“You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Only those who have tried to teach others and who have heard those or similar words can truly understand Paul’s response. “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am.”

This chapter begins with Paul once again relating the events surrounding his past life in Judaism and his subsequent conversion to Christ. (The original event was recorded in Acts 9 and he retells the story in Acts 22 and here.)

Paul first tells Agrippa that he had been a faithful Jew his entire life. His zeal for God had led him to “do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” On his way to Damascus to persecute even more Christians, however, Jesus had personally appeared to him. The Lord told Paul that he would be sent to preach the gospel to the lost, “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me,” that is, faith in Jesus. And that is what Paul has been doing ever since, preaching the good news of the resurrected Christ.

Do you realize how important the resurrection is to the gospel story? It was the crucifixion death of Jesus that gives us the remission of our sins. But it is the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, never to die again, that gives us hope beyond the grave. If the resurrection is true, then all of Christianity is true – sin, grace, mercy, forgiveness, heaven, hell. If the resurrection is false, nothing else really matters. But because Jesus is the Son of God and not only died for our sins, but was raised from death, we have every reason to believe in Him and obey the gospel. He is the Lord, Jesus Christ our Savior.

Both Festus and Agrippa understand the point. Festus accuses Paul of being mad (insane). Paul focuses on Agrippa and challenges him to trust and obey. Agrippa refuses to submit to God’s will. It is so sad to see a believer who will not obey the Lord. As the song says, “Almost, but lost.”

--Roger Hillis

It has been two years and the Jews still want to kill Paul. (Do you remember the 40 men who had taken a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed him? They must have been quite hungry by this time, don’t you think?) Another plot to kill him fails here. You can see God’s providence in His protection of the apostle.

Festus declares that Paul should be kept at Caesarea as he will soon journey there. He promises to examine Paul then.

When the Jews come down to Caesarea from Jerusalem, they accuse Paul of many things, none of which they can prove. As a favor to the Jews, Festus suggests that the whole group travel to Jerusalem for trial. Paul realizes the danger this puts him in and appeals to Caesar’s judgment seat.

In verse 13, King Agrippa II comes to Caesarea and after he has been there for a few days, Festus tells the king about Paul. He expresses his dilemma to Agrippa by explaining that, even after examining both sides, he doesn’t know what the charges against Paul really are.

You will notice that one thing came out clearly from the testimony, however. Paul spoke of the Savior, “a certain Jesus,” who had been put to death, “whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” Everything the Bible teaches about salvation depends on the truth of the resurrection. The New Testament refers to Christ as “the firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) of resurrection. That means simply that everyone is going to be raised. Our souls are immortal; they cannot cease to exist. Every soul is going to live forever either in heaven or in hell. The resurrection makes all the difference and we must be certain to emphasize it in our teaching, as Paul did.

King Agrippa’s interest is raised and he says he would like to hear from Paul personally. The next day, the stage is set for the apostle to appear before a king to preach the gospel, just as it had been foretold that he would (see Acts 9:15). Chapter 26 contains his powerful sermon.

--Roger Hillis

This chapter begins a series of trials before Roman officials, two governors (Felix and Festus) and a king (Agrippa II). Chapter 24 focuses on Paul’s defense before Felix.

At this trial, the Jews are represented by a professional orator named Tertullus who tries to flatter Felix into condemning Paul. He refers to Paul as a plague, a creator of dissension among Jews around the world, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He accuses him of only one crime, profaning the temple.

The apostle begins his defense to Governor Felix by denying that they can prove the charge against him, because it is not true. He confesses his allegiance to “the Way” and his hope of resurrection from the dead. When Felix hears of the resurrection, he has some knowledge of the matter and desires to hear more from Paul privately.

Soon, Felix and his Jewish wife, Drusilla, have a private Bible study with the inspired apostle. Paul speaks of the faith in Christ and reasons with them about righteousness, self-control (temperance, KJV) and the judgment to come. Felix realizes how badly his life compares to God’s standard and trembles in fear. He puts Paul off to wait for a more convenient time.

