Many people in the New Testament were accused of all kinds of things without proof.
Some examples are the following: 1. Paul & Silas-Acts 16:16-40 They were accused of stirring up trouble,and teaching customs that were not "...lawful for us, being Romans ,to reserve, or observe." They were accused of teaching things that were contrary to the laws around them. They were given no trial at all which was against the Roman law because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They had their clothes taken away,were beaten many times,thrown into an inner prison,and put in chains (fetters). 2. Peter-Acts 11:1-18 He was accused of defilying himself by eating with Gentiles. He tells them how God convicted him of the sin of favoritism towards certain people groups,etc. He tells how God called him to be a witness to the Gentiles, and about Cornelius. He tells them that God gives the Gentiles the same gift that he gave them when they believe on the name of the LORD, Jesus Christ! He explained that God wants to save the Gentiles souls from sin too!
3. Paul-Acts 21:27-40,Acts 23:12-35 He was accused of teaching things against the Jews,the law,and the temple, and deflying the temple. He was dragged out of the temple, and the doors were shut. He was beaten, again without a trial.
The people planned to kill him. The commander of the garrison and his soldiers stopped them from beating Paul to death. Paul was bound with two chains and asked who he was, and what it was he had done. He taken into the barracks for safe keeping when the commander was given different answers by the people, since they were divided in what they said. He was carried away by the soldiers to protect him from the mob after he reached the stairs. He asked the commander a question on the way to the barracks, he asked for permission to speak to him. The commander asked if he could speak Greek. He asked him if he was the person who lead 4,000 assasins into the wilderness in the past. Paul told him, he was a Jew,from Tarsus,he asked for permission to speak to the people. He was given permission,and stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. He spoke to them in Hebrew. In Chapter 22 of Acts he speaks up for himself,and is released from the bonds, and brought before the chief priests and their council. He speaks to the chief priests,etc. in Chapter 23:1-10. He was brought back into the barracks in verse 10. He had the Lord standing by him the whole time,and heard him speak about being a witness for him in Rome in verse 11. In Chapter 23:12-35, some men plotted to kill Paul. The Governor kept him Herod's Praetorium. In Chapters 24,25,and 26- He tells Felix,Festus,Agrippa and Bernice, and King Agrippa by himself,what all he is accused of and the truth of the matter. HE appeals to Caesar in Chapter 25. He also tells his testimony about how he came to know Jesus Christ as his personal LORD and Savior in Acts Chapter 26.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Joseph:Falsely Accused of Rape
Genesis Chapter 39
I.Joseph
A. "So when the Midanite merchants came by,his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt." -Genesis 37:28
1. Result #1 -He became a slave in Eygpt since his jealous brothers sold him into slavery.
2. Result #2 "Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharoah's officials,the captain of the guard."-Genesis 37:36
B. Joseph tempted to Do Wrong & Flees-Genesis Chapter 39
1. "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar,an Egyptian who was one of Pharoah's officials,the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishamelites who had taken him there."-verse 1
2." The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered ,and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and all that he owned,the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had ,both in the house and in the field."-verses 2-5
3. "So he left in Joseph's care everything he had;with Joseph in charge,he did not concern himself with anything,except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome,and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, Come to bed with me! "-verses 6-7
4."But he refused. With me in charge,he told her,my master does not concern himself with anything in the house;everything he owns he has entrusted to my care."-verse 8
a. "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master hs withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? And though she spoke to Joseph day after day,he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her."-verses 9-10
b."One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,and noen of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said,Come to bed with me! But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house."-verses 11-12
C. Potiphar's Wife Accuses Joseph of Rape
1. "When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. Look,she said to them, this Hebrew has been brought here to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me,but I screamed. When he heard me scram for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."-verses 13-15
2. "She kept the cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story:That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."-verses 16-18
D.Joseph is Put In Prison
1. "When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, This is how your slave treated me, he burned with anger."-verse 19
2. "Joseph's master took him and put him in prison,the place where the king's prisoners wre confined...."-verse 20a
3. "...But while Joseph,was there in prison,the LORD was with him;he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden."-verses 20b-21
4. "So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison,and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him sucess in whatever he did."-verse 22-23
*Joseph was falsely accused of rape,when he had done nothing wrong and ended up in prison. The prison "warden" (guard) put him charge of the other prisoners there in the prison.
