Daily Writing

Lamp with lion paw. Wisconsin Capitol.

Tuesday, 26 March 2024

“This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Acts 26:10

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A bit more literally, the Greek reads, “Which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I – I confined – in prisons, having received the authority from the chief priests, and they, being taken up, a vote I cast down against” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul acknowledged that he thought he must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Now, to explain what he meant, he says, “Which also I did in Jerusalem.”

Paul first specifically notes Jerusalem, certainly with the intent that it be known that his working against the name of Jesus wasn’t just done in some far away corner. Rather, it was right in the center of the city of the Jews who now accused him.

In the same place where the apostles were gathered after the crucifixion of Jesus, and where they claimed He rose again and ascended to heaven, Paul actively worked out his misguided zeal against His followers. He acknowledges this, saying, “and many of the saints I – I confined – in prisons.”

The plural “prisons” is an indirect way of indicating that not only did he work against them in Jerusalem proper, but in various other places as well. And more, his words are emphatic, “I – I confined – in prisons.” He personally did this and therefore that would be known as well. And further, he explains that his authority was from the very seat of power that now stood against him, saying, “having received the authority from the chief priests.”

The very people who were now persecuting him for his faith in Jesus and his witness among the Gentiles were the same people who granted him the authority to arrest the followers of the One he now proclaimed as God’s Messiah.

After this, he says something that has caused confusion, and which has led many to assume that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. He says, “and they, being taken up, a vote I cast down against.”

Charles Ellicott says, “The words show that St. Paul, though a ‘young man’ (see Note on Acts 7:58), must have been a member either of the Sanhedrin itself or of some tribunal with delegated authority.”

However, this is not necessarily so. On the words, “I cast down against,” Vincent’s Word Studies notes, “Lit., laid down my vote. … Some suppose that Paul here refers to casting his vote as a member of the Sanhedrim; in which case he must have been married and the father of a family. But there is no reason for believing this (compare 1 Corinthians 7:7, 1 Corinthians 7:8); and the phrase may be taken as expressing merely moral assent and approval.”

Barnes concurs with this by saying, “Paul was not one of the council, nor, that we read of, in any office or place to judge any person; besides, the Jews are thought to have had no power of life and death; and that St. Stephen was slain rather in a popular tumult, than legally: but Paul may be said to do this, by carrying the suffrages or sentence to the Roman man president, or any others, to get it executed (for so the words will bear); and howsoever, by his approving, rejoicing at, and delighting in their condemnation, (which was indeed giving his voice, as much as he could, against them), this was verified.”

The word he uses, katapheró, is. used for the fourth and last time. All its uses have been in Acts (20:9 (x2), 25:7, and 26:10). It is a compound word coming from kata, meaning down, against, down from, by way of, etc., and pheró, to carry, bear, bring, conduct, etc. The exact intent of Paul’s words must be guessed at, but it is unlikely that it was the casting down of an actual vote, especially for death.

The Jews did not have the authority to put anyone to death. Therefore, at best, it would be a petition to ask Rome to execute them. But it is more likely that it was an assent that the people who were being judged should be found guilty and remain in prison or excluded from the assembly of the Jews.

The word translated as vote is first used here, pséphos. It simply means a pebble or stone. It will be seen twice again, in Revelation 2:17 where it is translated as “stone.” Paul may have actually cast down a stone or this may be a metaphor meaning giving assent, such as a nod or a “yes” vote on something. As this is the only time it is used this way in Scripture, there is not a lot to go on to be dogmatic concerning his intent.

Whatever the intent was, however, it was understandable to his audience, and it certainly was stated with the overall meaning of his being in opposition to the followers of the One he was now aligned with.

Life application: One can see the zeal that Paul had for persecuting the people of the Lord with his emphatic words “many of the saints I – I confined – in prisons.” Now that he was converted, he spent the same exceptionally directed energy in a new way wholly concentrated toward the cause of Christ.

So does this reflect your current state? What were you most excited about or geared toward before you came to Jesus? Have you taken even a portion of that energy and redirected it toward the cause of Christ? If not, why not consider that in the future? The Lord of all, Jesus, took on human flesh and came among those He created. He revealed the glory of the Lord to the world, and yet we, His creatures, crucified Him.

