We come to Acts 28, which opened with one last attempt, probably by Satan, to kill Paul.

Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. (Acts 28.5, MSG)

The incident with the snake is followed by more POWER, the last recorded in Acts:

Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. (Acts 28.7 – 9, ESV)

Paul continues his journey to Rome, uneventfully, whereupon we have the usual: some believe, some don’t.

When [the Jews in Rome] had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. (Acts 28.23, 24, ESV)

Again, it’s good to remember that there are no magic formulas, that even the great Apostle Paul, given all day to convince Jews about Jesus from the Old Testament, saw some believe and others not.

Finally, Acts ends with a beginning. Or we could say, “Acts doesn’t end, it just stops.”

He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28.30, 31, ESV)

That description could apply to any of us:

• Living at our own expense
• Welcoming all who come to us (Paul was a prisoner and couldn’t go out!)
• Proclaiming the Kingdom of God
• Teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ
• …boldly and without hindrance

Or, as my friend Alan Briggs writes in his excellent neighborhood ministry book Staying is the New Going: Choosing to Love Where God Places You:

STAY FORTH!

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Philippians 2.14 – 16, ESV)

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, ESV)

We now come to one of the most exciting chapters in Acts, if not the whole Bible: Paul’s voyage to Rome. Luke devotes 44 verses to it, in breath-taking detail. Why? Maybe because he was there, and it made a huge impression on him. Maybe because he wanted to show that getting Paul to Rome was no mean feat. (I’m going to hit only the highlights – you might want to read it all.)

As early as verse 4, “the winds were against us.” Verse 7: “We sailed slowly…and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus.” Verse 9: “The voyage was now dangerous.” At this point, “amateur” Paul provides a word of warning, most likely a supernatural word of knowledge.

Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. (Acts 27.9 – 12, ESV)

But it was Paul’s word of knowledge versus expertise (the pilot), money (the owner), and “the majority,” wrong again! The ship is caught in a brutal storm:

But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. (Acts 27.14 – 20, ESV)

No wonder this is a long chapter! It’s as if Luke is saying, “I had to live through this, you might as well know what it was like!” It almost feels like the storm Jesus stilled in Mark 4.35 – 41. It’s possible Satan was trying to drown Jesus before he could cast out the demons in Mark 5, and it’s possible Satan was still trying to kill Paul before he reached Rome (having failed with three riots and two plots in Acts 21 – 25).

And here comes Paul again. Most of us wouldn’t have spoken up as Paul did in verse 10, and here he comes again with an “I told you so” and a reassuring word from an angel:

Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. (Acts 27.21 – 25, ESV)

“You must stand before Ceasar.” We don’t know that Ceasar believed, but we do know that God gave him a chance.

Finally, God again uses a Roman officer to protect Paul:

Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. (Acts 27.39 – 44, ESV)

A great story. Satan tries to kill Paul with a storm. The soldiers would have killed Paul. Satan tries again in chapter 28 using a snake:

After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. (Acts 28.1 – 5, ESV)

We’ll finish our high-speed review of Acts tomorrow with one more set of healings, one more round of some believe/some don’t, and a steady state that would fit almost any of us.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1.8, ESV)

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness…And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.31, 33, ESV)

But the Lord said to [Ananais], “Go, for [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (Acts 9.15, ESV)

We come to the account of Paul’s defense before Festus and Agrippa in Acts 26 (you can read the chapter in its entirety). It’s often used as a template for one’s personal story of becoming a believer:

• Paul’s “before” – verses 4 – 11 – “I have lived as a Pharisee…opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth”
• Paul’s “how” – verses 12 – 18 – “I saw a light from heaven…I heard a voice…’I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…I am sending you…'”
• Paul’s “after” including a brief presentation of the gospel message – verses 19 – 23 – “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision…testifying both to small and great… that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

(By the way, the best and most detailed instruction on how to write an effective personal story is in the 2:7 Series, Book 2.)

Today I want to focus on something Paul said in his “before.”

I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26.9 – 11, ESV)

“Raging fury” seems to be the “coin of the realm” as we saw in the riots of Acts 21, 22, and 23. As I’ve written before, “outrage” appears to be the new sport in the US.

Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple…and as they were seeking to kill him…some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as [the tribune] could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. (Acts 21.30 – 34, ESV)

And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,… (Acts 22.21 – 23, ESV)

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Acts 23.10, ESV)

Paul confessed that he had once been motivated by that same “raging fury” that was behind those three riots. I used to think that Paul, especially when he was first converted, just changed direction, keeping the same intensity he had before. Now I don’t think so. He was intense, no doubt, but he was no longer driven by raging fury.

For Christ’s love compels us… (2 Corinthians 5.14, NIV)

Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thessalonians 2.7, 8, NIV)

From motivated in the wrong direction by raging fury to motivated in the right direction by love. That’s transformation!

Yesterday we left Paul in a trial before Felix in which Paul is accused of starting riots just by showing up. That trial doesn’t resolve anything, and Felix keeps Paul around for conversation for two years:

But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. (Acts 24.22 – 27, ESV)

A simple lesson is that not even the accomplished evangelist Paul wins them all. We have no record that Felix ever became a believer despite all his knowledge and even fear.

Chapters 25 and 26 record Paul’s dealing with Festus, including Paul’s strategic appeal to Caesar:

But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” (Acts 25.9 – 12, ESV)

Thus Paul ensures that God’s order to him will be fulfilled:

But the Lord said to [Ananais], “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9.15, ESV)

But Festus has a problem – no charges!

But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” (Acts 25.25 – 27, ESV)

So we have Paul’s trial – read, “sales presentation” – before a very select group:

So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. (Acts 25.23, ESV)

I’ve been to that site, Herod’s summer palace in Caesarea. It’s one of those places that when you visit, you say, “I wonder what that was?” None of the great buildings are there, but some of the marble floor exists, including a spot where it is believed Paul actually stood. It’s ironic that of all the “great” people that were there, including perhaps, our friend Claudius Lysias, the tribune, the only reason we know about any of it is because of Paul, the prisoner. Tomorrow we’ll look at some of what he said. In the meantime, we remember that appearances can be deceiving: who is really in charge here?

Pilate…entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19.8 – 11, ESV)

This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? (Isaiah 14.26, 27, ESV)

Before we leave this section of Acts where Paul is arrested in Jerusalem and spirited away to Caesarea for trial (Acts 21 – 23), it’s fun to take a quick look at the Jews’ perspective. Paul goes to trial before Felix, the Roman governor, on what charge? The spokesman Tertullus explains:

For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. (Acts 24.5, ESV)

Paul “stirs up riots.” And how does he do this? By expressing his opinion about Jesus of Nazareth, and sometimes by saying he will take that message about Jesus to…wait for it…the hated Gentiles.

A riot is a riot is a riot. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Diana worshipping people of Ephesus (Acts 19), alleged God-worshipping people in Jerusalem, protestors destroying police stations and other downtown structures, or disgruntled voters storming the U.S. Capitol. The cause of the riot is not in the stimulus, it’s in the response.

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. (Exodus 23.2, NKJV)

We will finish Acts in the next few days, but I would be remiss if I didn’t address the war in Ukraine where Ukrainian forces, undermanned and underequipped, are putting up quite a fight against Russian aggression. If you haven’t seen it, you will be encouraged by this story of Ukrainians resisting the takeover of the airport near Kyiv. Here’s a snippet:

Russia’s bid to seize the airport embodied its military planners’ ambitious assumptions that Ukrainian defense would collapse under overwhelming firepower. Russian officials and propagandists have for years boasted that Moscow’s forces could overrun its smaller neighbor in days. But the resistance by Ukraine’s army and soldiers such as Lt. Kharchenko, backed by volunteer fighters, has slowed the Russian advance, halting it entirely in the area around Hostomel Airport after a day of back-and-forth fighting. – Putin Thought Ukraine Would Fall Quickly. An Airport Battle Proved Him Wrong, Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2022.

With respect to resistance, I especially like what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said when turning down an offer of evacuation from the United States:

I need ammunition, not a ride.

If you’re wondering why Russian President Putin is invading a peaceful neighbor, the answer isn’t difficult according to Mike Metzger, head of Clapham Institute. His article Reflections on the War in Ukraine starts this way:

Christians don’t have to be foreign policy experts, but they should at least understand what gave rise to the war in Ukraine.

With the invasion of Ukraine, I’ve found myself reflecting on the sons of Issachar. They understood the times. Do we understand what gave rise to the war in Ukraine? I don’t get that impression reading four Opinion writers for the New York Times. It’s astonishing how often they say they’re astonished at Putin’s actions.

