Acts 23:1-11 - Paul before the Sanhedrin Council

We last learned that since he couldn’t get the reason why the Jews were accusing Paul, the commander, Lysais, ordered the Sanhedrin council to convene a meeting. He then brought Paul down before them. Now standing before the council, Paul looked squarely and intensely into the eyes of the council members and made no apologies. As far as he was concerned, he had lived his life before God in perfectly good conscience up till now.  And there was no charge he needed to answer as he had always obeyed what his conscience instructed him.

Incensed by Paul’s remark, Ananias, the high priest ordered one of the guards near Paul to strike him in the mouth. The immediate response of Paul was to tell the high priest off. He said, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” As Paul challenged the legality of Ananias action, those who were standing near him was shocked by his boldness. They chided him for being disrespectful toward the high priest. Paul responded by saying that he did not know that he was the high priest. Quoting Exodus 22:28, he said he would have accorded him the honor had he known he was the high priest.  Paul was indicating that he had not abandoned the Law.

When Paul realized that among the Sanhedrin, there were two camps: the Sadducees and the Pharisees, he quickly identified himself with the Pharisees. However, we need to know that Paul was not hypocritical like them. What he was saying was that he shared their love for the Scriptures and their concern for obeying what the Scriptures taught.  

He quickly made known his belief in the resurrection of the dead which the Sadducees totally denied. Knowing this would be controversial, he brought it up anticipating a dispute between the two camps and it did. As a result of that the Pharisees took Paul’s side. This must have led the Sadducees to loathe him all the more. Apart from their disbelief in the resurrection of the dead, the Sadducees also denied in the existence of angels or spirits, which the Pharisees acknowledged.

It seems that Paul knew he would not get a fair trial from the Sanhedrin, so he played the two groups against each other. And the Pharisees stood on his side and began to speak up for him and came to his defense. Soon there were infighting among themselves, dissipating their strength. As the disagreement between the two parties in the Sanhedrin escalated, the commander was concerned for Paul’s life. So he ordered the troop to go and get Paul by force back to the barrack to ensure his safety.   

That night, as Paul laid in his cell, the Lord stood by his side and told him to be courageous. He assured Paul that he would not only testify of the Lord in Jerusalem but he must also witness for Him in Rome. What an assurance this must have been to Paul. Isn’t his what the Lord would also do for us? A hymn puts it this way:

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

 

Acts 22:22-30 - Paul revealed his Roman Citizenship

The crowd had listened to Paul intensely when he started out in Aramaic, recounting his conversion and mission to the Gentiles. At this point their fury was triggered because Paul spoke of his calling to the Gentiles. They went into a rage, and mayhem broke lose again. They threw off their cloaks, tossed dusts into the air and raised their voices in unison, shouting “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for they should not be allowed to live.” They literally were crying out for his blood.

Bear in mind that the commander did not understand what Paul was saying as he was speaking to the crowd in Aramaic. Seeing the unruliness, Claudius Lysais, the commander, decided to interrogate Paul under scourging. So he ordered Paul into the barrack to be flogged with a fearful instrument that had often left a person crippled or half dead.  The commander’s intention was to find out the truth from Paul himself. And fortunately for Paul, citizens of Rome were legally exempted from this mode of treatment. While the soldiers were preparing and tying him up for the flogging, Paul questioned a centurion who was standing nearby. He asked that centurion if it was lawful for him, an uncondemned Roman Citizen, to be treated this way.

Realizing that it was not legal, that centurion quickly and duly told the commander that Paul was a citizen of Rome, and had questioned his intention to scourge Paul. Quickly, the commander came to Paul and asked him if he was really a citizen of Rome. He couldn’t believe his ears when Paul said, yes. For the commander had acquired his citizenship with a large sum of money. This implied that he had to bribe to get his citizenship. Hence he was surprised when Paul told him that he was born a Roman citizen. With that revelation, everything changed. They let go of Paul immediately, and the commander himself shuddered to think of how close he came to beating a Roman citizen up illegally. The commander was now responsible in his capacity to protect Paul who was a citizen of Roman.

Wishing to know why the Jews had treated Paul that way, the commander ordered all the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to be convened on the next day. When the council was in session, he brought Paul, who was now freed, down to the session and set him before the council.

While Paul’s mission would include suffering for the sake of Christ, he also exercised the wisdom of God not to shortcut his own mission. It is foolhardy to think that we need to suffer unnecessarily. We mustn’t glorify needless suffering. Learning from Paul, we should exploit our God given wisdom, co-operate with the law of the land in ways that we do not dishonor God.  

Acts 22:17-21 – Paul’s conclusion to his defense

Continuing with his defense to the Jews, Paul recollected the time he returned to Jerusalem after his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Although Acts 9:26-30 made reference to this visit, it didn’t tell us about the trance that he experienced while praying. Here Paul tells us what actually happened in that experience. He was in the temple and while in a trance then, the Lord warned him of the threats on his life. He was told to make haste and leave Jerusalem for the Jews would not accept his testimony. Perhaps Paul was indicating that his visits to the temple were respectfully conducted and he went there to pray. And he was not in the temple to defile it as they had purported.

Here we are told that Paul, when warned by the Lord, remonstrated with Him. He argued that what he did against Christians in Jerusalem was a well-known fact. He recounted how he went from synagogue to synagogue to arrest Christians to put them behind bars and had them beaten. He even recounted how he also took part and gave consent to Stephen’s martyrdom. He witnessed the spilling of his blood and looked after the coats of those who pelted and killed Stephen with the stones.

In the account in Acts 9, when the news, that the hostile Hellenistic Jews wanted to put Paul to death, came to the knowledge of the brethren, it was they who brought Paul to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus. In this account in Acts 22, we learned that the intention of the hostile Jews to kill Paul was revealed to him by the Lord in the trance. Knowing that the Jews would not listen to Him, the Lord told him to leave Jerusalem and sent him on his mission to reach the Gentiles. There is no contradiction in the two accounts. It merely tells us that God’s will and man’s action can coincide. 