He allowed this to happen so that we could be made spotless and acceptable to God once again. If He had not done this for us, there would only be condemnation and destruction ahead for us. And yet, are our lives so unchanged even after this? How can that be? Let us consider what God has done and redirect our energies to glorifying Jesus. May our lives and actions be responsibly geared towards the cause of Christ all our days.

Yes Lord God! We praise You and thank You for what You have done for us. Help us to live out our lives in a manner that demonstrates true appreciation for what You have done in and through the giving of Jesus. We owe You our all in all. Help us to acknowledge this with lives that are dedicated to You for all of our days. Amen.

Facade close up. Wisconsin capitol. Looks like Moses.

Monday, 25 March 2024

“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 26:9

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Paul had just asked those gathered to hear him why it should be thought incredible that God raises the dead. Now, he will speak of how he once was opposed to the message of Jesus being the Messiah. This will then lead to why he was converted in his thinking. Therefore, he begins this new line of thought with, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Paul’s words demonstrate empathy towards those who persecute him, be it the Jews in Jerusalem or his audience here. The word “indeed” shows us this. It is something that any person who once didn’t believe can do as well, such as, “Indeed, I used to think Christians were nuts, but then I met Christ and realized that I was wrong.”

The “many things” that he refers to here are those recorded before his conversion in Acts. He also alludes to them in passages such as Galatians 1:13 and 1 Timothy 1:13. The statement by Paul, though, clearly shows that he now identified with the One he once worked against.

He will explain this further as he continues, but by saying that he once thought it necessary to work against the name of Jesus of Nazareth, it means that he now no longer felt that way. Thus, he ties himself directly to the sect known as the Nazarenes, whose faith was in Jesus of Nazareth. This is the last time that Nazareth, or any form of the word tied to it, is found in the Bible.

Life application: Paul is giving a testimony of who he once was in order to help those listening to better understand who he now is. By following this approach, we can eliminate a lot of the baggage that people may carry with them.

People may have had a bad experience with Christians. Or they may have heard that Christians believe fairy tales, and so forth. By stating how you once perceived Christians or Christianity, you allow them to immediately start considering their own state in related matters. When they see that you are just an ordinary person like them and that you once felt just as they do, they will be more willing to stand and listen.

For example, if a person is an alcoholic and there is a reformed alcoholic with you, he will have a better opportunity to empathize with the alcoholic and then explain the freedom found in Jesus. So let him do the evangelizing.

If a person was brought up in a cult like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, someone who is well-schooled in what they believe can chime in and begin a reasonable dialog that others may not be able to carry out. Empathy and identification are a strong means of helping break down barriers. So, do your best to find out where the commonality between you and a person lies, and then use that as you talk to them about Jesus.

Heavenly Father, may our lives be used to glorify You. Even the things that were a part of our old lives can be used for a positive end, if we can fit them into conversations with others that will build up their confidence in who they can become in Christ. So, help us to wisely use our own past lives and experiences to help others move towards faith in You. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Top of capitol dome, Wisconsin.

Sunday, 24 March 2024

“Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? Acts 26:8

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A more literal, even if a bit clunky, translation would be, “Why judge by you incredible if God raises the dead?”

Paul had just said to Agrippa the reason why he was being accused by the Jews, meaning his hope in the resurrection. With that, he next says to all at the hearing, “Why judge by you incredible if God raises the dead?”

Some versions make this a supposition rather than a statement of fact, such as, “that God should raise the dead.” But this isn’t correct. Paul is not asking it as if it were possible. He is stating it as an accomplished deed.

The “you” in this verse is plural. He is now not only speaking to Agrippa but to all of the people there. Agrippa was a Jew and his Scriptures testified to the fact that God could do it. Paul now says that He has done it. If Christ were not raised from the dead, then Paul would not be on trial for spreading the gospel. Instead, he would still be waiting for the Messiah to come.

Those gathered to hear Paul simply needed to believe the content of his words. When we witness to others about Christ, we may put such a question forward as a supposition, but before we are done, we will put it forth as a statement of fact. It would be pointless to tell somebody that it was merely possible to raise someone from the dead. Rather, our testimony is only complete when we avow that it has happened.

