Bribe



Acts 23:23-24:27
Today’s reading is a little longer so I gave you a link rather than putting all of the text here. Please read the Bible story. Don’t skip this part. It’s the most important part of the blog.

http://www.esvbible.org/Acts 23:23-24:27

Paul now rests firmly in the hands of the Romans. The Jewish leadership has handed him over and it appears the Romans would rather protect Paul than punish or kill him as the Jews have requested. The next few years will be spent under house arrest. Romans jails were not used for punishment. You were either awaiting trial or execution. But that waiting process could take as long as the officials wanted to make you wait. There was no “right to a speedy trial” like we are supposed to have in the U.S. Many died in Roman prisons just waiting for their trial. But Paul’s situation was not so bad. He had some freedom of movement and fellow believers were allowed to come and visit him, bringing whatever he needed. Most certainly Paul used this time to write letters to outlying churches, to minister to the believers in Caesarea, and witness to his guards.

The verses that have an interesting punch for today begin in 24:22.

Acts 24:22-27
22But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”
23Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
24After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
25And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
26At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.
27When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Felix was looking to see if Paul was actually living out the faith he was speaking about all the time. Had Paul actually offered Felix a bribe to secure his freedom, Felix could have put the faith aside, as it would have put the faith to shame. It would make Christianity just as useless as the “worship” of all the false gods that went on in Rome. Paul of course passes this test as he does not offer Felix a bribe. Christianity is not like other religions at all. Paul is not there to gain his freedom. He is there to witness about Jesus to anyone who will listen. Felix’s desire for a bribe brought Paul to him often and you know that Paul took advantage of every single one of those opportunities.

This reading brings us to an examination of our own motives. How many times do we look just like the world around us, thus negating our witness about the uniqueness of Christ? Paul stands as an amazing example of being willing to suffer rather than compromise the message. Would that my witness were so strong.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more