Paul brought this up to the Jews in his defense was to show that his mission to the Gentiles, and his rejection at Jerusalem, were for the same reason. He was merely answering the call of Christ in his life. He was actually telling the Jews that he did not leave Judaism to go to the Gentiles. But that his going to the Gentiles was to keep pace with the direction of the God of Judaism.

Paul’s going to the Gentiles was an indication of the graciousness of God. He was obeying God’s call on his life. It was God’s initiative. This account shows us that fulfilling God’s call upon our lives and our desire to be faithful to it, may not necessarily mean that we will be trouble free. Others may be baffled and we may be misunderstood. Whatever the case, we need to know that we and the church are constantly subjected to God’s new initiative, and we should not let our usual way of doing things deafen us to God’s call into His new initiative.

Acts 22:1-16 – Paul’s narration of his conversion in defense

Paul began his defense by calling those who opposed him with endearing terms in Aramaic. It was amazing that he should address them as “Brethren and fathers.” He did so because he saw himself as a Jew, a kinsman. And when they heard him speak in Aramaic, they reluctantly accorded him the silence, when he motioned his hand to them, and became quieter still.

The apostle proceeded to testify about his conversion and former way of life. In the book of Acts, Paul’s conversion was described three times. This is the second account. Here he began by providing his personal resume and background of his heritage. Paul was a Jew from Tarsus of Cilicia. Here we learned that he was brought up in Jerusalem. Regarding his religious education, he was a trained orthodox Jew under the tutelage of the well-known Rabbi Gamaliel. Furthermore, like many of them then, he was very zealous for God. Paul went on to recount how ruthlessly he persecuted Christianity, known as “the Way” at that point. His goal was to terminate Christianity and to send believers whom he found to prison, both men and women. 

What Paul said, he asserted, was not just something plucked out of nothing to defend himself.  His facts could be collaborated by the high priest and all the elders in the Sanhedrin council.  He even had an authorization letter to round up those believers and bring them to Jerusalem to be imprisoned and punished. And he had set out to arrest those who had sought refuge in Damascus, the Syrian city.  

His plan, however, did not dovetail with God’s. Something happened while he was on the road to Damascus that caused him to change the course of his life. At midday, a blinding light flashed from heaven around him. As he fell to the ground, he was confronted by the voice of the Lord Jesus, who asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The answer Paul gave was astonishing. “Who are you, Lord?” Paul asked. More astonishing and swift was the reply from the Lord, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Everyone with Paul stood amazed. They were momentary stunted. They knew that Paul was having a conversation but they could not see the One whom he was conversing with.

With the words, “I am Jesus of Nazareth,” Paul surrendered, asking, “What shall I do?” So the Lord told him to get up and go to Damascus and wait for further instructions from this Lord whom he had just acknowledged. Being blinded by that great heavenly light, he was thus led by hand to Damascus.    

While Paul was waiting for instruction, God came to a man named Ananias. He was considered a devout man, a law-abiding Jew and well respected by Jews in the city. The first thing Ananias did was to command him saying, “Saul, my brother, Look up.” This is a summary of what was described in Acts 9:17.  Thus Paul’s sight was restored when he looked up.

Verses 14-16 described how Ananias, using words with strong Jewish flavor, commissioned Paul. It was the God of our fathers that had chosen Paul to know His will and to see the Righteous One, a Jewish term for the Messiah, and to hear words spoken by this Lord. Hence, Paul received his commission. And now that he had seen the risen Christ, heard his voice, he was to be His witness to tell all people of all that he had seen and heard. This meant that he must boldly proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth, crucified by men, exalted by God, was Lord of all. However, Paul needed first to be baptized. This was an outward sign of an inward cleansing of his sin as he called on the Lord’s name.

From Paul’s narration of his conversion experience, we learn how to be an effective witness of God. He did not defend himself by long doctrinal arguments. He merely related vital experiences from his life concerning the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bear in mind that we may win an argument but lose a soul. After all Christianity is about life, not argument!

Acts 21:27–40 – Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem

Paul complied with the elders’ suggestion to follow the purification process of the four men in their Nazarite vow. When the seven days were almost over, he was spotted in the temple by some Jews from Asia (more precisely from Ephesus). Being antagonistic against Paul, they incited the crowd against him. So we see the accusations brought against Paul in verses 28-29. They claimed that Paul spoke against the Jewish people, the law and the temple. Here they exaggerated the one about temple violation, accusing him of bringing Gentiles beyond their off limit zone. Everyone was allowed to enter the court of the Gentiles but the inner precinct of the temple was only opened to Jews. Using Trophimus from Ephesus, who was seen with Paul there before, they presumed that the latter had brought him into the temple. Trophimus was one of the delegates helping in the collection for the needs in Jerusalem.

Being incited, the whole city of Jerusalem was provoked against Paul. This is not an exaggeration. The whole court of the Gentiles was a large area and a whole crowd of people were gathered there since this was the Passover season. Just imagine all of them came together, rushed and dragged Paul out of the temple, and then shut the door immediately.

What a mayhem it must have been with all the confusion, shouting and crowd rushing at Paul! They were seeking to kill him. And just as they were attempting to get rid of him, a report reached the commander of the Roman cohort, saying that Jerusalem was in confusion. The commander was later revealed as Claudius Lysias in Acts 23:26, who lost no time in dealing with the riot. He took some soldiers and centurions and approached the unruly mass. And when the mob saw Lysias, they stopped beating Paul.

Immediately Paul was arrested and ordered to be bound with two chains as predicted by the Prophet Agabus. The commander then interrogated Paul asking who he was and what he had done. Meanwhile the crowd remained disorderly, making it difficult for Lysias to ascertain the facts of the case. With that he ordered Paul to be brought into the barrack. But when they reached the stairs, the soldier had to carry him because of the violent and unruly crowd that followed closely, shouting, “Away with him!”

