Episodes
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"He could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." Paul seems to be the architect of his own doom? Perhaps it is also that Paul's purpose in front of this high court is to win converts to Jesus even at that level, and this certainly did begin to happen.
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A lot of maneuvering is happening with Paul the prisoner, efforts he has made on his own behalf to prolong his life. It says something for the followers of the Law, calling for the head of a man with whom they have disagreement: it is certainly not the way of Jesus.
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Episodes manquant?
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Think you've seen persecution? Try Paul's brand on for size: held in prison despite valid charges, the victim of powerful political figures who want to flatter one another at his expense, kept from visiting the churches that he loves. And of course, people wanted to murder him. Seems like it would have been easy to turn away from this difficult life and go back to being a Pharisee, but Paul held firmly to the faith he had in Jesus.
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Paul swings the momentum of the trial away from the contrived charges that are being brought against him and declares the situation to be what it is: a battle of theologies. Not only is that the truth of the matter, is also makes it uncomfortable for a government official to intervene in the dispute.
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Paul seems to be skirting disaster at every turn, and only God knows the reason why his life is being preserved so. Perhaps God is still working in this situation, bringing about things that only God knows. Whatever the case, Paul is finding refuge among the very government that crucified Jesus.
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Anyone who thinks Christians should never stir things up might take a moment with this passage where Paul purposely causes an argument between the Pharisees and Sadducees. Of course, living in harmony with others is what we should pursue, but there are also times when the Spirit moves in us like fire, and challenging the powers is no small feat.
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Paul appears before a maddening crowd and talks about his own maddening past, persecuting the Church he now serves. He is in Jerusalem, which was once the seat of his fervent belief in the Law, and. now he professes the same passion for Jesus. What a swirl of memories and emotions he must have felt as he stood there talking.
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It's interesting that Paul, who was once a strict adherent to the Law, now returns to the ways of the Law in order to answer those who continue to be as he once was. While the Lordship of Christ is absolute, the way we practice should be a matter of consideration. Elsewhere, Paul talks about being all things to all people and this is the exercise of that statement.
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Paul seems to have an urgency in his actions now, perhaps driven by the foreboding news from Jerusalem. It's interesting how things like that can propel us forward, giving us a sense of purpose and a deeper passion for our call.
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We are accountable to one another in this Kingdom of Jesus. Paul was accountable to bring the Word to his churches, but he was not the center of worship. The influence of the Holy Spirit and the commitment to one another are the things which sustains us, and listening to both the Spirit and one another remain important as we work together.
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Ever sat through a sermon so boring that you fell out the window and died? To be fair, it says Paul was talking, not preaching. Still, you have to hand it to Paul: if you kill someone with preaching, the least you can do is raise them back up!
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Not worshipping other gods is a basic command for followers of the true God, but sometimes those gods do not go quietly. Not the gods themselves, of course. But the people who profit from the established powers that work against the way of Jesus are often the loudest of all, when their power is threatened.
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The instance of the possessed man beating the Sons of Sceva comes across as comical, but there is a hard truth here that rests in the middle of the story: the power of the Holy Spirit is not for personal glory, but for the glory of God.
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Apollos came to prominence at much the same level as Paul: he was a scholar, he had defended Jesus as Messiah publicly. This stage of the early Church was about bringing together teachers like him to get everyone on the same page, and especially to help the theologians understand the importance of the Holy Spirit.
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Paul's decision to preach only to the Gentiles is born out of a bit of frustration, but the outcome is important. The effort to include the Gentiles in the gospel is no longer a portion of his effort, it is his focus. This would define the early Church in a new way.
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What if Paul had turned his back on the Athenians because their view of God was so wrong? Thank God he didn't, because the gospel was shared because of Paul's work there. It didn't result in a mass revival, but it did result in work the way that God works well: by planting seeds that grow among his people.
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You have to wonder which of Paul's qualities made him one of the primary growers of the early Church. He was highly adept at harmonizing Christianity and Judaism, he was also skilled in academic circles. But he also had enough influence with his enemies that he was described as "causing trouble all over the world," which he probably took as a compliment!
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Where Peter walked out of prison, Paul chose to stay. The ways God uses to grow his people are not always the same, not even in the same circumstance. It's important to stay engaged in prayer and listen to the Spirit to know where that is.
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It is not always perfect harmony that carries along the growth of God's Kingdom, sometimes it is a parting of ways. Paul and Barnabas has been partners, but their breakup actually grew the early Church in new areas.
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The growing church isn't about star preachers, it's about spreading the word. The choice of Judas (not Iscariaot, Judas was a very common name) and Silas was to teach and grow the believers. Of course, Paul couldn't be the only one working in the field, but training new trainers had certainly been part of his call.
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