known with the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews,
08:12he loosed him from his bands, commanded the chief priests and all their counsel to appear,
08:17and brought Paul down and set him before them.
08:20This word counsel, in Greek, is sunedron, which is Sanhedrin in English.
08:27It's called counsel here in the King James Version of the Bible.
08:31So now the Sanhedrin is convened, and they are going to hear the matter of Paul.
08:37By the way, by this time, word was probably out that Paul had once been a Pharisee,
08:43a member in good standing of the Sanhedrin.
08:45Here, Paul addresses the Sanhedrin.
08:50From this point on in Acts, there is an increasingly dominant theme,
08:56and that is that the Lord uses the laws of man to further his own will for someone's life.
09:04You tend to think, as a citizen of planet Earth, that the law is against you.
09:09And so it is.
09:11You try not to be in trouble with the law.
09:14But, in fact, if you look at the lives of the apostles,
09:17everywhere they went, they were in trouble with the law.
09:20And God used Gentile law to further the gospel.
09:26It's amazing the way that works.
09:28And from here until the end of the book of Acts,
09:31Roman law is going to be a very big, big part of the narrative.
09:36Now, Paul begins, I think, here by standing up.
09:44This meeting is being convened probably on the northwest side of the Temple Mount floor,
09:50near the steps or on the porch or portico of the fortress of Antonia.
09:56Chapter 23, verse 1,
09:58And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, that's the Sanhedrin,
10:03and he begins to address now the Sanhedrin.
10:07I've lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
10:13If you were addressing a group of people who were up accusing you,
10:16could you say that?
10:17Could you make that opening statement?
10:20I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
10:24That's quite a thing to be able to say.
10:26And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
10:35Hey, hit that guy on the mouth.
10:37Which just shows you the political and religious temperament of the day.
10:42These were tense times.
10:44They were times of adversity in every way you can think of.
10:48As I said, from here to the end of the book of Acts,
10:50we begin to see more and more and more of the outgrowth of these adverse attitudes
10:54that were absolutely poisoning the atmosphere of that day.
11:00Verse 3,
11:01Paul said to them,
11:03God shall smite thee, thou whited wall,
11:06for sittest thou to judge me after the law,
11:10commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law.
11:13And it is against the law to hit a man
11:18before he can deliver his defense.
11:23By the way,
11:24Paul calls the high priest Ananias a whited wall,
11:28which is a variation of what Jesus called the Pharisees.
11:32Back in Matthew 23, 27,
11:35when Jesus is preaching against the Pharisees,
11:38and this is just before the Olivet Discourse,
11:40he says,
11:41Woe unto you,
11:43scribes and Pharisees,
11:45hypocrites,
11:46for you are like unto whited sepulchers,
11:49which indeed appear beautiful outward,
11:51but inside are full of dead men's bones,
11:54and of all uncleanness.
11:57And I think Paul picked this expression up from the Lord.
12:01I really do.
12:02When the Lord called the Pharisees
12:05whited sepulchers,
12:07he set a precedent,
12:08a perfect image of something
12:11that appears beautiful on the outside,
12:13a decorated tomb,
12:14but is full of death on the inside.
12:18Secondly,
12:19this incident,
12:20I think,
12:20demonstrates again
12:21what has been said about Paul
12:24over and over again,
12:25that he didn't have very good eyesight.
12:27Apparently,
12:28he had no near vision at all,
12:30or very little,
12:32and he didn't have very much far vision,
12:34because he says in verse 4,
12:36And they that stood by
12:37a said revilest thou God's high priest?
12:40And then said Paul,
12:42And it says in the King James,
12:45I wist not, brethren,
12:46that he was the high priest,
12:48for it is written,
12:49Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
12:52So Paul quotes law,
12:55and it is against the law
12:56to physically threaten the high priest.
13:00Where it says wist in the King James,
13:02for those of you who don't understand that word,
13:04the King James translates verb tense
13:08and discriminations that are not seen in English.
13:14For example,
13:15in the Greek verb to know,
13:18oida is translated wist,
13:21which is Germanic Middle English,
13:24wissen,
13:25and it means to know instinctively,
13:27or to know by primary perception.
13:31In other words,
13:31Paul's saying,
13:32there was no way I could tell
13:34that he was the high priest,
13:36which again speaks of Paul's bad vision.
13:40Some have said that he had trachinitis,
13:42which was a disease of that period
13:44caused by parasites in the water,
13:47and it was pretty common.
13:50But when Paul perceived that
13:52one part were Sadducees
13:54and the other Pharisees,
13:56he cried out in the council,
13:58men and brethren,
13:58I'm a Pharisee,
13:59son of a Pharisee,
14:00of the hope of the resurrection of the dead,
14:02I'm called in question.
14:05Now this is a real turning point right here,
14:07and you might read right across it,
14:09but believe me,
14:11verse 6 is very, very important
14:14because it speaks out across the ages
14:17to me and to you.
14:20Why?
14:22Because as Christians,
14:23we are called upon to evangelize.
14:26We are called upon to spread the good news
14:29of the Lord Jesus Christ.
14:31Now, as a Christian going out there
14:34as a salesman for the Lord Jesus Christ,
14:36and that may sound kind of crass,
14:38but that's what you really are
14:39if you're spreading the gospel.
14:41You're a salesman.
14:42You want to go out and sell something
14:44that people need to have, right?
14:47So what do you have in your sales kit
14:49as a Christian?
14:51Well, the first thing that Paul
14:52always pulled out of his sales kit,
14:54the very first thing,
14:56was resurrection.
14:58The hope and resurrection of the dead,
15:01which caused an immediate
15:02inter-Nicene strife here.