Thousands of people have died waiting for an easier time to put off sin and obey the gospel. Please do not be one of them!

Felix spends the next two years hoping for a bribe to release Paul. He is ultimately succeeded by Porcius Festus. Paul will answer to the new Roman governor in the next chapter.

--Roger Hillis

Chapter 23 continues with Paul’s explanation of his change from Judaism to Christianity as he tells them that he has acted with a completely clear conscience at all times. Realizing that some of his listeners are Sadducees and some are Pharisees, Paul mentions “hope and resurrection of the dead” as the basis for their criticism of him. This has the immediate effect of dividing the Jews with the Pharisees not wanting to “fight against God.”

Verses 8-9 provide a brief explanation of one of the major differences between Pharisees and Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife, including resurrection, angels and spirits. They believed that this life was all there is. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were convinced that there is an entire spiritual realm, another level of existence beyond the physical, that includes our immortal souls, the part of man created in the image of God, that will live forever.

The Pharisees’ belief in the spiritual realm (what the book of Ephesians calls, “the heavenly places”) and the Sadducees’ disbelief is what causes “a loud outcry” and a “great dissension.”

The commander is afraid that Paul might be pulled to pieces by the two groups and takes him back into the barracks again for his protection.

The Lord assures Paul that he will bear witness of Him at Rome, just as he has in Jerusalem. We then learn of a conspiracy against Paul by more than forty Jews who agree together not to eat or drink until Paul is dead. When Paul’s nephew hears about the plot, he informs the commander who subsequently has Paul safely transported to Caesarea.

This is another example of how God can use unknown, otherwise insignificant people to accomplish His will. Maybe that means that He can even use you and me.

--Roger Hillis

Paul begins his defense in the Hebrew language by referring to the Jews as “brethren and fathers.” He is showing his respect for them and he captures their attention as “they kept all the more silent.” He continues on to describe his own Jewish heritage.

Paul tells them of his early rabbinical training as he sat under the teaching of the highly respected Gamaliel. (Do you remember him from Acts 5:34-40?) He describes his attitude of persecution against the early Christians and then his trip to Damascus to continue his efforts to make havoc of the church.

And then a truly life changing event happens. The resurrected Lord appears to Paul personally. Remember that he was called, Saul, at that time. (It was necessary for an apostle to see the Christ after His resurrection – Acts 1:22. That’s one of the reasons there are no apostles today.)

This is what changed Saul of Tarsus, Christian hater and persecutor into the apostle Paul, gospel preacher and defender of the faith of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus had been put to death on that Roman cross. He had no doubt in his mind, whatsoever, that Jesus had died on Golgotha. And now that he has seen Him alive, Paul realizes that Jesus of Nazareth is truly the Messiah.

Paul relates how the Lord brought him together with Ananias who teaches him the gospel and baptizes him into Christ to wash away his sins. He tells them that he returned to Jerusalem, was praying and while in a trance, Christ commissioned him as an apostle (“one sent”) and sent him to preach to the Gentiles.

The idea of God showing mercy to the Gentiles is just too much for these zealous Jews. They begin shouting their protest and the Roman commander retreats with Paul into the barracks and decides to scourge him to get to the real truth. Told that Paul is a Roman citizen, the commander backs away and instructs Paul to appear the next day before the Jewish Sanhedrin Council.

--Roger Hillis

Paul and his companions, after leaving the city of Miletus, sail to Cos, Rhodes, Patara, Cyprus and Syria before landing at Tyre. Finding disciples there, they stay for seven days. (Notice that the church at Tyre had men, women and children.)

Next, they travel to Ptolemais where they spend one day with the brethren and then continue on to Caesarea. At Caesarea, they stay with the godly family of “Philip the evangelist.” Our last discussion of Philip goes all the way back to Acts 8.