Before he was taken into the barrack for questioning, Paul requested to have a word with Lysias. He asked the commander if he understood Greek, probably speaking in cultured Greek. At this point, the commander revealed that he suspected Paul to be the Egyptian terrorist who stirred up a revolt and had led 4,000 men into the wilderness. Paul responded by telling him that he was a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. This would help to explain his ability with Greek. He proceeded to seek permission to speak to the Jews. When the permission was granted, Paul stood up on his chair and gesticulated with his hands. Immediately there was great silence. And he spoke to them in Aramaic.

From Paul’s experience we must learn to be alert when making decision in the moment of our highest spiritual motivation. We must guard against being induced into doing something that may jeopardize our God-given mission. However, we can rest assured that God can intervene and override our sincere mistake, when our motivation is truly to serve Him. Let’s be courageous and serve God sincerely! 

 

Acts 20:25-38 - Paul farewell speech to the Ephesian eldrers

Paul now bade farewell to the elders of Ephesus here in Miletus. He told them that they would not be seeing him again. He would be on his way to Jerusalem and anticipated to face with dangers there. Here Paul declared that he had discharged his responsibility in full. To the best of his knowledge, he had declared the full will of God to them and had duly warned them. Hence, he would no longer be accountable for the outcome of their lives. Essentially, Paul had done his best, the responsibility for their lives no longer rest with him but with them.

From verses 28-31, using the imagery of shepherds and sheep, Paul instructed the elders to be vigilant and to guard their own lives and the lives of the people.  Why should the elders be vigilant shepherds? Firstly, they were made overseers of the people by the Holy Spirit. Their responsibility was entrusted to them by God. Secondly, the church was purchased with Christ’s precious blood. Thirdly, religious predators as salvage wolves would emerge to ravage the flock of God. Paul was referring to false teachers. What’s troubling was that these false teachers would arise from among them speaking heresies and drawing the people away from the faith. These were later confirmed by his letters to Timothy.  Paul had invested three years in the lives of the Ephesians, teaching them day and night, and he certainly would not want what he had done to be wasted.

Having warned the elders, he then commended them to God and the word of His grace. It’s God, together with the message of His grace that would have the capacity to build up their lives and keep them pure and sanctified. The grace of God and His message would keep and preserve them, and enable them to inherit the blessings of God’s saints.

Rounding up, Paul pointed to himself again. He had detached himself from material gain and had never used the ministry for any selfish material gain. Paul did not covet any one’s good. In fact he worked to earn to upkeep himself and the men with him. He set an example for them by working hard to help the weak and the needy. Here he even reminded them, quoting the Lord Jesus, saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Greed is well attested to be one of the major distractions for church leaders. Many have stumbled over greed. Like Paul, we should take care not to fall into this temptation.

When Paul had concluded his message to the elders, he knelt down and prayed with them. They all began to weep and embraced Paul and repeatedly kissed him. It was a tearful farewell for they were grieved on hearing that this would be the last time they would see him. So they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul’s entire ministry is about giving. He gave himself to reach the world. He gave himself to serve the Lord and his people. And he gave himself to the ministry of the Word tirelessly. With boundless energy, Paul went about the work of God, abandoning himself totally in God’s service. “It’s more blessed to give…” was his motto. Paul set sail from Miletus giving His life to Christ and in so doing, left us an example on how we should approach life and ministry.

Acts 21:15-26 – Opposition in Jerusalem

From Caesarea Paul and his traveling companions left for Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. Accompanying them were also some believers from Caesarea. They brought Paul and his team to meet a long standing disciple from Cyprus. His name was Mnason. This disciple was probably a hospitable man, so Paul and his team lodged with Mnason. At Jerusalem Paul and his team were gladly received by the brethren. This first meeting was probably merely spent catching up and sharing personal matter.   
 
On the following day, Paul and his team met James in the presence of the elders. At this second meeting, the fund he brought with him for the church in Judea was not discussed. They meeting was turned over to Paul to report on the ministry among the Gentiles entrusted to him by God. One by one Paul recounted to them concerning what the Lord had done through him. When they heard his report they began to glorify God.

 

Meanwhile the legalists were already working behind the scenes. For immediately following the report, the leaders brought up the issue concerning the rumors that was circulating among the Jews who became Christians. The rumors purported that Paul was encouraging Christian Jews to forsake Moses and the Law. It was also purported that he was discouraging Jewish converts from circumcision and the observation of Jewish customs.

 

The leadership at Jerusalem were not worried about the things Paul taught the Gentiles believers, for it was all settled at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. The three requirements for the Gentiles were restated in verse 25. They were: (1) to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols; (2) to abstain from eating food with blood or animals that were strangled; and (3) to abstain from fornication. Their main concern was that Paul’s presence might cause division among the Jews who were still zealous for the Law. For verse 20 tells us there were “…many thousands there among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are still zealous for the Law.”

 

To deal with the rumors, the leaders suggested that Paul publicly demonstrate his reverence for the Jewish Law. They asked him to identify with four man who had taken the Nazarite vow, pay for their sacrifices and to be with them in the temple for purification. A Nazarite vow involves the shaving off of the hair and abstinence from wine for 30 days. At the end of that duration a sacrifice and other gifts were offered in the temple. By then hair would have grown. It would once again be shaved off and burned at the altar.

 

Paul consented because it was only a matter of personal conviction on the part of the Jews. They had the freedom to accept or reject the custom. It had got nothing to do with the Gospel of grace or else he would never have consented. So Paul reported to the priest the next day and partook of the purification ceremony although he didn’t take the vow. Together with the four men, they waited seven days then offered their sacrifices. But their plan did not work. Paul was arrested ultimately.

 

What Paul did was not to save his own skin. He did it for the unity of the church. It is okay for us to make some adjustment to our practice to maintain the unity and peace. We don’t have to be dogmatic on the non-essentials of life. But we mustn’t compromise on our faith in Christ and our commitment to Him. 
 

Acts 21:1-14 - Paul's impending hardship foretold

After the tearful farewell with the elders at Miletus, Paul set sail from there. Acts 21:1-3 gave a summary of the places he and his team stopped at. The first stop was Cos, then to Rhodes the next day. From there they proceeded to Patrai where they found a ship going to Phoenicia, boarded it and set sail. Although they sighted Cyprus on the way, they did not stop until they came to Tyre, the next port of call. Here the ship had to unload its cargo. Since the ship had to stop for a while, it was quite natural for Paul, with his boundless energy for the Lord, to look for people to minister to. So the mission team, including Paul, looked for fellow disciples at Tyre and stayed with them seven days.