15:04It brought out the worst
15:05in the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
15:08But I just want to say
15:09that what you have to offer
15:11as a Christian
15:13is the hope of resurrection
15:15and eternal life
15:18with God the Father
15:20through the Lord Jesus Christ
15:21as a member of the family of God.
15:24And that as Jesus was raised
15:26to newness of life on the third day,
15:29to eternal life in a glorified body,
15:31he promised that same destiny
15:34to all who would follow him in faith.
15:37And so if you go evangelize
15:40and you go talk to people
15:41about Jesus,
15:42what are you really talking about?
15:44You're offering them
15:45the hope of resurrection
15:47and eternal life.
15:49Now, they probably think
15:51that they have the hope
15:53of resurrection and eternal life,
15:56or maybe not resurrection,
15:58but some kind of eternal life.
15:59Where are you going to go
16:00when you die?
16:01Well, I think my soul
16:02is going to go to a place
16:05where wise souls congregate,
16:09and I think that I will probably
16:12be in the company of similar souls,
16:15and in that place,
16:16in some way, shape, or manner,
16:18that I will find
16:19some kind of reconciliation
16:21for the nastiness and problems
16:23I've had in this world.
16:24I'm going to probably go to a place
16:27where I'll have a chance
16:28to meditate
16:28and improve myself spiritually,
16:31and I may even be reincarnated.
16:33So the next time I live this life,
16:35I'll do a better job.
16:37After that,
16:37I may be reincarnated again,
16:39and I may do an even better job
16:41after that,
16:42and so forth,
16:42and so on and so forth.
16:44People speculate
16:45about life after death,
16:46and some say,
16:47well, you just die,
16:49that's all.
16:50And others say,
16:51well, it's not really an issue.
16:52You'll find out
16:53when you get there.
16:56Oh, yes.
16:57You will.
16:59Because to make
17:01ignorant statements like that
17:03is to simply put aside
17:04the works of the wise
17:07and the spiritually gifted
17:09down through the millennia.
17:12And anyone with the ability
17:14to read and understand history,
17:16particularly as it revolves
17:18around Scripture,
17:20understands that there's
17:22such a thing as death,
17:24and there's such a thing
17:25as a book of life.
17:26And if you're not written
17:27in the book of life,
17:28you're dead.
17:30And there's also
17:31such a place as Hades.
17:33You don't want to go there.
17:35Well, what will keep you
17:36out of Hades?
17:37Doing good deeds, right?
17:39Keeping the law.
17:40No.
17:42You find out if you read,
17:43and you find out
17:44if you study,
17:45that only one thing
17:46is going to keep you
17:47out of Hades.
17:48And that is
17:49resurrection to newness
17:51of life in Christ Jesus.
17:52Jesus says,
17:54I'm the way,
17:55the truth,
17:56and the life.
17:57Well, Paul developed
17:59this whole gospel approach
18:02centered around
18:03the resurrection
18:04of the dead.
18:05And you stop
18:06and think about that.
18:07You ask the man
18:07on the street
18:08who is not a Christian,
18:09do you believe
18:10in the resurrection
18:11of the dead?
18:12He might say to you,
18:14well, what do you mean
18:14by the resurrection
18:15of the dead?
18:15I mean bodies
18:16coming out of the grave
18:18and assuming a new
18:19and glorious appearance
18:21and living eternal life
18:23in proximity with God himself.
18:26Do you believe
18:27in resurrection?
18:28Well, I don't really think
18:29I believe in resurrection
18:30that much.
18:33But wouldn't you like
18:33to be resurrected?
18:35Well, I don't think
18:37I would really.
18:39I'd be a lot of responsibility
18:41and nobody knows
18:43for sure anyway.
18:44On and on it goes.
18:47But what are you really
18:48talking about
18:48when you're talking
18:49about the gospel?
18:52That's what you're
18:53talking about.
18:54And so all of us
18:55that preach and teach
18:56the gospel have got
18:57to become experts
18:58on resurrection.
19:00We've got to have
19:01the answers to questions
19:02bang, bang, bang, bang
19:04like that.
19:05Particularly today
19:06when on television
19:08every brand of false gospel
19:09you can think of
19:10is taught 24-7.
19:12And in many churches
19:15they don't teach
19:16on the resurrection
19:17of the dead
19:18at all.
19:19Most churches
19:20have devolved
19:21to a kind of
19:22pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by
19:23theology.
19:25There will be
19:26a brighter day
19:26tomorrow.
19:27Yes, there will.
19:29Without going into
19:30any of the real
19:31and fundamental aspects
19:33of the resurrection.
19:34Well, without getting
19:35into that,
19:37this is a turning point
19:38right here
19:39in Jerusalem.
19:40Because Paul,
19:42having a spark
19:43of brilliance,
19:44addressed the group
19:45and he says,
19:45Men and brethren,
19:46I am a Pharisee,
19:48the son of a Pharisee.
19:50Now, was Paul
19:51a Pharisee?
19:54Not really.
19:56By this time,
19:56Jesus had turned him
19:57into Paul the Evangelist.
19:59He used to be
20:00Saul the Pharisee.
20:02And he was into
20:04legality up to
20:05his eyeballs.
20:07And he even
20:07persecuted
20:08Christian families.
20:10But at this point
20:12in time,
20:12he goes back
20:13into his past
20:14and he recalls
20:16the fact that
20:16he was a Pharisee.
20:18That is,
20:18he is qualified
20:19as a Pharisee.
20:21And that's the way
20:22he presents himself.
20:24And he is a Pharisee
20:25in the respect
20:26that Pharisees
20:27believe in the
20:28resurrection of the dead.
