Acts 22:22–30

 Acts 22:22–30

It seems that nothing will turn a pious audience into a violent mob quicker than the assertion that God‘s grace is available for those whom we hate. Paul’s presentation was listened to with attention until he talked about going to the Gentiles, then a riot ensued. We like the idea of God’s grace for the people we like and for those who are like us. But attempt to offer that grace to someone from any hated group and the hypocritical pious elite will say that you have gone too far. Sadly there are many people who, claiming to be Christians, but would rather certain other people in hell than see them in church. A church where this perception is present can hardly expect God’s Spirit to empower their ministry.

When the mob erupts into violence the Roman commander orders Paul taken to the barracks away from the chaos of the throng. We get a picture of the size of this disturbance when we see the title of the Roman officer. He is literally a “chiliarch” a commander of 1000 troops, this riot was so intense that the Roman regional commander has become personally involved. He is roughly equivalent to a one star general. Wanting answers and wanting them quick he has Paul stretched out with leather straps to prepare for a beating. Paul was bound very likely to the same post where Christ was beaten. But Paul claims his rights as a Roman citizen. If a Roman soldier, many of whom were not citizens, beat a Roman citizen the consequences could be most cruel.

Suffering for Christ is part of the life of a disciple, it is the cost of following. However, unnecessary suffering is simply foolish. If we suffer because of our own immature understanding, emotional issues or because of self-inflicted punishment we do not advance the gospel. If called to suffer for Christ we must do so. But if we can, with holiness, avoid suffering by all means we should. At this moment there is another, and perhaps final, break between Christians and Jews. And ironically for the moment the good guys are the Romans who have an idea of law and order even if they were pagan

"Lord, forbid that I would want to see anyone be lost. AMEN"

Acts 22:1-21

 Acts 22:1-21

We often misunderstand what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus. We talk about Paul’s conversion on the way to Damascus, but that has more to do with our lazy reading of Scripture than with what Scripture actually says. What happened on the road to Damascus was not a conversion but a conversation. There are three interesting points that we need to notice in this passage.

First, the Lord is highly committed to the ministry of His saints. On the road, Jesus introduces himself and then essentially tells Paul to go talk to a disciple. Why didn’t the Lord directly tell Paul what to do? Because it is the Lord’s designed plan to have disciples make other disciples. Jesus will not take from us, nor will He alleviate our responsibility to make disciples. No doubt Jesus could have done everything Ananias did and done it better, but He would not.

Notice also that Paul’s introduction to Jesus includes an expectation of service. We treat conversion as if it is signing up for a benefits program. Biblically, the occasion of conversion is also the occasion where we are called to service. Perhaps the reason the church is so weak today is that we have divorced the call to conversion from the call to service.  They must not, indeed, they cannot be separated.

Third, we need to look at when Paul was converted. Apparently Paul was still in sin, still stained by his sin when he arrived in Damascus because Ananias told him to submit to baptism so that his sins could be washed away. Clearly the work begun on the road was not yet complete. If we are to say Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, then we must say he was carrying his sins with him and he was un-forgiven after his conversion. It seems more reasonable to say that the removal of sin by washing of regeneration occurred at the same time as his conversion. At that moment he was calling on the name of Christ for his salvation and not any works of legal righteousness.

Never let us miss the high call of ministry for every disciple and the marriage of salvation and service and the marvelous change that occurs when our sins are washed away.

“Forgive me, Lord, for trying to separate my salvation from my surrendering to serve You.  AMEN”