To substantiate his claim, he will next give his own personal testimony.

Life application: Life is filled with possibilities. When debating an issue, someone may raise a possibility. A debate about creation or evolution, for example, may raise the possibility of the gap theory of creation in order to then justify a long-term creation, even opening the possibility of evolution.

And yet, unless such a theory is based in reality, it doesn’t make it true. But people have been so conditioned to the supposed science of an old earth for the past several hundred years that the default belief is in a world that is billions of years old. To believe otherwise is to ignore the supposed specialists who know what they are talking about.

However, the Bible makes certain claims that are wholly incompatible with this notion. So, there is a dilemma that seemingly needs to be resolved. Enter the gap theory. Billions of years of time are shoved into the narrative between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. From there, an entire narrative is developed to show how all those fossils showed up in our geologic record.

This is convenient and it then hopefully keeps theologians from looking stupid in the eyes of mainstream science. But the gap theory is unsupportable by the Bible. Moreover, it is a theory that is totally unnecessary if the evidence for a short-term creation is considered.

We don’t need man’s inserted narrative in Scripture to accommodate unproven science. What we should be doing is testing Scripture that is verifiable and then saying to ourselves, “I will trust God’s word and evaluate the difficult parts as they are written, comparing what we can know from what is stated in Scripture.”

In doing this, we are not immediately dismissing either the evidence or Scripture. We are seeing if the two are compatible. Therefore, if you struggle with a short-term creation, but want to trust what Scripture says, read what evidence is presented by short-term creationists. See if their discoveries suitably explain what is presented. If they do, then the problem rests with the generally accepted science of an old earth.

Be willing to check things out, but don’t accept man’s inserts into Scripture that are not at all supportable by either the written Hebrew or in a comparison with the rest of Scripture.

Lord God, help us to rationally consider what is presented in Your word. May we be willing to take the time and effort to review those things that are difficult for us to understand and to learn from those who have spent their lives in pursuit of the knowledge that will help us to figure out where the truth of a matter lies concerning whatever issue we are struggling with. Amen.

Nice plant urn. Wisconsin Capitol.

Friday, 22 March 2024

“And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. Acts 26:6

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A literal rendering of the Greek is, “And now, upon a hope, the [promise] unto the fathers – a promise having been made by God – I have stood, being judged” (CG).

Paul’s previous words to Agrippa were about his conduct before the Lord, having lived according to the strictest sect of Judaism, being a Pharisee. Having said that, he now says that the very hope of the Pharisee is the reason for his present state. He indicates this with the words, “And now, upon a hope.”

Paul says ep elpidi, (upon a hope). It gives the sense of “upon the basis of a hope.” There is no definite article before “hope” in the Greek. It is a noun, not a verb, which will be qualified as he continues. Hence, it is “a hope.” In other words, this was not the only hope the fathers possessed, but it was certainly the key hope. It was the hope called out in Acts 23:6 and which will again be explicitly stated in verse 26:8. It is the hope of the resurrection.

This is a hope that the Pharisees possessed. The Sadducees did not (Acts 23:8), and so it explains why he singled out his life as a Pharisee in his explanation of his past. With that stated, he next explains the hope he is referring to, saying, “the [promise] unto the fathers.”

The Greek anticipates the word promise. Literally, it says “the unto the fathers.” It defines what the hope he is referring to is. It is something given to the fathers. Some texts here include the word “our,” saying “our fathers.” As the hope was originally given to Adam in Genesis 3:15, it would ultimately include everyone in attendance. If Paul is only speaking to the Jews, then it would be referring to only those in that particular line.

The latter, although it is what Paul will more fully explain in the coming verse, seems unlikely for several reasons. First, the hope was – in fact – given to Adam. It was not specifically stated later to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. As such, Paul’s words, “our fathers,” would have to then be referring to those who received the law. At that time, the specific promise was given –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

Secondly, the promise of the resurrection remained a hope for non-Hebrew people even at the time of Job –

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

In Job 1 and 2, Job and those with this hope were called “sons of God,” meaning that they were accepted by God because of their faith. A counterargument to this will be stated later. Despite the inclusion of the word “our” in some manuscripts, the thought is understandable enough. As for this hope Paul is referring to, which is based upon the promise, Paul next says it is “a promise having been made by God.”

