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admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and that is written in the prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked

  Good morning. The Jews were upset that “Paul got away“; so 40 formed a plot to kill Paul, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had done so. They wanted the council to pretend like they wanted to investigate him further, but they were going to attack and kill him while he was on the way. Paul’s nephew learned of the ambush, and came to the barracks to inform him. He asked that his nephew be able to tell the commander about the plot, and he was able to do so. The commander sent Paul with 200 soldiers and 70 horsemen to Caesarea, where the governor, Felix, was staying. They waited for the Jews to come down from Jerusalem for a hearing. The high priest, some elders, and a lawyer (went into a bar - well it sounded like the beginning of a joke) came to bring charges against Paul. The lawyer claimed that Paul stirred up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and was the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to desecrate the temple; and th...
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I am a Pharisee, and am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!

  Good morning. Now Paul could’ve kept attacking the high priest; but he perceived that one group was Sadducees and the other Pharisees. These two groups were like Republicans and Democrats – they really disagreed with each other and only came together when there was a common enemy, like Jesus. I am a Pharisee, and am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead! This created quite a commotion because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. The Pharisees said, we find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? They were about to slug it out when the commander stepped in and took Paul away from them. That night the Lord stood at his side and said, take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also. This seems to indicate that it was God‘s will for Paul to go to Jerusalem. It also confirms Paul’s desire to go to ...
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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?

  Good morning. As they were getting ready to scourge Paul, he said to the centurion, is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and condemned? Remember when he was in the Philippian jail that when they sent to release him, Paul realized too late that he had the same defense. It was against the Roman law for a Roman citizen to be subjected to any kind of degrading form of punishment. The next day, the commander ordered the chief priests and the council to assemble so that he could find out why they were accusing Paul. He said to them, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day. The high priest commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. 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? But the bystanders said, do you revile God‘s high priest? I was not aware that he was high priest; for it is written, you shall not speak ev...
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Jesus told him to go; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.

   Good morning. Paul begins giving his testimony; how he was trained under Gamaliel (which meant he was highly trained in the law); had men and women put into prison because they followed the Way; and was going to Damascus to continue doing so. He tells about getting knocked off his feet and his encounter with Jesus; how Ananias prayed for him to receive his sight and told him to get up and be baptized, and wash away his sins, calling on His name. Paul tells about returning to Jerusalem (probably several years later); praying in the temple; and falling into a trance. Jesus told him to get out of Jerusalem because they would not accept his testimony about Him. Paul disagreed with Jesus telling about all the bad things he had done against His witnesses, thinking that that would make it OK to stay – that no one would harm him. Jesus told him to go; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was one thing to talk about Jesus t...
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Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple,

  Good morning. Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander (in command of 1000 troops) of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. That was a big deal - that a non-Jew would come into the part of the temple that was for Jews only. The commander brought troops with him; and when they saw him and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. They bound Paul with two chains; and the commander began asking who he was and what he had done. Everyone being upset, they shouted out their reasons; and as is normal, there was disagreement concerning what the fuss was all about. The commander ordered him to be brought to the barracks where it would be quieter. Paul said to the commander, may I say something to you? He said, do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who stirred up a revolt? Obv...
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When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him

  Good morning. So what did the elders tell Paul to do? We have four men who are under a vow (this was connected to keeping the law); take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their head; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk orderly, keeping the law. Because of what happens later, it makes me wonder if they were telling him what God was saying to do, or else was it man’s remedy for the problem? Too many times we do what in the natural seems the right thing to do; but it is not what God would have us to do. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. Now if he had not done all of this with the seven men, would the following have even happened? When the seven days were almost over, the Je...
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For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus

  Good morning. So Paul said, you’re right! I won’t go to Jerusalem – not! What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. So his interpretation of what the Holy Spirit said through Agabus was not that he should not go to Jerusalem, but that he was going to go through a lot of bad things there. And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, the will of the Lord be done! This kind of reminds you of Jesus in the garden when He asked that the cup be removed; yet not My will but Thine be done. Neither is a reason for us to tack on “if it be Thy will“ to every prayer request. If it’s not His will, He won’t answer it. They started on their journey up to Jerusalem. The next day he went in to James, the Lord’s brother, and all the elders were present. He told them all of the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began ...
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