INTRODUCTION

What is your reaction to trouble? How do you respond when things don’t go the way you planned? Christians are people who have surrendered to Jesus Christ, trusting that His plan is better because He died and rose again to forgive our sins and put us on His mission and therefore, He is worthy.

This is now the second time (of three) we will hear Paul’s testimony. Luke is emphasizing the legitimacy of Paul’s apostleship, but it also sets down the bass line of Christian life: we follow Christ and when trouble happens, it is an opportunity to talk about His mission.

The Text: “And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people…” (Acts 21:35-22:22)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Having just been beaten, while being pulled up the stairs to the fortress, Paul asked the captain (in Greek) if he could speak to the people, and after clarifying who he was, he began speaking to the people in Hebrew (Acts 21:35-40). Paul told the Jews that he had been a devout Jew, trained by the great Gamaliel, including persecuting Christians, all the way to Damascus (Acts 22:1-5). While on that road, Jesus of Nazareth confronted him with a great light and sent him into the city to find out what he must do (Acts 22:6-10). He was led by his companions into Damascus where Ananias restored his sight, commissioned him as an apostle, and Paul was baptized and assured of his forgiveness (Acts 22:11-16).

After that, it was while Paul was praying in the temple, that Jesus appeared to Him again and sent him out of Jerusalem to preach, despite the fact that Paul had persecuted the Christians (Acts 22:17-20). And when Paul said that Jesus had sent him to preach to the Gentiles, the Jews exploded with murderous outrage (Acts 22:21-22).

OPPORTUNITY TROUBLE

It is remarkable that having just escaped being beaten to death (Acts 21:31-32), Paul sees an opportunity for the gospel. This follows a long-established pattern in the book of Acts:

(1) Pentecost Commotion (2:1-41), result: 3000 baptisms; (2) Lame Man controversy (4:1-4), result: 2000 more believers; (3) Ananias and Sapphira struck dead (5:1-14), result: more believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of men and women; (4) Commotion after Peter and John’s prison break (5:17-26), result: disciples rejoicing, preaching and teaching more, and increasing in number (5:41-6:1); (5) Greek and Jewish widow controversy (6:1-7), result: first deacons appointed, the word of God increased, disciples multiplied; (6) Controversy with Stephen’s arrest and execution (6:8-8:4ff), result: scattered disciples preaching the word everywhere; (7) Saul confesses Jesus in Damascus and plots ensue (9:19-25); result: amazement and Jews confounded, (8) Saul preaches in Jerusalem and plots ensue (9:26-31), result: the churches were edified, walking in the fear of God, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit;

(9) Contention over Peter preaching to Cornelius and baptizing him (10:1-11:18), result: they glorified God; (10) Continued persecution following the death of Stephen (11:19-21), result: Greeks hear the gospel in Antioch and many turned to the Lord; (11) Herod arrests Peter and Peter’s prison break (12:1-24), result: the word of God grew and multiplied; (12) Angry crowd in Antioch in Pisidia (13:44-52), result: Gentiles rejoicing and glorifying God and believing; disciples filled with joy and the Holy Spirit; (13) Rowdy Crowds in Iconium (14:1-5), result: half the city siding with the apostles; (14) Violent Mob in Lystra stones Paul (14:8-19), result: disciples strengthened & encouraged; (15) Circumcision controversy and Jerusalem council (15:1-35), result: rejoicing and unity; (16) Paul and Barnabas have sharp disagreement over whether to take Mark with them (15:36-41), result: they go separate ways and Paul and Silas are sent out under the grace of God;

(17) Violent mob in Philippi (16:16-23), result: Philippian jailer and family converted, the brothers encouraged; (18) Violent mob in Thessalonica (17:5-8), result: many devout Greeks and leading women believe; (19) Angry crowd in Berea (17:10-14), result: many Jews believed along with a number of leading Greek women; (20) Jewish insurrection in Corinth (18:1-17), result: many Corinthians heard the gospel, believed, and were baptized; (21) Riot in Ephesus (19:23-41), result: the name of Jesus was extolled, the word increased, and the brothers were encouraged; (22) Angry mob in Jerusalem (21:27-22:29), result: the gospel is preached to the crowd; (23) Violent dissension in the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem (23:6-10), result: a chance to preach to governors and free trip to Rome.

