Week of February 20

Voltaire once said, “Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.” The French philosopher and atheist was not a believer, but his words apply figuratively and literally to Paul’s life. This missionary of the gospel was literally blazing a new trail of hope for the world, and he was being persecuted for it by Jews and Gentiles alike. Have you ever wondered how Paul remained committed to sharing the gospel and was able to endure such trials? And have you ever wished that you could do the same in your own Christian walk? Let’s ask the Lord to show us how to be apologists without apology!

Paul returned to Jerusalem and was falsely accused, assaulted, and beaten (21:31-32), then rescued by the Roman tribune (21:33). It was just another day in the life of the missionary, the servant of Christ (cf. Acts 9:16; “will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake”). He was ushered before the Jewish Sanhedrin to present his case (Acts 22:30-23:1).

This was no “Judge-Judy-made-for-TV” event. Paul’s life hung in the balance. The Council, as they also were called, was comprised of 70 members plus the high priest. This was the Jewish high court that was led by the current high priest, Sadducees, Pharisees, and priests. The Sadducees were particularly savage having commandeered the effort to have James, the brother of John executed, as the Jewish historian Josephus records (cf. also Acts 12:1-2).

Ananias, who ruled from A.D. 48 to 58 or 59, was not your ordinary high priest. Josephus wrote that he was the very worst in that office because he was known for his pro-Roman sentiments, extreme cruelty, and greed. He would take the tithes designated for the priests and use them to bribe the Romans and Jews.

Paul was up against an evil opponent dressed in priestly attire (23:1-2). Mark Twain once wrote, “Ours is a terrible religion. The fleets of the world could swim in spacious comfort in the innocent blood it has spilt.” The same was true of this man, so Paul was in a pressure cooker moment! It gets more involved than simply evil people who were trying to eliminate him. Most of us will never face this level of persecution, but that is not the point. We also must rise daily to the level of total witness to Christ.

First, be a living witness. This statement may seem too simple to be true but embody your testimony and live out the call to serve the Savior each day (Romans 12:1-2; “living sacrifice”). He did not memorize a canned approach to the gospel; instead, he contained within his being the gospel message. Paul, as stated above, has returned to Jerusalem, and was falsely accused, assaulted, and beaten. Nevertheless, he knew that God was in control of the circumstances, as dire as they were, so he is calm in the storm (read Luke 8:22-25). He was prepared in any and every situation to share Christ.

Secondly, keep your wits about you and be prepared to state your conviction about Christ clearly. Paul’s defense before this Council may be summed up in one brilliant statement—“I am on trial for the hope and the resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6). Paul’s background was Jewish, and his training was as a Pharisee, so the Lord had placed him in that room not to be on trial, but to put those leaders on trial!

Since Jesus was raised from the dead, then they were judged and condemned by their disbelief (see Acts 17:30-31). I know that you may think that he was expendable, and in once sense he was because the gospel must advance, but he was actually accountable to a higher authority (i.e., Jesus; cf. Acts 7:55 as Stephen “gazed intently into heaven”; 4:19). He was simply answering one part of his call (Acts 9:15, “bear my name before . . .the sons of Israel”). Paul seized upon the radical divide between the Sadducees, who some believe did not hold to a resurrection, and the Pharisees, who believed conceptually in a resurrection of the dead, angels, and spirits.

Paul’s life hung in the balance in this moment, and I know that even the thought of this may terrify us. However, I believe that our greatest fear should be something else. Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Death to whom, or to what, is gain for Paul?

Perhaps the best answer is this: “For me to live is to glorify Christ; that is why, if I die and thereby glorify Him, that will be a gain for me, a thing which I desire as it will bring to a close my whole life of service for Him” (cf. Philippians 1:21; see TYN, 76; Bonnard, as quoted by R. Martin). Ultimately, Paul’s death was never to folks like this who tried to tear him apart physically, it was to himself! He even asked others to pray that he would remain bold in sharing the gospel (Ephesians 6:19). Simply stated, he never wanted to make an apology for failing to offer an apology (defense) of the gospel. Few, if any of us, will find ourselves in a gospel life-or-death situation; however, there are principles that we may apply to our lives as witnesses.

We once had a fence where the supporting wood posts were buried in the ground but not secured by concrete. The entire fence over time weathered and rotted beneath the surface and became unstable in heavy winds. It was not “grounded” upon firm support. I learned that building codes in that city had changed over time and required a particular type of support for fences. We chose a fence post brand that had excellent reviews over time.

Here is the application for our lives today. First, the foundation upon which Paul staked his life was grounded in the bedrock truth that Christ was raised from the grave and that He had changed his life. The same should be true for you and me. There will never be the need to apologize for that truth!

Secondly, Paul, unlike Ananias, knew not to sully the name of Christ. He understood that he was in that room to herald the truth that Jesus had been raised from the dead and that all humans are accountable for their sins and must answer to this Lord—beginning with him (v. 6)! The lie was that Jesus had not been resurrected, but Paul’s “alive-style” (lifestyle) and witness exposed the lie. He sets a standard for total truth that invites each one of us to go and do likewise.

1. Bedrock truth provides firm footing for the moral challenges that you will face today. Write down on a card, or in the “notes” app on your mobile device, the core truths of the gospel as you see them. Now, pause several times today to reflect on the ways that you are called upon to defend the gospel in your words and actions.

2. For Families: At some time or another, our teens may be challenged or ridiculed as they profess to believe in Christ. Many young believers attend high school or universities where the majority of students, or even teachers, will not be Christians. It is important for our children to learn early in their childhood to articulate their faith. When they are challenged, they can respond by stating clearly and with confidence those things they do believe.

One of the oldest prayers of the church is itself a concise summary of what the early believers, the community of faith, believed then, and still does. It dates from at least the 4th century. It is called the Apostle’s Prayer or declaration, and believers have learned it and recited it and sung it in every generation since. Here is a song that many of our churches sing in worship, based upon this prayer, and one that all of our children can learn and sing victoriously many times a week: “I believe in God the Father. I believe in Christ the Son. I believe in the Holy Spirit. Our God is Three-in-One . . . ” Click here to hear it and sing it with your kids!

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock