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| Comfort & Counsel |
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| The Great Bible Story #127 |
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When Paul returned to Jerusalem after his journeys, the leaders of the church suggested that he should perform a vow in the temple to show the Jews that he was not against them. So he went into the temple to make offerings. But some Jews from Asian countries where Paul had preached found him in the temple they shouted out saying that this Paul had preached against the Jews and the Law and now he had come into the temple and defiled it. This started a big commotion, and people came and dragged Paul out of the temple. Then someone told the commander of the Roman soldiers that Jerusalem was in turmoil. So he took some centurions and soldiers with him and came to Paul. He could not get a proper answer from the crowd about the charges against Paul, and so he took him to the barracks. There Paul told him that he was a Jew from Tarsus and asked for permission to speak to the people.
He spoke to the people in Hebrew and told them how he had followed the Law as a strict Pharisee and got educated under Gamaliel. He told them that when the people were stoning Stephen for his faith in Jesus he was standing there agreeing with them. he was going to Damascus to arrest Christians there with the permission of the high priest. Then he described how he saw a bright light and heard Jesus speaking to him. In Damascus Ananias prayed for him and baptised him. Then God told him that He was going to send him to take the good news of salvation especially to the non Jews. At this point the crowd became violent and said that he should be put to death. The commander thought that he would scourge Paul and get to know the truth. But then Paul told him he was a Roman citizen by birth who could not be punished without a trial. So the commander decided that he would ask for the chief priests to come and lay their charges against him. The rulers of the Jews could not prove anything against Paul, and when some Jews made a plan to waylay him and kill him, he was moved to Felix the governor. Since Felix could not see why he should punish Paul, he kept delaying things, and Paul was with him for two years. And then Festus took over as governor. He thought he would send Paul to the Jews for trial, but knowing what would happen, Paul said he would rather be tried by Caesar, the Roman emperor. So Paul was sent to Rome along with soldiers. God kept him and the ship safe through the journey. He lived in Rome and encouraged the believers there until he was killed. |
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