Moral of the story: Jesus is in control, and He uses trouble to further His Kingdom.

THE GOSPEL STORY

While Paul is telling a story about his conversion to Christ, he is alluding to the broader story of God’s dealings with Israel. Paul calls the Jews “brothers and fathers” (Acts 22:1), and he speaks to them in the Hebrew tongue (Acts 22:2), which reaches back to the line of Seth and Noah and Abraham. He also calls the law the “law of the fathers” (Acts 22:3) and refers to the Jewish leaders as “elders” and the zealous Jews in Damascus as “brothers” (Acts 22:5), again linking himself with the covenant line of Israel going back to the giving of the law by Moses. And his prayers in the temple (Acts 22:17) bring us all the way through the Kingdom of David and Solomon up to Paul’s present day.

Paul’s overarching argument is that he has changed his mind about the story of Israel. Paul is saying that Jesus is the fulfillment of the story of Israel because He risen from the dead, proving that He is Israel’s Messiah and forgave Paul’s sins. And the Lord Jesus has commanded that this gospel includes the Gentiles who believe. While the Jews knew that their light was supposed to attract the Gentiles, what they could not abide was the idea that the Gentiles didn’t have to become Jews, that the Jews were not the center of the Kingdom story. That was not how they thought the story was supposed to go, but this was to radically misunderstand the story. The covenant story was never about them; it was always about the grace of God commandeering them.

APPLICATION: APOLOGETIC TESTIMONY

What Paul asks the Jews to listen to is his apology or apologia, which means defense (Acts 22:1). This is where we get the word “apologetics,” which is the study of defending the faith. And what Paul does is give his testimony. Paul’s testimony of God’s work in his life is central to his defense of the truth of the gospel.

But Paul’s testimony is clearly the story of his insolence, his determination to go one way, and Christ’s gracious, conquering determination to stop him in his tracks and make him go a different way. A testimony is the story of your surrender to Jesus Christ.

John Calvin says this about Paul’s question What shall I do, Lord? “This is the voice of a tamed man, and this is the true turning unto the Lord; when laying away all fierceness and fury, we bow down our necks willingly to bear his yoke, and ready to do whatsoever he commanded us.”

You say Jesus Christ is Lord, and so He is, but that means trouble. It means that our personal plans are no longer supreme. It means He is the center of the story. He is the hero. But surrender to Jesus Christ is the greatest peace and joy because in Him is complete forgiveness and an eternal mission. If you have that forgiveness and mission, your story is part of His story, and every trial is an opportunity for the gospel.

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INTRODUCTION

As prophesied, when Paul arrived in Jerusalem, false reports were swirling around, and a riot broke out and Paul was nearly killed. No doubt there were critics who thought Paul could have been more careful, clearer in his teaching, but the real reason was the name of Jesus.

Jesus promised that if we followed Him, we would be misunderstood, lied about, and sometimes persecuted and killed. But when it happens, we’re still often caught off guard and surprised. While it is always worth double checking our words and actions, we have to be prepared for unjust treatment, and we have to be prepared to rejoice when it happens.

The Text: “And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea…” (Acts 21:15-34)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As planned, Paul and his entourage went down to Jerusalem where they were warmly welcomed, and Paul immediately met with James and all the elders in Jerusalem and reported all that the Lord had done (Acts 21:15-19). The elders informed Paul that there were now thousands of believing Jews in Jerusalem, but a false rumor is going around that he forbids Jews from keeping the law and circumcising their children, and large crowds are coming into town (probably for Pentecost) (Acts 21:20-22).

So the elders asked Paul to sponsor the sacrifices of four men who have taken Nazirite vows, and near the end of the seven days of purification, some Jews from Asia stirred up the crowds and accused Paul of teaching against the temple, the law, and bringing Gentiles into the temple (Acts 21:23-29). A mob quickly formed that began beating Paul, intent on killing him, but the captain of the guard rushed in with soldiers and rescued him (by arresting him), amidst a cacophony of confused accusations (Acts 21:30-34).

