Author: Charlie Garrett

Liberty Bell Replica, West Virginia Capitol.

Sunday, 11 February 2024

“Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, Acts 24:20

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, 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 rendering is, “Or let these themselves say if they found any unrighteousness, having stood me before the Sanhedrin” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul noted that the people who purportedly had testimony against him should have been brought forth if they really had evidence worth listening to. As a final challenge to his accusers, he now introduces the words of this and the next verse, beginning with, “Or let these themselves say if they found any unrighteousness.”

As none of the Jews from Asia who supposedly had testimony against Paul had come to testify, he appealed to those who were present to testify against him. It is almost a mocking challenge because they had brought Tertullus to speak for them. Paul knew that they didn’t know Roman law. He also knew that they had absolutely no evidence against him.

Therefore, if they opened their mouths, they would either have to tell the truth, thus exonerating him, or they would have to perjure themselves, something he knew they would not be able to do effectively. As such, they would not do it at all. With that stated, his challenging words continue with, “having stood me before the Sanhedrin.”

They had been at the Sanhedrin where Paul had been presented. This is found in Acts 22:30-23:10. The thing is that the garrison commander and various Roman guards were there, too. Therefore, they could testify to Paul’s truthfulness and against any lies spoken of him during that time at the Sanhedrin.

While there, they had heard Paul’s testimony and should be able to competently bear witness to his conduct at that time, whether proper or improper. Thus, his words are a direct challenge to either speak up or give up on the case against him.

It should be noted that until this verse, Paul hasn’t spoken at all about Jesus being the Messiah or about His resurrection. It has been a defense formed entirely around the facts of the case in regard to what he has been accused of.

Life application: Paul has masterfully kept his religious beliefs out of the trial until this point, knowing that what he said in that regard would be a distraction from the main point of the trial itself, which was that he stood before a civil court, not a religious one.

Having said that, in the next verse, he will finally bring in religious matters. The reason why he will do this is because his words of defense have come to their end with nothing of a civil matter having been done wrong. Therefore, by bringing in the religious words, it will be evident that it is that, and not an infraction against Rome, that lies at the heart of the enmity directed at him.

As this is so, it will mean that Rome has no jurisdiction over that issue, and all charges should be dropped. However, Jesus has already told him that Paul must witness for Him in Rome (Acts 23:11). Therefore, the coming events will continue to unfold with that statement being fulfilled.

In other words, God’s plans will come to pass. This is true not just in Paul’s life but also in all of ours. We have our part to do in living out our lives, but God’s overall plan is the priority. Therefore, when all is said and done, we must acknowledge and accept that what transpires is what is in accord with His will.

Having this attitude, we can be freed from frustrations that would otherwise consume our thoughts. The words “His will be done” are true and comforting. Speak them often.

Lord God, may Your will be the highest joy in our lives. As time passes and our lives unfold before You, may we understand that nothing happens apart from Your knowledge. Things will meet up with Your final plan for us, so help us to be content with that and glorify You at all times. We truly believe that You have the best in store for us. Thank You for this assurance. Amen.

West Virginia Capitol Grounds.

Saturday, 10 February 2024

“They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Acts 24:19

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, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

This verse completes the previous verse. A more literal rendering is, “…who ought to appear before you and accuse if they may have anything against me” (CG).

The previous verse reads, “In which they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with a tumult. And who, Jews from Asia…” (CG). That now continues with, “who ought to appear before you and accuse.”

Paul’s words cut to the heart of the matter. The very people who could testify to the situation had not come to do so. It is a hint that either they would have to perjure themselves or that they would have to admit that he had done nothing wrong.

However, if the excuse was made that these witnesses had gone back home after the feast, it would still show that there were none to accuse him. As such, any charges against him would have to be dropped for lack of evidence.

As for any others who would testify, it would be hearsay, not firsthand witness. The logical end of his words is that the charges were unsound and should be dismissed. He finishes the thought with, “if they may have anything against me.”

The obvious meaning is that there were no valid accusations, and thus, the charges were invalid. This was a religious matter that had nothing to do with Rome. And more, it was Paul who was wronged simply because of his interpretation of the law and the prophets.

