Acts 23

Clear conscienceverse 1

And Paul – earnestly beholding the council said

Men and brethren

I have live in all good conscience

before God until this day

Paul insults High Priestverses 2-5

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him

to smite him on the mouth

THEN said Paul to him

God shall smite you – you WHITED WALL

for sit you to judge me after the law

and command me to be smitten

contrary to the law?

And they that stood by said

Revile you God’s high priest?

THEN said Paul

I knew not brethren that he was the high priest

FOR it is written

You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people

Paul divides his accusersverses 6-10

BUT when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees

and the other Pharisees

he cried out in the council

Men and brethren – I am a Pharisee – the son of a Pharisee

of the hope and resurrection of the dead

I am called in question

And when he had so said

there arose a dissension between the

Pharisees and the Sadducees

and the multitude was divided

for the Sadducees say that there is

no resurrection – neither angel – nor spirit

BUT the Pharisees confess both

And there arose a great cry – and the scribes that were of the

Pharisees’ part arose and strove – saying

We find no evil in this man

but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him

let us not fight against God

And when there arose a great dissension – the chief captain

fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them

commanded the soldiers to go down

and take him by force from among them

and to bring him into the castle

LORD visits Paul in the nightverse 11

And the night following the Lord stood by him

and said

Be of good cheer – Paul – for as you hast testified of ME in Jerusalem

so must you bear witness also at Rome

Plan to kill Paulverses 12-15

And when it was day – certain of the Jews banded together

and bound themselves under a curse

saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they

had killed Paul

And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy

and they came to the chief priests and elders

and said

We have bound ourselves under a great curse

that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul

Now therefore you with the council signify to the chief captain

that he bring him down unto you tomorrow

as though you would inquire something more

perfectly concerning him

and we or ever he come near

are ready to kill him

Nephew of Paul hears their planverses 16-22

And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait

he went and entered into the castle – and told Paul

THEN Paul called one of the centurions unto him – and said

Bring this young man to the chief captain

for he hath a certain thing to tell him

SO he took him – and brought him to the chief captain – and said

Paul the prisoner called me unto him

and prayed me to bring this young man to you

who has something to say to you

THEN the chief captain took him by the hand

and went with him aside privately

and asked him – What is that you have to tell me?

And he said

The Jews have agreed to desire thee that you would

bring down Paul tomorrow into the council

as though they would inquire

somewhat of him more perfectly

BUT do not you yield unto them

for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men

which have bound themselves with an oath

that they will neither eat nor drink till they have

killed him – and now are they ready

looking for a promise from you

So the chief captain then let the young man depart – and charged him

See you tell no man that you have showed these things to me

Paul sent to Caesareaverses 23-33

And he called to him two centurions – saying

Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea

and horsemen threescore and ten

and spearmen two hundred

at the third hour of the night

And provide them beasts – that they may set Paul on

and bring him safe unto Felix the governor

And he wrote a letter after this manner

Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix

sends greeting

This man was taken of the Jews

and should have been killed of them

then came I with an army – and rescued him

having understood that he was a Roman

AND when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him

I brought him forth into their council

whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law but to have nothing laid to his charge

worthy of death or of bonds

AND when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man

I sent straightway to you

and gave commandment to his accusers also to

say before you what they had against him

FAREWELL

THEN the soldiers – as it was commanded them – took Paul

and brought him by night to Antipatris

On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him

and returned to the castle

who – when they came to Caesarea

and delivered the epistle to the governor

presented Paul also before him

Governor to hear accusations against Paulverses 34-35

And when the governor had read the letter

he asked of what province he was

and when he understood that he was of Cilicia

I will hear you – said he – when your accusers are also come

and he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said , Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.(4893 “conscience” [suneidesis] means the soul that distinguishes between what is morally good and bad, moral sensitivity, to know with, to be aware of or to know together)

DEVOTION: Our morally before Christ is set through the influence of our world on our thought process. Our parents influence our thought process. Our teachers influence our thought process. Our friends influence our thought process. The fall of man in Adam affects our thought process. We are totally depraved. After salvation we can set a different standard to measure our actions, the word of God. Our application of our standard is given to us to help us understand who God is and how HE works. A good standard can be applied to guide us to a good life. The bad influence of our life before Christ can influence our actions even after we have chosen to follow Christ.