We shouldn’t be. Nor should Christians who ought to do better than this. We don’t have to be foreign policy experts, but we can at least be familiar with Hedrick Smith’s The Russians. I read it before visiting the USSR in 1989, a year before the Berlin Wall fell.

Smith writes how the Rus, the Russian people, feel a deep sense of inferiority toward the West. I witnessed this when our tour guide kept discouraging us from buying Russian-made goods. “They’re crap,” she said. “Buy goods made by Poles.” This feeling of inferiority drives Russian leaders to seek secure borders against the West. We see inferiority and insecurity in George Kennan’s Long Telegram, written in 1946. – Mike Metzger, February 28, 2022 (I recommend you read the article in its entirety.)

What to do? Here is a letter from Jaroslaw Lukasik from Ukraine. Jaroslaw is a European Leadership Forum Steering Committee member and leader of the Eastern European Leadership Forum., a leader in the European Leadership Forum:

Dear Forum family,    If you want to help our brothers and sisters in Ukraine – the things you can do now are:   1.  Pray    We write this not because it must be written, but because we believe that only God can help Ukraine and the rest of the world in this turmoil. We recognise that these events might signal the start of World War III.   2.  Influence your governments and societies   Only an uncompromising and united position by the whole free world on sanctions against Putin (Russia) can force him to abandon his plans. Tell your fellow citizens about the situation in Ukraine and demand uncompromising sanctions against Russia from your governments.   3.  Help with funds   We have created a Christians for Ukraine Network which engages people in Ukraine (chaplains, pastors, volunteers who take people away from danger zones, etc.).    We have people in Poland who will buy things necessary for Ukraine, such as:   – Communication equipment – Medicine and medical supplies (bandages, anti-burn dressings and wound healing) – Aid for refugees such as food, clothes, and sleeping bags   Others are committed to transport these resources to Western Ukraine. Ukrainian Christian leaders will distribute them to different places.     If you want to send funds to help, you can give securely online through the Faith and Learning International to the Eastern European Reformation Foundation.   Please pray!     Jaroslaw Lukasik Steering Committee Member, European Leadership Forum  Leader, Eastern European Leadership Forum

I have contributed to that organization – I trust them.

In the meantime, let’s continue to pray. As someone pointed out, it’s not always the largest military force that wins the battle.

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled… Judges 7.19 – 22, ESV)

It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few. (1 Samuel 14.6, ESV)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places…praying always… (Ephesians 6.12, 18, ESV)

Claudius Lysias…have you heard of him? His name comes up in the New Testament only twice (the end of Acts 23 and again in Acts 24). In Acts 21, 22, and 23 he is called simply, “the tribune” until he signs his name to a letter. And he rescues Paul from the Jews four times:

• We’ve looked at the first time: the riot in the Temple in Jerusalem.

And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. (Acts 21.31 – 33, ESV, emphasis mine)

• The second time was the second riot in Jerusalem: this one occurred while Paul was speaking to the crowd:

When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” And I said, “Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.” And he said to me, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks… (Acts 22.17 – 24, ESV, emphasis mine)

• There was a third riot: this one in the council of leaders, and once again, it’s the tribune to the rescue:

Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Acts 23.9, 10, ESV, emphasis)

• Finally, Paul’s nephew overhears a plot that 40 Jews have sworn to fast until they have killed Paul. They intend to ambush him when he is taken again to the council of Jewish leaders.

Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” (Acts 23.16 – 19, ESV)

The Tribune acts quickly and decisively, and we learn his name in the letter he writes to Felix the governor:

Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” And he wrote a letter to this effect: “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings… (Acts 23.23 – 26, ESV)

Kudos to Paul’s nephew and thank God for Claudius Lysias:

• A man of principle who would not let the Jews kill Paul.
• A man of discipline who had trained soldiers to instantly carry out his orders.
• A man of action who got Paul out of Jerusalem in the middle of the night.

God makes his promises come true:

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (Acts 23.10, 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” (Numbers 11.23, ESV)

Today is the first day of the season that we remember Jesus’ upcoming death…and our own.

The older we get, the more of our friends we bury. I just saw this poignant but faith-filled post from a long-time friend, Mike Darnell, Montgomery, Alabama:

Dear Friends,

It is with great love and care that I write to you. I want to give you an update.

Earlier this week I learned that my leukemia has come back and today I learned that there are no longer any treatment options available. Our cancer battle is done, and the Father’s faithful hand is leading me home. In church I have been teaching from Psalm 90:12 “so teach us to number our days”, my number is within view. I have weeks possibly months.

I want you to know my graduation is sooner than I thought and that I am looking forward to it.

Mike and I go back to our high school days where he was one year behind me. He comes from a family of 11 children. Mike is #4 (I think), and I traveled in a music ensemble with his older brother Pete and others in the summer of 1962. I reconnected with Mike when I was back in Alabama 2001 – 2006. A good man: pastor, counselor, a lifetime of walking with Jesus and helping others do the same.

Mike might not live through this Lenten season (on this earth)…but then again, neither might some of the rest of us. Lent is a good time to remember these truths.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90.12, ESV)

The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4.6, 7, ESV)

Yesterday, we saw that Paul was taken into Roman military custody in Jerusalem.

And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. (Acts 21.31 – 33, ESV)

From this point on, for the rest of the book of Acts, Paul is in Roman military custody (Acts 21.33 – 28.30).

My friend Gary Sanders calls this Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey. If you’re taking a test that includes the question, “How many missionary journeys did Paul take in Acts?,” the school answer is three. But Gary makes a compelling case that beginning in Acts 21 we have Paul’s fourth journey: the one to the Roman military.

Gary argues that by sending Paul to the military, God was putting the Gospel into the hands of people who:

• Were mobile
• Had initiative and were highly disciplined
• Knew how to lead
• Had access to the highest levels of government

If you want to explore this further, you can read Gary’s scholarly, yet accessible, essay here.

Gary Sanders’ challenge is that if churches are near military bases, they should consider outreach to the military a strategic part of their mission. Train them – not so they can stay and serve your church, but so they can take your training and serve elsewhere.

Of course, the same rationale applies to anyone in your church who might be moving. I was serving at a church in Alabama, and one of the men I ministered to retired from the Air Force and was moving to Houston, Texas. I said, “Bless you, my brother. I’m so glad you’re going to Houston.” He replied, “Well, you’re the only one in the church to say that. Everyone else wants us to stay.” I said, “Look. I’ve been to Houston, and I really, really don’t want to live there. I’d much rather send you to teach the people in Houston what you’ve learned here.” Train them; send them.

After tomorrow’s Ash Wednesday post, we’ll see how God used a Roman military officer and a family member to protect Paul from two additional riots and a plot to kill him. Exciting times!

And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him. (Acts 28.16, ESV)

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (Philippians 1.12, 13, ESV)

We now come to Acts 21, which is an enigmatic chapter in many ways.

• Paul was warned by more than one person “speaking by the Holy Spirit” not to go to Jerusalem. Paul went anyway. Should he have gone? Or should he have listened to the warnings?

And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. (Acts 21.4, ESV)

When we heard [another warning], we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21.12 – 13, ESV)

Paul couldn’t “die in Jerusalem” because he hadn’t yet testified before kings (see Acts 9.15)!

• So he goes to Jerusalem and James has an idea. Again, was this a good idea or not? James said:

You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done?… We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. (Acts 21.20 – 24, ESV)

I don’t think James’ counsel was wise. We’ll see shortly that it didn’t turn out well. But even if it had, I think James had it only half right back in Acts 15. James understood that Gentiles didn’t have to keep Jewish laws. What he didn’t understand was that Jews didn’t have to keep Jewish laws either! Paul had it out with Peter over this very issue (see Galatians 2).

So the result of James’ idea was that Paul’s presence in the Temple caused a riot, and Paul was “rescued” by the Romans (we’ll talk more about that in a couple of days).

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” …Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, …and as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains….(Acts 21.27 – 33, ESV)

The bottom line is that from this point on, for the rest of the book of Acts, Paul is in Roman military custody (Acts 21.33 – 28.30). I want to say more about that tomorrow.

For now, what do we make of Paul’s decision to go to Jerusalem, James’ counsel, and Paul’s accepting that counsel? Right or wrong, optimal or not, all three decisions had positive motivations behind them: Paul will not operate out of fear, James is still trying to reach as many Jews for Jesus as possible, and Paul is submissive to James’ authority. And sometimes that’s all we can do. None of us knows the results of any of our decisions before the fact.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2.12, 13, ESV)

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. (Philippians 1.27, 28, ESV)