Life application: Paul was an apostle. As such, the words of Jesus found in Matthew 10 certainly apply to him –

“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matthew 10:19, 20

Although persecution is not an uncommon occurrence in the church today, those words were not spoken to us as a general rule we can apply to ourselves. They were spoken by Jesus to His apostles. Evidence that the Lord was with Paul in the same manner is found throughout Acts, where the Lord appears to him and tells him that He is with him.

As this is so, and as those words of Matthew 10 do not apply to us today, it is the best policy not to speak out of turn. If we have a legal matter, it is a sound strategy for us to hire a lawyer. The Lord wanted Paul’s ministry to continue because it was a part of the unfolding actions that would lead to the compilation of His completed word.

We now have that completed word and should not expect the Lord to appear to us and tell us what to do. Nor should we expect visions, dreams, or revelations of things that are not recorded in the word.

Having said that, we will get out of the word just what we put into it. The more we read it, the more clarity we will be able to obtain about the mysteries God has tucked away in it. New insights, types, and pictures are found every day by people who study and evaluate the word.

It is truly an inexhaustible word, so filled with wisdom that we will be searching it out and finding new insights until the day the Lord takes us home. So be sure to get into the word and read it daily. You will be blessed as you do.

Lord God Almighty, how wonderful it is to read Your word, come to something we don’t understand, and then take the time to read commentaries or try to work through it until we find a resolution to our questions. It is a delight because we are filling our minds with what You have given us to guide us all our days. Thank You for this wonderful treasure, Your superior word! Amen.

Flag display. West Virginia Capitol.

Friday, 9 February 2024

“in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. Acts 24:18

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, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The verse is incomplete without the next verse. For now, a more literal rendering is, “In which they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with a tumult. And who, Jews from Asia…” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul noted that after many years away, he came to bring alms to his nation, and offerings. Now, he says, “In which they found me purified in the temple.” This is a key point concerning his right to be in the temple area that stems from Chapter 21. Upon his arrival, he was exhorted by the elders of the church to pay the expenses of those who had taken a vow. In compliance with that, and going further by joining them in purification, it said –

“Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.” Acts 21:26

This was something that could easily be validated and which proved he had the right to be in the temple area, and he was obviously there for proper religious purposes. He continues further, saying, “not with a crowd, nor with a tumult.”

It would be improbable that a person who was bringing alms and making sacrifices after an extended absence would suddenly decide to start a tumult. As his words could be proven on those points, his innocence in the matter logically follows.

As for the introductory words to the verse, “in which,” they mean that he was actually in the process of performing his sacrifices. At the very time he was conducting his religious affairs in a purified state, he was interrupted. To support that, he then begins his next thought. His words will continue into the next verse. For now, he begins with, “And who, Jews from Asia…”

These are those mentioned in Chapter 21 –

“Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, ‘Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)”

It is these Asian Jews who certainly saw him among the Gentiles in the past and who had hounded him all along. When they saw him in Jerusalem, they realized it was a perfect opportunity to cause him grief.

Life application: When people are ideologically at odds with others, it is hard to come to a reconciliation over those differences. It is human nature to not “live and let live.” Muslims, particularly because of the words of the Koran, feel it is a sacred obligation to kill or enslave unbelievers. Those who hold to this are not the extremists but rather the fundamentalists.

They hold their writings as sacred and feel it is their duty to act in this way. Likewise, the Jews, depending on how they interpret Scripture and their later writings, feel that they are God’s chosen people – above and apart from all others. When Paul went among the Gentiles and communed with them, it was taken as a great and blasphemous thing.

His actions were seen as defiling and worthy of death. This is not so much because he associated with Gentiles, something all of the diaspora Jews did to some extent. Rather, it was because he taught that Jesus was the Messiah and that His message accepted Gentiles on an equal footing with Jews. To them, this was intolerable. This totally nullified the “above and apart from all others” attitude that still permeates Jewish society today.

Christians are not expected to have such an idea about themselves. Rather, we are to acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Messiah who alone can save us. But this is a problem that the world doesn’t understand. Instead, they look at the result, not the process.