20:29So he says,
20:30I'm a Pharisee,
20:31son of a Pharisee
20:32of the hope,
20:32the resurrection
20:33of the dead,
20:34I'm called in question.
20:35And when he had so said,
20:37there arose a dissension
20:38between the Pharisees
20:40and the Sadducees
20:40and the multitude
20:41was divided.
20:42For the Sadducees
20:43say there is
20:44no resurrection,
20:45neither angel
20:45nor spirit.
20:47But the Pharisees
20:48confess both.
20:50So the Sadducees
20:51are liberals.
20:53They are unbelievers.
20:55They are,
20:56I suppose,
20:57Unitarian Universalists
20:58of some stamp
21:00or form
21:00or manner.
21:01They have got
21:02this idea
21:02that you're going
21:03to a better place
21:04but they don't
21:05believe in angels,
21:06they don't believe
21:07in spirits,
21:07they don't believe
21:08in resurrection.
21:11What do they believe in?
21:12Doing good works.
21:15The Pharisees,
21:16of course,
21:17believe in the angels
21:18and the resurrections.
21:19They are conservatives.
21:22But they are
21:23legalistic conservatives.
21:24They are so legalistic
21:25they squeak.
21:26And there arose
21:29a great cry.
21:31Verse 9.
21:32Scribes of the Pharisees
21:33part rose
21:34and strove
21:35saying,
21:35We find no evil
21:36in this man.
21:37But if a spirit
21:38or an angel
21:39has spoken to him
21:40let us not fight
21:41against God.
21:44Now,
21:45neither faction,
21:47neither the Pharisees
21:48nor the Sadducees
21:49believed in the word
21:50of God.
21:52As a matter of fact,
21:54they all
21:55were represented
21:56in temple worship
21:58and temple sacrifice.
22:00And I'm going to
22:01turn back to
22:02Matthew 23
22:05for a minute
22:06just on the occasion
22:08here of encountering
22:09the Pharisees
22:10and the Sadducees.
22:12You go back
22:14and look at
22:14Matthew 23
22:15starting about
22:18verse 33.
22:1923-33.
22:23Jesus says
22:24concerning
22:25these two groups
22:26of men,
22:27Ye serpents,
22:29ye generation
22:30of vipers,
22:31how can you escape
22:31the damnation
22:32of hell?
22:33Whoa!
22:34That's what Jesus
22:35said about the Sadducees
22:36and the Pharisees.
22:37Both groups.
22:40Now,
22:40those are strong words.
22:42Jesus says,
22:43You're a bunch
22:44of snakes.
22:45How are you going
22:45to escape
22:46the damnation
22:46of hell?
22:49Wherefore?
22:49Behold,
22:50I send unto you
22:51prophets and wise men
22:53and scribes,
22:53for some of them
22:54ye shall kill
22:55and crucify,
22:57and some of them
22:57ye shall scourge
22:58in your synagogues
22:59and persecute them
23:00from city to city.
23:02Jesus here
23:02is talking about
23:04the people
23:04that he would send out
23:05with the message
23:06of the gospel.
23:07verse 35 says,
23:09that upon you
23:10may come
23:11all the righteous
23:13blood shed
23:14upon the earth
23:14from the blood
23:15of the righteous
23:15Abel
23:16unto the blood
23:17of Zacharias,
23:18the son of Berechiah,
23:19whom you slew
23:20between the temple
23:21and the altar.
23:23Verily I say unto you,
23:24all these things
23:25shall come
23:25upon this generation.
23:27In other words,
23:28this generation
23:29of Israel.
23:32Thus he begins
23:33a prophecy,
23:33the prophecy
23:34of this generation
23:35and the last generation.
23:38Verse 37
23:39is Jesus
23:40lamenting over Jerusalem
23:42and he says,
23:43O Jerusalem,
23:44Jerusalem,
23:46thou that killest
23:47the prophets
23:47and stonest them
23:48which I have said unto thee,
23:49how often
23:50would I have gathered
23:51thy children together
23:52even as a hand
23:53gathered her chickens
23:54under her wings
23:55and you would not.
23:57Behold,
23:57your house is left
23:58unto you desolate
23:59for I say,
24:01unto you,
24:02you shall not see me
24:03henceforth till you say,
24:05Blessed is he
24:06that cometh
24:06in the name
24:07of the Lord.
24:09Which is the traditional
24:10messianic greeting.
24:11The Jews are supposed
24:12to greet the Messiah
24:13when he comes
24:14by saying,
24:16Baruch haba
24:16b'shem Adonai.
24:18Blessed is he
24:19that comes
24:19in the name
24:19of the Lord.
24:21And Jesus said,
24:22you won't see me again
24:23until when you see me
24:25you say,
24:26Baruch haba
24:27b'shem Adonai.
24:29That's the second
24:29coming of Christ.
24:30Well,
24:31Paul now
24:32is dealing
24:33with the Pharisees
24:34and the Sadducees.
24:37Neither faction
24:38believes the word
24:39of God.
24:41One faction
24:42has a supernatural
24:44theology
24:45of its own.
24:46The other faction
24:47has a different
24:48kind of a supernatural
24:49theology.
24:51Verse 10
24:52back in Acts 23,
24:54And when there arose
24:55a great dissension,
24:56the chief captain,
24:57fearing lest Paul
24:58should have been
24:59pulled in pieces
25:00of them.
25:01So it must have
25:01been a pretty
25:02great dissension.
25:03Commanded the soldiers
25:04to go down,
25:05take him by force
25:06from among them
25:07and bring him
25:08into the castle.
25:09That's the fortress
25:10of Antonia.