God spoke of the coming Messiah in Genesis 3. It can be inferred that Adam understood that what he had lost (meaning life) would be restored to him from the naming of his wife Eve. The Hebrew name is Khavah, Life. Adam demonstrated faith in the restoration of life by naming her Eve. With that, God covered them with skins of animals, thus making a picture of what God would do in Christ. Adam accepted the promise as did others after him. Even as late as Job there were people who accepted it.

However, the world eventually forgot the knowledge of the true God to the point where He again intervened in human affairs by calling Moses and giving Israel the law through him. The words of Leviticus 18:5 were a sure promise to the people, “Do this and you will live.” However, the history of Israel showed that nobody could do the things of the law.

Generations came and generations departed in death. Eventually, God spoke through Habakkuk to clarify the matter –

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4

God was telling Israel that they could not meet the demands of the law. This was, from the very start, evidenced in the fact that they were given the Day of Atonement. It was a day set aside for the forgiveness of sins. Everyone had to observe it, meaning that everyone needed that atonement. And it was a day based solely on faith that God was forgiving them.

Law observance without faith leads to pride. However, faith alone is what brought forgiveness of sin. Paul understood this. And so, the hope was actually more than simply the resurrection. Rather, the hope of the resurrection is ultimately based on the messianic promise of a coming Redeemer. Most people believe they are going to heaven. However, without the coming of the Messiah, that could not happen. Only in the coming of Jesus is the hope truly realized.

Paul knew this and he placed himself completely at the mercy of God in Christ. It is for this promise that he next says, “I have stood, being judged.”

The verb is a perfect participle. He stood being judged, and he continued to stand being judged. He would not waver in his convictions, even after two years in chains. Nor would he ever waiver in them. His hope of the resurrection was based on his faith that Jesus is the resurrection, as He Himself stated. Responding to Martha’s words at the grave of Lazarus, He said –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25

Paul stood as an accused man for speaking of this hope. He was being judged for his stand. He would not waiver in his stand, even if it meant death. Where do you stand?

Life application: Earlier, it was noted that a counterargument to who “the fathers” is referring to would be given. Job was cited to show that the resurrection was his hope. However, Paul says this in Ephesians 2 –

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13

Paul says that the Gentiles were without hope. And this is true. With the introduction of the law, the hope of God in Christ was narrowed down to the Hebrew people. Those outside of it were excluded from the promise.

This was not God being arbitrary and unfair. Rather, the world had sufficiently turned from Him that without His intervention once again into the stream of human existence, there would have been no knowledge of Him left at all. This is evident based on His words to Abraham about the turning of the Amorites in Genesis 15:16.

They were a people group like any other. Eventually, like all peoples, they turned from God so far that they needed to be eliminated. All other countries have followed this pattern. Israel was given grace when they were given the law. That may sound contradictory, but without that happening, they, too, would have faced God’s hand of wrath.

As noted above, the law provides mercy through the Day of Atonement. Thus, even if it is law, it came by God’s grace. The intent of the time of the law was to lead Israel (and, indeed, the whole world) to the understanding of the need for Jesus. Paul explains that in detail in Galatians.

In the next verse, Paul will note that the twelve tribes of the Jews earnestly served God because of this promise. However, that does not mean that the original promise was only given to them. Rather, it is probable that they had simply become the focus of it as it led to the coming Messiah.

Therefore, whether Paul was ultimately referring to Adam and those like him, or only the fathers who received the law, the same truth exists: The just shall live by faith. Adam did, Enoch did, Job did, and Abraham did as well. Such was the case with David and Samson. And such was the case with Paul. The Jews who accused him are excluded from the promise because they failed to seek out God through His provision of Jesus.

Don’t be like them! It is time for you to decide where you will hang your hat. Will you cling to the law and try to make God happy through your own effort, or will you trust in Jesus, who has done it all, so that you can stand justified before God based on faith in Him? Choose wisely.

Lord God, how grateful we are to You for our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We put all our hope, trust, and faith in Him! Hallelujah and Amen.