I.Joseph
A. "So when the Midanite merchants came by,his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt." -Genesis 37:28
1. Result #1 -He became a slave in Eygpt since his jealous brothers sold him into slavery.
2. Result #2 "Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharoah's officials,the captain of the guard."-Genesis 37:36
B. Joseph tempted to Do Wrong & Flees-Genesis Chapter 39
1. "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar,an Egyptian who was one of Pharoah's officials,the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishamelites who had taken him there."-verse 1
2." The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered ,and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and all that he owned,the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had ,both in the house and in the field."-verses 2-5
3. "So he left in Joseph's care everything he had;with Joseph in charge,he did not concern himself with anything,except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome,and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, Come to bed with me! "-verses 6-7
4."But he refused. With me in charge,he told her,my master does not concern himself with anything in the house;everything he owns he has entrusted to my care."-verse 8
a. "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master hs withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? And though she spoke to Joseph day after day,he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her."-verses 9-10
b."One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,and noen of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said,Come to bed with me! But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house."-verses 11-12
C. Potiphar's Wife Accuses Joseph of Rape
1. "When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. Look,she said to them, this Hebrew has been brought here to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me,but I screamed. When he heard me scram for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."-verses 13-15
2. "She kept the cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story:That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."-verses 16-18
D.Joseph is Put In Prison
1. "When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, This is how your slave treated me, he burned with anger."-verse 19
2. "Joseph's master took him and put him in prison,the place where the king's prisoners wre confined...."-verse 20a
3. "...But while Joseph,was there in prison,the LORD was with him;he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden."-verses 20b-21
4. "So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison,and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him sucess in whatever he did."-verse 22-23
*Joseph was falsely accused of rape,when he had done nothing wrong and ended up in prison. The prison "warden" (guard) put him charge of the other prisoners there in the prison.
cont. Outline on Apostle Paul being falsely accused on teaching things contrary to the Scriptures
1." In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow."-verse 30
2. "Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved. So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let if fall away. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. For the last fourteen days,he said,you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food-you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted,they lighted the ship by throwing the grain into the sea."-verses 31-38
3. "When daylight came, they did not recognize the land,but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move,and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. "-verses 39-41
4. "The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety."-verses 42-44
VII. Ashore on Malta -Acts 28:1-10
A. "Once Safely on Shore,we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and,as he put it on the fire,a viper, driven out by the heat,fastened itself to his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand,they said to each other, This man must be a murderer;for those he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."-verses 1-4
1. "But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead,but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him,they changed their minds and said he was a god."-verses 5-6
2. "There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius,the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bead,suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and ,after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this happened, the rest on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sal, they furnished us with the supplies we needed."-verses 7-10
B. Arrival at Rome-Acts 28:11-16
1. "After three months we put on to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship wiht the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up,and the following day we reached Puteoli."-verses 11-13
2. "There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers heard that we were coming,and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of thse men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself,with a solider to guard him."-verse 14-16
C. Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard-Acts 28:15-31
1. "Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled,Paul said to them:My brothers,although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans."-verse 17
2. "They examined me and wanted to release me,because I was not gulity of any crime deserving death. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar-not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. For this reason I asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of this hope of Isarel that I am bound with this chain."-verses 18-20
3. "They replied,We have not recieved any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you."-verse 21
4. "But we want to hear what your views are,for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."-verse 22
a. "They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day,and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."-verse 23
b."Some were convinced by what he said,and others would not believe."-verse 24
5. "They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed thier eyes. Otherwise they might see with thier eyes,hear with thier ears,understand with thier hearts and turn,and I would heal them."-verses 25-27
6." Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they wil listen!"-verse 28
7."And when he had said these things,the Jews went away arguing and disputing among themselves."-verse 29
a. "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him."-verse 30
b. "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."-verse 31
*This chapter, Chapter 28 of Acts finishes with the Apostle Paul being under house arrest in Rome for two years. He continued to preach about heaven,and Jesus Christ even while under house arrest!
2. "Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved. So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let if fall away. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. For the last fourteen days,he said,you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food-you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted,they lighted the ship by throwing the grain into the sea."-verses 31-38
3. "When daylight came, they did not recognize the land,but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move,and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. "-verses 39-41
4. "The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety."-verses 42-44
VII. Ashore on Malta -Acts 28:1-10
A. "Once Safely on Shore,we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and,as he put it on the fire,a viper, driven out by the heat,fastened itself to his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand,they said to each other, This man must be a murderer;for those he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."-verses 1-4
1. "But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead,but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him,they changed their minds and said he was a god."-verses 5-6
2. "There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius,the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bead,suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and ,after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this happened, the rest on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sal, they furnished us with the supplies we needed."-verses 7-10
B. Arrival at Rome-Acts 28:11-16
1. "After three months we put on to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship wiht the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up,and the following day we reached Puteoli."-verses 11-13
2. "There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers heard that we were coming,and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of thse men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself,with a solider to guard him."-verse 14-16
C. Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard-Acts 28:15-31
1. "Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled,Paul said to them:My brothers,although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans."-verse 17
2. "They examined me and wanted to release me,because I was not gulity of any crime deserving death. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar-not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. For this reason I asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of this hope of Isarel that I am bound with this chain."-verses 18-20
3. "They replied,We have not recieved any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you."-verse 21
4. "But we want to hear what your views are,for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."-verse 22
a. "They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day,and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."-verse 23
b."Some were convinced by what he said,and others would not believe."-verse 24
5. "They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed thier eyes. Otherwise they might see with thier eyes,hear with thier ears,understand with thier hearts and turn,and I would heal them."-verses 25-27
6." Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they wil listen!"-verse 28
7."And when he had said these things,the Jews went away arguing and disputing among themselves."-verse 29
a. "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him."-verse 30
b. "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."-verse 31
*This chapter, Chapter 28 of Acts finishes with the Apostle Paul being under house arrest in Rome for two years. He continued to preach about heaven,and Jesus Christ even while under house arrest!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Apostle Paul accused of Teaching Things Contrary to the Scripture
