Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Enduring Word Commentary Acts 26 - NIV 26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”  So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. This was a partial fulfillment of what the Lord promised Paul at his conversion: Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (Acts 9:15) (Guzik) Herod Agrippa II, also known as Agrippa II, was the son of Agrippa I. He ruled over Jewish territories as a Roman client king, though he focused on areas outside of Judea. He respected Jewish religious practices, but his kingdom was mainly populated by non-Jews. (Google AI) Because King Agrippa was of Jewish descent, Paul hoped he would b...

Acts 25 Paul’s Trial Before Festus 25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.” The Jewish leaders were trying to trick Festus into asking Paul to come from Caesarea, so they could ambush him. But in God's sovereignty, Festus instead decided to visit him in Caesarea. He invited other Jewish leaders to come and see if he was guilty of anything.  We don’t know if Festus knew the intentions of the Jewish leaders or not. Either way, he refused to grant their request for a change of venue...

Acts 24 Paul’s Trial Before Felix 24 Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. 3 Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 4 But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly. I imagine Tertullus to be a slick talking lawyer who is trying to " sweet talk " King Felix by attributing the peace they have to him. He compliments his wisdom. He calls him Most Excellent Felix  hoping his flattery can get him an audience with the king.    5 “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the N...

Acts 23 - NIV 23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”  4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”  5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” Paul confronts the high priest of the Sanhedrin for judging him falsely and for commanding that he be struck on the mouth. When Paul realizes that it is the high priest, he is remorseful because he didn't know he was a man in that position. Paul claims that as a Pharisee he has acted in good conscience.  The Ananias who was high...

Acts 22 - NIV 22 1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”  2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.  Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.  6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he repl...

Acts 21 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary On to Jerusalem 21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. Paul, Luke, and their companions continued their missionary journey after "tearing themselves away " from the Ephesians.  Apparently there was a community of believers in Tyre,...