Title Before Agrippa (Acts 26:1-18)
The Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea prison for two years, but the governor was changed. It changed from Governor Felix to Governor Beth. He was tried before Felix and before Festus, but he could not find any guilt. Now, the trial was transferred to the trial of Caesar, and Paul again stood before King Agrippa, who had no jurisdiction but wielded great power over the Jews, and became his defense. That is the content of today's chapter 26.
verse 1,
There are times when people want to make excuses for themselves. You will also be given an opportunity to make excuses. How do you use such an opportunity when you are given it? Of course, you will use that opportunity 100% as an opportunity to justify yourself. But the Apostle Paul was an exception here. Although he was given the opportunity, he did not make excuses for himself and used that opportunity as an opportunity to evangelize the Lord 100%.
See verses 1-3.
First, he introduces himself and briefly summarizes his past. Let me introduce you to what you were like before you believed in Jesus. It says that, like you, I was also loyal to the law and to my ancestors. Let's look at verses 4-5.
He received rigorous legal training in his youth before meeting Jesus. He was trained in the Gamaliel school and was trained by the strict Pharisees. The Pharisees still wear black and undergo rigorous training.
The fact that he himself was subjected to a strict life in the past can still testify to me even now. However, they are being accused by the same Jews and are being tried, and for some reason, they say that it is because of one hope, because of the one hope of God revealed in the law.
Verses 6-7,
The reason for the trial is for one problem, which is also very important to the Jews. It is one hope, the long-awaited thought of the Messiah. They were waiting for the Messiah. He waited in spite of hardship and hunger. Their one hope, the Messiah, they have been waiting for. This is what God promised to our ancestors and what the 12 tribes fervently hoped for day and night. It is a question of who Jesus is. Is Jesus the Messiah we believe in? Is the Messiah the hope promised in the Old Testament? The Jews couldn't believe it. But even among the Jews, no one believed in Jesus until his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. But Jesus was resurrected. After being resurrected, I learned that He was the Messiah. So, those few who have experienced the resurrection of Jesus are the Messiah. This one was resurrected. started to say. But for the Jews who do not believe this, this is a huge event. This was shaking up the roots of their entire religion, so they wanted to kill Paul.
Let's look at verse 8.
The present story is given in verse 8.
They couldn't believe it. How could he be the savior who lived with us! The Jews couldn't believe it. Before Paul became Paul, he was in the same position. But Paul was the Messiah who could not believe so. He experienced firsthand what Jesus appeared to him. to hear his voice. From then on, Saul changed his life. This is Christ. This is the Messiah. This is the one who died on the cross for me and was raised by God. Because of this, the Jews who did not believe in these things faced persecution and accusations.
From a Jewish point of view, we can understand that they were excited to kill Paul, framed him and put him in prison. from their point of view. So I explain these facts to King Agrippa once again.
Verses 9-10,
Before meeting Jesus, the apostle Paul persecuted Jesus himself. net scammer. pure bullshit.
A young man from Nazareth, that man is our Messiah. He was unbelievable. So, people who ‘think for themselves’ and believe in Jesus like this will have the same heart that we think of heresy. These people must be killed. Doing this is for God. After thinking about it, he started working hard to put those who believe in Jesus into prison. Says.
Verses 11-12,
This is not to do this only in Korea, but to go abroad and bring all the Jews who believe in Jesus. So it's the same with Paul or the 40 people trying to kill Paul without eating to kill him. I think Paul must have laughed at those people. Because I used to be like you. The person he hated so much and so disassembled appeared to him when he went to arrest those who believed in Jesus.
Verse 13,
It was said that he saw a bright light at noon as he was going to Damascus. It was a light incomparable to the scorching midday sun on the Mediterranean Sea. But the light was not only experienced by him, but also by his colleagues who were with him. The moment they met the light, they all collapsed. This is the light of the Lord. You are the face of the Lord. It is the face of the Lord with a light stronger than the light. You are the incomparable white Lord. When the Lord's appearance came, Saul and his companions knew it as a light. But it was not the light, it was Jesus Christ.