I. Apostle Paul
A. Opposition to the Gospel -Acts Chapter 21
1. Paul is accused of wrong doing.
2. He was accused of teaching things contrary to the Scripture.
"When the seven days were nearly over,some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,shouting, Men of Isarel help us! This man teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place..."-verses 27-28a
3. He was accused of foliating the temple with outsiders.
a. "...And besides,he has brought Greeks into the temple are and defiled this place. (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed he had brought him into the temple area.)"-verses 28b-29
b. "The whole city was aroused,and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,they dragged him from the temple,and immediately all the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him,news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jersusalem was in an uproar. "-verses 30-31
c. "He at once took some officials and soliders and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soliders, they stopped beating Paul."-verse 32
B. Paul Arrested
1. "The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with chains. The he asked him who he was and what he had done."-verse 33
2. "Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar,he ordered Paul be taken into the barracks."-verse 34
3. "When Paul reached the steps,the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soliders."-verse 35
a. "The crowd that followed kept shouting,Away with him!"-verse 36
C. Paul's request-"As the soliders were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander,May I say something to you?..."-verse 37a
1. Commanders answer-"...Do you speak Greek? he replied. Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out in the desert some time ago?"-verses 37b-38
2. " Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people. "-verse 39
3. " When he had given him permission, Paul,standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand;and when there was a great hush he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect saying,"-verse 40 (NASB)
D. Paul Defends Himself-Acts 22:1-30
1. "Brothers And Fathers, listen now to my defense." -verse 1
2. "And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect,they became even more quiet and he said,"-verse 2 (NASB)
3. "I am a Jew,born in Tarsus of Cilcia,but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was throughly tarined in the law of our fathes and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished."-verses 3-5
4."About noon as I cam near Damascus,suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, Saul! Saul! Why do you perscute me? Who are you ,Lord? I asked. I am Jesus of Nazereth, whom you are perscuting, he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. What shall I do, Lord ? I asked. Get up, the Lord said,and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, Brother Saul, recieve your sight! And at that very moment I was able to see him."-verses 6-13
E. Paul Continues to Defend Himself & Give His Testimony
1. "The he said:The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard."-verses 14-15
2. "And now what are you waiting for? Get up,be baptized and wash your sins away,calling on his name. When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking Quick! he said to me. Leave Jerusalem immediately,because they will not accept your testimony about me. Lord, I replied, these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you."-verses 16-19
3. "And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him."-verse 20
4. "Then the Lord said to me,Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. "-verse 21
F. Crowd angered & Paul Questioned
1. "The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live! "-verse 22
2. "As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,"-verse 23
3. "the commander ordered Paul to be taken inot the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this."-verse 24
a. "As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there,Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty? "-verse 25
b."When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. What are you going to do? he asked. This man is a Roman citizen."-verse 26
c. "The commander went to Paul and asked, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? Yes, I am, he answered. Then the commander said, I had to pay a big prize for my citizenship. But I was born a citizen, Paul replied. "-verses 27-28
4. "Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized he had put Paul,a Roman citizen in chains."-verse 29
5. "The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them."-verse 30
II. Paul Before the Sanhedrin-Acts Chapter 23:1-10
A. Paul Defends Himself in Front of the Sanhedrin-"Paul Looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."-verse 1
1. "At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth."-verse 2
2. "The 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 commandin that I be struck!"-verse 3
B. Paul corrected by others nearby
1. "Those who were standing near Paul said, you dare to insult God's high priest?"-verse 4
2. "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."-verse 5
C. Paul speaks to the other Jewish leaders & Causes a fight among the leaders
1. "Then Paul knowing that some of them were Sadduceese and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin,My brothers,I am a Pharisee,the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead. "-verse 6
2. "When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees,and the assembly was divided. (The Saducees say there is no resurrection,and that there are neither angels nor spirits,but the Pharisees acknowlege them all.) "-verses 7-8
3. "There was a great uproar,and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigoursly. We find nothing wrong with this man, they said. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"-verse 9
4. "The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force ad bring him into the barracks."-verse 10
5. The Lord speaks to Paul- "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you testified about me in Jerusalem,so you must also testify in Rome."-verse 11
D. Jews plot to kill Paul-Acts 23:12-22
1. "The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath no to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot."-verses 12-13
2. "They went to the chief priests and elders and said,We have taken a solemn oath not eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."-verse 14-15
a. Paul warned about the threat.-"But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul."-verse 16
b. "The Paul called one the centurions and said, Take this young man to the commander;he has something to tell him. So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, Paul the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you. The commander took the young man by the hand drew him aside and asked, What is it you want to tell me? He said: The Jews have agreed to aske you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for consent to thier request."-verses 17-21
c."The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."-verse 22
E. Paul transferred to Caesara _Acts 23:23-35
1. "Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, Get ready a detachment of two hundred soliders, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight."-verse 23
2. "Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."-verse 24
3. "He wrote a letter as follows: Claudius Lysias, To His Exllency, Governor Felix:Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I cam with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to thier Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about thier law ,but their was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you thier case against him. "-verse 25-30
4. "So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. The next day they let the calvary go on with him,while they returned to the barracks. When the calvary arrived in Casearea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. "-verse 31-33
5. "The governor read the Letter and asked which province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will hear your case when your accusers get here. Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace."-verse 34
III. Paul's Trial Before Felix-Acts Chapter 24
A. He is unjustly accused once again-"Five days later the high priest Anaias went down to Casearea with some of the elders and a lawyer naded Tertullus, and they brought thier charges against Paul before the governor."-verse 1
1. "When Paul was called in, Tertullus prsented his case before Felix:We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you,and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. Everywhere and in every way, most execellent Felix, we acknowledge this with gratitude, But in order not to be weary you further,I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly."-verse 2-4