25:11Now,
25:12this is how we know
25:13that Paul delivered
25:14this speech
25:16to the Sanhedrin
25:17on the steps
25:18of the fortress
25:19of Antonia.
25:20You can just
25:21visualize this
25:22whole thing
25:23with the
25:24Kiliarchs
25:25and Centurions
25:26and Roman authorities
25:27up at the top step
25:28and Paul maybe
25:29on the middle steps
25:30and the crowd
25:31of Pharisees
25:32and Sadducees
25:33down on the bottom step.
25:35And when things
25:35got really rough,
25:37the Roman soldiers
25:39saved Paul
25:40from the Jews.
25:43Terrific irony.
25:45Terrific irony.
25:47They went down
25:48and they took him
25:48back into the fortress.
25:50Paul then is staying
25:52in the fortress.
25:53Verse 11,
25:54And the night following
25:56the Lord stood by him
25:57and said,
25:57Be of good cheer, Paul,
25:59for as thou hast
26:00testified of me
26:01in Jerusalem,
26:02so must thou bear witness
26:04also at Rome.
26:06Aha!
26:08So when Paul came back
26:10from his third
26:10missionary journey,
26:12sailed around Miletus,
26:13everybody said,
26:14Paul, don't go to Jerusalem.
26:15Sails over to Tyre.
26:17They said,
26:17Oh, Paul, don't go up
26:18to Jerusalem.
26:19They go to Caesarea.
26:21Everybody says,
26:22Paul, don't go up
26:22to Jerusalem.
26:23Whatever you do,
26:24don't do it,
26:25don't do it,
26:25because they're going
26:26to bind you
26:26when you get there.
26:28And now,
26:29he's in jail
26:31in the fortress
26:31of Antonia.
26:34The Lord appears
26:35and says,
26:35Paul,
26:36cheer up.
26:37You've testified
26:38of me in Jerusalem,
26:39so you must also,
26:43you're going to go
26:44to Rome
26:44and testify
26:45of me there.
26:47Go back
26:49and review
26:50in your mind
26:50Paul's third
26:51missionary journey.
26:54Imagine the anguish
26:55of Paul
26:56as he's greeting people
26:57and knowing
26:59that he'll never see
27:00any of these people again.
27:01He's on his,
27:02sort of his farewell tour.
27:04And you remember
27:05how they cry
27:06over him
27:07at Miletus
27:07and they say,
27:08don't go back,
27:09don't go back.
27:10And Paul says,
27:10you're never going
27:11to see my face again.
27:12It was rough
27:13for him.
27:15And the Lord,
27:17I think,
27:18promised him
27:19that he would
27:19take him through
27:20whatever he had
27:21to go through.
27:22And here,
27:24the Lord reiterates
27:25and says,
27:26just as you've gone
27:27through these things
27:28in Jerusalem,
27:28you're going to have
27:29to go through them
27:30over at Rome.
27:32And now Paul
27:33has begun
27:34his trip to Rome,
27:35which is two years
27:37away at this point.
27:39Acts 23, 12,
27:40and when it was day,
27:42certain of the Jews
27:43banded together
27:43and bound themselves
27:44under a curse,
27:46saying they would
27:46neither eat nor drink
27:47until they had killed Paul.
27:49And they were more
27:50than 40,
27:51which made this conspiracy.
27:53And they came
27:53to the chief priests
27:54and elders and said,
27:55we've bound ourselves
27:56under a great curse
27:58that we will eat nothing
28:00until we have slain Paul.
28:02Well,
28:03there's that word
28:03bound again.
28:05Paul was bound
28:07and now these guys
28:08don't want to kill him,
28:09are bound in a curse.
28:1140 of them saying,
28:13we're not going
28:14to eat anything
28:14until we kill Paul.
28:16Wow!
28:16I mean,
28:17that's serious business.
28:18That is serious business.
28:22What a way to live,
28:24and yet,
28:24what a marvelous thing
28:26it is
28:26to be in Paul's shoes.
28:29He said,
28:29I'm not afraid
28:30to be bound.
28:30I'm not afraid to die.
28:32But the Lord's
28:32leading me along.
28:33I'm going to go
28:34where I have to go.
28:37Verse 15,
28:38Now therefore ye
28:39with the council,
28:41that is the Sanhedrin,
28:43signify to the chief captain,
28:46the tribune,
28:46or the Kiliarch,
28:48that he will bring him
28:49down unto you
28:50the morrow,
28:51as though ye would
28:52inquire something
28:53more perfectly
28:54concerning him,
28:55and we,
28:56wherever he come near,
28:57are ready to kill him.
29:00In other words,
29:01fabricate a kind
29:02of an excuse.
29:03Make some excuse
29:04to get Paul back down
29:06into the courtyard again.
29:08And when he comes out,
29:09we're going to kill him.
29:11But,
29:13and there's an interesting
29:14little sidelight here,
29:15verse 16,
29:15when Paul's sister's son
29:17heard of their lying
29:19in wait,
29:20he went
29:21and entered
29:22into the castle,
29:24the fortress of Antonia,
29:25and told Paul.
29:27So Paul has a nephew
29:29in Jerusalem.
29:31Paul has family
29:32in Jerusalem.
29:33This is one of those
29:34little throwaways,
29:35the little sidelights,
29:37that, boy,
29:37I'd sure like to know
29:38more about that.
29:39I mean,
29:39how many relatives
29:40did Paul have in Jerusalem?
29:41And who were they?
29:43And what did they do?
29:44And what were their names?
29:46And what happened to them?
29:48Well, you don't know.
29:49We just don't know.
29:51We know that Paul
29:52had a nephew,
29:53and the nephew
29:54spilled the beans
29:55on the Sanhedrin.