In other words, true Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved. This is because Jesus said it, and it is also logically true. As such, the meaning is that only true Christians are saved. This is the result of faith in Christ. It is what the world sees, and they perceive this as a point of arrogance – “How dare you say I am not saved!”

The process, however, is that we first acknowledged that we were sinners and that we understood Jesus could save us. This excludes all arrogance. Rather, it is a point of extreme humility to stand before the Creator and say, “I leave myself totally at your mercy. Without you, I am lost. I trust in Your grace alone to save me.”

If the world more fully understood this, it may relieve the tension to some extent. However, much of the world refuses to simply acknowledge that they are sinners. If they are, they have a need for a Savior. But this would then require them to have the same humility saved believers once demonstrated. As such, this is still a great cause for a feeling of contempt towards Christians.

In understanding this, we can then understand why Christianity is so quickly becoming abhorrent to the people of the world. With each new “freedom” that governments proclaim, there is a new wall put up. If people are free to be homosexuals, then they cannot be “sinners” for their conduct. If people are free to murder their unborn, then they cannot be “sinners” for aborting babies.

As wickedness increases, a hatred of what you stand for will logically increase. Be ready to focus on the process (by grace through faith) of your salvation when talking to others. Some of them may get it. But to focus on the result, I am saved, and you are not, is a point of theology, though true, that we now find is almost completely impossible to state without being hated all the more. Until people see their sin as something God cannot accept, they will never believe that they are in need of a Savior.

Heavenly Father, we, as believers, came to You with empty hands, realizing our fallen state before You. We believe that because of the cross of Jesus Christ, we are saved. Help us to properly and faithfully communicate this truth to the world around us. May we not waffle in our proclamation that it is sin that separates us from You. We are saved because we were first sinners who needed to be saved. Thank You, O God, for Your saving grace that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

WWII Memorial, West Virginia Capitol.

Thursday, 8 February 2024

“Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, Acts 24:17

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, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

More literally, the Greek reads, “And through many years, I arrived to bring alms to my nation, and offerings” (CG).

Paul just said to Felix that he always strove to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. In support of both of those thoughts, he next says, “And through many years.”

Rather than saying, “And after many years,” he uses the word “through.” Paul expresses his thoughts as if he is on a journey through time, much of it being separated from Jerusalem and the religious life and offerings that are continuously conducted there.

As for the duration away, it had only been about four or five years at this time. His last visit was in Acts 18:22. His use of many is to be taken in light of the “many years” of verse 10. If he was asked what “many years” was, he could say “four,” and it would then be a note of approval towards the comment he made about Felix’s service. In other words, it would be a way of acknowledging Felix’s service as lengthy and thus well received by his superiors.

Now, to fill those years apart from Israel, he says, “I arrived to bring alms to my nation.” His note concerning the “alms” is otherwise not mentioned in Acts, and yet it appears prominently in his epistles, such as Romans 15:25, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, and 2 Corinthians 8:1-4. Along with the alms, he adds “and offerings.”

The “offerings” (or sacrifices) were those prescribed by the law when one would come for a feast day celebration and those associated with vows as well. As can be seen, he says the alms are for the nation, but the offerings being set apart in the sentence were for his personal relationship with the Lord. Also, as noted in the NKJV translation, they and other translations lump these together as “alms and offerings to my nation.” However, this is not the intent of Paul’s words.

As for the word “nation,” he uses the term ethnos. It most properly indicates “people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture” (HELPS Word Studies). He uses this word rather than identifying them with a more commonly used word for “people.” It is a hint of courtesy towards Felix by avoiding a term that could be interpreted as a note of superiority over the Gentiles.

Life application: Paul carefully divided his words, as noted above, to indicate two separate acts that have a different purpose. His alms were something he was doing for his nation and people. The offerings were those things that were intended to keep him on a personally sound footing within the religious sphere of life that connected him to the Lord.

