Paul defended his faith before an angry Jewish crowd in Jerusalem after being accused of defiling the temple. He recounted his conversion experience on the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him and called him to preach to the Gentiles. When the crowd heard this, they rejected Paul's testimony and demanded he be killed. The Roman tribune then ordered Paul's examination by flogging to determine why the crowd was shouting against him. The document provides background information on Paul's subsequent trials before various authorities and parallels between Jesus' and Paul's sufferings. It also discusses the issue of Jewish Christians expecting Gentile believers to follow Jewish customs like circumcision.

1. Acts 21:19-31 & 22:1-24
The Testimony
Paul Defends His Calling and Faith
February 11, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
What’s the number one thing?
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The Glory of God!
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1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
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2. February Memory Verse
Isaiah 40:28
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
Pray for the ARISE Campaign
• Sign up for the online daily emails to receive the devotionals.
• Pray about your financial commitment to the Arise Campaign.
• The first commitment time is February 20.
Pray for the Pastor Search Committee.
• Doug Gunn, Chairman
• Lenora Bigler
• Dottie Hudson
• David Maron
• Jim Merritt, Jr.
• Elizabeth Rich
• Mallory Rosamond
• Don Waller
• Jeff Zachary
Pray for Bill Boteler as he recovers from heart surgery.

3. Don’t Forget Valentine’s Day!!!
References
• MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible (Word Publishing, Nashville,
TN, 1997).
• Stott, John R. W., The Message of Acts (Downers Grove, IL, InterVarsity
Press, USA, 1994).
• Unless otherwise stated, scriptures are quoted from the ESV.
Introduction to Acts 22
• Paul has finished his 3rd journey and is now in Jerusalem.
• Paul is aware of the conflict that awaits him.
• Luke draws parallels to the sufferings and trials of Paul to those of Christ in
Jerusalem.
• The Jewish opposition to Paul is contrasted to the Roman justice system
which protected Paul and the Gospel.
Paul’s Trials
1. Acts 22- Confronted by a Jewish crowd at the NW corner of the Temple
(Our Lesson Today).
2. Acts 23- Trial before the Supreme Jewish Council.
3. Acts 24- Trial before Felix (Governor of Judea).
4. Acts 25- Trial before Festus (Replaced Felix as Governor).
5. Acts 26- Trial before King Herod Agrippa (Caesarea).

4. Parallels between Trails of Jesus & Paul
1. They were rejected by their own (Jewish people).
2. They were arrested without cause and imprisoned.
3. They were unjustly accused.
4. They were willfully misrepresented by false witnesses.
5. They were slapped in the face in court.
6. They were victims of secret Jewish plots.
7. They heard the mobs screaming, “Away with him.”
8. Both were subjected to a series of 5 trials.
• Jesus: By Annas, the Sanhedrin, King Herod Antipas, and twice by Pilate
• Paul: By the Jewish crowd, the Sanhedrin, King Herod Agrippa II, Felix
and Festus
9. Difference: Paul’s sufferings were not redemptive like Christ’s.
Paul arrives in Jerusalem
• Paul and team stayed with Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple (a
converted Hellenistic Jew).
• Paul and team meet with James (brother of Jesus and head of the
Jerusalem church).
• Paul presents an offering gathered for them from the Gentiles on his
journey.
• James shares the problems of the Christian Jews with Paul’s ministry.
Paul Meets with James and gives a missionary report.
Acts 21:19
19 After greeting them, he (Paul) related one by one the things that God had
done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they
glorified God.
James describes the problem with the local Jewish Christians.
Acts 21:20-21
20 And they (James) said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there
are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the
law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are
among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their
children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will
certainly hear that you have come.

5. James devises a plan to demonstrate that Paul still follows Jewish customs.
Acts 21:23-26
23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take
these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that
they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they
have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the
law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our
judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and
from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them
and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be
fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
The Jews were not impressed.
Acts 21:27-29
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him
in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out,
“Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere
against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought
Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had
previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed
that Paul had brought him into the temple.
Paul was thrown out of the Temple.
Acts 21:30-31
30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul
and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as
they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all
Jerusalem was in confusion.
Paul Addressed the Crowd.
Acts 22:1-21
1 "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you."
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,
they became even more quiet. And he said:
3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the
feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being
zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death,
binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and
the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to
the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were
there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

6. 6 "As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light
from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a
voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 8 And I answered,
'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are
persecuting.' 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand
the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, 'What shall I do,
Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will
be told all that is appointed for you to do.' 11 And since I could not see because
of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me,
and came into Damascus.
12 "And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all
the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me,
'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that very hour I received my sight and
saw him. 14 And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a
witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why
do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his
name.'
17 "When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a
trance 18 and 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 know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned
and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your
witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching
over the garments of those who killed him.' 21 And he said to me, 'Go, for I will
send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
Paul’s Testimony is Rejected.
Acts 22:22-24
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said,
"Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live."
23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into
the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he
should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him
like this.

7. The Bottom Line of the Problem of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem:
• Making Gentiles into Jews was fine (Proselytism).
- Process: Baptism, Circumcision, Following Jewish laws, Following
Jesus as Lord.
- They wanted to make “works” a part of salvation.
• Making Gentiles into Christians without first making them Jews was an
abomination (Evangelism).
- Process: Following Jesus as Lord, Baptism.
The Problem of Jewish Christians:
• The Jewish culture was so ingrained into their consciousness, they could
not easily abandon their Jewish customs.
• They could accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, but they expected a
Messiah who would fit into their Jewish laws and culture or reign as King.
Closing Scripture:
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
• Works = our good deeds and attempts to please God and be right with
Him.
• Works can never save us.
Next Sunday
Acts 26:19-29
Answering Critics
February 18, 2017
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

8. The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.”
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay the
penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death” explained in
Revelation 21:8.
Revelation 21:8
8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the
lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Romans 5:8
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us.
Romans 6:23b
23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7
7 "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will
be my son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be conquerors.
Romans 10:9-10
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart
one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

9. Romans 10:13
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Have questions or would like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/