Verse 14,
After seeing this light, everyone fell. Here's an interesting word, 'Hebrew dialect'. I heard it in Hebrew. This is actually a voice heard. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The same story is found in Acts 9, but one more thing is added to this section.
It is hard for you to kick back the thorns. Every act that Saul does to arrest, persecute, and imprison those who believe in Jesus is a thorn in his back. In other words, this statement is nonsense. Anything hurts when you kick a stone. Only my feet hurt. I thought this was for God, and I thought it was right, but the more you do this work, the more it hurts your feet. It's a matter of stepping back on the thorns.
Folks, what we say we are good at, or what we think is right, may actually be a step backwards from thorns. Jesus taught Paul that.
Verse 15,
Paul asked, “Lord, who are you?” about the voice of the Lord.
Here is Jesus' answer to Saul's question. “I am the Jesus you are persecuting. I am the Jesus you ignore. I am the Jesus you forgot. I am the second Jesus you placed. I am your second only Jesus. all good things you have As you can see, they don't offer anything good to the church. I will spend all the good times, I will spend all my youth, and I will only give you old age before the Lord.”
This is all the same thing. ‘I am the Jesus you are persecuting’ I love you even if you ignore me and you think that I don’t exist. I consider you the best. This is the word.
The Lord speaks to Saul as he falls.
Verses 16-18,
Jesus said some things to the young Saul. First, ‘Get up and stand on your feet.’ The Lord still says the same thing to you today. “Get up and stand on all fours” is a combination of two words. ‘Get up’ and ‘Stand on all fours’ Do not turn back, do not hesitate, rise towards a goal. We sit down because of our neighbors. will look back. But the Lord says. get up And the second says. stand on all fours stand strong Walk towards one goal.
“(Acts 26:16) Get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you, that I may make you a servant and a witness in what you have seen me and what I am about to appear to you.”
to serve as servants and witnesses. Servant means servant, which means worker. It is to make workers and witnesses. Today you had a special experience. Ladies and gentlemen, God's experience of this special grace means that you do something special. Why is he giving you a special grace? It is to serve the Lord in a special way rather than working normally.
Few people have experienced Jesus like this. The reason why I have appeared specifically to you and gave you a special voice is that you have work to do in the future. Because of the work you must do, you will be my servant, my servant, and my witness.
Third, what is the content of God's calling of Paul?
to call a stranger. Why are you sending to strangers? That's why you open your eyes and come from darkness to light. The second is to turn the Gentiles back from the power of Satan to God. The third is to make the Gentiles believe in Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins, and form a holy crowd, and I am sending you to the Gentiles so that they may have an inheritance among the holy crowd.
Paul made it clear why. The reason we live today must be clear. At the time Paul met Jesus, he confirmed the meaning of his existence. Knowing the meaning of anything makes it easier. Why Did This Happen Why Do I Have to Live Like This? When you know the meaning of life, you will be happy, full, and full of gratitude. What could be better than this, to make people who lived in darkness see light and to open people's eyes?
Daniel 12:3 “The wise will shine like light in the firmament, and he who turns many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.” There is nothing greater than liberating those under the power of Satan and saving those who are obsessed with idolatry, material things, and worldly powers. And the Bible says that it is such a work to create God's true inheritance. For this purpose, they were made servants and witnesses.
Persecuting me is nothing more than kicking back thorns.
Today we discover two true Christian identities here.
The first is the status of a servant. Servant, called Servant in the old days. Instead of the word paper, I used the word servant. The status of a Christian is a servant. A servant is a person who lives for his master. Now the times have changed and there are no servants. But the biblical concept is that we are servants of Jesus. A servant is a person who has no life of his own. There is only the master's command and will. What is the pronoun of a servant? Obedience. No reason. It is purebred. And the servant must obey him unconditionally and be happy about it. A person like this who resents and complains is not a servant. And there is one characteristic of the mermaid. They are not being treated as well as working. These people are Christians. Would you like to be a servant? Is it okay if Jesus treats you as a servant?
Another is a witness. The essence of the Christian life is to testify of Jesus Christ. To exalt Him, to praise Him, to glorify Him.
Today we saw two things. One is to live as a servant. A servant is a worker. One is to live as a witness. It starts with a servant and ends with a witness. May your life be this beautiful.