Sunday 1St November 2020 – Acts 23

Sunday 1st November 2020 – Acts 23

Welcome back everyone.

We are going to continue with Paul’s journeys through the book of Acts and this week we are looking at Chapter 23.

You may remember that Paul is in Jerusalem and last week we heard how he spoke to the people about who he was and how he used to be Saul, had seen a bright light on the road to Damascus, heard the voice of Jesus and became blind. Ananias, with Gods power helped him see again. After his miraculous conversion he was now known as Paul. He had been taken by the soldiers to the commander, where he had to admit he was a Roman Citizen, so that they wouldn’t beat him.

The commander took Paul’s chains off and asked the Jewish leaders why they were accusing him.

We then pick up the story in Chapter 23. Paul declared to the leaders that he had lived a good life before God, up to this point. Ananias, the great High Priest, (which is not the same Ananias as before when Paul was healed of blindness) told the men standing beside him to hit him on the mouth. Paul said to the High Priest, “God will hit you too! You are like a dirty wall that has been painted white. You use the Law of Moses to judge me, but you are telling them to hit me, which is against the law!”

The men beside Paul said, “You can’t say that to God’s High Priest! You are insulting him!” Paul said that he didn’t realise he was the High Priest and it says in scripture that you must not curse a leader of your people.

Paul explained that he was on trial because he hoped that people would rise from death. This started a major argument between the Sadducees and Pharisees over what happens after death.

The commander feared for Paul’s life so had him taken away to the army barracks. The next night, the Lord came and stood by Paul and told him to be brave. He said, “You have told the people of Jerusalem about me, now you must do the same in Rome.” I wonder how Paul felt at this moment. I wonder if he felt slightly scared, especially after what had just happened. How would you feel? Paul knew his mission in life was to tell others about Jesus and he had great faith in God to help him do this. So, I wonder if he was also a bit excited too? It’s a bit like the feeling you get when you wind up a Jack in the Box. You know the lid is going to open and he jumps out, but you don’t know when. The anticipation is a bit of fear and excitement at the same time!! Similar to when you open up a Christmas present. You don’t know what is inside. So, I wonder if Paul felt a bit like that?

Now more than 40 Jews had made a plan to kill Paul. They decided not to eat or drink until he was killed. They told the leading priests this fact and asked them to bring Paul out as if

they wanted to ask him more questions, then they would kill him. Paul’s nephew overheard this plan and ran to warn Paul.

Paul asked one of the officers to take this young man to the commander as he had something to tell him. Paul’s nephew was taken to the commander and he told him everything about the ambush and how they needed the commander to agree. He sent the young man away having made him agree not to tell anyone else.

He ordered 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 with spears to gather together and leave at 9 o’clock that night. Paul needed to ride on horses too as he needed to get to Governor Felix safely. The commander wrote a letter to Felix stating that Paul was a Roman citizen and needed protected from these Jews who were plotting to kill him.

So that night Paul started his journey, with these soldiers to Antipatris then onto Caesarea. He was delivered safely to Felix. Felix wanted to wait to hear the case of those who were against Paul. He had Paul kept under guard at the palace.

You will need to come back next week to see if these Jews win their case against Paul. I wonder what will happen next!!

QUIZ

Q 1 Which city did we start todays story? JERUSALEM

Q2 What was the name of the Great High Priest? ANANIAS

Q3 What did Paul describe him as? A DIRTY WALL PAINTED WHITE

Q4 Who was the major argument between? THE SADDUCEES AND THE PHARISEES

Q5 Where did God say Paul needed to go next to tell the people about Jesus? ROME

Q6 How many Jews plotted to kill Paul? MORE THAN 40

Q7 How many soldiers and horsemen were there to go with Paul to Caesarea? 200 SOLDIERS, 70 HORSEMEN AND 200 WITH SPEARS- THAT’S 470 MEN IN ALL!!

Q8 What was the name of the governor? FELIX

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ANANIAS DAMASCUS PREACHING APOSTLE EPISTLES ROMAN CITIZEN ARRESTED GALATIA ROME ATHENS GENTILES SAUL BAPTISED IMPRISONED SERVANT OF CHRIST BARNABAS JERUSALEM SHIPWRECK BLINDED LETTERS SILAS CHURCH LIGHT TARSUS CONVERTED MISSIONARY JOURNEY THESSALONICA CORINTH PAUL TIMOTHY Solution

Find your way to the center of the maze and claim the sword.

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Find your way to the center of the maze and claim the sword.

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GOD’S WORD