ALL OVER AGAIN
Opening Prayer
Lover of my soul, open my eyes to see Your goodness and glory.
Read Acts 26:1b–18
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘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 and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Footnotes:
a Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What do you think is the central truth of the Gospel?The opposition to Paul was ferocious. It’s already been more than two years since he came to Jerusalem and had to be removed to Caesarea by the Romans for his own safety. He’s been tried and kept in prison with a few privileges (24:23). And now with the coming of a new governor it has started all over again. Could they not just let him and the other believers live in peace?
Not surprisingly, Paul as much as anyone was able to understand the thinking of the opposition. Before his conversion he had stood in their shoes. He knew all about persecuting Christians (9). His fixation had taken him to the limits (11). And then Christ appeared to him and gave him a new obsession (17,18).
Paul knew that the central issue was the resurrection (8; 23:6). In his view that was why he was on trial. Sadly, the most hopeful thing had become the most divisive thing. For Paul, however, the resurrection was not a matter of opinion or argument. He had met the risen Christ (15; 1 Cor. 15:8)!
Apply
Meditate on the Gospel’s importance in your life. How would other people know how much it matters to you? Does your life reflect Christ’s life? What might need to change? Choose to take the first step.
Closing prayer
Lord, I pray that You will reveal Yourself to those who do not know You today.
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