29:57And he goes into
29:58the fortress of Antonia,
29:59and Paul called
30:00one of the centurions
30:01unto him,
30:02and said,
30:03Bring this young man
30:04to the chief captain,
30:05for he hath a certain
30:06thing to tell him.
30:08So he took him
30:09to the chief captain,
30:10and he said,
30:10Paul the prisoner
30:11called me unto him
30:12and prayed me
30:13to bring this young man
30:14unto thee
30:14who hath something
30:15to say to thee.
30:16And the chief captain
30:17took him by the hand,
30:19went with him aside
30:20privately,
30:21and asked him,
30:22What is it thou hast
30:23to tell me?
30:24And he said,
30:25The Jews have agreed
30:26to desire thee
30:27that thou wouldst
30:27bring down Paul
30:28tomorrow unto the council,
30:29as though they would
30:31inquire some
30:32what of him
30:33more perfectly.
30:34In other words,
30:35we need to hear
30:35a little bit more
30:36of what Paul has to say.
30:37Bring him out again.
30:39But do not thou yield
30:40unto them,
30:41for there lie
30:43in wait for him
30:44more than forty men,
30:46which have bound
30:47themselves with an oath
30:48that will neither eat
30:49or drink
30:50till they have killed them.
30:51And now they are ready,
30:53looking for a promise
30:54from thee.
30:55So,
30:55the chief captain,
30:57that's the tribune,
30:58the Kiliarch,
30:59let the young man depart.
31:02And he said to him,
31:02he charged him,
31:03See,
31:04thou tell no man
31:05thou hast showed
31:06these things to me.
31:07Let's keep this
31:08between ourselves.
31:09Keep it quiet.
31:11Boy,
31:11wouldn't this make
31:11a great movie.
31:12I mean,
31:13this would be
31:15a terrific movie.
31:16I don't think
31:17I've ever seen
31:17a movie of the life
31:18of Paul.
31:19Come think of it.
31:19There's a thought.
31:21Talk about a movie
31:22that would witness
31:23the gospel.
31:24Now,
31:24that would be
31:25a motion picture,
31:27the life of Paul.
31:29We even talk about
31:30his trip to England.
31:32So,
31:32the chief captain
31:33let the young man
31:34depart,
31:35charged him,
31:36See,
31:36you tell no man
31:37that you showed
31:38these things to me.
31:39And he called
31:40unto him
31:40two centurions
31:41saying,
31:41Make ready
31:42200 soldiers
31:43to go to Caesarea
31:44and horsemen
31:45three score and ten
31:46and spearmen
31:47200
31:48at the third
31:50hour of the night.
31:51That's 470
31:52soldiers.
31:54At the third
31:55hour of the night,
31:56nine o'clock
31:57in the evening,
31:58get together
31:59about 470 soldiers.
32:02That would be
32:02horses,
32:03that would be
32:04wagons,
32:05that would be
32:06provisions.
32:08What a great scene
32:09in this movie
32:10that we're talking
32:10about.
32:11And they go
32:12by night.
32:13Why do they
32:14go by night?
32:15Because
32:16the countryside
32:17is ripped
32:18and torn
32:19by dissension.
32:20There are
32:21various factions
32:22who will kill
32:23you as quickly
32:24as they look
32:24at you.
32:25There are
32:25the Sicarii
32:26who are
32:27anti-Pharisaical
32:29and anti-Herodian.
32:30There are
32:31groups of
32:32roaming assassins.
32:33There are
32:34revolutionaries
32:35afoot.
32:36And by the way,
32:37it's pretty well
32:38underway,
32:38this revolutionary
32:39activity,
32:40at this point.
32:41But it gets
32:42even worse
32:43in the next
32:44five to eight
32:45years.
32:45In other words,
32:45this is really
32:46the beginning
32:47of a time
32:48of great
32:49revolutionary
32:49ferment in
32:51Judea.
32:53So at night,
32:53they take
32:54470 soldiers
32:56and they head
32:57for Caesarea.
32:59Verse 24,
33:00Provide them
33:01beasts,
33:01they may set
33:02Paul on,
33:03and bring him
33:03safe unto
33:04Felix the governor.
33:07The tribune,
33:08now we find
33:09out his name.
33:10This tribune
33:11who's been
33:11helping Paul
33:12and was talking
33:13with Paul's
33:13nephew,
33:14his name is
33:15Claudius Lysias.
33:17And he's
33:18writing a letter
33:19here to Felix
33:20down Caesarea.
33:23So tribune
33:24Claudius writes
33:25to Felix
33:26who is a
33:27freed man
33:28of Antonia.
33:30And we'll
33:30talk more
33:31about that
33:31next week,
33:32what it means
33:33to be a
33:33freed man.
33:35But Felix
33:35was a very,
33:37very powerful
33:37man.
33:38He was a
33:39freed man
33:39and he had
33:41been given
33:41governorship
33:42of Judea
33:44by the
33:46mother of
33:46the emperor
33:47Claudius.
33:48If you ever
33:49want to read
33:50about this
33:51in secular
33:51literature,
33:52this whole
33:52story is told
33:53by Tacitus
33:54in the
33:55Annals of
33:56Tacitus.
33:58Tacitus did
33:59not like
34:00Felix at
34:00all.
34:02And he
34:02writes the
34:03most poison
34:04pen account
34:05of Felix
34:05that you
34:06can get
34:06your hands
34:06on.
34:08And we'll
34:08talk more
34:09about Felix
34:10in a little
34:10bit.
34:12Claudius Lysias
34:13writes to
34:13Felix.