Earlier in Paul’s ministry, the Lord had already revealed the hardship he had to endure for His sake. It would not be too presumptuous for us to think that Paul would have known this fact well. So it came as no surprise that the disciples at Tyre should urged him not to go to Jerusalem into dangerous territory. Verse 4 poses a little kink. It appears as if the Holy Spirit through the disciples was urging Paul not to go. It was very likely to have happened this way. Just like before, the Spirit foretold the dangers Paul would be facing, but the disciples at their initiative and because they felt for Paul, tried to dissuade him from going there. But we know that Paul was a very determined person and he would not back down even in the face of hardship.  

So when the seven days at Tire were over, undeterred, Paul was set to continue on his journey. The whole entourage from Tyre, including their wives and children, escorted Paul and his companions out of the city and to the beach where they knelt and prayed, and bade farewell to each other. From there Paul and his traveling companions continued their journey. They next stopped at Ptolemies where they greeted the brethren and stayed with them for a day.

On the next day, they left Ptolemies and came to Caesarea where they stayed with Philip the evangelist. He was one of the seven deacons appointed to serve table. Philip had four unmarried daughters who were also prophetesses. After staying with Philip and his daughters several days, they were visited by the Prophet Agapes, who came from Judea. In a dramatic fashion he prophesied about the impending dangers Paul would face.

The Prophet Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who own this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” Just like what happened at Tyre, the Holy Spirit again revealed what hardship Paul would have to face. His traveling companions, together with the brethren at Caesarea, then tried to persuade him not to proceed with his journey to Jerusalem. Verse 13 suggests that they even wept, pleading with him not to go. Even their tears did not move Paul’s desire to do God’s will.

Paul’s word revealed how much God meant to him. He was bent on serving and fulfilling His will for his life. To see them urging him so earnestly not to fulfil it was heart renting. So Paul restated his commitment. He was not only prepared to be bund but to die for the Lord in Jerusalem. They saw Paul’s determination, so they kept quiet after saying, “The will of the Lord be done!”   

Ever wonder how Paul was able to withstand the pressure? It must be the way he went about living his life. He emulated his master and lived life the way the Lord had approached it. No wonder he could withstand the pressure. In life, doing God’s will is more important than merely knowing it. What good would it do to know the way to live but allowed everything to remain the same? Know God’s will by all means but obey and live it!     

 

 

Acts 20:13-24 – Paul recounting his life

In verses 13-16 we see a recollection of the different ways Paul and his companions came to Assos. Paul had arranged for them, including Luke, to go ahead by sea to Assos while he would travel there by foot to join them on board.

When Paul boarded at Assos, the team first set sail to Mitylene then to a spot opposite Chios, arriving there the next day. From there, their next stop was Samos on the next day.  Then on the following day they came to Miletus. This journey was given some detail. In all they seemed to have taken about five days of sailing time. Starting each night with each port represented a day’s journey.  

In his hurry to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost, Paul avoided Ephesus. The reason he avoided Ephesus is a puzzle. It could well be that it was not safe for him to go to Ephesus at that time. Or it could also be that his traveling was tied up with the schedule of the ship, which only stop at Miletus as the port of call.  So from Miletus he sent for the elders from the church at Ephesus.

When thy came to him at Miletus, he gave his farewell speech. Verses 18-21 Paul began with a heart to heart talk. He appealed to their knowledge of him and his ministry. He reminded them that from the day he set foot in Asia he had spent his whole time devoting himself to them and had served the Lord in humility. And despite the hardship, tears, trials or even plots by people who opposed him, none could stop him. He kept on declaring and teaching them either publicly or privately. Paul not only declared to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. He solemnly called on them to repent and turn to God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

From verses 22-24, Paul made clear that it was not only his plan but that of the Spirit, to press on to Jerusalem, although he did not know what was before him. Paul knew he had to make some personal sacrifices but that would not deter him. For him, his life was worth nothing to himself, because his greatest goal was to finish the race and the ministry assigned him by the Lord. His life was consumed by the call to declare the Gospel of the grace of God.    

Paul shown exceptional commitment to the Lord and the people he came to serve. Through dangers and perils to his own personal life, he did not relent. He kept his eyes on the Lord and the mission He had been entrusted to do. What commitment! Let’s be challenged by his commitment extraordinaire and seek to emulate him.  

Acts 20:7-12 - Eutychus returned to life

Paul had stayed in Troas for seven days. On Sunday, the first day of the week, Paul and the believers gathered to break bread. This is understood to be the communion. Intending to leave the next day, Paul took a longer time to speak to the people. He prolonged his ministry of the word till midnight. The place where this ministry took place was a packed upper room, located on the third floor of a building. It was lit up by many lamps.

Verse 9 introduced us to Eutychus, a young man who was listening to Paul. He was seated sleepily at the window sill. His sleepiness was not helped by the crowded room and the fume that the many lamps must have released. Overcame by sleep, he fell three floors down. When they picked him up he was dead. Paul quickly went down, and like Elijah and Elisha, spread himself over the young man and embraced him. Assuring the people, he told them not to be troubled for Eutychus was alive.

Having brought the young man to life again, Paul returned to the upper room and continued to minister. They then had the communion followed by a fellowship meal. Meanwhile Paul continued to talk to them a long while. As it was already daybreak, so he left. The people then took Eutychus home and were greatly comforted.  

This passage has two key figures: Paul and Eutychus. This incidence did not disrupt Paul from fulfilling his larger ministry. He dealt with it and then continued ministering. For some, ministry would have halted at this juncture. Then there was Eutychus, raised from the dead. His coming back to life had brought immeasurably comfort to the people. Everything went well and he was taken home.

