Times have changed. God has not. Immutability is one of His key attributes. “I the LORD do not change” (ref. Malachi 3:6). This and other theological truths matter immensely. We must get God right, or everything else will ultimately go wrong.
My early years in Christianity were spent in a church heavily influenced by fundamentalism and revivalism. Plenty of false piety and guilt were dished out every Sunday, followed by a lengthy “altar call.”
When we are chained to God’s sovereignty, we are free to enjoy His grace and providence. “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!” (Psalm 99:1). Yet, they do not (ref. Psalm 36:1; Romans 3:18).
While the five trials certainly had their suspense, and the sea journey has its perils, there should be no doubt that Paul will reach Rome. God promised he would go there. And God, the good Father, never breaks a promise.
For the fifth text in a row in Acts, we have a man, the Apostle Paul, being put on the spot and forced to give a defense against accusations that could cost him his very life.
The three men judging Paul’s third, fourth, and fifth trials are the middle men. They stand between Jerusalem and Rome, in Caesarea. They stand between imprisonment and freedom, for the Apostle Paul. And, they stand between belief and unbelief, in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The three men we are about to meet in Paul’s third, fourth, and fifth trials are the middle men. They stand between Jerusalem and Rome, in Caesarea.
Today is Resurrection Sunday, the highest and holiest day of the Christian year. It is the capstone of the holy gospel: Jesus Christ was born, Jesus Christ died, Jesus Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Deja vu was not kind to the Apostle Paul. Earlier in his life, he had been part of a Jerusalem mob who put a person on trial, named Stephen, simply for being a Christian and preaching the gospel, then summarily executed him.
The Lord Jesus Christ endured five trials after His arrest. He appeared before Annas, then Caiaphas, then the Sanhedrin (Council), then Herod Antipas, then Governor Pontius Pilate.