2. "We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots amomg the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazerene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple;so we seized him. By examing him yourself you will learn the truth about all thse charges we are bringing against him. The Jews joined in the accusation,asserting that these things were true."-verses 5-9
B. Paul Defends Himself
1. "When the governor motioned for him ot speak, Paul replied: I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation;so I gladly make my defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me."-verse 10-13
2. "However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men,that there will be resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I Strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple coursts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any distrubance. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. Or thse who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin-unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their prescence:It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today."-verses 14-21
C.Felix dismisses the Trial for awhile & Paul Witnesses to Him
1. "Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. When Lysias the commander comes, he said, I will decide your case."-verse 22
2. "He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but ot give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs."-verse 23
a. "Several days later Felix came wiht his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about his faith in Chirst Jesus."-verse 24
b."As Paul discoursed on righteousness,self-control and the judgment to come,Felix was afraid and said, That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient,I will send for you."-verse 25
c. "At the sametime he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe,so he sent for him frequently and talked with him."-verse 26
d. "When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison."-verse 27
IV. Paul 's Trial Before Festus-Acts Chapter 25
A. "Three days after arriving in the province,Festus went up from Ceasarea to Jerusalem,where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul."-verses 1-2
1. "They urgently requested Festus,as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem,fo rthey were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way."-verse 3
2. "Festus answered, Paul is bing held at Ceasarea,and I myself am going there soon. Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong."-verse 4-5
3. "After spending eight or ten days with them,he went down to Casearea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Pual be brought before him. When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove."-verses 6-7
4. "Then Paul made his defense:I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. "-verse 8
5. "Festus,wishing to do the Jews a favor,said to Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges? Paul answered:Iam now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought agsinst me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them, I appeal to Caesar!"-verses 9-11
a. "After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared,You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"-verse 12
b."A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caseara to pay their respects to Festus. Since they were spending many days there,Festus discussed Paul's case wiht the king. He said: There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. I told them that it is not Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had any opportunity to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me,I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead , they had some poijts of dispute with him about thier own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at loss how to investigate such matters;so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear this man myself. He replied, Tomorrow you will hear him."-verses 13-22
B. Paul Before King Agrippa
1. "The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. Festus said:King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea,shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa,so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write."-verses 23-26
2."For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."-verse 27
3. Acts Chapter 26
a. "Then Agrippa said to Paul, You have permission to speak for yourself. So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,and especially because you are well acquainted with the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore,I beg you to listen to me patiently."-verses 1-3
b. "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever sine I was a child,from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king,it is because of this hope the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison,and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many time I went from on synagogue to another to have them punished, and tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I went to foreign cities to persecute them. On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon,O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven,brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. "-verses 4-13
c. "And when we had all fallen to the ground I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul,Saul,why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads."-verse 14 (NASB)
"d. Then I asked,who are you,Lord? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,the Lord replied. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."-verses 15-18
e. "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus,then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God's help to this very day,and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-that the Christ would suffer and,as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."-verses19- 23
4. Festus rudely barges into the conversation.-"At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. You are out of your mind,Paul! he shouted. Your great learning is driving you insane."-verse 24
a. "I am not insane,most excellent Festus, Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable."-verse 25
b. "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."-verse 26
5. Paul's continues his testimony where he left off. -"King Agrippa,do you believe the prophets? I know you do."-verse 27
a. King Agrippa's response "Then Agrippa said to Paul,do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"- verse 28
b. "Paul replied,Short time or long-I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am,except for these chains."-verse 29
c. "The King rose,and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. They left the room,and while talking with one another,they said, This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment. Agrippa said to Festus,This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."-verse 30-32
VI. Paul Sails for Rome-Acts 27:1-12
A. "When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment."-verse 1
1. "We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica,was with us."-verse 2
2." The next day we landed at Sidon;and Julius,in kindness to Paul allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs."-verses 3
3. "From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the cost with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. "-verses 4-8
4. "Much time had been lost,and sailing had already become dangerous because not it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. But the centurion,instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in,the majority decided that we would sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest."verses 9-12
B. The Storm-Acts 27:13-26
1 . "When a gentle south wind began to blow,they thought they had obtained what they wanted;so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,called the northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island named Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men hoisted it aboard,they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis,they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. "-verses 13-18
2. "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 the storm continued raging,we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood before them and said:Men, you should have taken my advice from Crete;then you would have spared yourselves from this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood before me and said,Do not be afraid,Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. "-verses 19-24
3. "So keep up your courage men,for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless,we must run aground on some island."-verses 25-26
VII. The Shipwreck-Acts 27:27-42
A. "On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea,when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundlings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundlings again and found it was ninety feet deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks,they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
A. Opposition to the Gospel -Acts Chapter 21
1. Paul is accused of wrong doing.
2. He was accused of teaching things contrary to the Scripture.
"When the seven days were nearly over,some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,shouting, Men of Isarel help us! This man teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place..."-verses 27-28a
3. He was accused of foliating the temple with outsiders.
a. "...And besides,he has brought Greeks into the temple are and defiled this place. (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed he had brought him into the temple area.)"-verses 28b-29
b. "The whole city was aroused,and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,they dragged him from the temple,and immediately all the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him,news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jersusalem was in an uproar. "-verses 30-31
c. "He at once took some officials and soliders and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soliders, they stopped beating Paul."-verse 32
B. Paul Arrested
1. "The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with chains. The he asked him who he was and what he had done."-verse 33
2. "Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar,he ordered Paul be taken into the barracks."-verse 34
3. "When Paul reached the steps,the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soliders."-verse 35
a. "The crowd that followed kept shouting,Away with him!"-verse 36
C. Paul's request-"As the soliders were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander,May I say something to you?..."-verse 37a
1. Commanders answer-"...Do you speak Greek? he replied. Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out in the desert some time ago?"-verses 37b-38
2. " Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people. "-verse 39
3. " When he had given him permission, Paul,standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand;and when there was a great hush he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect saying,"-verse 40 (NASB)
D. Paul Defends Himself-Acts 22:1-30
1. "Brothers And Fathers, listen now to my defense." -verse 1
2. "And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect,they became even more quiet and he said,"-verse 2 (NASB)
3. "I am a Jew,born in Tarsus of Cilcia,but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was throughly tarined in the law of our fathes and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished."-verses 3-5
4."About noon as I cam near Damascus,suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, Saul! Saul! Why do you perscute me? Who are you ,Lord? I asked. I am Jesus of Nazereth, whom you are perscuting, he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. What shall I do, Lord ? I asked. Get up, the Lord said,and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. My companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, Brother Saul, recieve your sight! And at that very moment I was able to see him."-verses 6-13
E. Paul Continues to Defend Himself & Give His Testimony
1. "The he said:The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard."-verses 14-15
2. "And now what are you waiting for? Get up,be baptized and wash your sins away,calling on his name. When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking Quick! he said to me. Leave Jerusalem immediately,because they will not accept your testimony about me. Lord, I replied, these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you."-verses 16-19
3. "And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him."-verse 20
4. "Then the Lord said to me,Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. "-verse 21
F. Crowd angered & Paul Questioned
1. "The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live! "-verse 22
2. "As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,"-verse 23
3. "the commander ordered Paul to be taken inot the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this."-verse 24
a. "As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there,Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty? "-verse 25
b."When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. What are you going to do? he asked. This man is a Roman citizen."-verse 26
c. "The commander went to Paul and asked, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? Yes, I am, he answered. Then the commander said, I had to pay a big prize for my citizenship. But I was born a citizen, Paul replied. "-verses 27-28
4. "Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized he had put Paul,a Roman citizen in chains."-verse 29
5. "The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them."-verse 30
II. Paul Before the Sanhedrin-Acts Chapter 23:1-10
A. Paul Defends Himself in Front of the Sanhedrin-"Paul Looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."-verse 1
1. "At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth."-verse 2
2. "The 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 commandin that I be struck!"-verse 3
B. Paul corrected by others nearby
1. "Those who were standing near Paul said, you dare to insult God's high priest?"-verse 4
2. "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."-verse 5
C. Paul speaks to the other Jewish leaders & Causes a fight among the leaders
1. "Then Paul knowing that some of them were Sadduceese and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin,My brothers,I am a Pharisee,the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead. "-verse 6
2. "When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees,and the assembly was divided. (The Saducees say there is no resurrection,and that there are neither angels nor spirits,but the Pharisees acknowlege them all.) "-verses 7-8
3. "There was a great uproar,and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigoursly. We find nothing wrong with this man, they said. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"-verse 9
4. "The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force ad bring him into the barracks."-verse 10
5. The Lord speaks to Paul- "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you testified about me in Jerusalem,so you must also testify in Rome."-verse 11
D. Jews plot to kill Paul-Acts 23:12-22
1. "The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath no to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot."-verses 12-13
2. "They went to the chief priests and elders and said,We have taken a solemn oath not eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."-verse 14-15
a. Paul warned about the threat.-"But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul."-verse 16
b. "The Paul called one the centurions and said, Take this young man to the commander;he has something to tell him. So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, Paul the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you. The commander took the young man by the hand drew him aside and asked, What is it you want to tell me? He said: The Jews have agreed to aske you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for consent to thier request."-verses 17-21
c."The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."-verse 22
E. Paul transferred to Caesara _Acts 23:23-35
1. "Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, Get ready a detachment of two hundred soliders, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight."-verse 23
2. "Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."-verse 24
3. "He wrote a letter as follows: Claudius Lysias, To His Exllency, Governor Felix:Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I cam with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to thier Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about thier law ,but their was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you thier case against him. "-verse 25-30
4. "So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. The next day they let the calvary go on with him,while they returned to the barracks. When the calvary arrived in Casearea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. "-verse 31-33
5. "The governor read the Letter and asked which province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will hear your case when your accusers get here. Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace."-verse 34
III. Paul's Trial Before Felix-Acts Chapter 24
A. He is unjustly accused once again-"Five days later the high priest Anaias went down to Casearea with some of the elders and a lawyer naded Tertullus, and they brought thier charges against Paul before the governor."-verse 1
1. "When Paul was called in, Tertullus prsented his case before Felix:We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you,and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. Everywhere and in every way, most execellent Felix, we acknowledge this with gratitude, But in order not to be weary you further,I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly."-verse 2-4
2. "We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots amomg the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazerene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple;so we seized him. By examing him yourself you will learn the truth about all thse charges we are bringing against him. The Jews joined in the accusation,asserting that these things were true."-verses 5-9
B. Paul Defends Himself