34:14Greetings,
34:16he says,
34:16verse 27,
34:17this man
34:18was taken
34:18of the
34:19Jews and
34:19should have
34:19been killed
34:20of them.
34:21Then came
34:22I with an
34:23army and
34:23rescued him,
34:24having understood
34:25that he was a
34:25Roman.
34:27And when I
34:27would have
34:27known the
34:28cause,
34:28wherefore they
34:29accused him,
34:30I brought him
34:30forth unto
34:31their counsel,
34:32whom I
34:33perceived to
34:34be accused
34:34of questions
34:35of their
34:36law,
34:37but to
34:38have nothing
34:38laid to his
34:39charge worthy
34:40of death
34:40or bonds.
34:41Notice how
34:42they're paying
34:43very careful
34:43attention to
34:44legal points
34:45here.
34:47I mean,
34:47essentially what
34:48we're right
34:48smack in the
34:49middle of here
34:50is a legal
34:51battle.
34:51How can we
34:52deal with
34:52this man
34:53Paul under
34:54Roman law
34:56so as not
34:57to get
34:58ourselves in
34:59trouble with
35:00the people
35:00back in
35:01Rome?
35:01That was
35:02their question.
35:03Verse 30
35:04says,
35:04And when it
35:05was told me
35:05how the Jews
35:06had laid
35:07wait for the
35:07man,
35:07I sent
35:08straightway to
35:08thee and gave
35:09commandment to
35:10his accusers
35:11also to
35:11say before
35:12thee what
35:13they had
35:13against him.
35:15Farewell.
35:15And so that's
35:16why I'm
35:16sending him
35:17up to
35:17you.
35:19What we've
35:20got here
35:20is a case
35:21of Claudius
35:23Lysias doing
35:24the politically
35:24smart things.
35:26I'm going to
35:26get rid of
35:27this guy.
35:27He's out of
35:28my jurisdiction.
35:29I'm going to
35:30send him up
35:30to Felix.
35:31Let him
35:31handle a
35:32problem.
35:33Then the
35:33soldiers,
35:34as it was
35:35commanded them,
35:36took Paul and
35:36brought him by
35:37night to
35:37Antipatras,
35:38which is about
35:38the halfway
35:39point up to
35:40Caesarea.
35:41Antipatras was
35:41a Roman
35:42fort.
35:43And on the
35:44morrow they
35:44left the
35:45horsemen to
35:45go with
35:45him and
35:46return to
35:46the castle,
35:47that is,
35:47the fortress
35:48of Antonia,
35:50who, when
35:50they came to
35:51Caesarea,
35:52delivered the
35:52epistle to
35:53the governor,
35:54presented Paul
35:55also before
35:55him.
35:56And when the
35:56governor had
35:57read the
35:57letter,
35:59and by the
36:00way,
36:01Felix was a
36:02governor in
36:03the same way
36:04that 30
36:05years prior,
36:07Pontius Pilate
36:08had been a
36:08governor.
36:09So this
36:10Felix sat
36:11in the same
36:12chair as
36:13Pontius Pilate
36:14sat in back
36:15in the days of
36:15Jesus, 30
36:16years before.
36:19When the
36:19governor read the
36:20letter, he
36:20asked of what
36:21province he was,
36:23and when he
36:23understood that he
36:24was of Cilicia,
36:25by the way,
36:26if there was a
36:28fancy address,
36:30a fancy-schmancy
36:31address to have,
36:33it was to be a
36:35Roman citizen
36:35living in Tarsus
36:37in the province
36:38of Cilicia.
36:40That was sort
36:41of like living
36:41in the Hamptons,
36:43Beverly Hills,
36:44some neat
36:45place to live.
36:46Well, that's
36:47where Paul came
36:48from.
36:49And so,
36:50Felix was
36:51reading this
36:52letter, and
36:53hey, what
36:54province?
36:54Cilicia?
36:55Very good, I'll
36:56hear you, said
36:57he.
36:58And thine
36:58accusers are
36:59also come.
37:00And he
37:01commanded him
37:01to be kept
37:02in Herod's
37:03Judgment Hall.
37:05And that was
37:05the, in
37:06historical times,
37:07called the
37:08Praetorium.
37:10This brings
37:11us now to
37:13yet another
37:15legal vignette.
37:18Chapter 24.
37:20By the way,
37:21when it says
37:22Herod's
37:22Judgment Hall
37:23in verse 35,
37:25that's Herod
37:26Agrippa
37:27the second.
37:29And we'll
37:29see how that
37:30becomes important
37:31later on.
37:31Herod
37:32Agrippa
37:32the second,
37:34is the
37:34Herod
37:35mentioned in
37:35verse 35.
37:38And after
37:38five days,
37:39Ananias,
37:40the high
37:41priest,
37:41descended
37:42with the
37:42elders.
37:43Notice it
37:43says descended.
37:45They came
37:45down from
37:46Jerusalem to
37:47Caesarea
37:47with the
37:50elders and
37:50with a
37:51certain
37:51orator
37:51named
37:52Tertullius
37:54or
37:54Tertullus,
37:56depending on
37:56how you read
37:57his name,
37:58who informed
37:59the governor
37:59against Paul.
38:00Now this
38:01orator is
38:02what we
38:03might call
38:04in our
38:04day a
38:05prosecuting
38:06attorney.
38:07The orator
38:08in Greek
38:08is
38:09chriton,
38:10from which
38:11we get
38:11our word
38:11rhetoric.
38:12And so what
38:14this guy is
38:15is a legal
38:16rhetorician.
38:17He knows
38:17exactly how to
38:18present a case
38:19in great,
38:21unassailable,
38:22beautiful language.
