Atos 23
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 23
Cole says "We disobey it when we stubbornly refuse the help that He sends us through the promises of His Word or through a fellow believer who tries to encourage us. We obey it when we say, “Thank You, Lord, for Your faithful love,” and trust His Word. Thus the main way that the Lord encourages us is with His presence in our difficult circumstances." Gary Hill adds that tharseo "refers to God bolstering the believer, empowering them with a bold inner-attitude ("of good courage"). Inner bolstering comes from the Lord infusing strength by His inworking of faith. This unflinching, bold courage lives out inner confidence which is produced by the Holy Spirit....(believers) know all physical circumstances of life are under His control (Jn 1:3) which produces an unconquerable sense of "inner triumph."" (Discovery Bible) Gilbrant writes "This imperative was used by Jesus in both Matthew 14:27 and Mark 6:50 to encourage His disciples when they saw Him walking on the water. Implicit in the imperative is the idea that fear can be replaced with trust." (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Below are all seven NT uses, all commands. Matthew 9:2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well. Matthew 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Mark 6:50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Mark 10:49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Acts 23:11 But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Tharseo in the Septuagint - Gen. 35:17; Exod. 14:13; Exod. 20:20; 1 Ki. 17:13; Est. 5:1; Prov. 1:21; Prov. 31:11; Joel 2:21; Joel 2:22; Zeph. 3:16; Hag. 2:5; Zech. 8:13; Zech. 8:15; Related Resource: G Campbell Morgan's sermon - Christ's Call to Courage - based on Matthew 9:2, 22, 14:27, John 16:33, Acts 23:11 Mark Twain was not a believer but his words do resonate with Jesus' charge to Paul to be confident, encouraged, unafraid at the events that are coming - "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (ED: He gets a bit mystical at the ending, especially for a man whose destiny would be eternal punishment!) F F Bruce - “This assurance meant much to Paul during the delays and anxieties of the next two years, and goes far to account for the calm and dignified bearing which from now on marks him out as a master of events rather than their victim.” One thinks of the quote by Martin Luther at his trial at the Diet of Worms, (April 18, 1521) "Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen!" Jesus' promise to Paul recalls God's precious promise in Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. Swindoll comments in colorful terms - "With a cool breeze of grace, Jesus blew away the stagnant memories of Paul’s failure. Only the Grace of God can carve a roadway of peace through a person’s wilderness of guilt, & a course river through a desert of despair!" Steven Cole - The Lord did not condemn Paul for feeling discouraged, but neither did He let him stay there. He understands our feelings, because He is fully human. As Hebrews 2:16+ states, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, he is able to come to the aid (see boetheo) of those who are (present tense - continually being) tempted (TESTED).” So He fully understands how we feel, but He wants us to learn to deal with our feelings in a godly manner. You’ve probably heard the expression, “Feelings aren’t right or wrong; feelings just are.” There is both truth and error in that statement. The truth of it is, we shouldn’t deny how we feel in an attempt to look more spiritual. Perhaps I’m feeling angry, but I know that my anger would be sinful, and so I say (with clenched teeth), “I’m not angry!” But it’s obvious to everyone else that I’m steaming mad! We need honestly to own up to how we feel. But the error in the statement is the implication that feelings are morally neutral, and that we’re not responsible for them and we can’t do anything about them. The Bible is clear that many of our feelings are sinful and need to be confronted and put aside. Anger is usually sinful. Sometimes, depression is sinful, when it stems from self-pity or from not trusting God. Anxiety is sinful, even when we’re in the midst of a storm at sea and are afraid that we’re about to die! Jesus rebuked the disciples in that situation for their lack of faith (Mark 8:35-41)! Bitterness is always sinful, no matter how badly we’ve been hurt. So once we’ve admitted how we feel, we need to process our feelings biblically. That’s the fourth lesson: The Lord gives us a gracious command to encourage us in our difficult circumstances. (See full sermon Acts 23:11 The Lord Who Encourages) David
Atos 23
Cole - The Lord Who Encourages)) Jesus is restoring Paul to usefulness and He does this in our lives also after we have failed Him! You've experienced His restoring, comforting hand haven't you? As noted some think Paul "failed," which may be so, but to reiterate he still gave a witness of Jesus and his statement the hope and resurrection of the dead is a foundational truth of the Gospel! THOUGHT - "This encounter with the Lord Jesus must have been a wonderful moment in the apostle's experience. The Lord restored him to spiritual health, as he often must do with us. Have you ever been in this circumstance? Have you ever disobeyed God, knowing that you shouldn't have but wanting something so badly that you've gone ahead anyway? How wonderful to have the Lord ready to restore us. I have been there too, so I know how God can patiently, tenderly deal with us and bring us back to the place of yieldedness." - Ray Stedman For as you have solemnly witnessed - In other words just as Paul had witnessed for Jesus as a prisoner in Jerusalem, he would witness in the same manner (as a prison) in Rome. Solemnly witnessed (1263)(diamarturomai from diá = intensifies meaning conveying idea of "thoroughly" + marturomai = witness, bear witness) means to thoroughly bear witness (give a thorough testimony), testify earnestly or repeatedly, Chuck Smith on Jesus' commendation to Paul for his witness at Jerusalem - "For as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem." Jesus acknowledged that Paul had testified of Him in Jerusalem.. We might be prone to say, "Yes but not very successfully, he stirred up the crowd to an angered frenzy on both occasions. The response to his testimony has nothing to do with the Lord's acknowledgement of Paul's testimony. Sometimes we are discouraged because our testimony for Jesus only brings mocking and derision, we thus feel like a total failure. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness to testify for Jesus, not for how many responded, nor how they responded to our witness. They had responded to Paul's testimony in a very negative way, yet the Lord is acknowledging his witness. Paul had written to the Corinthians, "Your labor for the Lord is not in vain." We need to remember that we are not as commissioned salesmen. We get paid for presenting the merchandise, not for how many units we sell. One man may witness to 100 people and they all receive Jesus as Savior.. Another may witness to 100 people and none receive Christ. When they stand before the Lord to receive their reward for their service, they will both receive the same reward. I am not responsible to bring men to Jesus Christ, just to bring Jesus Christ to men. So you must witness at Rome also - Note that the Lord encourages His servants with His promise of their future service. Paul had wanted to go to Rome and Jesus affirms the desire of his heart will be fulfilled (cf Ps 37:4+) The point is that Jesus says "There is more work for you to accomplish." And dear saint if you are alive and breathing as you read this note, take courage, for there is more work for you to accomplish before it is time to go home! As Jesus said "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work." (John 9:4) As Spurgeon said “A divine decree ordains for you greater and more trying service than as yet you have seen. A future awaits you, and no power on the earth or under the earth can rob you of it; therefore be of good cheer.” Cole - The Lord doesn’t bother to tell Paul of the impending plot to kill him or of the two years that he will sit in custody in Caesarea. He doesn’t tell him of the shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea or of the fact that he will go to Rome as a prisoner. But He does tell Paul that he will bear witness at Rome Must (1163)(dei from deo = to bind or tie objects together, put in prison and also root of doulos, bond-servant) refers to what is not optional but needful (binding) out of intrinsic necessity or inevitability.
Atos 23
Cole - The Lord didn’t need to send out a team of angels to find out where Paul was. The prison cell and the guards didn’t hinder the Lord from finding Paul. He knew exactly where His servant was and what he needed at that moment. And even though Paul didn’t yet know it, and the Lord didn’t tell Paul about it in advance, the Lord knew of the plot that the Jews were forming against Paul, not to eat or drink until they had killed him. The Lord knows all of our difficult circumstances, and the enemy can only go as far as the Lord permits, and no farther. As Isaiah 54:17 proclaims, “‘No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord.” You may be in a prison of difficult circumstances—a physical illness, a financial crisis, the heartache of a loved one who has no place for God in his life—where you feel that no one knows what you’re going through. Whatever your circumstances, and even if no other human being knows, Jesus knows and He cares for you. The Lord stood at Paul’s side! Most likely, none of us will ever see a physical manifestation of Jesus until either He comes again or we stand before Him at death. Such visible appearances are extremely rare (1 Pet. 1:8), and we should not count on them. But the Lord is present with us spiritually, and to say that is not to cop out. After giving the Great Commission, Jesus promised, “And, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Or, as Hebrews 13:5-6 promises, after exhorting us to have our way of life be free from the love of money, “for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” When we are in the fiery furnace, the Lord Himself stands with us, if not physically as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Da 3:19-27), very much spiritually, where you can sense His presence. Sometimes He manifests Himself in a special way through His Word. Sometimes it comes through a word of encouragement from another believer. I have experienced both, and they have been precious times, in spite of the difficulties. In my message on Acts 18:9-10, I shared with you how in my ministry in California, I was going through the most difficult time of criticism that I had ever experienced. I had changed my view from being in favor of “Christian” psychology to being against it, and that change resulted in a barrage of angry letters attacking me and calling for my resignation. One night, as I was sitting on the edge of the bed feeling discouraged, the reference “Acts 18:9-10” popped into my mind. I had not been reading in Acts and so I don’t know how that verse came to my mind, except that the Lord put it there. I grabbed the Bible beside my bed, opened to those verses, and read how the Lord appeared to Paul in Corinth. He said, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” I was flooded with the sense of the Lord’s presence and His confirmation of the direction of my ministry. I also began to detect a pattern during that time. It took me a while to notice, but once I began to notice, it was very consistent. Every time that I received a letter attacking me, often in the same day’s mail, or at least within a day or two, I would receive an encouraging letter. It was the Lord saying to me, “Take courage! I am with you. Just keep on being faithful to My Word.” As many of you know, shortly after I began in the ministry here, a severe controversy developed between four of our former elders and me. It was a very distressing time. I think it’s fair to say that they were trying to force me out of the church. Many of you sent me encouraging notes, expressing your support for my ministry, which meant much to me. But the note that meant the most came from our then 13-year-old daughter, Joy. She wrote, Mom & Dad, I just want you to know that I really appreciate you even though some other people don’t! Don’t listen to them. They don’t know what they’re talking about! Dad, I’m really glad you only preach the truth and don’t compromise what the Bible says. Your sermons have helped me lots! A lot of other people have said the same. Just hang in there and