COV LIFE BLOG

Acts 21:27-22:29 Suffering for the Mission of God and God’s Grace in Suffering

The Sovereignty of God is evident as Paul, the Roman army, and the unbelieving and opposing Jews all are used to promote the gospel. We were told by our Lord, early in the Book of Acts (1:8) that the gospel would be proclaimed abroad, beginning at Jerusalem and extending to the remotest part of the earth. And so it is happening, but not only through faithful men and women, trusting in Jesus and committed to doing His will. It is being accomplished through the mistakes of a Roman commander, who probably should never have allowed Paul to speak, through the Hellenistic Jews who accused and opposed Paul, and through the “native Hebrew” Jewish leaders of Jerusalem. The gospel is going to Rome. The harder the Jews work to resist and overcome it, the more the proclamation of the gospel expands.

We see in Paul the heart of a man who loves his own people so much that he cannot be silenced from sharing his faith with them, even when they have nearly killed him. In passages like this, we read of Paul’s great love for his people, and his intense desire that they be saved:

1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, {separated} from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the {temple} service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen (Romans 9:1-5).

In our text in Acts 22, we see that Paul’s words in Romans 9 are no mere “lip service.” He does love these people, and desire that they come to faith in Jesus as Messiah. He loves them so much that even when they have nearly beaten him to death, even when they would still put him to death, he will not pass up an opportunity to tell them of the salvation he has found. If you and I had this kind of compassion and concern for the lost, we would not need evangelism methods classes, for we would find more than enough opportunities to share our faith, even as Paul did.

Bob Deffinbaugh

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Heart Preparation
Read Acts 21:27-22:29. Notice the willingness of Paul to suffer for the mission of God and God’s grace in our suffering. Do you ever suffer for God? If not, why is that? When you suffer what thoughts fill your mind? Is it despair or rest in Christ?