THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 21:37-22:21

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THE APOSTLE Paul's treatment which he was receiving here was entirely unwarranted. He had gone out of his way to accommodate himself to the religious ways of the Temple. This riot occurred at the end of the week of purification showing that he had observed all the rules and no offence had been seen to this point. Even the Roman commander had got hold of wild ideas about Paul (21:38) which bore no resemblance to truth. This illustrates how easy it is for untruth and ill informed opinions to be circulated and believed. If we want to be Christ-like we will be careful before we jump to conclusions. We will seek to really know the truth before we make judgements. We will be slow to judge and we will seek to think well of people and not ill. We will not listen to gossip.

Paul's behaviour under this trial is worthy of note and emulation. Even in this sore trial his one purpose and aim is to testify concerning Christ. He does not seek to defend himself before the hostile crowd. What he seeks to do is to give his testimony concerning the truth, and concerning Christ and what Christ had done in his life.

Paul relates to the crowd of Jews who were seeking his death how the risen Christ revealed himself to him. Paul tells the people first how much more angry he was than they were against Christ and Christians, and as a zealous Jew, taught by Gamaliel, he had sought to crush them and stop their teaching concerning Christ. He told them that it was on one of these missions to imprison Christians that he was met by Jesus Christ, and not only heard him speaking to him, but was privileged to see him alive. By this Paul gave a clear testimony to the historical fact that Jesus rose again from the dead, because he saw him alive. Paul also gave testimony that Jesus was the Son of God because it is evident that Paul saw Jesus from his place in heaven.

Then Paul goes on to relate how he was led blind into Damascus was given back his sight by Christ through the ministry of Ananias, and how he received his commission from Jesus. Paul testified to the crowd (14-15) that God had given him this vision of Jesus and the revelation that Jesus was the Righteous One i.e. the Messiah, and that God commanded him to witness to Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour.

Lastly Paul ends his testimony by telling the crowd that he went to preach to the Gentiles simply because God had told him to do so (v.21).

In all this Paul was not so much defending himself but was telling them the truth about Jesus so that they may see him as the Messiah sent by God. In spite of his own plight brought about by the false accusation of these Jews, he still was more concerned to exalt Christ and for the good of these Jews, that they may be delivered from the bondage of their false traditions, and brought into the freedom and love of God through Christ.

There is a wonderful example here. Paul had every reason to be angry and resentful towards these Jews. Paul had every reason to be fearful for his own safety and to do all he could to protect his own safety. Yet we find him not so much concerned for himself but for Christ and for these Jews in their darkness and bondage. He was concerned for them because he knew that although they were seeking to serve God, they were in blindness not knowing the God they professed to serve, and were thus in spiritual darkness and without hope, and without God, in the world. Paul was concerned for the eternal salvation of these Jews rather than his own temporal safety.

We need more Christians like this, and more practice of such love and compassion.