A prophet from Judea, named Agabus, comes to Caesarea and predicts that, if Paul goes to Jerusalem, he will be arrested and delivered to the Gentiles (Romans). Paul insists that he is willing not only to be arrested, but to die for the Lord. That is total commitment, a complete surrender of his life to God. The Lord expects and deserves nothing less from every disciple, including you and me. See Mark 12:28-30.

When the group (including Luke; remember the “we”) comes to Jerusalem, Paul meets with the elders of the church and gives them many details about his work among the Gentiles. While they “glorified the Lord” for the good news, they were also concerned about the perception that Paul was teaching Jews “to forsake Moses,” including circumcision and other Jewish customs. Paul helps to pay the expenses of four men who have taken a vow (verses 23-26) as proof that he still respects Moses and Jewish tradition.

Some Jews from Asia stir up the multitude with an accusation that Paul had taken a Gentile, Trophimus the Ephesian, into the temple. The charge is false, but many people believe that Paul is guilty. (We should learn from that to always hear all the facts before we make a decision about a person’s guilt or innocence.)

Paul is about to be beaten to death, when a Roman commander, Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26), hears the uproar and come in to rescue him. The apostle asks for permission to speak to the assembled multitude and begins to do so, in the Hebrew language, as Chapter 22 begins.

--Roger Hillis

Paul spends more time in Macedonia/Greece as Chapter 20 begins.

In verse 4, we are introduced to those who were traveling with Paul on this third preaching journey. He was accompanied, at this time, by Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica. (By the way, Secundus probably is not a proper name as much as it informs us that he was a slave, or former slave, who was the “second” child born in his family. “Tertius” [Romans 16:22], who was Paul’s scribe in writing the book of Romans, was probably the third child born into his master’s group of slaves.) Gaius of Derbe and Timothy are also on the journey with Paul as are Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. Luke is also present, although he does not mention himself by name. (Did you remember that Luke wrote the book of Acts?) But he does include himself throughout the book with pronouns like “us” (verse 5) and “we” (verse 6).

As these spiritual soldiers move on, we find them next at Troas. The disciples come together on the first day of the week to remember their Savior’s death for their sins. Paul preaches to them and, as he prolongs his message, a young man named Eutychus falls asleep, falls from the third story window where he was seated and falls to his death. Paul brings him back to life and then continues his message until daybreak the next morning. (That’s quite a long sermon, don’t you think?)

Paul and his companions set out on a ship and sail to Miletus. From there, he calls for the elders of the church at Ephesus to come to him. The rest of the chapter contains his discussion with these elders, Paul’s only recorded sermon to believers. All the others were to convert sinners.

There are many lessons for churches, elders and preachers in this discourse of Paul’s. We should serve the Lord with humility. We must teach people privately and from house to house to repent. He tells us to be certain to declare “the whole counsel of God.” We must be on the alert for false teachers, inside and outside the church. We must rely on the word of God to build us up spiritually. He encourages us to help those who are weak.

They pray together, weep together and then the elders accompany Paul to the ship which will take him on to his next destination.

--Roger Hillis

Chapter 19 finds Paul in ancient Ephesus. In New Testament times, Ephesus was a Roman city in Asia Minor. It is now part of modern day Turkey.

As Paul converts people to the Lord in Ephesus, another new congregation is established. The church in Ephesus will be a powerful influence for good. Paul will later write a letter to the church in Ephesus that becomes a part of the New Testament. Also, in Revelation 2 and 3, when seven churches in Asia Minor receive letters from the Lord, Ephesus is one of those congregations (Revelation 2:1-7).

The chapter begins (verses 1-7) as Paul finds twelve men who had been baptized with John’s baptism. Upon further teaching, they are baptized in the name of the Lord.

Paul preaches for three months in the synagogue of Ephesus and then sets up a teaching situation in a local school for two years. This allows the whole province of Asia to hear the gospel (verses 8-10).