More dangerous than physical sleepiness is the sleepiness of the soul and spirit. We can just go through the motion of attending church. We sing praises, hear the sermon, and listen to others pray, yet find no connection with God. We may be in church and simply present, while others are worshipping. We remain on the outside and not really present to spiritual things. It’s time to wake up from our spiritual stupor and be alive, be committed to serving, be connected to the wonders of an awesome God and worship Him. Remember this story, Eutychus though really dead now, still speaks!         

Acts 20:1-6 – Paul’s journey to Greece

Earlier in Acts 19:21-22, we learned that Paul had already purposed in his spirit to leave for Jerusalem. He intended to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and hope to see Rome on his way. Meanwhile we are told of the uproar instigated by Demetrius and the outcome. Acts 20:1, picks up from there, and tells us that when the uproar had subsided, Paul summoned and exhorted the disciples in Ephesus before he departed for Macedonia. Here his journey through Macedonia to Corinth is summarized. As he passed through the region he ministered and exhorted much. Paul finally arrived at Greece.  

Paul spent three months in Greece where the Jews devised a plot against him as he was about to set sail for Syria. He decided to return through Macedonia. This part must be viewed in the light of the collection that had been taken for the poor in the church in Jerusalem. Here we see a list of people, representatives of the Gentile churches, who accompanied Paul. In a way they were also there to help protect the fund, collected for the poor of the church in Jerusalem. The list included Sopater of Berea, Gaius of Derbe and Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

Verse 5 is not clear whether these delegates traveled ahead of Paul to Troas. It could well be that “these that had gone ahead” was referring to Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. Anyway Paul traveled to Philippi. At this juncture the “we” narrative returns. It indicates that Luke was part of the team again from this point. Paul then spent the Passover in Philippi, before he went to Troas within five days to meet the two Asians. At Troas they stayed seven days.

Paul was primarily concerned for the Jerusalem collection. Why Luke did not mention this remains a mystery. But we can see that there were unity and love between the Gentile church and the church in Jerusalem. This was clearly demonstrated by the representatives from the Gentile churches.

 

One of the hallmarks for us, followers of Christ, must surely be our unity and love for one another. If we are to demonstrate to the world that God is love we must first show that there is love among us. What better way to show love than to be concerned for the needs of the less fortunate among us!

 

 

Acts 19:21-41 – The riot at Ephesus

Verses 21-22 form a transitional statement. Having experienced victory over the forces of darkness in Ephesus, recorded in verses 13-19, Paul led by the Spirit decided to go to Jerusalem. In his journey there, he passed by Macedonia and Achaia. His desire was to go to Rome after Jerusalem. Having sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers to Macedonia, he him...self stayed in Asia, meaning Ephesus, for a while. Meanwhile verse 23 tells us that a serious riot was brewing there. The transitional statement was Luke’s way of saying that Paul did not leave Ephesus because of the impending riot.

The impact of Paul’s message cause the devotees of Artemis in Ephesus to form a mob against Paul and the church. The narration of the riot in verses 23-41 fall neatly into three parts. (1) Verses 23-27 describe the cause of the riot. (2) Verses 28-34 describe the riot itself. (3) Verse 35 – 41 describe the response of the officials to the riot.

Demetrius, a silversmith, whose business was in making silver shrines for Artemis, was the instigator against Paul. He gathered people in the similar trade that had to do with the worship of Artemis. They all knew that when the devotees of Artemis turned to Christianity they would abandon the worship of Artemis. And this would affect his earnings. Hence to them, Paul and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had made, were threats to his trade and earnings. Here, Demetrius forwarded two reasons to instigate opposition against Paul and his followers. He appealed to economic reason in verse 25 and then to religious reason in verse 27.

Being instigated by Demetrius, they were filled with rage. They started chanting out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” As a result, the whole city was thrown into confusion. The people rushed into the theater together, hauling with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two traveling companions of Paul from Macedonia. Paul was prevented from intervening by some prominent friends who were government officials. In the meantime different ones were shouting different things causing great chaos and confusion. Most did not know the reason for the assembly. They were merely being succumbed to mob mentality. Wanting to dissociate themselves from the Christians, the Jews push Alexander forward to the crowd. But he had no opportunity to speak for the crowd in unison, chanted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” It was the town clerk who came to intervene and clam the crowd.

The town clerk reasoned with the mob. His main concern was that their unruly behavior might give the Roman authority adverse impression about them. This could cost the authority to impose restriction in their privilege to govern themselves. He pacified the crowd by telling them that there was no real threat to Artemis. The clerk appealed to the widely belief that the city of Ephesus was the guardian of Artemis and the report that the image of Artemis fell from heaven. He also pointed out that they were wrong to seize Gaius and Aristarchus who had done nothing to harm them or Artemis. In verses 38-39, the clerk ably showed them the legal avenues that Demetrius and the people could take. Sensing that he had got their attention, he clinched it in verse 40. Since they really have no legal ground for their unruly behavior, they were running a risk of being found guilty instead of Paul and the Christians. With that he dismissed the mob.

Throughout all that was happening, God was in sovereign control. In the midst of all the confusion, shouting and the chaos, God moved a local law-abiding city clerk to calm the mob. His sound reasoning won the day and the people were brought to their senses. God can use the most unlikely instrument to advance His cause. So if you are on His team, take heart, He is in control!

Acts 19:8-20 – Paul’s ministry in Ephesus

Paul had a long ministry by first ministering in the synagogue. He spoke boldly for three months. To be able to reason and persuade the Jews concerning the Kingdom of God for three months, suggested that they were open to Paul. Overtime however, some of the Jews became hardened and disobedient. They maligned Paul’s message concerning the way of life as shown by the Lord. So Paul took some of the disciples and they withdrew and met instead at the school of Tyrannus. For two years he reasoned and persuaded the disciples daily. During this period all who lived in Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord.

Here, Paul was the agent through whom God did many extraordinary miracles. So miraculous that even Paul’s handkerchief and apron, taken from him had the power to heal the sick and drive out demons.

