Luke the beloved physician wrote, “when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly there. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought”, and in chapter twenty-five and verse seven of the book of Acts Luke shared how the Jews, “laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove”, where we read:
And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about,
and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
The verse begins, “And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when he was come” which means “and at the time and moment he, Paul, arose and appeared”, “the Jews” or “the Jewish people as respects to birth, origin and religion” “which came down from Jerusalem” which means “who descended from the city of Jerusalem whose name means set you double peace and is the capital of Palestine” “stood round about” or “were standing all around the courtroom and Paul”. Luke shared how “Paul” was led to “Festus” upon the “judgment seat”, and the “Jewish people” descended from the city of Jerusalem and were standing all around him.
The verse goes on to say, “... and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.” Luke continued with the words, “and laid many grievous complaints” which means “and bore, conducted and produced a great and abundant number of heavy, weighty, cruel and unsparing accusations and charges” “against Paul” or “toward and in opposition to Paul whose name means small or little”, “which they could not prove” which means “that the Jewish people were incapable and unable to show, exhibit and demonstrate by arguments”. Luke shared how the “Jewish people” produced a great number of “weighty and unsparing accusations” against “Paul” that they were in no way able to establish and make valid or true.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “Jewish people” began to make accusations to“Festus” against “Paul” , but they were in no way able to demonstrate them as true. The vitriol of this Jewish group was insatiable against “Paul”, and sometimes, those who believe and share the gospel of Jesus Christ encounter people who oppose them. God's desire is to save people from their sins, and He sent His Son Jesus to the world to die on the cross to pay the price for the penalty of sins which is death. Anyone who yields themselves to Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Those who consider these unprovable accusations against “Paul” should understand, this was part of God's plan to offer “salvation” to the world and the wise surrender themselves to Him.
Next time Luke shares how Paul says “Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all”, 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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