THE ACCUSATIONS

The accusations the Jews brought are half-truths and lies. It is true that Paul taught that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision ultimately matters, but only obedience to Christ (1 Cor. 7:19, Gal. 6:15). He also taught that the ceremonial law was a “tutor” for Israel until Christ came (Gal. 4:1-10). But he had also had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3), taken a Nazirite vow himself (Acts 18:18), and was at least respectful of the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost (Acts 20:6, 16).

So what does this mean? Paul was very concerned to not make Jewish ceremonies a prerequisite for fellowship with God or in the church (e.g. Gal. 2:11ff). He’s happy to make concessions on these “customs” so long as they are just pious customs. He is happy to live as a Jew to win Jews to Christ, and he is happy live as a Gentile to win Gentiles to Christ (1 Cor. 9:20-22). And this is why he is happy to sponsor the fulfillment of these Nazirite vows (Acts 21:23-24). But Paul was fierce about the truth of the gospel and simple obedience to God’s moral law (the Ten Commandments) (e.g. 1 Tim. 1:4ff).

MISUNDERSTANDING & PERSECUTION

So we have here Paul doing everything he can to show deference to different people, and having done so, he is lied about, beaten, and nearly killed by religious people. When the Roman captain of the guard shows up, he even assumes that Paul is probably guilty of something and arrests him (Acts 21:33). And just after our text, it comes out that the captain assumed Paul was some notorious Egyptian terrorist (Acts 21:38).

People often assume that if there’s a mob, there must be someone else who did something wrong to cause it. Someone must have said something or done something to enrage them. But sometimes mobs are just collective, irrational rage, as we see here (Acts 21:34). We have to remember that the center of our faith is a perfect man, who always said and did what was perfectly right, and they hated him, lied about him, and eventually murdered him. And Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you…” (Jn. 15:18-21). We must be careful not to suffer as evildoers, but we should also expect to suffer simply because we are Christians (2 Tim. 3:12).

APPLICATIONS

This episode demonstrates the potency of lies and slander. We live in a world inundated with lies and slander. But lies and slander are violence against the truth and the true character of those made in God’s image (Lev. 19:16, Prov. 18:8). Of course, people don’t set out to become murderers. They spin or shade the truth because it seems important for their “cause,” because the other side is so bad, etc. But there are no brakes on that car. When you are reckless with the truth, you become a bad guy, even if you try to tell yourself it’s for some good reason.

In Prince Caspian, when one of the dwarves suggests enlisting the help of some evil hags and ogres, Caspian refuses, and Trufflehunter says, “We should not have Aslan for a friend if we brought in that rabble.” To which Trumpkin also added that they wouldn’t have him. You can’t bring in lies and slander, even against God’s enemies without becoming another one of God’s enemies: “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Prov. 12:22).

Do not easily believe rumors or accusations. This requires judiciousness, thoughtfulness, and being quick to listen and slow to tweet. Do not follow the multitude to do evil (Ex. 23:2), including on social media.

At the same time, you ought not fail to join your voice to the truth, even unpopular truths. When the elders in Jerusalem received Paul warmly, they were standing up for the truth of Paul’s good reputation, even though he was being smeared in the news.

Practice this in your families, with your kids. Don’t assume the worst. Protect their reputations. Be loyal to Christ, the truth, and one another.

And when you get it wrong, admit it, confess it, and make it right. But remember that to follow Christ is to take up a cross, a sign of humiliation and suffering.

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INTRODUCTION

We live in a fallen world of turmoil, and we do not yet see everything under the feet of Christ, but we see Christ (Heb. 2:8-9). We do not yet see every nation discipled, every cancer cured, or death itself destroyed, but we see Jesus who has tasted death for every man, so that by Him, we may have a peace in this world that the world cannot give. We see in this text that this was a central part of Paul’s missionary work, and it continues to be a central part of the mission of the church.

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As planned, Paul left Ephesus to go back to Macedonia and Greece, where he comforted the churches for some time before returning with seven assistants, sailing from Philippi to Troas right around Easter (Acts 20:1-6). On the following Sunday, the disciples gathered for worship, and the service went late into the night, and while Paul was preaching, a young man fell asleep and fell to his death out of the third story window of the house they were meeting in (Acts 20:7-9). When Paul came down, he embraced the young man, bringing him back to life, and the service finished with the Lord’s Supper, bringing great comfort to everyone (Acts 20:10-12). From there, Paul made his way back toward Ephesus, coming to Miletus, to take a ship to Jerusalem for Pentecost (Acts 20:13-16).

