Paul’s Missionary Journeys *21:1-16 Paul’s missionary journeys are usually referred to as his first (13-14), second (15:36-18:22). And third (18:23-21:16) journeys; Paul had every intention of undertaking a fourth journey that would have taken him beyond Tome, westward to Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28). There is no evidence in Scripture that he achieved that goal, his first and second Roman imprisonments when he might have made such a trip. As it turned out, however, his fourth missionary journey was unplanned he was brought to Rome to appeal his case to Caesar regarding his arrest (21:17-28:31) He was under house arrest in Rome., released, then rearrested and martyred by Nero around AD 66-67 God of the Universe, we can’t thank you enough for all these amazing story’s youve let us read. We are getting so close to nearing the end of this incredible book of Your Written Words. Oh how we have learned and grown in your Spirit. The heart break throughout this Bible is so painful at times it’s hard to even move to another chapter. But we all know Father God, that there is an awesome outcome and we look so forward to it. God, we ask you to please keep us on your righteous path and to always remind us on our daily walk…what it was that you done for us. Thank you God Almighty of the Heavens and Earth. We love and praise you daily, we pray this in the Strong name of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ and all God’s people said “Amen” Acts 22:1-30 (NKJV) 1 Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now. 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: 3 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 8 So I answered, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. 9 And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do. 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me. 19 So I said, Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. 21 Then He said to me, Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles. 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live! 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the commander came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes. 28 The commander answered, With a large sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was born a citizen. 29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Acts 23:1-35 (NKJV) 1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law? 4 And those who stood by said, Do you revile Gods high priest? 5 Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. 6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged! 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. 8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection--and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. 9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks. 11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. 12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near. 16 So when Pauls sisters son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him. 18 So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you. 19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside and asked privately, What is it that you have to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. 21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you. 22 So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me. 23 And he called for two centurions, saying, Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 25 He wrote a letter in the following manner: 26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. 29 I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. 30 And when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him. Farewell. 31 Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks. 33 When they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, I will hear you when your accusers also have come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herods Praetorium. Acts 24:1-27 (NKJV) 1 Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul. 2 And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation, saying: Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight, 3 we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. 4 Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us. 5 For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so. 10 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11 because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. 17 Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, 18 in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. 19 They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. 20 Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, 21 unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day. 22 But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. 23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. 24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you. 26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. 27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. Thought for the day; Reality always forms around commitment. Kobi Yamada Thank you everyone and God bless all of you! Pastor Carolyn
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 03:02:02 +0000
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