Acts 23:12-35 preached by Pastor Jon Needham

Big Ideas

1. Narrow escape
Whether it be Moses being rescued from the river, the spies being protected in Jericho, or Jesus escaping Herod’s massacre, narrow escapes are everywhere in the Bible. Here, Paul narrowly escapes an assassination conspiracy. While these escapes may be narrow, they are never coincidental or dumb luck. Rather, these are examples of God’s divine providence. God was not done with Paul, and nobody was going to kill Paul until he was.

2. Strange supporters
One cannot read this text without seeing the great and sad irony. Paul was a Jew who believed in Christ, and yet his own Jewish brothers were conspiring to kill him, even vowing not to eat until they took his life. It is the Gentiles who come to Paul’s rescue, protecting him from the Jews’ murderous conspiracy and transporting him safely to Caesarea via military escort. God is always full of surprises!

3. Luke, the historian
Acts is not a myth or wishful thinking. Acts is history and Luke, the author, is a historian. In this text, we find a great example of how thorough Luke’s investigation was. Beginning in verse 26, we have a summary of the letter from Claudius Lysias to Governor Felix. How Luke got this document or became aware of its contents is unclear. What is clear is that Luke did the necessary heavy lifting to get ahold of such information. Acts isn’t just a story; it’s true history.

Study Questions

1. Life can be full of close calls and narrow escapes. But God is sovereign over all of it. What are some of your close calls and how did God protect you during those moments?

2. Sometimes we are surprised by who opposes us and who supports us. Have you ever been caught off-guard by the opposition or support you received from an individual? How did you handle it? What was the outcome? What did you learn?

3. When reading the amazing stories in Acts, it’s easy to forget that these are real stories about real people. Acts is not just some fairy tale meant to inspire us; it is the true history of the early first-century Church. How does seeing Acts, and the rest of the Bible, as history change the way you read it?

Taught by Melissa Butler on May 6, 2022.

In this episode of The Blitz, Pastor Jon explains why the literal, physical, historical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most important issue in the world.

Acts 22:30 — 23:11 preached by Pastor Jon Needham

Big Ideas

1. Living in all good conscience
Paul narrowly escaped an unlawful beating, but he was far from being out of trouble. Wanting to know more about the accusations that were brought against Paul, the Roman tribune called together a meeting with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Paul begins his address by declaring that he had lived his “life before God in all good conscience up to this day” (Acts 23:1). While Paul’s good conscience did not protect him from false accusations and brutal treatment, it did give him the confidence to trust that, whatever man may say about him, he was innocent before God.

2. Paul’s apology
Like Jesus when he was unlawfully arrested, Paul was punched in the mouth. This act of aggression violated the law, and Paul called it out. Paul apparently did not know that the High Priest had ordered that punch. Speaking against the High Priest was a violation of the Law, and, when it was brought to Paul’s attention, he owned his mistake. This humble action powerfully demonstrated that Paul was not opposed to the Law of Moses, but deeply committed to it (Exodus 22:28)!

3. A little diversion
The Pharisees and Sadducees both opposed Jesus, but for different reasons. The same was true about their view of Paul. But Paul knew that these groups disagreed vehemently over the issue of resurrection. The Pharisees believed in it, while the Sadducees did not. In what appears to be a stroke of brilliance, Paul ignites a heated debate between these two groups, making their disagreement the focus. As a result, Paul once again escapes.

Study Questions

1. Dealing with false accusations can be devastating. However, a good, clean conscience before God is a blessing that can anchor us when we are falsely accused. How is your conscience before God? Are there any areas of unconfessed or unrepented sin in your life? What would need to happen for you to have a clean conscience?

2. Apologizing to someone can be the most difficult and humiliating experience, especially when that person has hurt you, as was the case with Paul. Yet, being hurt or offended does not negate our responsibility to apologize when we have sinned against someone else. Are there any people in your life to whom you need to apologize?

3. Jesus told us that, among wolves, we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Many people find this instruction to be confusing, but, in this text, Paul becomes an example of this for us. What can you learn from the way Paul evaded trouble in this text? How was he wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove?

Ephesus was full of spiritual darkness, and it was a city where the cures were as bad as the ailments. We see this in the syncretistic exorcists and magic books full of spells to cast out demons or heal from sickness. What is magic exactly? Do Christians need to be on guard against spiritual darkness today? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Acts 19 and consider how the gospel delivers people from spiritual darkness.

In this episode of The Blitz, Pastor Jon explains why faithful preachers must address the LGBTQ+ revolution ideology from the pulpit, and what it means if they don't.

In this episode of Bible Thoughts, Pastor Rusten continues looking at Bible passages on labor, work, wealth, and economics. In the opening pages of Genesis, God forms the original and foundational economic unit: the household. Pastor Rusten explores the particular roles of men and women in the household.

Acts 21:26 — 22:29 preached by Pastor Brandon Johnston

Big Ideas

1. Blinding bias and assumptions
Once again, Paul was in trouble with his Jewish brothers. Not for what he had done, but, rather, for what they claimed he had done (Acts 21:28). Gentiles were not allowed into the temple beyond the court of the Gentiles, and Paul was thought to have violated this law. Paul, however, was innocent. Bias and assumptions can lead us to “see” what we want to see. They can blind us to the truth because it is at odds with what we want to be true. This mistake nearly cost Paul his life.

2. Speaking their language
When Paul was allowed to address the mob, he spoke to them in their language, which, of course, was Hebrew. This was more than mere pragmatism. Paul knew that he was falsely seen as being opposed to the Law of Moses. As Paul shares his elite Jewish pedigree as a student of the prestigious and well-respected Gamaliel, he speaks in their language. This was clearly an attempt on Paul’s part to build a bridge with his Jewish brothers so they might understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not against their Jewish heritage, but the very fulfillment of it.

3. Fight for your right
Once again, we see Paul appealing to his legal rights as a citizen. While this makes some Christians uncomfortable, Paul had no problem doing it. As a Roman citizen, he was protected from being beaten without a trial (Acts 22:25-29). Submission to the authorities did not mean having to accept or obey whatever the Roman tribune had ordered. No, the centurion himself was under the law. In appealing to his rights as a Roman citizen, Paul asked the centurion to act in conformity with the law. Christians should not hesitate to follow Paul’s example.

Study Questions

1.  Have you ever been dealt with unfairly because of false assumptions someone had about you? How have you acted unfairly against others because of your own biases or assumptions? How can you avoid this in the future?

2. Communicating with others often requires both content and connection. What are some ways that you can “speak their language” as you try to share the Gospel with others?

3. Sometimes Christians misunderstand the biblical command to submit to authorities as submitting no matter what (Romans 13:1). How do Paul’s actions help us understand what submission to the authorities looks like? In what sense can resistance to the authorities be an act of loving obedience?