ENCOURAGEMENT & TEAMWORK

Following the uproar of Ephesus, Paul spends some time “comforting” the churches that have started (Acts 20:2). The root word for “comfort” is the same that Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit, the “Comforter,” who was promised to lead the disciples into all truth (Jn. 14:26, 15:26). Closely related is the fact that Paul is accompanied by a number of companions and disciples, at least seven of which are probably official representatives of churches Paul had planted, perhaps even delegates, bringing an offering to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 24:17). And the result of the worship service in Troas and the healing of Eutychus was “not a little comfort” (Acts 20:12). The ministry of the church is a ministry of comfort and encouragement (Acts 9:31, Rom. 15:4, 2 Cor. 1:4).

LORD’S DAY WORSHIP

At the center of this comfort is worship on the Lord’s Day, “the first day sabbath” (Acts 20:7), which is worth underlining, since it has often been translated as only “first day of the week.” But the word is actually “sabbath.” The same goes for all of the resurrection accounts: Jesus rose on the “first day sabbath” (Mt. 28:1, Mk. 16:2, Lk. 24:1, Jn. 20:1). In the Old Testament, there were various “sabbath days” that landed on different days of the week (new moon, festival days, cf. Lev. 23:39). As Phil Kayser has pointed out, in the first creation, God intended Adam and Eve to enjoy the sabbath as their first full day in the world, but they sinned and the Old Covenant condition was symbolized by a seventh day sabbath (looking forward). But Jesus restored us to the Garden in the New Covenant by His resurrection and restored that original first day sabbath.

John calls Sunday “the Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1, which is the same construction for the “Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor. 11). In the same way that we set apart ordinary bread to “remember” Christ’s work on our behalf, so too we set aside an ordinary day to “remember” Christ’s work on our behalf, and so a “sabbath rest” remains for the people of God (Heb. 4:9). And gathering for worship and resting from your ordinary labors is a crucial part of the “comfort” of the Holy Spirit. Slaves have no days off, but we are freemen in Christ.

SLEEP & RESURRECTION

At the center of this episode is the incident with the young man, Eutychus, whose name means “good luck,” and which might indicate that he was (or had been) a slave. It was a large upper room, full of torches (likely crowded), and Eutychus may have been sitting in the window for fresh air (Acts 20:8-9). The imagery was surely not lost on the first century audience: this would have reminded early Christians of Pentecost when the fire of the Spirit filled the upper room, and perhaps it would have also had echoes of Hannukah, and earlier still, the temple itself. They gathered to “break bread,” which was an early euphemism for the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7), and after Eutychus fell and was raised by Paul’s embrace (much like Elisha, 2 Kgs. 4:34), they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, our resurrection feast (Acts 20:11).

All of this emphasizes that the Spirit of the same Christ who conquered death is with Paul and with the Church. It’s no accident that after the resurrection, even death itself is likened to a “sleep,” that believers will rise from (1 Cor. 15:20, 51, 1 Thess. 5:10). And we comfort one another with these sure promises (1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11).

APPLICATIONS

Whether we wake or sleep: The foundational comfort of a Christian is eternal security – eternal life. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 6:23). Sinners deserve death, but Jesus took those wages by dying in our place and taking away our sin. The power of the devil was only in his ability to wield the fear of death for the punishment of sin (Heb. 2:14-15). But death is a defanged enemy because it is no longer our punishment. Jesus has the keys of death and hades (Rev. 1:18). Death is a river that all must pass through to get to the Celestial City. But it is a river crossing that Jesus personally oversees.

Worship is the engine: We often say that worship is the engine that drives everything we do. Fundamentally, this simply means that Jesus is Lord, and therefore, everything we do must submit to Him, bow before Him. But God has also made it clear that He wants us to gather as congregations to worship together. There is something particularly powerful and comforting when God’s people renew covenant together in word and sacrament on the first day sabbath, the Lord’s Day. This doesn’t turn everything into a church service, but rather it frees us to work and enjoy everything as a gift from our Risen King.

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