38:23And so
38:23Tertullius
38:24gets up to
38:25speak.
38:26And this
38:26is really
38:27interesting
38:27that the
38:27Bible
38:28preserves
38:29the charges
38:30against Paul
38:31by the
38:31prosecutor.
38:33Verse 2,
38:34And when he
38:34was called
38:35forth,
38:36Tertullus
38:37began to
38:38accuse him,
38:38saying,
38:39Seeing that
38:40by thee we
38:41enjoy great
38:42quietness,
38:43and very
38:45worthy deeds
38:45are done unto
38:46this nation
38:47by thy
38:47providence.
38:48Notice how
38:49he butters up
38:49Felix here.
38:51That's what
38:52he's doing.
38:53By the way,
38:53it's a lie.
38:55There was
38:55not great
38:55quietness in
38:56that day.
38:57There was
38:57revolutionary
38:58uproar,
38:59and no
39:00very worthy
39:01deeds at all
39:01had been
39:02ever done
39:03by Felix.
39:03Felix was
39:04a stinker.
39:06What we
39:06have here
39:07is not
39:07only intrigue,
39:09foul politics,
39:11the lust
39:11of assassination,
39:13just every
39:14kind of dark
39:15and dirty
39:16thing you
39:16can think
39:17of going
39:17on in
39:18these days.
39:19And
39:19Tertullus
39:19stands up
39:20and says,
39:20Seeing that
39:21by thee we
39:22enjoy great
39:22quietness,
39:23and that
39:23very worthy
39:24deeds are
39:25done unto
39:25this nation
39:26by thy
39:26providence,
39:27we accept
39:28it always
39:28and in all
39:29places,
39:30most noble
39:30Felix,
39:31and with
39:31all
39:32thankfulness.
39:33Notwithstanding
39:34that I be
39:35not further
39:35tedious unto
39:36thee,
39:36I pray
39:37that thou
39:37wouldst
39:38hear us
39:38of thy
39:39clemency
39:39a few
39:40words,
39:41for we
39:42have found
39:42this man
39:43a pestilent
39:44fellow,
39:45and a mover
39:46of sedition
39:47among all
39:47the Jews
39:48throughout the
39:48world,
39:49land,
39:49a ringleader
39:51of the sect
39:52of the
39:52Nazarenes,
39:53you know
39:55about them,
39:55who also
39:57hath gone
39:58about to
39:58profane
39:59the temple,
40:00whom we
40:01took,
40:01and would
40:02have judged
40:03according to
40:03our law,
40:04but Chief
40:04Captain
40:05Lysias
40:05came upon
40:06us with
40:06great violence,
40:07took him
40:08away out
40:08of our
40:08hands,
40:09commanding
40:09his accusers
40:10to come
40:10unto thee,
40:12by examining
40:12of whom
40:13thyself
40:13mayest take
40:14knowledge
40:14of all
40:15these
40:15things,
40:16what if
40:16we
40:16accuse
40:17him?
40:18What a
40:19pompous
40:19dude!
40:22I mean,
40:23and again,
40:24this would be
40:24prominent in
40:25the movie
40:26that we're
40:26going to
40:26make
40:26on the
40:27life of
40:27I
40:29haven't
40:30quite
40:30picked
40:30out
40:31who
40:31would
40:31play
40:31the
40:31part
40:32of
40:32Tertullus
40:32yet,
40:33but
40:33there
40:34are
40:34some
40:34good
40:34candidates.
40:35We
40:36laugh
40:36at
40:36this,
40:37much
40:37in the
40:38way
40:38that
40:38we
40:38laugh
40:39at
40:39politics
40:40today.
40:40You
40:40hear something
40:41that a
40:41politician
40:42says,
40:43did he
40:43really
40:44say
40:44that?
40:45Whoa!
40:46Things
40:46haven't
40:46changed
40:47much.
40:48And the
40:48Jews
40:49assented.
40:50That means
40:50they went,
40:51yay!
40:51Hear,
40:52hear,
40:52right on,
40:53Tertullus!
40:54Saying that
40:54these things
40:55were so,
40:56oh yes.
40:58Now Paul
40:58gets up
40:59to speak,
40:59and then
41:00Paul,
41:00after the
41:01governor
41:01had beckoned
41:02unto him
41:02to speak,
41:03Felix is
41:04on the
41:04bench.
41:05Felix
41:05says,
41:06all right,
41:07Paul,
41:07you may
41:07speak.
41:09Paul gets
41:09up and
41:09answers,
41:10for as
41:10much as
41:11I know
41:11thou hast
41:12been of
41:12many years
41:13a judge
41:14unto this
41:14nation,
41:15I do
41:15the more
41:16cheerfully
41:16answer for
41:17myself,
41:17because that
41:18thou mayest
41:19understand that
41:20there are yet
41:20but twelve
41:21days since I
41:22went up to
41:22Jerusalem for
41:23to worship.
41:24Making the
41:25point,
41:25it's only been
41:25twelve days
41:26since I got
41:27back from my
41:28third missionary
41:28journey,
41:29and I have
41:30found myself
41:30in all this
41:32trouble.
41:33How could I
41:33have done all
41:34these bad
41:34things they're
41:35accusing me of
41:36in only twelve
41:36days,
41:37is what Paul
41:37is saying.
41:38And they
41:39neither found
41:40me in the
41:40temple,
41:40disputing with
41:41any man,
41:42neither raising
41:42up the
41:43people,
41:44neither in
41:44synagogues
41:45or in the
41:45city,
41:46neither can
41:47they prove
41:47the things
41:48where they
41:48now accuse
41:49me.
