THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22:22-29

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THE IMPORTANCE of these verses lies in the way it shows us the character of the world. This experience of Paul as the Jews react to his testimony should be seen in the light of the words of Jesus in John 15:18 to 16:4 where Jesus prepares his disciples for how his followers will be treated by the world. Jesus shows that people are divided into two categories, those who are of the world and those who are of Christ. It does not matter how religious a person is, if that person is not for Christ, that person is of the world and does not know God however much that person may protest about knowing and serving God.

Verse 22 of this passage shows us Jews angry with Paul and wanting to kill him simply because he told them that God had commanded him to preach Jesus to the Gentiles. By this they showed their hate of Jesus and so, as Jesus declares in John 15, they show their hatred of God and that they really do not know God. These Jews thought they were doing the will of God. Jesus, we are told in John 15, warned his disciples that people would persecute his followers, believing that they were doing the service of God.

In the first letter of John chapter 5 and verse 19 John writes "We know we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one". The follower of Jesus, the person who believes Jesus is the Son of God and Saviour of sinners, has been taken out of the world by Jesus and belongs to God and is a member of God's family. The world hates the believer in Jesus because of this fact. The evil one, Satan, hates followers of Jesus because they have been rescued from his dominion and authority. Satan mobilises his followers, the rest of the world, against believers, specially if, like Paul, they seek to testify to Christ and seek to rescue others from the world.

The Jews here showed that they were still in the world because they persecuted and desired to kill Paul because of his testimony to Jesus. It is a very terrible thing to realise the truth about the world. However it does explain the world as it is, with all the evil there is around. The conflicts are Satan induced because he does not care for his subjects, but rather exploits them to satisfy his lust for hurt and pain, by stirring up conflict in the world. His servants in the world show the same characteristics as Satan in the world by cruelty, lust and greed and such like.

The Gospel is the only answer to the world. In Christ alone we can be taken out of the world. Only in Christ can human nature be changed and truly work for good. This has been proved in history. Where ever there has been revival of true Christianity so that people truly become followers of Christ, then the society which has this blessing in its midst is changed for good, and evil is diminished. The world can't be changed because it is in the control of the evil one. Society and life can be changed where the influence of Christ through his believing people curbs the excesses of the world.

We see the world again in action later in this passage where the Roman commander orders that Paul should be flogged. This is the way of the world. By cruelty the world seeks to subdue and control other people. Although the believer relies on Christ primarily for defence and safety, it is not improper to use the instruments of the world where they are not sinful to defend ourselves from the world. This is why we can seek to fight wrong in the world by the judicial system. Paul uses the privileges of the world to defend himself from injustice and cruelty by claiming his rights as a Roman citizen. There is nothing wrong in this.

However Paul's real comfort and strength was in Christ as is seen in the next section. In his need Paul finds Christ coming to him telling him that he is with Paul and that he is safe in his purpose, which was for Paul to testify to Christ in Rome.