1. "When the governor motioned for him ot speak, Paul replied: I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation;so I gladly make my defense. You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me."-verse 10-13
2. "However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men,that there will be resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I Strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple coursts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any distrubance. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. Or thse who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin-unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their prescence:It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today."-verses 14-21
C.Felix dismisses the Trial for awhile & Paul Witnesses to Him
1. "Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. When Lysias the commander comes, he said, I will decide your case."-verse 22
2. "He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but ot give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs."-verse 23
a. "Several days later Felix came wiht his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about his faith in Chirst Jesus."-verse 24
b."As Paul discoursed on righteousness,self-control and the judgment to come,Felix was afraid and said, That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient,I will send for you."-verse 25
c. "At the sametime he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe,so he sent for him frequently and talked with him."-verse 26
d. "When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison."-verse 27
IV. Paul 's Trial Before Festus-Acts Chapter 25
A. "Three days after arriving in the province,Festus went up from Ceasarea to Jerusalem,where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul."-verses 1-2
1. "They urgently requested Festus,as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem,fo rthey were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way."-verse 3
2. "Festus answered, Paul is bing held at Ceasarea,and I myself am going there soon. Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong."-verse 4-5
3. "After spending eight or ten days with them,he went down to Casearea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Pual be brought before him. When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove."-verses 6-7
4. "Then Paul made his defense:I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. "-verse 8
5. "Festus,wishing to do the Jews a favor,said to Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges? Paul answered:Iam now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought agsinst me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them, I appeal to Caesar!"-verses 9-11
a. "After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared,You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"-verse 12
b."A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caseara to pay their respects to Festus. Since they were spending many days there,Festus discussed Paul's case wiht the king. He said: There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. I told them that it is not Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had any opportunity to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me,I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead , they had some poijts of dispute with him about thier own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at loss how to investigate such matters;so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear this man myself. He replied, Tomorrow you will hear him."-verses 13-22
B. Paul Before King Agrippa
1. "The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. Festus said:King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea,shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa,so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write."-verses 23-26
2."For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."-verse 27
3. Acts Chapter 26
a. "Then Agrippa said to Paul, You have permission to speak for yourself. So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,and especially because you are well acquainted with the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore,I beg you to listen to me patiently."-verses 1-3
b. "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever sine I was a child,from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king,it is because of this hope the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison,and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many time I went from on synagogue to another to have them punished, and tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I went to foreign cities to persecute them. On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon,O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven,brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. "-verses 4-13
c. "And when we had all fallen to the ground I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, Saul,Saul,why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads."-verse 14 (NASB)
"d. Then I asked,who are you,Lord? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,the Lord replied. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."-verses 15-18
e. "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus,then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But I have had God's help to this very day,and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-that the Christ would suffer and,as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."-verses19- 23
4. Festus rudely barges into the conversation.-"At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. You are out of your mind,Paul! he shouted. Your great learning is driving you insane."-verse 24
a. "I am not insane,most excellent Festus, Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable."-verse 25
b. "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."-verse 26
5. Paul's continues his testimony where he left off. -"King Agrippa,do you believe the prophets? I know you do."-verse 27
a. King Agrippa's response "Then Agrippa said to Paul,do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"- verse 28
b. "Paul replied,Short time or long-I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am,except for these chains."-verse 29
c. "The King rose,and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. They left the room,and while talking with one another,they said, This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment. Agrippa said to Festus,This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."-verse 30-32
VI. Paul Sails for Rome-Acts 27:1-12
A. "When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment."-verse 1
1. "We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica,was with us."-verse 2
2." The next day we landed at Sidon;and Julius,in kindness to Paul allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs."-verses 3
3. "From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the cost with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. "-verses 4-8
4. "Much time had been lost,and sailing had already become dangerous because not it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. But the centurion,instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in,the majority decided that we would sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest."verses 9-12
B. The Storm-Acts 27:13-26
1 . "When a gentle south wind began to blow,they thought they had obtained what they wanted;so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,called the northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island named Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men hoisted it aboard,they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis,they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. "-verses 13-18
2. "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 the storm continued raging,we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood before them and said:Men, you should have taken my advice from Crete;then you would have spared yourselves from this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood before me and said,Do not be afraid,Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. "-verses 19-24
3. "So keep up your courage men,for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless,we must run aground on some island."-verses 25-26
VII. The Shipwreck-Acts 27:27-42
A. "On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea,when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundlings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundlings again and found it was ninety feet deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks,they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Stephen: Accused of Telling Lies about God & Becomes the First Matryr for the cause Christ
I. Stephen
A. In Acts Chapter 6
1. Appointed as one of seven men by the disciples
"...They chose Stephen,a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;also,Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. "-verse 5
"They presented them to the apostles, who prayed and laid laid their hands on them."-verse 6
2. "Now, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power,did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."-verse 8
This is something God allowed him to do to bring about his glory.
