The Life of Paul

1. The Life of Paul Acts 21-end

2. Paul’s Life: a Chronology • We are reading about a historical figure. • “While Gallio was proconsul…” Acts 18:12 • “The proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence…” Acts 13:1 • Many other characters known to secular history: Festus, Felix, “a petty King, Agrippa” and his sister Bernice,

3. Paul’s Life: a Chronology • We are reading about a historical figure. • “While Gallio was proconsul…” Acts 18:12 • “The proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence…” Acts 13:1 • Many other characters known to secular history: Festus, Felix, Herod Agrippa and his sister Bernice… “Ramsay went to Asia Minor as a very skeptical man and repeated the journeys of Paul, as Luke had related them. He found the reports of Luke confirmed in such a remarkable way that he came to believe in the Holy Scriptures through it”- van Ommeren, Nicholas M. "Was Luke an Accurate Historian?" Biblioteca Sacra 148, no. 589 (1991): 58-71. It was once fashionable to discredit Acts as a book of no real value as history. The Tubingen school regarded Acts as "a late controversial romance, the only historical value of which was to throw light on the thought of the period which produced it" (Chase, The Credibility of Acts) —International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Acts was written by a great historian, a writer who set himself to record the facts as they occurred, a strong partisan indeed, but raised above partiality by his perfect confidence that he had only to describe the facts as they occurred, William H. Ramsay. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915. “The book was composed by a personal friend and disciple of Paul.” William H. Ramsay. Ibid.

4. Paul’s Life: a Chronology • We are reading about a historical figure. • With a very tight chronology. 60 AD Acts 28 33-34 51 AD Gallio Proconsul Jerus.Counc. Imprisoned 3rdMJ Damascus Churchesin Silica 1stMJ 2ndMJ

5. Paul’s Life: a Chronology • We are reading about a historical figure. • With a very tight chronology. • With a very driven life. • Launched churches across the “civilized world”Palestine, Europe, and Asia. • Wrote 15 books of the Bible. • Stood alone against the entire Early Church leadership: “those of high reputation” (Gal.2:2f)

6. Paul’s Life: a Chronology His Life-Long Ambition • We are reading about a historical figure. • With a very tight chronology. • With a very driven life. • But he could never win at home! Crushed! • Paul’s Jewish Identity: • “…a Hebrew of Hebrews” • “…a Pharisee of Pharisees” • “…a disciple of Gamileal” • Romans 9:3 “I wish I could trade places” • Paul’s Jewish Dream: • Collected large sums of money from Gentile churches for Jerusalem’s poverty. • Went to Jerusalem expecting to be heard.

7. The End of Paul’s Ministry 21:15 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. . . and went up to Jerusalem.

8. The End of Paul’s Ministry 17-19 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. . . Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. . .they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.” • What disappointment! • Jerusalem never changed! • 15 years later: still dense!

9. The End of Paul’s Ministry 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. . . • A Plan to “Win Back” His Countrymen: • Paul agrees to help with a Nasserite vow, in order to demonstrate his faithfulness as a Jew… • While doing so, he is recognized, and a mob forms, which grabs him and wants to kill him…!

10. The End of Paul’s Ministry 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

11. The End of Paul’s Ministry 33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.

12. The End of Paul’s Ministry 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!” • Then Paul gets to speak to the crowd, and gives his story • It goes well until the end. . .

13. The End of Paul’s Ministry 20 “And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. 21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” 22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

14. The End of Paul’s Ministry 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.

15. The End of Paul’s Ministry 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

16. The End of Paul’s Ministry 27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

17. The End of Paul’s Ministry 29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. . . 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

18. The End of Paul’s Ministry • A Conspiracy to murder Paul forms. • The commander sends him to Caeserea to Felix (the governor). • Felix kept Paul for 2 years… • Festus takes over… • Festus wants to take him to Jerusalem for trial… • Paul “appeals to Caeser”

19. The End of Paul’s Ministry • Paul gives his defense again before a “petty king,” Agrippa, who was visiting Festus. 26:28 And Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” 26:32 Agrippa says, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

20. 27:1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy. . . • Shipwrecked on Malta for over 3 months Finally sails to Rome, and meets Christians and Jews there (chapter 28) = Spring, AD 58

21. The End of Paul’s Ministry • The book of Acts closes: 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

22. The End of Paul’s Ministry • What an anti-climax! • Also bizarre from a strategic viewpoint. . . • The book ends in AD 60 • Within 5 years, Paul was dead • What was God thinking?

23. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox So driven, energetic and productive! But satisfied during setbacks: “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Philippians 4:11-12

24. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Contentment with Drive! • A different kind of drive. • Not greed! If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6:8

25. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Contentment with Drive! • A different kind of drive. • Not greed! • A different kind of contentment. • Not laziness! I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (NASB95)

26. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Contentment with Drive! • Strategic and Spontaneous! • A different kind of strategist • Worry-Free! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Phil.4:6

27. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Contentment with Drive! • Strategic and Spontaneous! • A different kind of strategist • Worry-Free! • A different kind of spontaneity • Not careless, not Lunging... “I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.” 1 Cor. 9:24-26

28. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Contentment with Drive! • Strategic and Spontaneous! • How Did He Do It? • “Resting in Jesus Christ” • Not Just for Paul… I know how to get along … I have learned the secret…” Philippians 4:12 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NASB95) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9

29. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “I’m just too busy to pray…” Resting in Christ God-Dependency “I’m too busy not to pray!” Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox

30. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “Follow Your Dreams” Imagine Paul’s bitterness if he had done this! Resting in Christ God-Dependency Follow Christ Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

31. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “Follow Your Dreams” Circumstance-Worship What’s going wrong… What I don’t have… If only this would change… Resting in Christ God-Dependency Follow Christ God-Worship Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

32. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “Follow Your Dreams” Circumstance-Worship Sometimes Works Out Resting in Christ God-Dependency Follow Christ God-Worship Overwhelming Victory Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Books written at this time: • Philippians • Ephesians • Colossians • Philemon • Luke and Acts also! Phil.1:14 “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Phil.1:12,13 “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” Much of the New Testament written at this time…

33. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “Follow Your Dreams” Circumstance-Worship Sometimes Works Out Resting in Christ God-Dependency Follow Christ God-Worship Overwhelming Victory impossible Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox Though it was hard to see at the time, this period became one of the most important periods of Paul’s ministry Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

34. Self-Driven Self Self-Dependency “Follow Your Dreams” Circumstance-Worship Sometimes Works Out Ultimately Pointless… Resting in Christ God-Dependency Follow Christ God-Worship Overwhelming Victory A Plan with a Future Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox 1 Tim. 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

35. Paul’s Life: Full of Paradox • Though it was hard to see at the time, this period became one of the most important periods of Paul’s ministry!