Paul had set a good standard for his life and with that standard he could have good actions. Before Christ, Paul had the standard of the Pharisees by which to live. Paul uses this word twenty-four times in Acts and his epistles. He could tell the Pharisees that he had a good or pure thinking process because he had obeyed the Law before his conversion and had obeyed the law of liberty since he followed Christ. The high priest did not like his comment.

We need to let God’s light shine into this part of our life, so that, we can clean up all the garbage we learned from the world, our sin nature and the influence of the devil in our world. What standard have we set for our lives? The Bible? Our Pastor? Religious teacher? Remember that Christ should be our standard. If HE is our standard, our actions will be good.

CHALLENGE: Check out your belief system constantly through the teachings of the Word of God. False beliefs cause us to act sinfully. True beliefs help us become more Christlike.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 8 For the Sadducees say that here is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. (3670 “confess” [homologeo] mean profess, promise, to concede, declare, admit, say plainly, or to speak one language)

DEVOTION: We sometimes might think that the liberal and conservative views are something new. We are wrong. They have been around since the beginning of religion. Two views seem to be around for almost any doctrine.

If a conservative says white the liberal says gray or black. Here we find that the two group in the Sanhedrin which was the ruling body of Judaism had both Sadducees and Pharisees in it. The Sadducees were the liberals who didn’t believe in a resurrection after death or that there were really created angels in heaven. The Pharisees believed in a life after death and that angels were around them.

Paul believed in a resurrection from the dead or else he would not have believed that it was Jesus talking to him on the Damascus road. He knew that Jesus had died on the cross. He also believed in angels as his writings show. So here he was in a group that was divided. He used that to his advantage. He told them plainly that he believed like the Pharisees which made the Sadducees angry. They fought amongst themselves.

We are not called to be a Paul but we are called to witness for the LORD. We might be confronted by those who don’t hold to the fundamentals of the faith. We need to take them to the statements of the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit do HIS work in their hearts.

When I was witnessing to a person of another belief regarding the deity of Jesus Christ we had to go to the Bible and I stayed in the Gospel of John and worked through what the Bible stated about the deity of Jesus Christ. Some days I would win the battle and other days I would have to go home and study more. In the end the individual of another religion had to admit that I had convinced him of the deity of Jesus Christ. The group moved him to another area. He was one of their church leaders.

It is not impossible to deal with those of other religions within Christianity. There are many cults that come to our doors that need to understand who Jesus really is and we are the ones who can show them in love. If you feel uncertain call an elder of your church to help. Then you can learn and do it on your own the next time.

CHALLENGE: Grow enough in the Word of God to work with other religious groups about their beliefs. Don’t always just slam the door in their face – give them the answers you have learned.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 11 And the night following the Lord by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul for as you have testified of ME in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness also at Rome. (2293 “Be of good cheer” [tharseo] means to be of good courage, to have or be maked by confidence or assurance, to be bold, be enheartened, cheerful, or to have courage)

DEVOTION: Paul had just faced his second run in with the religious leaders of Jerusalem. He knew what to do at that time. He divided them over doctrine. He used to be a Pharisee but now was a believer in Jesus Christ.

As a Pharisee he believed in a resurrection after his life on earth. He also believed that there were angels. His doctrines in this area were very conservative compared to the Sadducees who didn’t believe either of these basic doctrines. There are Bible teachers today that were famous in the past who didn’t believe in angels even though they are taught from the beginning in the Garden of Eden. These teachers were considers conservatives. There is nothing new under the sun as Solomon stated. There have always been liberals and conservatives and most of them don’t agree with each other. It is sad but true that Satan has won the battle in conservative circles by dividing us over doctrines or teachings that should not be fought over.

