Daily devotion: Following Paul - Acts 25;21

 

Acts 25:21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” (NIV)

 

Evelyn and I have just returned from a beautiful trip to Greece. We explored many places, climbed thousands of ancient steps, and visited some of the most amazing Greek and Roman ruins in the world. It was a holiday we had planned for almost three years and we both looked forward to visiting the many historical places associated with the Apostle Paul. We were not disappointed.

 

I’ve always admired Paul’s ministry since elementary school. I grew up in a time when my schoolteacher began each day with a Bible passage and commentary. Most of the time, my teacher read from the Book of Acts and talked about Paul’s arduous journeys to plant churches around the Mediterranean and in Asia Minor. More than fifty years later, I got to see those historic places, especially those in Ephesus, Corinth, Rhodes, and Athens.

 

Paul purposefully lived to spread the Gospel of Jesus and eventually was martyred because of his faith. He wanted to share the good news of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection to everyone who was willing to listen to his message. He even managed to talk about Jesus to the most powerful man in the world of his day – the Roman Emperor – as he made his personal appeal to Caesar. Imagine that – an itinerant preacher with no wealth or esteem – standing before the mightiest and most-revered person in the ancient world, talking to him about Jesus.

 

As Evelyn and I walked on ancient roads where Paul travelled, we both felt a connection to the great work that Paul accomplished in his day. And, as we listened to different local guides tell us parts of Paul’s story, we were both humbled and inspired to spread the Gospel for the rest of our lives to those who are willing to listen, because everyone is a child of God, and everyone can be saved by God’s grace. We just have to make the most of our opportunities to share Christ’s love and words with all whom we are still to meet.

 

Point to ponder: How do I share my faith in Christ?

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for personally calling Paul into Your ministry. We are grateful for the many things he accomplished through his total devotion to You. Help us to carry on the mission of Your Gospel by sharing Your love with all whom we meet and encounter today. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to look at what the church is currently doing, please check out the website at www.erinpres.org.

 

Today’s photograph is of the ancient main street in Corinth where Paul spent eighteen months building up the church, preaching the Gospel, and probably selling the tents he made in one of the local stores on this remarkable street.

The Gospels of Paul - 2 Timothy 4:11

2 Timothy 4:11           Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

            I find today’s highlighted verse fascinating. It seems the two Gospel writers, Mark and Luke, were closely involved with Paul toward the end of his life. Luke had traveled extensively with him throughout the Mediterranean; John Mark had initially worked with him on his earlier missions. From this passage, Paul is isolated and has been abandoned by some of his friends. He seeks the company of Mark and Luke, probably because he feels he can trust them and perhaps still influence their own ministries.

            I find it fascinating because I’ve heard and read many people write or say that they ignore Paul’s Letters and just live as Christians by purely following the Gospels. They seem to think that Paul had nothing to do with how the Gospels were written or what they contained. Today’s verse proves them wrong – Paul had a deep and personal interest in the ministries of the Gospel writers, so he must have given them guidance on what they eventually wrote.

            Some of the anti-Pharisee stories and the trial of Jesus reveal great insights into how the Pharisees operated at that time. Paul called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees, who had personal access to the High Priests and the great Pharisee teachers of both his and Christ’s time. It is my personal opinion that some of these Gospel insights came from Paul, the Pharisee Persecutor, who would have received a lot of personal inside information about the encounters that Christ and His followers had with the Sanhedrin Council, the High Priest and local Pharisees. At one time, he needed the information to condemn, arrest and imprison members of the new Christian sect. It’s amazing to think that what was given to him to persecute the faith, ended up in our Gospel stories from the pens of Luke and Mark, which were written in order to expand the faith. God surely does work in mysterious and wonderful ways!

Questions for personal reflection

What do I think about Paul? How has his influence shaped my Christian faith?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You personally chose Paul to be the appointed Apostle to the Gentile nations. His work for You has shaped who we are Christians today. Help us to recognize his worth to You, as well as his influence over our personal faithful lives. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Communion drawings called ‘Word.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Word.