Evidently Paul must have used the name of Jesus in driving out demons. This caused some Jewish exorcists to think that the name of Jesus was a kind of magical device to drive out demons. They would go from place to place attempting to drive out evil spirits in the name of the Lord Jesus. Their formula was, “I adjure you by the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

Verse 14 tells us that the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were using this formula to drive out demons. The spirit responded to them by saying, “Jesus I recognize, Paul I know but who are you?” These sons of Sceva were horrified when the demonized man leaped on them, subdued and overpowered them. So they fled from the house naked and wounded.

The incidence became known to all living in Ephesus, both Jews and Greek. Fear came upon all of them. What happened magnified the name of the Lord Jesus. And many came to faith in Christ and still many others were coming to the faith. Many who had indulged in the occult openly confessed their practices. They willingly removed their books of magical practices and built a bond fire and burned them in the sight of everyone. What they destroyed had a net value of 50,000 pieces of silver.

As a result of what had happened, the word of the Lord spread and more and more people came to know the Lord.

From the account of the seven sons of Sceva, we see that the name of Jesus has power only with those who have a committed relationship with Him. The power to deliver is not in the words one uses, as the sons of Sceva must have realized, it is in knowing and being committed to the Lord. Paul had such a tremendous relationship with Christ that demons could identify him with Christ. What about us?    

Acts 19:1-7 – Paul and the disciples from Ephesus

While Apollos left for Corinth, Paul came by Ephesus and there he found some disciples. Verse 7 tells us there were about 12 of them. The transition concerning the whereabouts of Apollos and Paul indicated in verse 1, implies that the disciples whom Paul found at Ephesus were taught by Apollos. Apparently, these believers were only taught up to the baptism of John. As shown in earlier verses, Apollos, who though well versed in Scriptures, was only acquainted up to John’s baptism.

In the disciples he met, Paul must have detected the absence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which marked the believers whenever the Holy Spirit was given. So he asked a direct question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  And he got a direct answer saying, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” This proves that Paul’s diagnosis was correct.

The next question Paul asked was, “Into what then were you baptized?” It shows the connection between baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit. These disciples’ response to Paul was, “Into John’s baptism.” With that, Paul responded by explaining that the baptism they experienced was preparatory, and not the fulfilment of a Christian baptism. For John’s baptism only anticipated the coming of Jesus the Messiah, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Immediately the disciples in Ephesus were baptized in the name of the Lord just as the Samaritans did in Acts 8:16. Following their baptism in the name of the Lord, Paul then laid his hand upon them. And immediately they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

This episode of Paul and the disciples in Ephesus, indicates to us just how important the presence of the Holy Spirit is in a believer’s life. When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person’s life, He will endow a person with His wide repertoire of gifts. Evidently in the case of the Ephesians, they received the gift of speaking in tongues.

There is no question about the necessity of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. His presence in our lives will mark the difference in our spiritual walk. One key reason why we need to be filled with the Spirit continually, is so that we will not give in to the desire of our flesh. Let’s be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can walk by the Spirit.

 

 

Acts 18:23-28 – Paul’s third missionary journey & Apollos

Paul spent some time in Antioch before he started on his third missionary journey. He successively passed through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, places that he had been before (Acts 16:6). As he went through those region, he continued to strengthen the disciples.

In verse 24, we are introduced to Apollos, a Jew born in Alexandria, a leading city in Egypt in the ancient world and a center of learning. Apollos was described as an eloquent man, meaning he was a great orator and very well versed and thorough in his knowledge of the Scripture. Here he was in Ephesus.

As a believer, Apollos was well instructed in the way of the Lord. Having great eagerness, he spoke and taught everything concerning Jesus with accuracy. However, in matters relating to baptism, he was deficient being only acquainted with John’s Baptism. As he taught boldly in the synagogue, what he said caught Aquila and Priscilla’s attention. This couple remained in Ephesus to carry on the work that Paul had done there. It’s quite clear their ministry in Ephesus was still very much in the synagogue. Realizing Apollos’ lack, the couple took him aside and tutored him on God’s way more accurately. According to the NIV translation of the Bible, this was done in the privacy of the home.  

In verse 27 we read that he wanted to go to Achaia i.e. Corinth, where Paul had already established some work. Here we are not told the reason why he wanted to go to Corinth. But when he indicated his desire to go there, the brethren in Ephesus encouraged him and even wrote a letter of commendation.  It’s heartening to note that a church had already been established in Ephesus, in order for them to write this letter of commendation. When Apollos arrived at Corinth, he was a great help to those, who by God’s grace, had believed in the Lord. Being well acquainted with the Scriptures, Apollos was able to refute the Jews in public, and scripturally showed that Jesus was indeed the Christ. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we find the work of Apollos well documented in I Corinthians 1:2; 3:4-6, 22 and 4:6.

Here are two examples for our emulation:

(1)  Like Apollos, we must seek to be mighty in the Word and fervent in serving the Lord. How else can we be mighty in the Word except to make time to read, study, and reflect on the Word of God? How else can we be fervent in serving the Lord except to engage in a ministry committedly?

(2)  Like Aquila and Priscilla, we should not nitpick when we notice a fellow believer’s lack. Instead we should gently and graciously seek to correct without denigrating a brother or a sister.     

Acts 18:12-22 – Paul before Gallio, the Proconsul

The Proconsul Gallio became the Roman governor of Achaia around A.D. 51. During his rule, the Jews ganged together and unitedly came against Paul. Seizing him, they took him to the governor to be judged. The accusation was that Paul was persuading the people to worship God that was contrary to the law. They meant that Paul’s preaching of Christ was not granted a legal status by the Roman government.  

Before Paul could open his mouth to make his defense, Gallio indicated that he refused to indulge in their case. He felt that what they brought before him was merely their Jewish religious squabbles. He told the Jews that if what they brought before him involved a wrong or an evil crime then it would be reasonable to expect him to listen patiently. And he concluded that they were merely disputing words and name regarding their own Jewish law. Refusing to be involved, he told them to deal with it and to decide for themselves. So he forced them out of the court.

