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W O W - T H E B I G P I C T U R E
by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Paul Creates Confusion in Jerusalem
-- Acts 21:17-22:22; Psalm 132:10-12; Proverbs 25:3
And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. On
the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders
were present. When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things
which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when
they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see,
brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they
are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that
you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk
according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet,
for they will hear that you have come. Therefore do what we tell you:
We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with
them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and
that all may know that those things of which they were informed
concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and
keep the law. But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written
and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they
should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from
things strangled, and from sexual immorality."
Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with
them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of
purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of
them.
Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing
him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men
everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore
he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy
place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him
in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized
Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were
shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander
of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately
took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw
the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the
commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with
two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some
among the multitude cried one thing and some another.
So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he
commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the
stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of
the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out,
"Away with him!"
Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the
commander, "May I speak to you?"
He replied, "Can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who some
time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out
into the wilderness?"
But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no
mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people."
So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and
motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great
silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
"Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." And when they
heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the
more silent.
Then he said: "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. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women, 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.
"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon,
suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me,
'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
"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. 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.' 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.
"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a
good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 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. 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. For you will be His witness to all men of
what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the
temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste
and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your
testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every
synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 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.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from
here to the Gentiles.'"
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!"
Acts 21:17-22:22
WORSHIP:
For Your servant David's sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.
The LORD has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
"I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.
If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore."
Psalm 132:10-12
WISDOM:
As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Proverbs 25:3
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