Posts

Bible Study (Acts 25:13-27) – Wednesday February 5, 2025

Sometime after Paul appealed to Caesar in Festus’ court, Festus was visited in Caesarea by King Agrippa and Bernice (Agrippa’s sister). As they had an extended stay, Festus decided to share Paul’s legal case with them, seeking Agrippa’s input. Festus explained how the Jewish chief priests and elders had approached him in Jerusalem, seeking Paul’s condemnation. He rebuffed them, inviting them to formally accuse Paul in his court at Caesarea and with Paul able to defend himself. They accepted Festus’ offer; and when they arrived in Caesarea, Festus immediately held Paul’s trial. Festus claimed surprise at the charges levied against…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 24:24 – 25:12) – Wednesday November 20, 2024

Felix sent for Paul to appear before him again as Felix was accompanied by his wife Drusilla (a Jewess). Paul used this opportunity to speak about faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s reasoning on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment alarmed Felix, to the extent that he sent Paul away. Throughout his encounters with Paul, he was hoping Paul would give him money to be released from prison (which Paul refused to do). And so, Paul stayed in prison for 2 more years under Felix. Felix was then replaced as procurator by Festus, and Felix left Paul to languish in prison.…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 24:1 – 23) – Wednesday November 13, 2024

After Felix deferred trying Paul’s case until any accusers arrived, Ananias, some elders, and a hired legal advocate named Tertullus showed up in Caesarea to present their case against Paul. Paul was summoned before the court, and Tertullus began by flattering Felix. Following his praise of Felix, he accused Paul of being a plague, an insurrectionist, a ringleader of the Nazarenes, and a profaner of the Jewish temple: a host of serious charges! All the Jews in the accusing entourage heartily agreed, asserting everything Tertullus had stated was true. Felix then nodded over to Paul to make his defense. While…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 23:12 – 35) – Wednesday November 6, 2024

The day after the Lord appeared to Paul with words of great encouragement, some of the more fanatical Jews developed a plot to kill Paul, binding themselves by an oath before God that they would not eat or drink until Paul was dead. This large group of conspirators actually shared their evil plan with the chief priests and the elders and asked these Sanhedrin members to help lure Paul back into the council meeting area so that they could lie in wait for him to kill him. Paul’s nephew heard of their ambush and immediately revealed this sinister plan to…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 22:30 – 23:11) – Wednesday October 30, 2024

The day after the tribune discovered Paul’s citizenship, he unbound him and commanded the Sanhedrin to convene in order to ascertain the real reason why the Jews were accusing Paul. Standing before the council, Paul declared that he had lived his life “before God in all good conscience up to this day” (Acts 23:2). Enraged by Paul’s statement, the high priest Ananias commanded for Paul to be slapped across the face. Paul responded quite forcefully (and perhaps prophetically), emphatically telling Ananias that God would strike him. Paul was indignantly outraged that Ananias could sit in judgment as God’s representative and…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 22:17 – 29) – Wednesday October 23, 2024

Paul continued testifying to the angry mob at the temple fortress steps. He had already shared how Jesus had transformed his heart. Sometime after that, Paul returned to Jerusalem. As he was praying in the temple, Paul fell into a trance. In his trancelike state, Jesus told Paul to quickly and urgently flee from Jerusalem because the Jews would not accept Paul’s testimony about Jesus. Paul affirmed such an awareness of this reality that he possessed, recounting how the Jews were well aware of how viciously he had persecuted Christians and how he had enthusiastically consented to Stephen’s death by…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 21:37 – 22:16) – Wednesday October 16, 2024

As Roman soldiers were escorting the shackled Paul to the barracks, he courteously inquired of the tribune whether he might be permitted a word. His fluent Greek made the tribune realize his mistake; he had mistaken Paul for a fugitive Egyptian who had previously incited the Assassins to rebel against the Romans in Jerusalem. Paul clarified that he was not this Egyptian but rather a Jew from the distinguished city of Tarsus in Cilicia. He then requested to address the incensed crowd. The tribune agreed, and Paul started speaking to the people in Aramaic. Paul’s purpose in addressing the people…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 21:27-36) – Wednesday October 9, 2024

Near the conclusion of Paul’s personal purification and the 4 Nazirites’ purification sponsored by Paul, unbelieving Jews from Asia saw Paul in the inner court of the temple and immediately stirred up the thronging temple crowd into confusion. They seized Paul, crying out for help from their countrymen. They accused Paul of being antisemitic, antinomian, and even anti-God. But the most serious charge levied was their presumption that he had brought Trophimus the Ephesian into the temple, an act which would have cost Trophimus his life. Their false accusations accomplished their intended effect, as the people of Jerusalem began to…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 21:15-26) – Wednesday October 2, 2024

After spending considerable time at Philip the Evangelist’s house in Caesarea, Paul and his traveling companions saddled their horses and prepared for the final leg of their journey to Jerusalem. Mnason of Cyprus provided their lodging. When they arrived in Jerusalem, these travelers were received with great joy by the Jerusalem church. The very next day, Paul, Luke, and the other Gentile travelers met with James and all the elders of the Jerusalem church. First, Paul gave a lengthy report of all that God had done among the Gentiles throughout his missionary journey. The elders responded with enthusiastic praise to…

Continue Reading

Bible Study (Acts 21:1-14) – Wednesday September 25, 2024

Following his emotional address to the Ephesians elders, Paul and his traveling companions left Miletus, sailing through Cos, Rhodes, and Patara, ultimately traveling past Cyprus to Tyre in Syria. The men stayed in Tyre for 7 days as the ship unloaded cargo, and they sought out other Christians in this place for discipleship and fellowship. These disciples there were urging Paul not to continue on to Jerusalem. But at the end of these 7 days, all the Tyrian believers (including wives and children), accompanied Paul and his companions outside the city and knelt together at the beach in a time…

Continue Reading