Obviously, being in Christ meant that he had immediate access to God through Jesus the Mediator. But for the sake of propriety, he continued conducting his religious life while in the land of Israel as an observant Jew. There is no contradiction here. Today, there are messianic Jews in Israel who observe the Sabbath even though Christ Jesus is their true rest (Hebrews 4:3).

It is culturally appropriate that they conduct themselves in a manner that keeps them in the favor of their nation while also understanding that they are free from all such observances because of Christ. This is not a hypocritical approach to worshipping God. Rather, it is a respectful way of doing so.

If a Pentecostal were to attend a Presbyterian church, it would be wholly inappropriate for him to get up and start yelling in the false gibberish that he yells out when in his own church. If that is how Pentecostals want to conduct their relationship with the Lord, they need to do it in their own church.

Be sure to use tact when you attend services with other Christians or when you are visiting other countries. See what they do first and then conduct yourself accordingly. This is right and proper. We, as Christians, worship in spirit and in truth in our hearts and minds. What we do externally should be courteous and with proper decorum in the particular setting we find ourselves.

O God, there are innumerable ways to worship You while still staying within the boundaries of our faith in Christ. Some like organ music, while some like a band. Some worship on the beach, while others do so in ancient buildings. Wherever we are, may our conduct be appropriate to the setting in which we find ourselves. May our worship be to Your glory and for the mutual benefit of those around us. Amen.

Vietnam war dead. West Virginia Capitol.

Wednesday, 7 February 2024

“This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Acts 24:16

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, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

More precisely, the text reads, “And in this, I train myself to have an inoffensive conscience toward God and men through all” (CG).

In the last verse, Paul noted his hope in God, affirming his belief in a resurrection of dead, both just and unjust. Because of this, he next says, “And in this, I train myself.”

Here, he uses a word found only this one time in Scripture: askeó. It is a verb signifying to train, practice, or exercise. Despite it being found only here in the New Testament, it was a common medical term of the time. It is another indication of Luke’s authorship. It gives the idea of working raw material to form something. A kindred adjective to this is where our word ascetic comes from. Next, Paul says, “to have an inoffensive conscience.”

The word translated as “inoffensive,” aproskopos, is new. It will be used only three times in Scripture. Here, it is used in a passive sense. This is the same as in Philippians 1:10. However, in 1 Corinthians 10:32, it is used in the active sense. In essence, he attempted to always be blameless in his conduct, looking forward to the hope found in the promises of God.

Because of his hope in God, and because of his firm belief that there would be a resurrection, he endeavored to keep his conscience clear, knowing that a judgment lay ahead for all men. This sentiment, now being expressed by Paul to Felix, is more fully explained in 2 Corinthians 5 –

“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

With that stated, Paul completes this verse, saying, “toward God and men through all.” Paul’s conduct was not just directed toward God. Rather, he conducted his affairs in this way towards his fellow man.

It is true that before his conversion, he likewise lived in this manner, but it was misdirected. He thought he was doing a service to God by destroying Christians. Further, if his actions were correct, they would have been a service to his fellow man by removing the heretics of the world. However, he found that attitude to be faulty when he met Christ.

Therefore, there is a disconnect between his actions and those of his accusers. They did not accept the work of Christ Jesus. They, therefore, remained at enmity to the goals and purposes of God as revealed in Jesus’ life and work.

Life application: Later in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

As this is the state that we are now in because of faith in Christ, we should do our very best to live in accord with it. It is contrary to a holy life in Christ to continue to conduct ourselves in a manner that is at odds with this new life.

This doesn’t mean we cannot associate with those of the world. Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 5. However, when we are engaging the world, it should be in a manner that sets us as examples of a right and proper walk in Christ. If it is our job to share the message of reconciliation, and we are acting as if we were never reconciled, then where is there to go for those we are sharing such a message with?

Think on this and be willing to share the truth that God is holding all people to account for their lives either apart from Christ or our lives in Christ.

Lord God, we have been redeemed through the precious blood of Christ. May we remind ourselves of this and live in a manner that is holy and acceptable to You. May our conduct be appropriate to lead others to understand their need to act likewise. Yes, Lord, may our lives and actions be pleasing to You and glorifying of You. Amen.