Lesson #31

• READ ACT 26:1-11 PAUL ADDRESSES KING AGRIPPA
• WHY IS PAUL SO HAPPY THAT HE SAYS NICE THINGS ABOUT HEROD AGRIPPA? (1-3)
• PAUL HAS APPEARED BEFORE FELIX AND FESTUS, BUT NEITHER REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE JEWS. NEITHER KNEW THE MOSAIC LAW. HOWEVER, KING AGRIPPA HAD EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE.
• HOWEVER, NEITHER FESTUS NOR KING AGRIPPA COULD FREE PAUL AT THIS POINT. PAUL HAD APPEALED HIS CASE TO ROME. NO ONE COULD MAKE A DECISION REGARDING PAUL’S STATUS EXCEPT THE ROMAN EMPEROR.
• THEREFORE, PAUL IS NOT HOPING FOR A CHANGE IN HIS STATUS BY SPEAKING BEFORE KING AGRIPPA.
• PAUL IS HAPPY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS TO THIS KING WHO HAD ALL THE NECESSARY JEWISH BACKGROUND FOR UNDERSTANDING THE GOSPEL.
• PAUL ONCE AGAIN GIVES HIS OWN PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF HIS LIFE. A TESTIMONY THAT WE HAVE SEEN VARIOUS TIMES THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO NOTICE:
• DISCUSSION: VERSE 6: “…THE HOPE OF THE PROMISE MADE OF GOD UNTO OUR FATHERS.”
• TO WHAT HOPE DOES PAUL REFER?
• READ 1TIM 1:1 = JESUS CHRIST IS THE HOPE
• READ TIT 2:13 = THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE HOPE
• READ COL 1:27 = CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN US IS THE HOPE OF GLORY
• VERSE 6 REFERS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS WHO PROPHESIED ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST. THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD IS THE VALIDATION THAT JESUS WAS THE HOPE THAT WAS PROMISED. (8) IT IS THIS “HOPE” THAT ENABLES US TO ENDURE THOSE HARD PLACES IN LIFE LIKE THE KIND OF SUFFERING PAUL ENDURED, HOW DOES HOPE MAKE SUFFERING EASIER?
• READ ROM 12:12 = REJOICING IN JESUS THROUGH TRIBULATION
• READ ROM 5:2-5 = TRIBULATION PRODUCES PATIENCE, PATIENCE PRODUCES EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE PRODUCES HOPE, HOPE PRODUCES BOLDNESS FOR THE LORD.
• WHICH VERBS DID PAUL USE TO DESCRIBE THIS PART OF HIS LIFE? (9-11)
• THE THINGS PAUL DID IN HIS LIFE:
• SHUT UP BELIEVERS IN PRISON (10)
• PUT TO DEATH BELIEVERS (10)
• PUNISHED THE BELIEVERS (11)
• COMPELLED BELIEVERS TO BLASPHEME (11)
• PERSECUTED BELIEVERS IN DISTANT PLACES (11)
• THE THINGS PAUL SUFFERED IN HIS LIFE:
• SHUT UP IN PRISON
• PUT TO DEATH OR NEAR DEATH BY STONING
• PUNISHED BY BEATING
• PRESSURED TO BLASPHEME AGAINST JESUS BY THE JEWS.
• PERSECUTED

• READ ACT 26:12-23
• PAUL’S MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES WAS TO DO FOUR THINGS: (18)
• =1= HE WAS TO OPEN THE SPIRITUAL EYES OF THE GENTILES
• =2= HE WAS TO TURN THE GENTILES FROM SPIRITUAL DARKNESS TO SPIRITUAL LIGHT.
• =3= HE WAS TO TURN THE GENTILES FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO THE POWER OF GOD.
• =4= HE WAS TO ENABLE THE GENTILES TO RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN AND THE INHERITANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE IN GOD’S KINGDOM.
• THE EQUALITY OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE GENTILES WITH THE JEWS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AN ASTOUNDING NEW REVELATION THROUGH PAUL.
• READ EPH 2:11-19
• WHAT WAS PAUL’S LIFE MESSAGE? (20 AND 23)
• EVERY BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST HAS A LIFE MESSAGE.
• WHAT IS A LIFE MESSAGE?
• A LIFE MESSAGE IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF HOW YOU CAME TO KNOW THE LORD, THOUGH YOUR LIFE MESSAGE MAY INCLUDE THAT ASPECT.
• A LIFE MESSAGE IS UNIQUE TO THE INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE IT IS DEVELOPED OUT OF A LONG EXPERIENCE WITH GOD.
• THEREFORE, A LIFE MESSAGE DEVELOPS GRADUALLY OVER TIME WITH THE LORD.
• A LIFE MESSAGE IS BUILT ON FAILURES AND FRUSTRATIONS IN LIFE, LEARNING THE LESSONS GOD IS TEACHING YOU THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES.
• THE MESSAGE IS REFINED THROUGH RESTRICTIONS THAT GOD PLACES ON THAT PERSON’S LIFE. THESE RESTRICTIONS CAUSE THE BELIEVER TO RELY MORE ON GOD.
• EACH RESTRICTION HOLDS A REMINDER TO THE BELIEVER CONCERNING THE LESSON LEARNED.
• THE TOTAL LIFE MESSAGE PRODUCES A BENEFIT FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND TO THE GLORY OF GOD.

