You must also testify in Rome

Acts 22:30-23:35

Key Verse 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." 

Today’s passage talks about Paul’s trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus’ comfort, and his transfer to Governor Felix. But the key point is Jesus’ charge for Paul to testify about him in Rome. In order to know the importance of testimony I will share my story.

It was about 21 years ago. I was working as an accountant in a hotel. After working for about 3 months I wanted to seek better opportunity because my job was hard without a promising future. So I went to a job fair. I don’t remember where it was. But it was a large place like Shrine Auditorium or some convention center. Everybody there wore nice formal suits. While I was walking here and there I happened to bump into with a lady and she fell down on the floor. Then she accused me saying that I pushed her intentionally. Security guards came and people gathered around us and I was in trouble. I was in American for 7 years and I knew that there was something called harassment. I did not know how to respond to her accusation. There was no way for me to prove my innocence. I and Maria did not have health insurance. So it would be big trouble if we have to pay her medical expense.

Then I heard a voice of one man who stepped up and said, “Mister, Don’t worry! I saw you and you did not do it intentionally.” It seemed to me that everything became silent at that moment. His testimony was powerful because he saw it. When he said it no one could argue with him including the woman who accused me. With his testimony I became an innocent man again and I was free from the trouble. The man could testify about me because he saw me. And his testimony saved me from trouble. 

In today’s passage Jesus also wants Paul to testify about him because Paul saw Jesus. And his testimony will save many people from spiritual troubles. 

Part I. Because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead. (v.22:30-23:10)

[22:30] The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

In the previous passage we learned that the Roman commander came to rescue Paul when he was beaten by the riotous crowd. After Paul addressed the crowd, another commotion broke out. So the commander had to take Paul back into his barracks. Yet he needed to find out the reason why Paul was being accused and what was making the Jews so upset at him. It was his duty to keep peace in Jerusalem and he needed to punish those who were responsible for the riot. So he summoned the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, to find out the reason.

How did the trial go?

    [23:1] Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." [2] At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. [3] Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" 

    [4] Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?" 

    [5] Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'" 

Paul was not afraid of the Sanhedrin but he looked straight at them and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." Paul did not call them ‘Rulers and elders of the people” but “my brothers.” What he said shows he had confidence. Where did he confidence come from? It comes from his clean conscience. He had fulfilled his duty to God in good conscience to the very day. Wow! Who can say it? But Paul said it. How can he say it? It was by the grace of Jesus. Jesus shed his blood and his blood cleanses his conscience so that he could serve the living God without fear. (Heb 9:14) Most of the Sanhedrin members could not fulfill their duty to God in good conscience. Most of them were condemned inwardly by their moral sense. But they sat there to judge Paul.

When Paul said “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day", the high priest was offended and ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" The word “whitewashed wall” has the meaning of “hypocrite”. A whitewashed wall is white on the outside, but inside it is cracked and dirty. 

According to the law, the accused should not be treated as a criminal or punished until his charge is verified. But the high priest violated the law by commanding those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. So Paul said such harsh words. But they said that he was the high priest Paul answered, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'" Here Paul probably remembered Exodus 22:28, which reads, "Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.”

 

This incident shows the contrast between Paul and the high priest. Paul acted according to the law, but the high priest did not.

By this time Paul must have realized that he could not expect a fair trial from the Sanhedrin. He sensed that they had already condemned him. 

    [6] Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." [7] When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. [8] (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) 

Paul was a Pharisee from birth and he believed in the resurrection of the dead. He knew that Jesus was raised from the dead because he met the risen Christ personally. When he had met him his hope was completely changed from the worldly reward to the reward from heaven after his life on earth.

Paul said the same truth in 1Co 15:19 and 15:32. Let us read together.

He said in 1 Cor. 15:19 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” 

1 Cor. 15:32 “If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

 

If Paul did not have hope in the resurrection of the dead, he would have been the first person to say, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  He would also be the first person who would seek pleasure. But he knew that his hope in the resurrection of the dead was true. He knew that God rewards and punishes people after death according to what they have done. So in this hope he served God going through many hardships and trials. He could end his life of faith satisfied because he was seeking God’s crown of righteousness when he would be raised to life. Indeed, if our hope is in this life alone we would be pitied more than anyone else.

When Paul claimed that he was on trial because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead, a dispute broke out and the Sanhedrin was divided. What happened next?

    [9] There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" [10] The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. 

Suddenly some of the Pharisees defended Paul. They did not care whether it was the Risen Jesus or angels who spoke to Paul. They said, “"We find nothing wrong with this man," "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" There was such great violence that the commander had to take Paul away from them by force and place him into his barracks again.

Part II. You must also testify in Rome (v.11-35)

[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."