B. Opposition to Stephen , & Trial Begins
1. "Opposition arose,however,from the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen,(as it was called)-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men begin to argue with Stephen,"-verse 9
2. "but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke."-verse 10
a. "Then they secretly persuaded some men to say,We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."-verse 11
*They convinced some people to tell lies about Stephen-to falsely accuse him of wrong doing
b. "So they stirred up the people and elders and the teachers of the law.."-verse 12a
3. "...They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin."-verse 12b
*They arrested him for no reason.
4. " They produced false witnesses ,who testified, This fellow never stops speaking against the holy place and against the law. "-verse 13
a. false accusing continues
"For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."-verse 14
b. "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen,and they saw his face was like the face of an angel."-verse 15
* His face was shiny/glowing.
II.Stephen's trial continues -Acts Chapter 7:1-60
A. Questioned by the high priest
1. "Then the high priest asked him,Are these charges true?"-verse 1
2. Stephen responses with a sermon
"To this he replied,Brothers and fathers,listen to me! The glory of God appeared to our Father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia,before he lived in Haran. Leave your country and your people, God said,and go the land I will show you. So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave them no inheritance there not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would posess the land,even though at the time Abraham had no child."-verses 2-5
3. Stephen's sermon continues
a. "God spoke to him in this way:Your descendants will be stangers in a country not thier own,and they will enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, God said,and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me at this place. Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Issac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Issac became the father of Jacob and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. Because these patriarchs were jealous of Joseph ,they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharoah king of Egypt;so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canan, bringing great suffering,and our fathers could not find food. When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt ,he sent our fathers on thier first visit."-verses 6-12
b. "On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. After this Joseph,sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,seventy-five in all. The Jacob went down to Egypt,where he and our fathers died. Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a ceratin amount of money. As this time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham,the number in Egypt greatly increased. Then another king, who knew nothing about Jospeh,became ruler of Egypt. He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out thier newborn babies so that they would die. "-verse 13-19
c. "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. When he was placed outside,Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelities. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian,so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them,but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelities that were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, Men you are brothers;why do you want to hurt each other? But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? When Moses heard this,he fled to Midian,where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. After forty years had passed,and angel appeared to Moses in the flames of the burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this,he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: I am the God of your fathers,the God of Issac and Jacob. Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Then, the Lord said to him. Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt. This same Moses whom they had rejected with thier words,who made you ruler and judge? He was sent to be thier ruler and delieverer by God himself, led through the ange; who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert."-verse 20-36
d. "This is that Moses who told the Isarelities,God will send you a prophet like me frorm your own people. He was in the assembly in the desert,with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Siani,and with our fathers;and he received living words to pass on to us. But our fathers refused to obey him and in their hearts to back in Egypt. They told Aaron, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt-we don't know what happened to him! That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what thier hands had made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of heavenly bodies. This agrees with what was written in the book of the prophets: Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Isarel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan,the idols you made to worship. Therefore I willsend you into exil beyond Babylon. Our forefathers had the tabernacle
of the testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses,according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him. However the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool, What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord,or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand maded all these things? You stiff- necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers:You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-you who have recieved the law that was put into effect thorugh angels but have not obeyed it."-verses 21-53
B. Their Response to Stephen's Sermon
1. "When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him."-verse 54
a. Stephen's response - "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,looked up at heaven and saw the glory of God,and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." -verse 55
b. "Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."-verse 56
2. Their reponse-worldy,ungodly,and wrong
a. "At this they covered thier ears and yelling at the top of thier voices, they all rushed at him,"-verse 57
b. "dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid thier clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul."-verse 58
3. Stephen's last reponse and death/martyred for cause of Christ
a. "When they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus,recieve my spirit. "-verse 59
b. "Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord,do not hold this sin against them..."-verse 60a
c. "When he had said this,he fell asleep."-verse 60b -He died.
A. In Acts Chapter 6
1. Appointed as one of seven men by the disciples
"...They chose Stephen,a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;also,Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. "-verse 5
"They presented them to the apostles, who prayed and laid laid their hands on them."-verse 6
2. "Now, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power,did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."-verse 8
This is something God allowed him to do to bring about his glory.
B. Opposition to Stephen , & Trial Begins
1. "Opposition arose,however,from the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen,(as it was called)-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men begin to argue with Stephen,"-verse 9
2. "but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke."-verse 10
a. "Then they secretly persuaded some men to say,We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."-verse 11
*They convinced some people to tell lies about Stephen-to falsely accuse him of wrong doing
b. "So they stirred up the people and elders and the teachers of the law.."-verse 12a
3. "...They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin."-verse 12b
*They arrested him for no reason.
4. " They produced false witnesses ,who testified, This fellow never stops speaking against the holy place and against the law. "-verse 13
a. false accusing continues
"For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."-verse 14
b. "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen,and they saw his face was like the face of an angel."-verse 15
* His face was shiny/glowing.
