PAUL'S DEFENSE II

PAUL'S DEFENSE II

Passage: Acts 22:17~29   

Keyverse: 21

1. Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles (17-21)

Paul was speaking to the crowd after his arrest, giving his testimony of when he met the Risen Jesus. After he received his sight, he went to Jerusalem to the temple to pray. There he fell into a trance, and the Lord told him to leave Jerusalem as the Jews would not accept his testimony. Paul argued that his past life as persecutor of the church would give his testimony more weight. But the Lord had other plans for him. He would send him far away to the Gentiles.

2. Paul, the Roman citizen (22-29)

When Paul quoted these words of the Lord, the crowd went crazy. They wanted to start a riot and kill Paul. The commander was confused as to why the crowd would react like this and wanted to have Paul flogged to find out why. As they were about the flog him, Paul asked if it was legal to flog a Roman citizen. This alarmed the commander and he withdrew immediately. Paul was using his Roman citizenship as a way to get to Rome to preach the gospel there.

Prayer: Father, help me to be discerning in using any means at my disposal to preach the gospel to others.

One Word: Go into all the world and preach the gospel