October 30, 2023 | Be On Mission
Paul Defends Himself to Jewish Leaders
Scripture: Acts 28:17-22(NIV)
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
Devotional
When we last left the narrative of Acts, Paul was delivered by ship as a prisoner to appear before Caesar in Rome. As he waited for this appearance, he was placed under house arrest in his own rented home, with a Roman soldier guarding him around the clock.
But he was free to have visitors come and go. So right away he asked for the local Jewish leaders to visit him. Paul was in chains because the Jewish leaders far away in Jerusalem saw him and his Christian gospel as an existential threat to Judaism. Paul wanted to clear the air with the Jewish leaders in Rome.
They told Paul that they had not heard a thing from Jerusalem, but they had definitely heard the buzz about Paul’s work and the Jewish sect becoming known as Christianity. At that point they appeared to be neutral, and made plans to return with even larger numbers on a certain day.
Until then, Paul had some thinking, praying and preparing to do. He was already bound in chains, guarded by a Roman soldier, awaiting an appeal to Emperor Nero. He could have chosen to play it safe, spending more time talking about the Old Testament of the Jews than the new one that he was living and writing. Or he could have chosen to go all in, trying to win the Jewish leaders and believers to Jesus, risking his life further along the way. We’ll get to that story tomorrow.
What do you do when you have time to think? Do you talk yourself out of the thing you might have done in the spur of the moment? Do you get clarity, separating out the good from the bad ideas in the time provided? Or do you go grandiose, talking yourself into that which you would never have done in the moment?
Most importantly, how do you approach this time to ponder? What kind of prayers do you make to the Lord? Who do you talk to? What do you read? How do you listen and discern?
Poem
When Falsely Accused
Deep grief will occur when you’re falsely accused
When faced with false witnesses’ verbal abuse
Integrity bashed
Your good name smashed
The sorrow can be overwhelming
When falsely accused there are things you can do
Remain in God’s word, hold fast to the truth
Get help from another
Share burden with brother
Cast burden upon Jesus Christ
Remember you do not belong to this world
When false accusations against you are hurled
Find rest in God’s graces
In true friends’ embraces
And prayerfully wait out your storm