Now Paul was going to be sent to Rome to witness for the LORD. God knew that the capital of the nation needed the gospel preached. Our capital needs the gospel preached on every street corner. It would be great if there was a revival started in Washington DC. All things are possible with the LORD. Revival starts in our heart first.

Jesus told Paul to be encouraged or of good cheer. Remember he was in jail. The religious leaders wanted him dead. God wanted him to “be of good cheer” in those circumstances. Is God for real? The answer is YES!! HE wants us to rejoice when everything seems to be going wrong in our life. Remember HE has a plan for our life and HE is working that plan.

CHALLENGE: If we are not rejoicing in all circumstances, we are being disobedient to HIM. That isn’t good!!

: 16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. (1747 “lying in wait” [enedra] means an ambush, the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise, plot, or an ambuscade)

DEVOTION: I have many people that I know around the United States. I have spoken from the East coast to the West coast. I have preached in Maine and in Florida and many states in between. The LORD has been very gracious to me and my family.

We have relative scattered in the same directions. So I really like to travel. My wife is more of a home body but I am one who likes to move around the country. Here we have Paul in jail in Jerusalem while he was brought up in Tarsus. He was educated in Jerusalem. Now he is in jail waiting for a trial. He has a relative overhear a conversation of the religious leaders. In the conversation he hears of a plot to kill his uncle. What is he supposed to do? He goes to the jail and tells Paul who send him to tell the chief captain of the plot.

Do you think this all happened by chance? Do you think that it was just fate that the nephew was in that place at that time? The answer is NO!! God had his protection over Paul because HE stated that he was going to be a witness in Rome. So he was going to Rome.

God knows what is happening and he has people in just the right places at just the right time to help us escape the plots of the devil and his evil angels. There is a war going on and we know that we have won the war but there are battles we face every day and the LORD knows what and who we need to help us fight those battles. HE cares for us.

HE tells us when there is one of HIS children who need encouragement and we are to respond with encouragement.

CHALLENGE: I receive calls or email from all over the world helping me to know when someone needs encouragement and I respond. You need to do the same in your world.

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Good conscienceverse 1

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Lawverses 3, 29

Godverses 1, 3, 4, 9

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

Good conscience before Godverse 1

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

Lord verse 11

Lord stood before Paulverse 11

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Angelsverses 8, 9

Sadducees didn’t believe in angelsverse 8

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Chief captainverses 10, 15, 17, 23

Soldiersverses 10, 31

Romeverse 11

Centurionsverses 17, 23

Two hundred soldiersverses 23, 33

Caesareaverse 23

Horsemen threescore and ten (70)verse 23

Spearmen – two hundredverse 23

Felix the governorverses 24, 33, 34

Claudius Lysias (letter; epistle)verses 26-30, 33

Romanverse 27

Antipatrisverse 31

Ciliciaverse 34

Herod’s judgment hallverse 35

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Smite Paulverses 2, 3

Whited wallverse 3

Contrary to the lawverse 3

Evilverses 5, 9

Dissentionverses 7, 10

Belief in no resurrectionverse 8

Belief that there are no angelsverse 8

Curseverses 12, 14, 21

Killverses 12, 14, 15, 21, 27

Conspiracyverse 13

Lie to chief captainverse 15

Lying in waitverses 16, 21, 30

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Good conscienceverse 1

Hopeverse 6

Resurrection from the deadverse 6

Good cheerverse 11

Testify of Christverse 11

Witnessverse 11

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Councilverses 1, 6, 15, 20, 28

High Priestverses 2, 4, 5

Ananiasverse 2

Ruler of the peopleverse 5

Sadduceesverses 6-8

Phariseesverses 6-9

Scribesverse 9

Jerusalemverse 11

Certain of Jewsverse 12

Chief Priestverse 14

Eldersverse 14

Jewsverses 20, 27, 30

Church (New Testament people of God)

Paulverse 1

Paul’s sister’s sonverse 16

Last Things (Future Events)

Hope and resurrection of the deadverse 6

DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.

QUOTES regarding passage

12–15 Failing in their earlier plot to kill Paul in the temple precincts, more than forty fanatical Jews (probably many of them Asian Jews who had instigated the earlier plot, cf. 21:27–29) resolved to do away with him by ambushing him in the narrow streets of Jerusalem. For this they needed a pretext to lure him out of the fortress. So they arranged with “the chief priest and elders” (evidently Ananias, together with some of his Sadducean cohorts) to ask for Paul’s return before the Sanhedrin for further questioning. They pledged that they would kill him as he was brought from the Fortress of Antonia north of the temple to the hall of the Sanhedrin southwest of the temple area (cf. comments on 4:5). To show their determination, they vowed not to eat or drink till they had accomplished their purpose. That did not mean, however, that they would necessarily have to starve if they failed. The rabbis allowed four types of vows to be broken: “vows of incitement, vows of exaggeration, vows made in error, and vows that cannot be fulfilled by reason of constraint” (M Nedarim 3:1–3)—exclusions allowing for almost any contingency. The conspirators’ plan, though violating both the letter and the spirit of Jewish law pertaining to the Sanhedrin (cf. b Sanhedrin 82a), was in keeping with the character of the high priest Ananias (cf. comments on 23:2). (Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, pp. 533–534). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

Ye (ὑμεις [humeis]). Emphatic. Signify (ἐμφανισατε [emphanisate]). First aorist active imperative of ἐμφανιζω [emphanizō]. Make plain from ἐμφανης [emphanēs], chiefly in Acts. Repeated in verse 22. The authority is with the chiliarch not with the Sanhedrin, but he had appealed to the Sanhedrin for advice. As though ye would judge of his case more exactly (ὡς μελλοντας διαγινωσκειν ἀκριβεστερον τα περι αὐτου [hōs mellontas diaginōskein akribesteron ta peri autou]). ὡς [Hōs] with the participle gives the alleged reason as here. So also in verse 20. Διαγνοσκω [Diagnoskō], old verb to distinguish accurately, only here in N. T. and 24:22. Or ever come near (προ του ἐγγισαι αὐτον [pro tou eggisai auton]). “Before the coming near as to him.” Προ [Pro] and the genitive of the articular infinitive of ἐγγιζω [eggizō] with accusative of general reference. We are ready to slay him (ἑτοιμοι ἐσμεν του ἀνελειν αὐτον [hetoimoi esmen tou anelein auton]). Genitive of purpose of the articular infinitive after the adjective ἑτοιμοι [hetoimoi] (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1061). Ἀνελειν [Anelein], second aorist active of ἀναιρεω [anaireō]. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Ac 23:15). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)

23:14–15. The complicity of the chief priests and elders in this plot reveals both their lack of a legitimate case against Paul and their base characters. The fanatic zeal of the 40 men is also seen because a number of them would certainly be killed in overcoming Paul’s guards, should their plan be carried out. (Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 420). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

But the forty fasting men and the scheming religious leaders had forgotten that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that the exalted Lord was watching from heaven. At Paul’s conversion, the Lord had told him that he would suffer, but He had also promised that He would deliver him from his enemies (Acts 9:15–16; 26:16–17). Paul held on to that promise all of his life, and God was faithful.

We know nothing about Paul’s sister and nephew except what is recorded here. Philippians 3:8 suggests that Paul lost his family when he became a Christian, but we do not know if any of his relatives were converted later. (The word “kinsman” in Rom. 16:7 and 11 means “fellow Jew,” as in Rom. 9:3.) Since Paul’s family had long been connected with the Pharisees (Acts 23:6), his sister was no doubt in touch with the “powers that be” and able to pick up the news that was passed along. Wives do chat with each other, and a secret is something you tell one person at a time!

It is not likely that either the sister or the nephew were believers, for that certainly would have shut them out of the official religious circle in Jerusalem. But they were devout Jews and knew that the plot was evil (Ex. 23:2). It was in the providence of God that they were able to hear the news and convey it privately to Claudius. St. Augustine said, “Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.”

