The beloved physician Luke wrote when the Jews in Jerusalem seized Paul, he began to give a defense for himself by saying, “I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech you, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, Men, brethren, and fathers, hear you my defense which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he said,)”, and in chapter twenty-two and verse three of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul said, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia” where we read:
I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.
The verse begins, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, ...” Luke began with the words, “I am verily a man” which means “I, Paul, exist truly and securely a male human being” “which am a Jew” or “who exist as a member of the Jewish nation by origin and birth”, “born in Tarsus” which means “engendered and birthed in the city named Tarsus whose name means a flat basket”, “a city in Cilicia” or “a dwelling place, habitation and abode within Cilicia whose name means the land of Celix and was a maritime province in the southeast of Asia Minor, boarding on Pamphylia in the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia in the north and Syria in the east”, “yet brought up in this city” which means “moreover nursed and nourished to promote growth within the dwelling place known as Jerusalem” “at the feet of Gamaliel” or “listening to the instruction of Gamaliel whose name means my recompenser is God and was a Pharisee and celebrated doctor of the law who gave prudent worldly advice in the Sanhedrin respecting the treatment of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth”. Luke shared how “Paul” identified himself as a “Jewish man” who was birthed in the city of “Tarsus in Cilicia”, however was raised in the city of Jerusalem at the instruction of “Gamaliel” who was a “Pharisee” and a celebrated “doctor of the law”.
The verse goes on to say, “... and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.” Luke continued with the words, “and taught” which means “and trained, chastised, castigated and corrected” “according to the perfect manner” or “toward the exact care and strictness” “of the law of the fathers” which means “pertaining to the rule producing a state approved of God belonging to the forefathers, heritage or ancestry”, “and was zealous toward God” or “and existed as burning with zeal, eager and vehemently contending toward the Heavenly Father God”, “as you all are this day” which means “even the same as you, Jewish people, each, every, the whole and everyone upon the particular sunrise to sunset in which Paul was speaking”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the people in the Jewish multitude how he gave exact and strict instruction toward the rule of God which produces a state approved of Him. He also told them he was burning with “zeal” toward God in the same manner as the Jewish people who were accusing him.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” made reference to his “birth” and “upbringing” as he continued speaking to the hostile “Jewish” crowd. “Paul” told them he was born in “Tarsus in Cilicia”, but was raised in the city of Jerusalem sitting under the teaching of “Gamaliel” who was a well-known “Pharisee” that was versed in the “law of Moses”. “Paul” also “taught” people from what he learned through “Gamaliel”, and he presented these ideas with a burning passion toward God. In other words, “Paul” was well-trained in “religion”, and he matriculated in such a way that he gave instruction toward these ideas as well. God's desire is to have this closeness of relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and even when a person is born and raised in their “religion”, they may be living apart from Him. “Paul, who was known as Saul at that time” was “zealous”, but “burning in zeal” against Jesus Christ Himself. Those who are wise will consider their own path and discover whether they are passionate about a “way or religion” that is apart from a relationship with Jesus, and if they discover that Jesus is not the center of their “zeal and instruction”, they may turn at any time to the only One who is “the way, the truth and the life”. (See John 14:6)
Next time Luke shares how Paul says, “I persecuted this way unto the death ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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