The Acts of The Apostles

Acts was taught by Dr. James Modlish

 

Chapter Twenty Two
(22:1-30)

Vs. 1-2

"Saying..." (Acts 21:40) The crowd hushes (verse 2) and you could have heard a pin drop.

Vs. 3

Gamaliel - (Acts 5:34) Paul shares his pedigree (vs. 3), his achievements (vs. 4), references (vs. 5), and testimony (vs. 6-21).

Vs. 9

The apparent contradiction of (Acts 9:7 and 22:9) is commented upon in the notes on (Acts 9:7).

Vs. 14

Just One - (Acts 3:14; 7:52)

Vs. 15

"His witnesses" - (Acts 1:8) Jesus, witnesses, not Jehovah's witnesses.

All men - (Acts 20:26; 1:8)

Vs. 16

[1]. Remember (Acts 22:16) is the story of Chapter 9. (1 Tim. 2:15)

[2]. There was no (Acts 8,10,15), revelation available to Ananias, who was an orthodox Jewish proselyte.

[3]. The Baptism here is associated with a purification (not regeneration) which Peter says (Acts 15:9) is associated with faith not baptism.

[4]. (1 Cor. 15:8)

[5]. See (Heb. 10:22)

Vs. 20

(Acts 7:58)

Vs. 21

(Acts 26:23; 28:28, 29)

Verse 22-30

Paul again brings the house down, There is a response at the Invitation They disrobe themselves and throw dirt into the air (a sign of displeasure I might think!)

The captain (vs. 24) sees that Paul is in trouble again, rescues him and in his frustration decides to scourge him to pay Paul back for all the problems. Paul then introduces his "ace in the hole"...he's a Roman citizen.

Verse 28

The captain had purchased his citizenship while Paul had inherited it through political, military or economic means. The captain reexamines the day to make sure he has in no way mistreated Paul so that the captain might be accused. The next day Paul again faces his accusers.

WHAT HAVE YOU SUFFERED?

We do not know who it was who had this dream, quoted in the Presbyterian Survey. But the unknown dreamer could be any one or us, could it not?

I saw in a dream that I was in the Celestial City though when and how I got there I could not tell. I was one of a great multitude which no man could number, from all countries and peoples and times and ages. Somehow I found that the saint who stood next to me had been in Heaven more than 1,860 years.

"Who are you?" I said to him. (We both spoke the same language of heavenly Canaan, so that I understood him and he me.)

"I," said he, "was a Roman Christian; I lived in the day's of the Apostle Paul, I was one of those who died in Nero's persecutions. I was covered with 'itch and fastened to a stake and set on fire to light up Nero's gardens."

"How awful!" I exclaimed.

"No," he said, "I was glad to do something for Jesus. He died on the cross for me."

The man on the other side then spoke: "I have been in Heaven only a few hundred years. I came from an island in the South Seas - Erromange. John Williams, a missionary, came and told me about Jesus, and I too learned to love Him. My fellow countrymen killed the missionary, and they caught and bound me. I was beaten until I fainted and they thought I was dead, but I revived. Then the next day they knocked me on the head, cooked and ate me."

"How terrible!" I said. "No," he answered, "I was glad to die as a Christian. You see the missionaries had told me that Jesus was scourged and crowned with thorns for me."

Then they both turned to me and said "What did you suffer for Him? Or did you sell what you had for the money which sent men like John Williams to tell the heathen about Jesus?"

And I was speechless. And while they both were looking at me with sorrowful eyes. I awoke, and it was a dream! But I lay on my soft bed awake for hours, thinking of the money I had wasted on my own pleasures; or my extra clothing, and costly car, and many luxuries; and I realized that I did not know what the words of Jesus meant; "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

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