We certainly must admire the integrity and courage of Claudius Lysias, the captain. How did he know the boy was even telling the truth? Paul had already caused Claudius so much trouble that it might be a relief to get rid of him! The Jews did not know that Claudius was aware of their plot, so he could have used his “inside knowledge” for his own profit. No Roman soldier could afford to lose a prisoner, but there were always ways to work things out.

Throughout the Book of Acts, Dr. Luke speaks favorably of the Roman military officers, beginning with Cornelius in Acts 10 and ending with Julius (Acts 27:1, 3, 43). There is no record in Acts of official Roman persecution against the church; the opposition was instigated by the unbelieving Jews. While the Empire had its share of corrupt political opportunists, for the most part, the military leaders were men of quality who respected the Roman law.

Claudius’ plan was simple and wise. He knew that he had to get Paul out of Jerusalem or there would be one murderous plot after another, and one of them just might succeed. He also knew that he had better determine the charges against Paul or he might be accused of illegally holding a Roman citizen. He could solve both problems by sending Paul to Caesarea and putting him under the authority of Felix, the Roman governor. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 496). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

Ver. 15. Now therefore ye with the council, &c.] The whole sanhedrim; their sense is, that they would have the sanhedrim convened by the chief priests and elders, and being met together, then to signify to the chief captain; or let him know that they were assembled together, upon the affair of Paul, and that they were desirous he might be brought before them: that he bring him down unto you to-morrow; from the castle of Antonia to the place where the sanhedrim met; the word to-morrow is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; and then it should seem that they desired him to be brought down forthwith, or otherwise they must propose to fast all that day, and so long on the morrow, till Paul was brought down; but that the common reading is right, appears from the chief captain’s sending away Paul at the third hour of the night following, to prevent their designs on the morrow, ver. 23. The pretence formed for his being brought down is, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him; what he had done, which had occasioned this uproar, what it was he was charged with, and whether he was guilty or no: and we, or ever he come near: where the sanhedrim sat; are ready to kill him; lying in wait in some private place between the castle and the temple, from whence they intended to rush out at once upon him, and murder him; far enough both from the temple and the council, that both the one might not be defiled, though they did not greatly stick at that in those times, and that the other might not be charged with having any hand in his death. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 364). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

That was the plot. Careless of their own lives, thinking to do God a service, these fanatics would rid Judaism of Paul once and for all. The Jewish leaders, however, had to play their part with the military tribune. They were to tell him they wanted to “enquire” something more perfectly. The word is diaginōskō, a medical word for making a careful examination—the word from which comes our English “diagnose.” How sad that religion should disgrace itself with dark plots, lies, and violence. But little wonder, since religion is spawned by the father of lies, he who was a murderer from the beginning. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary (Ac 23:15). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)

FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

At this point someone is sure to say, “But Mr. Tozer, I already know that I am bad. I am a believer in total depravity!” My reply is this: it is possible to be a confirmed believer in total depravity and still be as proud as Lucifer! It is possible to believe in depravity and still trust in yourself in such a way that the face of God is hidden and you are kept from victory. (p. 594, TozerSpeaks by A. W. Tozer)

Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn.”

—Ruth 2:2

Downcast and troubled Christian, come and glean to-day in the broad field of promise. Here are abundance of precious promises, which exactly meet thy wants. Take this one: “He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.” Doth not that suit thy case? A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak, a bruised reed, out of which no music can come; weaker than weakness itself; a reed, and that reed bruised, yet, he will not break thee; but on the contrary, will restore and strengthen thee. Thou art like the smoking flax: no light, no warmth, can come from thee; but he will not quench thee; he will blow with his sweet breath of mercy till he fans thee to a flame. Wouldst thou glean another ear? “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What soft words! Thy heart is tender, and the Master knows it, and therefore he speaketh so gently to thee. Wilt thou not obey him, and come to him even now? Take another ear of corn: “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” How canst thou fear with such a wonderful assurance as this? Thou mayest gather ten thousand such golden ears as these! “I have blotted out thy sins like a cloud, and like a thick cloud thy transgressions.” Or this, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Or this, “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” Our Master’s field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening: Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.)