SOME BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LIFE MESSAGE:
ADAM, DAVID, AND PAUL
PSA 103

• PAUL’S LIFE MESSAGE: (PHI 2:16-17)
• NOTICE HOW EVERY TIME PAUL GAVE HIS TESTIMONY HE TOLD OF HIS FAILURES SO THAT GOD COULD USE THEM TO TOUCH OTHER PEOPLE.
• NOTICE THAT DESPITE PAUL’S LIFE FAILURES, HIS VERBAL MESSAGE WAS ALWAYS JESUS CHRIST, RAISED FROM THE DEAD, FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. (23)
• EVERY HUMAN BEING FAILS SOME TIME OR OTHER, BUT CHRIST IS THERE TO FORGIVE AND PICK YOU UP. THIS ASPECT SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR VERBAL MESSAGE.
• IT WAS PAUL’S GREAT FAILURE TO DISCERN GOD AS A PHARISEE THAT CAUSED HIM TO FAIL TO DO GOD’S WILL AND PERSECUTE BELIEVERS.
• PAUL NEEDED GOD’S FORGIVENESS FOR THAT FAILURE. GOD FORGAVE HIM, PICKED HIM UP AND GAVE HIM A MINISTRY TO HELP OTHERS.
• THEREFORE, WE HAVE PAUL’S LIFE MESSAGE.
• NOTICE HOW PAUL USED HIS LIFE MESSAGE TO BENEFIT OTHERS AND GLORIFY GOD.

• READ ACT 26:24-32

• FESTUS’ REACTION TO PAUL’S MESSAGE
• WHILE PAUL’S MESSAGE WAS PRIMARILY DIRECTED AT HEROD AGRIPPA, OTHERS LISTENED. HOWEVER, MUCH OF WHAT PAUL SAID WAS BEYOND GOVERNOR FESTUS.
• HE WAS PROBABLY BORED WITH MUCH OF IT.
• TO GOVERNOR FESTUS, PAUL WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A CRAZY FANATIC.
• PAUL’S RESPONSE TO FESTUS IS A VERY SMOOTH AND POLITE PUT DOWN.
• PAUL INDICATES THE CONVERSATION IS BEYOND FESTUS’ UNDERSTANDING SINCE HE IS NOT A JEW.
• PAUL INDICATES THAT HE IS SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO KING AGRIPPA.
• THE BOLD CLINCHER IN PAUL’S ADDRESS TO KING AGRIPPA: (27)
• PAUL ADDRESSES THE KING DIRECTLY AND ASKS A VERY PERSONAL QUESTION, “DO YOU BELIEVE THE PROPHETS?”
• PERHAPS PAUL SUDDENLY REALIZED HE WAS PUTTING THE KING ON THE SPOT BECAUSE HE ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTION, “OF COURSE YOU DO.”
• HEROD AGRIPPA’S REACTION TO PAUL’S MESSAGE:
• “ALMOST PERSUADED”, THIS SHOULD BE THE EPITAPH WRITTEN ON THE KING’S TOMBSTONE. “ALMOST” IS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH!
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES “ALMOST PERSUADED” MEAN?

• THE KING IS EMBARRASSED BECAUSE PAUL IS CLOSING IN FOR A PERSONAL COMMITMENT IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
• THE KING IS NOT CLOSE TO A DECISION FOR CHRIST. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT WANT TO LOSE AN ARGUMENT BASED ON SOUND LOGIC. PAUL IS GETTING TOO CLOSE WITH CHRIST AND TOO PERSONAL, SO THE KING’S STATEMENT IS A WAY TO END PAUL’S ADDRESS.

• PAUL’S EXHIBITS A FINAL BOLDNESS IN HIS DESIRE THAT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TURN TO CHRIST. (29)

• WHAT WAS THE CONCLUSION OF THE GOVERNMENT RULERS? (31-32)
• HEROD AGRIPPA’S FINAL ASSESSMENT IS THAT PAUL IS INNOCENT. FESTUS SHOULD HAVE FREED PAUL, EXCEPT THAT THE CASE WAS OUT OF THE HANDS OF BOTH RULERS IN THAT PAUL HAD APPEALED HIS CASE TO CAESAR.
• DID HEROD AGRIPPA HELP FESTUS WORD THE LETTER THAT WOULD TRAVEL WITH PAUL TO ROME?
• THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US, BUT HE PROBABLY DID.
• THE LETTER WOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE FACT THAT PAUL WAS INNOCENT BUT HAD APPEALED TO ROME.

HOMEWORK
ACTS 27
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ACT 26
• YOU HAVE A LIFE’S MESSAGE. MAYBE IT IS WELL DEVELOPED AND MAYBE IT IS IN ITS INFANCY OF DEVELOPMENT. IN EITHER EVENT, THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND WRITE DOWN A FEW THINGS THAT YOU FEEL CONFIDENT ARE PART OF YOUR LIFE MESSAGE. (A HINT: THEY WILL BE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT; EVENTS THAT MADE A BIG IMPRESSION ON YOU; LESSONS LEARNED THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET, ETC.)

• PREPARATION FOR ACT 27
• READ ACT 27:1-44
• WHAT ARE THE MAIN PARTS OF PAUL’S VOYAGE TO ROME?
• VERSES 1-8

• VERSES 9-12

• VERSES 13-20

• WHAT IMPORTANT THINGS DOES PAUL SAY IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS?
• VERSES 21-26

• VERSES 27-32

• VERSES 33-38

• WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER ABOUT:
• FAITH

• GOD’S PROTECTION

• PROPHECY

• MEMORY VERSE: ACTS 27:25