After performing many kinds of miracles (the Bible calls them “unusual miracles”), Paul casts out a demon which some “itinerant Jewish exorcists” had failed to remove. These miracles have their intended effect (John 20:30-31) and many people come to faith. Their repentance is shown by their willingness to burn many expensive books of magic. The Bible makes this powerful statement: “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”

One more incident concludes chapter 19 (verses 21-41). A man named Demetrius, along with others of his fellow silversmiths, recognizes the danger to his trade caused by former idol worshipers converting  to Christianity. So they put together a protest against Paul and his companions. For a long time, they cry out “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” (Some Bible translations call her “Artemis of the Ephesians.” Diana was her Roman name and Artemis was her Greek name.) The whole city is in an uproar and chaos is reigning with some citizens not even knowing what is happening. Finally, the city clerk resolves the crisis by telling the silversmiths to pursue legal action against Paul and his friends or else to simply drop the matter.

--Roger Hillis

Paul’s journey takes him next to Corinth, an ancient city of immorality and depravity. If the first century had a place that could be called “Sin City,” it would have been Corinth. It seems like an unlikely harvest field for the gospel and yet, the Lord makes it clear to Paul that “I am with you” and “I have many people in this city.”

One of the most encouraging things that happens in Corinth is Paul’s providential encounter with Aquila and Priscilla. They work together as tentmakers and will continue to be a constant source of encouragement throughout Paul’s life. Everyone should have such faithful companions in the gospel as Aquila and Priscilla. And everyone needs to be that kind of friend for others.

Paul preaches in Corinth for a year and six months. “And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”

But once again, a group of Jews arrests Paul and take him this time to Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia. He refuses to hear the case and Paul eventually leaves Corinth. He travels to Syria, then to Ephesus and Caesarea, finally returning to Antioch, where this second journey had started.

Acts 18:23 marks the beginning of Paul’s third preaching journey. He begins by revisiting the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples everywhere.

A side note involves Aquila and Priscilla, whom Paul had left in Ephesus. An eloquent preacher named Apollos comes to Ephesus and begins preaching, although he is only familiar with the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla take him aside and teach him the full truth he does not know. When Apollos goes into Achaia, specifically Corinth, he powerfully preaches that Jesus is the Christ, using the Scriptures as proof.

We must always use the Bible when we teach others. The gospel is God’s power of salvation.

--Roger Hillis

Paul’s second preaching journey continues in Acts 17 as he and his companions travel to Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, establishing new churches in each of these metropolitan areas.

Their first stop in this chapter is Thessalonica, where they spend three weeks teaching about the Christ in the Jewish synagogue. They convert “a great multitude,” mostly Gentiles along with a few Jews. (Wouldn’t it be interested to know exactly how many were baptized into Christ there? We will have to wait until we make it to heaven to ask.)

Thessalonica is the local church that will receive two letters from Paul. They are perhaps the earliest epistles he wrote (Galatians may or may not have been first?). Paul wanted to spend more time with them but could not so he wrote them to try to strengthen them spiritually.

Soon, a group of jealous Jews gather some evil men from the marketplace (“certain lewd fellows of the baser sort,” KJV) and they run Paul out of town. His next stop is Berea.

The Jews at Berea are described as being “more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Again, we are told that “many of them believed,” both Jews and Gentiles alike. Jews from Thessalonica hear about Paul’s success and send more troublemakers to force Paul to leave Berea also. He leaves Silas and Timothy there to help the new disciples and moves on to Athens.

Athens was the center of Greek philosophy, culture and learning. Paul speaks to the Jews in the synagogue and to the Greek philosophers in the Areopagus, also known as Mar’s Hill.  He tells them about “the unknown God” whom they were worshiping in their ignorance. He calls them to repentance and a few are converted.

Nothing further is revealed about the churches in Berea and Athens.

--Roger Hillis