II.Stephen's trial continues -Acts Chapter 7:1-60
A. Questioned by the high priest
1. "Then the high priest asked him,Are these charges true?"-verse 1
2. Stephen responses with a sermon
"To this he replied,Brothers and fathers,listen to me! The glory of God appeared to our Father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia,before he lived in Haran. Leave your country and your people, God said,and go the land I will show you. So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave them no inheritance there not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would posess the land,even though at the time Abraham had no child."-verses 2-5
3. Stephen's sermon continues
a. "God spoke to him in this way:Your descendants will be stangers in a country not thier own,and they will enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, God said,and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me at this place. Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Issac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Issac became the father of Jacob and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. Because these patriarchs were jealous of Joseph ,they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharoah king of Egypt;so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canan, bringing great suffering,and our fathers could not find food. When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt ,he sent our fathers on thier first visit."-verses 6-12
b. "On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. After this Joseph,sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,seventy-five in all. The Jacob went down to Egypt,where he and our fathers died. Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a ceratin amount of money. As this time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham,the number in Egypt greatly increased. Then another king, who knew nothing about Jospeh,became ruler of Egypt. He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out thier newborn babies so that they would die. "-verse 13-19
c. "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. When he was placed outside,Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelities. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian,so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them,but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelities that were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, Men you are brothers;why do you want to hurt each other? But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? When Moses heard this,he fled to Midian,where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. After forty years had passed,and angel appeared to Moses in the flames of the burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this,he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: I am the God of your fathers,the God of Issac and Jacob. Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Then, the Lord said to him. Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt. This same Moses whom they had rejected with thier words,who made you ruler and judge? He was sent to be thier ruler and delieverer by God himself, led through the ange; who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert."-verse 20-36
d. "This is that Moses who told the Isarelities,God will send you a prophet like me frorm your own people. He was in the assembly in the desert,with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Siani,and with our fathers;and he received living words to pass on to us. But our fathers refused to obey him and in their hearts to back in Egypt. They told Aaron, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt-we don't know what happened to him! That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what thier hands had made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of heavenly bodies. This agrees with what was written in the book of the prophets: Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Isarel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan,the idols you made to worship. Therefore I willsend you into exil beyond Babylon. Our forefathers had the tabernacle
of the testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses,according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him. However the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool, What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord,or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand maded all these things? You stiff- necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers:You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-you who have recieved the law that was put into effect thorugh angels but have not obeyed it."-verses 21-53
B. Their Response to Stephen's Sermon
1. "When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him."-verse 54
a. Stephen's response - "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,looked up at heaven and saw the glory of God,and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." -verse 55
b. "Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."-verse 56
2. Their reponse-worldy,ungodly,and wrong
a. "At this they covered thier ears and yelling at the top of thier voices, they all rushed at him,"-verse 57
b. "dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid thier clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul."-verse 58
3. Stephen's last reponse and death/martyred for cause of Christ
a. "When they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus,recieve my spirit. "-verse 59
b. "Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord,do not hold this sin against them..."-verse 60a
c. "When he had said this,he fell asleep."-verse 60b -He died.
Christopher Columbus Was Framed
I. Christopher Columbus
A. Real Facts
1. Borrowed ships from King and Queen of Spain in the past
2. He discovered land that he named El Salvador.
a. El Salvador-Spanish for "The Savior."
b. Great Explorer
B. Falsely Accused of Slavery,Murder, and Theft
1. By who?
a. Liberals who do not want to believe anything decent about anyone.
b. School Children who are brainwashed into believing lies about him.
2. Result
a. Holiday called "Columbus Day" celebrated by 22 states out of 50 states.
b. Postal workers have the day off, some school children have the day off,and others still have to attend school,and work.
c. Some people think he was a bad person.
d. Others believe the truth about him.
II. Christopher Columbus was Never...
A. Arrested by authorities
B. Never put on trial for treason
C. Liberals want to thank bad about him,and say bad things about him because...
1. They can not thank of a better way to spend their time.
2. They do not like what he called El Salvador because he gave it a name after the Real True God.
3. They hate godliness,and God himself.
4. They enjoy making a mockery of Christians,and teaching watered down history, which is not "real history at all."
A. Real Facts
1. Borrowed ships from King and Queen of Spain in the past
2. He discovered land that he named El Salvador.
a. El Salvador-Spanish for "The Savior."
b. Great Explorer
B. Falsely Accused of Slavery,Murder, and Theft
1. By who?
a. Liberals who do not want to believe anything decent about anyone.
b. School Children who are brainwashed into believing lies about him.
2. Result
a. Holiday called "Columbus Day" celebrated by 22 states out of 50 states.
b. Postal workers have the day off, some school children have the day off,and others still have to attend school,and work.
c. Some people think he was a bad person.
d. Others believe the truth about him.
II. Christopher Columbus was Never...
A. Arrested by authorities
B. Never put on trial for treason
C. Liberals want to thank bad about him,and say bad things about him because...
1. They can not thank of a better way to spend their time.
2. They do not like what he called El Salvador because he gave it a name after the Real True God.
3. They hate godliness,and God himself.
4. They enjoy making a mockery of Christians,and teaching watered down history, which is not "real history at all."
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