Reflections on Acts

Acts 1-24, Psalm 63

We have been going week by week, line by line, through the Book of Acts since the beginning of January. Last week we ended in chapter 24 with Paul waiting under arrest in Caesarea for two years. Paul’s ministry was seemingly put to an end, despite the Lord’s promise that he would be His witness in Rome. Poor Paul! This had to be so difficult – the people holding him were amazingly corrupt, callous, brutal, evil men. Paul was held without due process for political reasons, partly because he didn’t try to bribe his jailors. What about the promise? What was God doing? I hate to do this to you, but we are going to leave Paul in jail for another week.

As we come close to finishing the Book of Acts, it seemed appropriate to take one week out of the sequence and review the entire book up to where we are in Chapter 24. I believe it is helpful to study the Bible many different ways, and one of these ways has been called the “Bird’s Eye View.” Just as a fast-flying eagle can survey a very large territory very quickly, we are going to survey 24 chapters of Acts to see what we can learn from seeing all at once the “big picture.”

Take Courage!

Acts 22:30-24:27

The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. – Acts 22:30

Let’s start with a little background. Where are we? What is going on? Despite repeated warnings by prophets and by the Holy Spirit that bondage and affliction awaited him, Paul had felt led by the same Holy Spirit to go on to Jerusalem. Once here, in a short time some Jews from the province of Asia recognized him and shouted out, accusing him of teaching against the people, the Law, and the Temple, and that he had defiled the Temple by bringing Greeks into it.

Things became chaotic, and in the uproar they began to beat Paul with the intention of killing him. Roman guards came and broke things up, carrying Paul up on stairs. Paul received permission to speak, and attempted to share the gospel with them. As he related how he had become a follower of Christ, once he mentioned that he had been sent by the Lord to reach out to the Gentiles, the crowd erupted again.

The Arrest of Paul

Acts 21:1-22:29

This Sunday I began with a video clip from the end of The Return of the King, the final movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The scene shows the departure of Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the elves on a ship to head “to the west,” from which nobody ever returns. Frodo’s friends only learn that Frodo is going with the party at the last moment, and the parting is extremely emotional. I showed this clip so that we could really “get into” the scene here in Acts. Beginning with Acts 20:37:

They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. – Acts 20:37-38

Paul was saying farewell to elders at Ephesus. The scene was perhaps even more emotional than what you have seen and felt on this clip. Deep, even overwhelming emotion at a final departure is a universal part of human nature. As we are made in the image of God, I conclude that it is a part of the nature of God.

If Only I May Finish

Acts 20:13-20:38

But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. – Acts 20:13-16

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. – Acts 20:17-23