Luke the beloved physician wrote, “when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me”, and in chapter twenty-eight and verse nineteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul said, “when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar” where we read:
But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar;
not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
The verse begins, “But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar;” Luke began with the words, “but when the Jews” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover at the time and moment the Jewish people as respects to birth, origin or religion” “spoke against it” or “uttered, declared and made proclamations in opposition to the Romans finding no cause of death in Paul”, “I was constrained” which means “I, Paul, was compelled, forced and in need” “to appeal to Caesar” or “to call unto, summon and invoke Caesar whose name means severed and was the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title”. Luke shared how the “Jewish people” were in opposition to the Roman decision, and they made such intense declarations against “Paul” that he had to “summon” “Caesar”.
The verse goes on to say, “not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.” Luke continued with the words, “not that I had ought” which means “not in any way that I, Paul, had a desire to bring a reason or cause” “to accuse my nation of” or “to judge, charge with offense or object to my, Paul's, own company, troop and multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the Jewish people that he had nothing with which to charge his own “nation” or people.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” told the Jewish people who assembled with him in “Rome” about the opposition of the Jews in “Jerusalem” to the “Roman's” thoughts about setting him free, and he was forced to exercise his “Roman privilege” to call upon “Caesar” for judgment. “Paul” had no desire to bring a reason or cause against his nation, but he was forced to defend himself in this way. Step by step “Paul” was nearing the time when he would share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Jewish people who came to him. God wants people to live and be with Him forever, and those who yield to His Son Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life no matter how many charges others may bring against them.
Next time Luke shares how Paul says, “for this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you”, 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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