That night, Paul must have been exhausted. In two days he had been in three riots, two from the crowd and one from the Sanhedrin. He would have been beaten to death by the crowd if the commander had not come quickly. His plan to testify about Jesus was totally ruined. His testimony about Jesus to the crowd was cut short the minute he mentioned that he had been sent to the Gentiles. Before the Sanhedrin he could not even say a word about Jesus. Most of all there was no one around him. During the trial those standing near him only struck him on the mouth. He was lonely. There were believers in Jerusalem, but no one were with him at the time and none could help him. But the Lord stood near Paul that night. The phrase ‘stood near’ shows Jesus’ understanding and compassion for Paul. No one could stand near him. But the Lord stood near him that night. Probably the Lord stood near Paul for a time until Paul could recognize the Lord and was ready to listen to him. It was because he was so depressed and exhausted.

Then Jesus said to him, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem. So you must also testify in Rome.” Jesus asked Paul to take heart because his mission was not finished yet. He needed to testify about Jesus in Rome.

Paul thought that his testimony about Jesus in Jerusalem was a total failure. But Jesus said, “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem.” By saying that Jesus revealed that his testimony in Jerusalem was good enough. It was a great relief for Paul to know that Jesus had accepted his testimony in Jerusalem as true.

But then Jesus said to Paul, “So you must also testify in Rome.” Jerusalem was the capital city of the Jews and Rome was the capital city of the Gentiles. Jerusalem was in the east and Rome was in the west. Jesus wanted Paul to testify about him not only in Jerusalem but also in Rome. It shows Jesus’ desire to preach the gospel both to the Jews and the Gentiles. And Paul was most proper person to go to Rome and testify about Jesus because he has seen the Lord and heard him the most. We testify about what we see and hear. If we saw the Niagra Falls we could talk about it. If we saw Derek Fisher’s 0.4 second’s shot we can talk about it. He is a Laker’s basket ball player and he made a shot in 0.4 second. I saw it. So I can talk about it. I still cannot believe that a human being can catch a ball and turn and shot in 0.4 second. There were many people in Rome at that time, but none saw Jesus as much as Paul saw him. So Jesus wanted him to testify about him in Rome.

Jesus wanted Paul to testify about him in Rome because Paul’s testimony would save many people from their spiritual troubles. In the book of Acts we see that many people were changed by Paul’s testimony about Jesus. Timothy was changed and Lydia, dealer of purple cloth, and was changed. In our ministry also there are many people who are changed by the testimony about Jesus. For example Nathan was changed. Where is Nathan? There you go. When missionary Philip testified about Jesus Nathan was totally changed. Then Nathan testified about Jesus to Ryan and Ryan was totally changed. Where is Ryan? Raise hands. There you go. And Ryan is so happy. Once he shared his testimony here.

Now where is Rome? These days, America is like the new Rome because she is the only super power nation. But because of this, we need to remember that God used Rome to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. 

So where is our Rome? Our Rome is the place where there are people who need to hear Jesus and be saved. It can be anywhere. It can be the college campuses. It can be other nations like Brazil or the Philippines or China or North Korea or Muslim countries. For the purpose of reaching out all the people on earth especially college students, God established this ministry. We pray for Bible America, Bible Brazil, Bible Philippines, Bible Mexico, Bible Korea, and all other nations. Now for Shepherd Nathan, his Rome is Brazil because he is praying to go to there as a missionary. Brazil is known as the country of “soccer’. When the World Cup comes, we hear this country a lot. But Shepherd Nathan is praying for the Bible Brazil rather than the Soccer Brazil. We know that Missionary Philip is crazy for soccer. So it is no wonder that his disciple Nathan is becoming a missionary for the country. 

Now, what happened the next day? Verses 12-35 tells the story.

Forty Jewish men made a vow before God to kill Paul on his way to the Sanhedrin. Paul found out about it through his nephew, and so the commander transferred Paul to Governor Felix. 

The author wrote a long and detailed story about Paul’s deliverance from the Jews. Why did he do so? It was to show how Jesus was working to bring Paul to Rome. Paul never came back to Jerusalem after that day’s transfer. There are several unusual things in today’s story. Somehow the plot to kill Paul was known to the son of Paul’s sister although he was ‘young man.’ Paul received such favor that he could send one centurion to the commander. The commander took the young man’s warning seriously and he transferred Paul accompanied with 470 soldiers. His letter clearly said that Paul did not do anything to deserve imprisonment or punishment, and he stayed at Herod’s palace.

In conclusion, Jesus stood near Paul and encouraged him to testify about him in Rome because he had seen him and his testimony would change many people.

One word: You must also testify in Rome.

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