At this point the people laid hold of Sosthenes, who was the leader of the synagogue, and beat him up before Gallio, but the latter was unconcerned.  Who was this Sosthenes? Was he the same person mentioned by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians? If he was, then he could be the one whom the Jews had beaten before Gallio. But if he was not, then he could possibly be one of Jews who opposed Paul and was beaten by the Gentiles, who were on Paul’s side. It could well be that this synagogue leader later became a believer in Christ and a member of the Christian community. So Paul mentioned him in his letter to the Corinthians.

From verses 18-23, we are told that Paul spent many days at Corinth, after that he took leave from them. He, together with Priscilla and Aquila, set sail to return to Antioch in Syria. But at Cenchrea, a seaport of Corinth, Paul had his hair cut. He kept his hair because of a vow. And when they came to Ephesus, Paul alone went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews - most certainly about Christ. In saying that the Jews asked him to stay a little longer, the author implied that they accepted Paul and his message. But he did not consent to stay. Instead he took leave and told them if God’s willing, he would return to them. So he set sail from Ephesus, on reaching Caesarea, he went up to greet the church, meaning the church in Jerusalem before he returned to Antioch.    

Like Paul, we should not be intimidated. Don’t use problems and difficulty as an excuse to stop serving. We should abandon ourselves to God, trust Him and keep on ministering. We will find God’s promise, to be with us, is a reality, and we shall bear fruit in Him.  

 

 

Acts 18:1-11 Paul in Corinth

Corinth, a commercial center, was known for her sexual immorality.  Since 27 B.C. it was made the capital city of Achaia. After so much had happened to him, Paul left Athens and went there. In Corinth he found Aquila, a Jew from Pontus, who came recently to Corinth from Italy with his wife, Pricilla. The reason this couple were in Corinth was because Emperor Claudius ordered all Jews to leave Rome. The banishment of Jews from Rome took place about A.D. 49. This action was taken probably because of a dispute between the Christian and non-Christian Jews there. So Paul met the couple because Aquila shared the same trade as he. And they both made tents to sell. In Corinth, Paul would go to the synagogue every Sabbath trying to convince both Jews and Greek.

When Silas and Timothy came to him from Macedonia, it was a critical point here. It marked the moment Paul gave up his work, working with Aquila and Pricilla, to devote his time completely to the ministry of the word. And he was relentlessly testifying to the Jews that this Jesus was the Christ. When the Jews resisted strongly and even blasphemed, Paul would have nothing to do with them. He would also warned them solemnly saying, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Paul was telling the Jews that if they were condemned by their decision it was their own making. It had nothing to do with him for he had duly discharged his responsibility in declaring the Word to them. From now on he was going to reach the Gentiles. With that, Paul went to a Titius Justus, a worshipper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.

In the process of time, Paul’s message made impact. In verse 8 we are introduced to Crispus, a leader of the synagogue. He and his household came to believe in Christ. Besides, many of the Corinthians were also coming to the faith and they were being baptized.

To encourage Paul, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him to keep on speaking and not to be intimidated. The Lord further assured Paul of His presence with him, and told him that He had many people in the city who would protect Paul. Hence, he could be assured that no one would be able to harm him. So Paul remained in Corinth for one and a half year, teaching the Word of God among them.

There are two things that we can glean from these 11 verses. Firstly, like Paul, we need to exercise wise stewardship of our lives. While we work to support ourselves, we must also be committed to serve in the ministry which God had gifted us. We should not be upended by people who may not see eye to eye with us, like Paul, we can always seek new ground to serve God.

Secondly, we need to know that the Lord is near to His people. He will protect us and keep us safe as we diligently serve Him. There will always be people whom God will send our way to help us in the task.

Acts 17:23-34 - Paul's messgae to the Athanians

Acts 17:23-34 – Paul message to the Athenians

Paul began his address to the men of Athens by sharing his observation about them. He noticed that they were very religious. The word religious was deliberate. The Athenians took it as a compliment to commend their piety. For Paul, whose spirit was stirred and disturbed, the word meant that they were overly superstitious in their religious observance. In case they had omitted a god in their worship, the Athenians even had an altar built with this inscription, “To an unknown God.” Paul wisely used this altar as a point of contact with his audience. He explained that while they worshipped this unknown God, he would now proclaim to make this God known to them.

Paul firmly explained to them that God, the Creator, made the world and everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Naturally this God couldn’t be enshrined in man-made temples. And He had no need that anyone should do anything for Him for He is the very One who gave life to men.  

In verse 26 Paul refers to God’s creation of Adam. He created that one man and from him came all the races of humanity who dwell on earth. And before the different races came into being, God had already determined when and where each should dwell on the earth. Furthermore, He made man with the desire to search and seek for Him, yet He remained very near and within reach by them.

And now through union with this God and by His power, everyone has the capacity to live. God is the One who causes everyone to live and move and to exist. To affirm what he had said, Paul quoted some poets to say that even “We too are His children.” On that basis Paul found grounds to debunk the idolatry of the Athenians. He asserted that since they were also God’s children, they should not think that God is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone made by man’s hand.  

In his conclusion, Paul told the Athenians that God had chosen not to consider the time they did not know Him. And since they now come to hear about Him, and to know Him, they should repent and turn from their evil ways. For God had a fixed judgment day and had appointed a Man to judge all men with fairness and without a mistake. This man is obviously Christ Jesus whom God had proven, by raising Him from the dead. Paul was pointing to Christ’s resurrection to prove that He would be the coming judge of all humanity.

When the Athenians heard about the resurrection of Christ, some sneered while others deferred their conclusion, wanting to hear more concerning this. So Paul left them. Verse 34 tells us, however, that there were those who followed Paul and believed. Among those who trusted Paul were two persons. They were specifically mentioned - Dionysius and a woman named Damaris.

We cannot read this portion of the Scriptures without admiring Paul for the depth of the message he had shared with the Athenians. What was more challenging was Paul’s motivation to share the Word. He saw the situation in Athens and was troubled. He felt so much for God that he just had to share the truth. Let us learn to feel like what Paul had felt, so that we will speak as he had spoken.

