Title: Paul makes excuses/Acts 24:10-23
We continue to look at the story of Paul's trial.
Last week, we looked at the accusations of the accusers. Today, the defendant, Paul, is defending himself.
The attorney general of the accusers, Durdullo, a lawyer, made lengthy speeches to win the favor of the governor. Verses 3 and 4.
Paul didn't say that. One, “I acknowledge your jurisdiction,” he said.
In the words of yesterday and today, the word ‘heretic’ appears once.
At the end of verse 5, “He was the head of the Nazarene cult.”
Verse 14 says, “I serve the God of my fathers according to what they call heresy, and believe everything written in the law and in the prophets.”
Heretics these days use this word to their advantage. 'Jesus also heard cults in the early days,' he said. Paul also heard of heresy in the early days, that he was the head of the heresy of Nazareth. Truth is treated like a heresy at first, so it is natural for us to hear a heresy. Paul proudly stated that he believed in what the Jews called heresy. We must do the same.”
How is it? Is it plausible?
The more heretics, the better they create such subtle logic.
However, no matter how hard you try, heresy is heresy.
The Jews accused Paul of three charges.
‘He who stirs up the Jews and disturbs the public order,’
‘He is the leader of the heresy,’
“The temple has been defiled.”
Paul says, 'I did not agitate the Jews'.
In fact, Paul did not instigate anyone.
‘I have only been up to Jerusalem for twelve days. I don't have time to conspire and make a fuss.'
These twelve days refer to the entire period from the arrival in Jerusalem until now. Arrested by the Jews, imprisoned in Roman territory, tried in a council, transported to Caesarea, waited for five days, and now again tried by the governor, all 12 days inclusive.
So Paul's free activity in Jerusalem was less than a week. There was nothing I could do in the meantime.
‘I have not defiled the temple. This is the work of the Jews from Asia.”
Paul goes on to say that “the Sanhedrin trial only dealt with the issue of the resurrection of the dead, that is, it was a religious case, but when it came before the Roman governor, it turned into a political case.”
Tertullo, a lawyer, tried to win Felix's favor with his clever words and put Paul in a corner.
Paul defends his position on it, saying, “There are no witnesses and there is no evidence.”
Look at verse 13. “Now they have nothing to set before you in all the accusations against me.”
Rather, it is said that there are only many people who can testify in favor of Paul. Many people say that they have seen me perform celibacy in the temple, and there are no meetings and no commotion.
There are no witnesses and no evidence, so no matter how many charges you may be charged with, you cannot be convicted.
We learn a lesson here. “I want to be a witness and a witness of Jesus.”
It is more effective to show ‘this will happen if you believe in Jesus’ than to say a lot about Jesus.
A simple piece of evidence is more powerful than a complex explanation.
Everyone, I hope that you will become good witnesses of Jesus, good witnesses of Jesus.
Last week, I said, ‘Let’s not become the same people.
He said, ‘Let’s not be the cunning person, the person who does everything he can to an end, the person who twists the facts, the person who uses his talents and other talents for bad things.
Today, I have one more message to say, ‘Don’t be like Felix’.
Felix knew Christianity well. I have been in Palestine for a long time.
Moreover, his wife was Jewish. Look at verse 24, “After a few days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, a Jewish woman”, revealing that his wife was a Jew.
So I knew that Paul was innocent. In verse 23, Felix orders the centurion to give Paul freedom and not forbid him to meet his friends, apparently because he knew that Paul was innocent.
If there is no guilt, they should be released by saying, ‘This person is innocent! However, the judgment is delayed and Paul continues to be placed under arrest.
There are several reasons, first of all, to take a bribe from Paul.
Then to avoid the backlash of the Jews.
At this time, many years had passed since he had been governor of Judea, and he knew he would soon be replaced. There was also a desire to pass this troubling incident to his successor.
What happens to a person who acts with this kind of heart?
First of all, it's not very realistic.
Felix became governor of Palestine during the reign of Emperor Claudius, who was replaced by Nero. Nero dismisses Felix and brings him to Rome, but we do not know what happened after that.
It is said that Pilate, who tried Jesus, also met a very unfortunate end.
Historically, it is not well-received.
There will also be judgments of God. There's something I've said a couple of times. On Sundays, whenever we confess our faith in the Apostles' Creed, there is a person who will twist and suffer in hell. How much pain must he be when he says, "You suffered from Pontius Pilate" as Pilate?
Organize your words.
Let's be good witnesses. This is the keyword of Acts.
Let's act like we know. That is the truth. Before that, it's just a fact.