The world is a circus, but one central truth changes everything.
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Other DIG DEEPER posts on this chapter
Read the chapter in an outlined format:
Listen to the DIG DEEPER post:
Acts 25 Summary
This chapter can seem like just a repeat of earlier chapters: Paul is being kicked around the various levels of Roman bureaucracy because nobody really knows how to deal with him. On one hand, Paul is exercising his right as a Roman citizen and is being protected from the unruly mobs that want him dead. On the other hand, Paul is being used as a political pawn which self conscious governors use to try to win the support of the Jewish religious leaders.
King Agrippa shows up with his wife / sister Bernice. You read that right... Bernice will go on to become the mistress of two Roman emperors (Vespasian & Titus). If you've seen the Hunger Games movies, think of the gaudiness of the Capitol city people, and you'll have a good idea of what Agrippa and Bernice were like (They came into the hearing "with great pomp (v23)." The actual Greek word is phantasia.)
Festus sees a chance to pin Paul's appeal to Caesar on Agrippa rather than himself, so he props Paul up before them. What a circus.
Dig Deeper
Festus clearly identified the claim that sets Christianity apart from every other religion and worldview in v19:
[the Jews] had certain points of dispute with Paul
about their own religion
and about a certain Jesus,
who was dead,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Christianity stands for all sorts of good and godly things, but don't ever forget it's central claim: Jesus Christ was killed to pay for your sin, and was raised from the dead three days later having achieved victory over death.
If this isn't true, Christianity is not worth believing.
But since it is true, this fact changes everything.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our sovereign Father, who uses even the highest level of governments to do His will;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that this simple fact that a man named Jesus was dead but is now alive will be the central tenant driving everything you do.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Comments