We need to ask ourselves, “What must we do to emulate Paul and seize every opportunity to share about Christ?” “What would it take to make us willing to open our mouth to speak for Him?” Let us not be deaf to the commission of Christ that says, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations…!”

 

 

Acts 17:16-21 - Paul at Athens

In the previous verses, Silas and Timothy, who were in Berea, were instructed by Paul to join him in Athens. While waiting for their arrival, Paul was deeply disturbed and troubled in his spirit by what he saw surrounding him. To be exact, he was greatly distressed and was infuriated by what he saw. It was a city full of idols. And this was repulsive to Paul and his strong monotheistic conviction.

Athens was a key cultural and intellectual center of the Roman Empire. It was widely known for its magnificent art and architecture. Their art was expressed in their portrayals of the exploits of the gods and goddesses of the whole array of Greek pagan deities. The notable buildings there were mainly temples dedicated to those pagan gods.   

In his usual custom, verse 17 tells us Paul was in the synagogues discussing and persuading the Jews and God-fearers. He was also in the market place reasoning with those who were present there. Undoubtedly, he must be proving to his hearers about Christ the Messiah. Among Paul’s audience were Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. They represented the leading schools of philosophy.

The Epicureans believed that everything came from particles of matter known as atoms. They didn’t believe that there was life beyond. To them all humans, at death, return to matter. They saw deities as indifferent to humanity. They also deny providence of any sort. If a person had learned from the gods, that person would live a detached and peaceful life as the gods. He would live a life free from any passion, pain and any superstitious fear.

The Stoics on the other hand had a more lively view of God. They believed in divine providence. Being pantheists, they see the ultimate divine principles in all nature, including human beings.  They believe that the spark of divinity called the “logos” was the one cohesive rational principle that bound the order of the whole world together. To them humans realized their fullest potential when they lived by reason.

Paul was seen here discussing with these philosophers. The philosophies that they held made them conclude that Paul was an idle babbler. Paul was seen as someone without any depth of understanding who sporadically picked up little ideas here and there and passed them off as profound teachings. They couldn’t accept the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus at all. They were confused because it clashed with their philosophies.

So they took Paul to the Areopagus, a sort of a court located on a hill. This was not a trial. They were merely curious and wanted to inquire more of the teachings of Paul. So they brought him there to question him. Verse 21 reveals that the Athenians were curious and inquisitive people. They would spend lots of time in idle philosophies and hearing something or anything new.

Paul was a thoroughgoing witness. His fervency for God made him relentless in taking the message of the resurrected Christ everywhere. For Paul, there was no time to waste. Here while waiting for the arrival of his co-workers, he seized the opportunity and talked to the people. Like him, we should seize every opportunity to tell of our wonderful Lord!

Acts 17:10-15 - The Honorable Berean Believers

From Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were hastily sent away to Berea by Jason and the brethren. This happened in the night. By foot the journey would have taken about a three-day journey. On arrival at Berea, their first call was the synagogue of the Jews.

In Berea, the Jews were different. They were of a different breed and were described as being more noble-minded than those who were at Thessalonica. It simply meant that they were more open, tolerant and better bred. While accepting the teachings of Paul, they would also eagerly examine whatever he had said to see if they were in line with the Scriptures. Having investigated for themselves, many of them believed in the message of Christ and His resurrection. Among these Jewish believers were also prominent Greek women and men, the God-fearers or proselytes who would be around the synagogue. They also came to faith in Christ.

When those antagonistic Jews from Thessalonica learnt that Paul was preaching and ministering in Berea, they immediately went there and incited the crowds to attack Paul.  And since Silas and Timothy were not their prime target, they remained there, while Paul left town and went to Athens. Eventually Silas and Timothy also left to join Paul at his instruction.

The Bereans were wise people. Why? They valued truths and tested what they heard and evaluated them against the standard of truth, the Old Testament. Once they have ascertained the truths, they would accept and trust them as God’s instruction. Whereas the Thessalonian Jews were more concerned with the number of Greeks accepting Judaism.  Like the Bereans we can be noble minded too. We must make time and investigate the Word of God and practice them regularly.    

Acts 17:1-9 - Paul & Silas at Thessalonica

At This point, Luke and Timothy were probably left at Philippi to continue the ministry. Meanwhile Paul and Silas went on and passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, where there was no mention of their ministry there. This was in part because there was no synagogue in those two places. Then they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Paul’s policy had always been to minister to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles.

So in Thessalonica Paul went to the synagogue for three Sabbaths to present his message of Christ Jesus. He would reason, explain, and proving that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. Through the process Paul would show that “This Jesus is the Christ.”

Paul was obviously successful in his mission. In three weeks he was able to reach some Jews and a large number of proselytes, including prominent Greek women. Notice the contrast between some Jews and a large number of Greek God–fearers and prominent women.

Then those Jews who spurned the Gospel were jealous of Paul and Silas. They were vicious and bent on stopping them from proclaiming the Gospel. They plotted and created a riot against the two missionaries. They managed to garner some wicked and vicious men and started a commotion in the market place to start a mob.

At this point we are introduced to Jason. Nothing was said about Jason except his role. He was probably a Jewish convert whose house became the lodging place for Paul and Silas. The mob proceeded toward his house seeking to bring trouble to the missionaries. But they could not find them. It could well be that they heard about the approaching mob and stayed away to avoid the confrontation.

Providentially, they could not find Paul and Silas, so they dragged Jason and some of the brethren to the authorities. As they proceeded they kept shouting, and accusing Paul and Silas as “…men who have upset the world….”  They also accused Jason of housing and colluding with Paul and Silas to contradict, “…the decrees of Caesar…,” by claiming that there is another king called Jesus.

Those trouble makers managed to incite the crowd and the authorities who heard the accusations. But we must say that the authorities were more level headed. When they were able to secure an assurance from Jason, they released them.   

From his letters to the Thessalonians we know that in a few short weeks Paul was able to make significant impact there. What he experienced at Thessalonica showed that God’s work cannot be thwarted by opposition. This became more evident from his two letters to them. In the face of opposition, Paul just concentrated on what God had called Him to do and so must we!