Christ: Our Redeemer
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)
This famous testimony of Job has encouraged many. He knew, as we can know, the reality of his living Redeemer and that the Redeemer would one day reign over His creation as intended.
A redeemer is one who buys back something that has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Originally, the creation was in the proper hands, but Adam sinned, and to a great extent the rebellious world and all its inhabitants fell into bondage at the hands of Satan. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). We became the slaves or “servants of sin” (Romans 6:20).
In order to be freed, a slave must be redeemed. Could we as slaves have bought ourselves back? No, we had nothing of worth. Silver and gold would not do it. In fact, nothing short of the blood of a completely innocent sacrifice would suffice to pay the “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). Only God the Son, by laying aside aspects of His deity and taking on human flesh, could be that perfect sacrifice. “And he saw that there was no man [capable of redeeming mankind], and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation” (Isaiah 59:16). “In his love and in his pity he redeemed them” (Isaiah 63:9) by His own blood, buying us out of bondage to sin and Satan.
Notice also that this redemption is not just something we hope for; it is a fact! He has done it, and it will never be undone! “Thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 60:16). “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

University of Georgia quarterback Jack Fromm helped lead his team to a 12-2 record this year – and a positive attitude fueled by his Christian faith played a key role, he says.

Fromm, who threw for two touchdowns and 250 yards in Wednesday’s 26-14 Sugar Bowl win over Baylor, was asked this week by ESPN’s Holly Rowe about the team’s mindset in light of several teammates skipping the game to prepare for the NFL draft.

Fromm told Rose it was a chance for younger players to step up.

“We have a ton of [young] guys – this is their opportunity. They’re ready to go out and play,” Fromm said. “They’re gonna play great.”

Fromm’s optimism impressed Rowe, who called him the “world’s most positive person.” Asked what makes him optimistic, Fromm replied, “The Holy Spirit in me. I’m trying to live out the most godly life I can do. I’m trying to influence others and hope they can see Christ in me.”

Fromm’s answer brought Rowe to tears.

She also asked if he had a goal for the New Year.

“Influence others, lead people to Jesus … and hopefully shed the light in their eyes,” he said.

Rowe wrote on Twitter Jan. 31, “For the New Year, let’s all be a shining light in this world like @FrommJake. Honestly brought me to tears today with his positive, lovely spirit. Many blessings to this young man. @GeorgiaFootball should be so proud to have him leading this team.”

A junior, Fromm has started 42 straight games and thrown for more than 8,200 yards during his career, helping lead Georgia to three straight division titles. He is one of the top quarterbacks in college football, but told reporters after the game he hasn’t decided if he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. (Christian Headlines)

Genesis 4
The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.

INSIGHT

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asks. God’s answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings — to love, care for, and protect each other.

The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.

The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother’s keeper.

(Quiet Walk)

THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost….2 Corinthians 13:14
The Holy Spirit is identified with the Father and the Son in such away as to indicate personality. There are two great arguments here. The first is the baptismal formula: “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Here He is associated with the Father and the Son in a way that of necessity points to His personality.
The second argument is based on the apostolic benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost….” Obviously the Holy Spirit is a person in line with the person of the Father and of the Son.
A most interesting way we can prove the personality of the Spirit is by showing that He is identified with us, with Christians, in away that indicates that He is a person. In Acts 15:28 we read, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.” This was a decision arrived at by members of the early church, and as they were persons, so He must be a person. You cannot say, “It seemed good to a power and to us,” because the power would be working in us. But here is someone outside us—“It seemed good to him and to us.”
Personal qualities are ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. He is said, for example, to have knowledge. Paul argues, “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).
A Thought to Ponder
The Spirit is identified with us, with Christians, in a way that indicates that He is a person. (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 10-11, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.