Atos 23

Atos 23

Morgan - “Bold, courageous, fearless during the day, the night of loneliness finds the strength spent, and the enemy is never slow to take advantage of that fact.” As the Lord Jesus had done for Paul before in time of need, again He appears to His bondservant Paul (Acts 18:9; 22:17-21), Acts 18:9+ And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; Acts 22:17-21+ “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” The Lord stood at his side - The Lord really was present. He was really standing at Paul's side. Luke does not describe this as a trance or vision. This reminds us of Jesus' promise in Mt 28:20b "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And so it appears that Jesus was physically present with Paul. And of course He is also always spiritually present with believers for He ever indwells us (Col 1:27b). Andrews - This reminds us that the Lord Jesus knows where we are and what we are going through! He has the power to come to where we are and stand by us.