41:50But this
41:50I confess
41:51unto thee,
41:52that after
41:53the way,
41:54that's
41:55Christianity,
41:55which they
41:56call heresy,
41:58so worship
41:58I the God
41:59of my fathers,
42:00believing all
42:01things which
42:02are written in
42:02the law and
42:03in the prophets,
42:04and have hope
42:05toward God,
42:07which they
42:07themselves also
42:08allow that
42:09there shall
42:09be a
42:09resurrection
42:10of the
42:10dead,
42:11both of
42:11the just
42:12and the
42:12unjust.
42:14Oh ho,
42:15you notice
42:15what Paul
42:16cuts to
42:17immediately
42:17whenever he's
42:18challenged,
42:19resurrection
42:20of the
42:21dead.
42:21When you're
42:22called upon
42:23to witness
42:23for Christ,
42:25what's going
42:25to be the
42:26focus of
42:26your witness?
42:27Resurrection
42:28of the
42:29dead.
42:29By the
42:29way,
42:30you're going
42:30to say to
42:30anybody who
42:31wants to
42:32know about
42:32Jesus,
42:33did you know
42:33there's going
42:34to be a
42:34resurrection
42:34of the
42:35dead,
42:35both of
42:36the just
42:36and the
42:37unjust?
42:39Why no,
42:39I didn't
42:40know that.
42:40Well,
42:41I'll tell
42:41you all
42:41about it.
42:42That's
42:43exactly where
42:43Paul centered
42:44his gospel
42:45message.
42:46Resurrection
42:47of the
42:47dead,
42:48both of
42:48the just
42:49and unjust.
42:51Verse 16,
42:51and herein
42:52do I exercise
42:53myself to
42:54have always
42:55a conscience
42:55void of
42:57offense toward
42:57God and
42:58toward man.
42:59After many
43:00years, I
43:00came to
43:01bring alms
43:02to my
43:02nation and
43:03offerings.
43:04Remember, he
43:05collected gifts
43:06from the
43:06Jerusalem church
43:07on his third
43:08missionary journey.
43:09Whereupon
43:10certain Jews
43:11from Asia
43:11found me
43:12purified in
43:14the temple.
43:15That is to
43:15say, I was
43:16before God
43:17in a purified
43:18state in the
43:19temple,
43:19neither with
43:21multitude nor
43:22tumult.
43:22I wasn't
43:23raising any
43:23problem.
43:25Certain Jews,
43:26he says,
43:26from Asia
43:27discovered me
43:28purified in
43:29the temple,
43:30neither with
43:30multitude nor
43:31with tumult,
43:32who ought to
43:33have been here
43:34before thee
43:35and object
43:36if they have
43:38ought against
43:38me.
43:39They're not
43:39here.
43:40There are no
43:40witnesses against
43:41me, your
43:41honor, is what
43:42he's saying.
43:43The people who
43:44are accusing me
43:44are not even
43:45here.
43:47And I've only
43:48been back in
43:48Israel for
43:49twelve days
43:50after my
43:51third missionary
43:52journey.
43:53And all I'm
43:54doing is
43:55teaching about
43:56the resurrection,
43:57which all Jews
43:57ought to believe
43:58anyway.
43:59Tertullus had
44:00charged that
44:01Paul had been
44:01stirring up the
44:02people, but
44:03there were no
44:04people here to
44:05testify against
44:06Paul.
44:07Verse 20,
44:08or else let
44:09these same
44:10here say if
44:11they've found
44:11any evil doing
44:13in me while I
44:14stood before the
44:15council, except
44:16to be for this
44:17one voice that I
44:18cried standing
44:19among them.
44:20Touching the
44:20resurrection of
44:21the dead, I'm
44:21called and
44:22questioned by
44:23you to this
44:23day.
44:25Again, what's
44:26the question?
44:27What is the
44:27charge against
44:29Paul?
44:30That he
44:31preaches a
44:32certain message
44:33concerning the
44:34resurrection of
44:35the dead.
44:37And what is it
44:38that he
44:38preaches?
44:40That Jesus
44:41Christ, our
44:42Lord, rose from
44:43the grave on
44:44the third day,
44:45promising all
44:46those who
44:46would follow
44:47him by
44:47faith, a
44:49resurrection
44:49from the
44:50dead, just
44:51exactly like
44:52the one that
44:53he experienced.
44:55Verse 22,
44:56and when
44:56Felix heard
44:57these things,
44:57having more
44:58perfect knowledge
44:58of that way,
44:59he deferred
45:00them.
45:00He said,
45:01when Lysias,
45:02the chief
45:02captain,
45:03shall come
45:03down, I
45:04will know
45:05the uttermost
45:06of your
45:06matter.
45:08And so
45:09Felix defers
45:10judgment.
45:11He decides
45:12not to release
45:13Paul, but
45:14not to jail
45:15him, but
45:15to keep
45:16him under
45:16house arrest
45:17and thus
45:18play both
45:19sides of
45:20the fence.
45:22As we go
45:22into this
45:22next week,
45:23we're going
45:23to see that
45:24the Lord
45:24has put
45:25Paul in
45:26a wonderful,
45:27wonderful
45:28position to
45:28make known
45:29the gospel
45:30of the Lord
45:30Jesus Christ
45:31to people
45:32who should
45:33hear it.
45:35This becomes
45:36a very,
45:36very exciting
45:37story.
45:38I wish I had
45:39time to go
45:39on, but we
45:40are out of
45:40time.
45:40In fact,
45:41we're past
45:41time.
45:43We're
45:44going to
45:45go
45:46to the
45:47next week.
45:48We're
45:49going to
45:50go
45:51to the
45:53next week.
Recommended
47:21
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