Daily Bread 2011 - Acts 26
Daily Bread 2011 – Acts 26
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
What Does This Mean?
As we read through Acts 26, Paul again recounts in a very simple, straightforward fashion how he was once a Jew trained to be the strictest of Pharisees, then persecuted and voted to have Christians martyred, and then how he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Importantly he says, “Why should any of you consider it impossible that God raises the dead?”
Paul senses that Agrippa is open to the message, but Festus jumps in and tries to stop the conversation saying that Paul is insane. You can almost hear Paul saying quite calmly, “I am not insane what I am saying is reasonable and makes sense. What do you think King Agrippa?” Agrippa then realizes that Paul is trying to persuade him and says, “Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
Again we see Paul’s non-anxious response, “Whether short or long I pray that you all become like me, except for these chains.” We even see Paul’s compassion that they not be shackled like him. When Paul is done they conclude, “He has not done anything deserving death!”
What Does This Mean For Us?
We can learn so much from the apostle Paul on how to share our faith in a calm, reasonable and systematic way. It is not our job to persuade someone to become a believer in Jesus. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. But you can sense it is the Holy Spirit guiding Paul to give such and clear and concise account of the Gospel. And importantly it makes sense. Especially, the comment why should anyone think it is impossible to think God could raise someone from the dead.
After all if God is God, raising someone from the dead isn’t a stretch for him. If God created everything in existence, the sun, the moon and the stars, and yes us; He can certainly do that! What I love about the Christian faith is the plausibility of it. It is not irrational, illogical or irresponsible in regard to the facts. It is summed up in the famous verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world but to save the world through him.”
It makes sense if God made us that He loves us. It makes sense that if God wanted to save us He would come down into the world to do it for us! And it makes sense that God loves everyone because everyone is made in His image and He wants all people to be in His family. All other religions and philosophies are based on what we can do to find God, and Christianity is based on what God has done to find us and bring us to be with him both now and forever.
We are all born wondering of where we came from, and where we will go when we die. The Christian faith gives answers to those questions and is the hope of the world. May we like Paul be ready to give the simple account of why we believe and the hope we have within us, and be led by the Holy Spirit share our experience with those God leads us to!
Jesus, thank you for coming to the earth to show us the Father’s love. As we receive Your promises by faith, help us to be able to share Your love and the Father’s love with those who you send us out to call home. In Your name, Amen.
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
What Does This Mean?
As we read through Acts 26, Paul again recounts in a very simple, straightforward fashion how he was once a Jew trained to be the strictest of Pharisees, then persecuted and voted to have Christians martyred, and then how he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Importantly he says, “Why should any of you consider it impossible that God raises the dead?”
Paul senses that Agrippa is open to the message, but Festus jumps in and tries to stop the conversation saying that Paul is insane. You can almost hear Paul saying quite calmly, “I am not insane what I am saying is reasonable and makes sense. What do you think King Agrippa?” Agrippa then realizes that Paul is trying to persuade him and says, “Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
Again we see Paul’s non-anxious response, “Whether short or long I pray that you all become like me, except for these chains.” We even see Paul’s compassion that they not be shackled like him. When Paul is done they conclude, “He has not done anything deserving death!”
What Does This Mean For Us?
We can learn so much from the apostle Paul on how to share our faith in a calm, reasonable and systematic way. It is not our job to persuade someone to become a believer in Jesus. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. But you can sense it is the Holy Spirit guiding Paul to give such and clear and concise account of the Gospel. And importantly it makes sense. Especially, the comment why should anyone think it is impossible to think God could raise someone from the dead.
After all if God is God, raising someone from the dead isn’t a stretch for him. If God created everything in existence, the sun, the moon and the stars, and yes us; He can certainly do that! What I love about the Christian faith is the plausibility of it. It is not irrational, illogical or irresponsible in regard to the facts. It is summed up in the famous verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world but to save the world through him.”
It makes sense if God made us that He loves us. It makes sense that if God wanted to save us He would come down into the world to do it for us! And it makes sense that God loves everyone because everyone is made in His image and He wants all people to be in His family. All other religions and philosophies are based on what we can do to find God, and Christianity is based on what God has done to find us and bring us to be with him both now and forever.
We are all born wondering of where we came from, and where we will go when we die. The Christian faith gives answers to those questions and is the hope of the world. May we like Paul be ready to give the simple account of why we believe and the hope we have within us, and be led by the Holy Spirit share our experience with those God leads us to!
Jesus, thank you for coming to the earth to show us the Father’s love. As we receive Your promises by faith, help us to be able to share Your love and the Father’s love with those who you send us out to call home. In Your name, Amen.
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