Facing trial
June 26, 2009 (Friday)
These Friday blogs are about the Apostle Paul. At the close of his third mission trip, he went to Jerusalem, to deliver an offering he had taken over the last four years. Poverty was rampant among Jewish Christians in Jerusalem and the offering he delivered from Gentile churches was an expression of unity as well as charity.
Upon arriving, Paul learned he was being accused of telling Jewish Christians to abandon Jewish traditions. Paul had been preaching that these traditions were not necessary for salvation, but were so much a part of Jewish life that they were free to observe them if they desired. The Christian leaders in Jerusalem suggested that Paul sponsor four Jewish Christians who had a vow and pay their expenses to fulfill it. In that way, Paul’s enemies would be convinced that he was not teaching people to abandon such practices.
As the day for accomplishing the completion of the Temple rites arrived, Paul was accused of taking a Gentile into the temple courts, where only Jews were allowed. He was seized and taken into the street where a mob began beating him. Roman soldiers stationed nearby were summoned and they stopped the riot, arrested Paul, and were about to flog him to obtain a confession when he revealed to the Roman Commander that he was a Roman citizen, thus exempt from such cruel treatment.
The commander, Claudius Lysias, could see that this was a Jewish problem, and arranged a trial at the Jewish Sanhedrin for Paul. As he prepared himself for the trial, Paul never wavered from his total commitment to Jesus and the gospel. He was ready for trial and imprisonment with a prayer that it might result in further spread of the gospel of salvation by grace through faith.