both of you keep up the good work! Look up these verses: they’ve been an encouragement to me: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28. I love you lots! Love always, Joy. Whatever you’re going through, if you’re a child of God, He is there with you. He will show you His presence through His Word and through the encouraging words of other believers. Lean on His promise never to desert or forsake you! He knows all of our difficult circumstances and He is there with us in them. (Steven Cole - The Lord Who Encourages)) Cole's conclusion - G. Campbell Morgan (in Christ's Call to Courage) asks the question, “How are we to obey Him?” How can we take courage when we feel fearful or discouraged? He concludes that the only way is to get a clear vision of the Lord Himself. It is to see Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who endured such hostility of sinners against Himself (Heb. 12:2-3). He observes, “All our fear and all our panic result from a dimmed vision of the Lord, a dimmed consciousness of Christ” (p. 19). A few paragraphs later he states, “There is no refuge for the soul of man other than the Lord Christ” (p. 20). If you’re discouraged about your present difficult circumstances, or feeling down about past mistakes you have made, or anxious about the future, the Lord wants you to take courage. He is with you in your trials, He commends you for your past service, and He promises to use you again in His service as you continue to walk with Him. And as the Lord encourages you, seek to be His channel of encouragement to others. Remember George Herbert’s words, “Good words are worth much, and cost little.” If you encourage others, you are acting like the Lord Jesus. (Steven Cole - The Lord Who Encourages)) Illustration - Just after WWII, American soldiers found a little cellar where Jews had hid out. Written on the wall one had written, “I believe in the sun, even when it does not shine. - I believe in love, even when it is not shown. - And I believe in God even when I cannot see Him work.” Trust this: God is present, and at work thru all your circumstances, just when you need Him the most! (Brian Bell) Illustration - Ancient historians record that horse traders once brought a beautiful black horse to the court of Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. The horse was as first so vicious, plunging and kicking at everyone who came near, that the king’s horseman was about to reject him. Alexander the Great stepped forward and declared that the horse was frightened by its shadow. Alexander proceeded to turn the animal’s head toward the sun, then leaped on the horse’s back and galloped back and forth before the king. You and I can become frightened by the shadow of persecution, pain, and problems. We can be overcome by isolation and intimidation. We need to look to the Son of God and be encouraged and uplifted knowing that He is with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us! The Lord came to where Paul was and stood by him. It doesn’t get any better than this! (Jack Andrews) Acts 23:12 When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. KJV Acts 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. NET Acts 23:12 When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. GNT Acts 23:12 Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ποιήσαντες συστροφὴν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸν Παῦλον. NLT Acts 23:12 The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. KJV Acts 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ESV Acts 23:12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. CSB Acts 23:12 When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed Paul. NIV Acts 23:12 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. NAB Acts 23:12 When day came, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. NKJ Acts 23:12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. NJB Acts 23:12 When it was day, the Jews held a secret meeting at which they made a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. GWN Acts 23:12 In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul. NRS Acts 23:12 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. YLT Acts 23:12 And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul; the Jews formed a conspiracy Acts 23:21,30; 25:3; Ps 2:1-3; 64:2-6; Isaiah 8:9,10; Jer 11:19; Mt 26:4 bound themselves 1 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 6:31; Mt 27:25; Mark 6:23-26 under an oath Lev 27:29; Joshua 6:26; 7:1,15; Nehemiah 10:29; Mt 26:74; *Gr:; 1 Cor 16:22; Galatians 3:13 that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Such execrable vows as these were not unusual among the Jews, who, from their perverted traditions, challenged to themselves a right of punishing without any legal process, those whom they considered transgressors of the law; and in some cases, as in the case of one who had forsaken the law of Moses, they thought they were justified in killing them. They therefore made no scruple of acquainting the chief priests and elders with their conspiracy against the life of Paul, and applying for their connivance and support; who, being chiefly of the sect of the Sadducees, and the apostle's bitterest enemies, were so far from blaming them for it, that they gladly aided and abetted them in this mode of dispatching him, and on its failure they soon afterwards determined upon making a similar attempt. (ch. 25:2, 3.) If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, they were under no necessity of perishing for hunger, when the providence of God had hindered them from accomplishing their vow; for their vows of abstinence from eating and drinking were as easy to loose as to bind, any of their wise men or Rabbis having power to absolve them, as Dr. Lightfoot has shown from the Talmud. 1 Sa 14:24,27,28,40-44; Ps 31:13 Video of Plot to Kill Paul Acts 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FORTY ANGRY JEWS ON A "HUNGER STRIKE!" John G. Butler wrote, “After the comfort for Paul comes the conspiracy against Paul. After the solace from the Savior comes the storm from Satan. After the promise given Paul comes the persecution against Paul. After the night with the presence of the Master comes the day with the presence of the murderers. This is not unusual, but the usual. When God blesses, we can expect Satan to buffet.”