Web viewfor the mob of the people followed, ... ia and then, here in ... And he was waiting for word from Titus that things were better

Life in Christ is a Triumphal Procession1

Acts 21:27-22:29

If you have your bible this morning we’ll begin in Acts 21, verse 27…Acts 21, verse 27….

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. 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. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

_________

In the book of 2 Corinthians Paul picks up an image, a Roman victory celebration—the triumphal procession—and uses it to describe his (and I believe every other) Christian’s life in ministry. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 2:14–16 on the screen….

POWERPOINT2 Corinthians 2:14-16 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always (always…are we sure about that?) leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

A ‘triumphal procession’ was a celebration that occurred in Rome after a major military victory. The conquered enemy was led in a victory procession that often included incense “spreaders” (you could smell the victory), the spoils of war (you could see the victory), rolling stages presenting battle scenes, chariots carrying pictures of the cities that were sacked, and the

1 From 2 Corinthians 2:14

1

defeated captive troops marching to their death at the Temple of Jupiter. The people of Rome, clothed in white garments, erected scaffolding around the city to witness the procession.2

Well I want to look at our passage this morning in Acts through the lens of a ‘triumphal procession.’ Could it be that as Paul traveled through life and experienced suffering and difficulty and confusion and beating and hardship, that he was actually marching in a victory procession behind King Jesus, King Jesus who had vanquished every foe? Could it be that as you and I travel through life and experience difficulty and trials and trouble that we are actually caught up in a ‘triumphal procession’?

Aren’t you and I used to mind-bending paradoxes in the scriptures? That we have to die to ourselves to find life? that we have to serve if we want to be great? that we have to be weak if we want to experience God’s power? And in the case of our Lord Jesus, wasn’t it that at the moment of his greatest humiliation, disgrace, suffering and weakness that He was most glorified? The scriptures often teach us that things aren’t what they appear.

In the junior high class last Sunday, we looked at the passage of scripture in John 13 where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. John sets up the foot washing experience with some pretty stunning facts about Jesus. Listen to this one, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands… Now what does that mean? ….I think it means that Jesus knew that he had been given all authority in heaven and earth…and knowing that he rose from supper, took a towel and washed his disciples’ feet.

I found myself playing that idea out through the rest of the passion experience….

There is Jesus given all authority in heaven and earth in the garden of Gethsemane arrested as a criminal…

There is Jesus given all authority in heaven and earth, mocked and slapped and spit upon…. There is Jesus given all authority in heaven and earth flogged by Roman soldiers… There is Jesus given all authority in heaven and earth and his wrists and ankles are pierced…There is Jesus given all authority in heaven and earth, publicly humiliated and disgraced on the cross.

Things aren’t what they appear. And I hope you see that in our time in Acts this morning. __________________

We’ve come to the place in the book of Acts where three missionary journeys have been completed. It was the Spirit of God back in Acts 13 who initiated the missionary trips. And then in Acts 19 and 20, it was again the Spirit of God that compelled Paul to return to Jerusalem.

2 New American Commentary, 2 Corinthians

2

As I reflected on the Holy Spirit’s initiative both in starting the missionary journeys and then in compelling Paul to return to Jerusalem—Justin covered that last week-- I was reminded of the discussion we had at the beginning of our Acts series.

Whose “acts” are described in the book of Acts? Is the book about the Acts of the Apostles, a title that the book has traditionally been given? Or is it the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus who is building His church from heaven? One author, believing that the entire trinity should be given the credit for what happens in the book of Acts, and a good case for that can be made, suggested that the most appropriate title of all for the book of Acts would be “The Acts of the Sovereign God through the Lord Messiah Jesus by His Spirit on Behalf of the Way.”3 Now admittedly that’s a little bulky…a lot bulky…but it emphasizes that God is the main actor in the book of Acts. And even this morning, as Paul is brutally beaten in the temple area and arrested, God is the main actor. And in fact I would say that God is leading Paul in a triumphal procession through it all. And when all hell is let loose in our lives, the triumphal procession continues. Things aren’t what they appear.

As Justin shared with us last week in the first 26 verses of Acts 21, Paul arrived in Jerusalem with his Gentile traveling partners carrying the ‘collection’ for the Jewish church. James and the leaders of the Jerusalem church greeted Paul and his companions warmly. Paul shared about God’s work among the Gentiles. And James shared about God’s work among the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. But James also shared that there was a possible problem brewing among the thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem. You see these thousands of Jewish believers who were zealous for the law had heard that Paul wasn’t so zealous for the law. In fact they’d heard that Paul was telling Jews everywhere not to circumcise their children or walk in Jewish customs. Of course this wasn’t true but it was the reputation Paul had acquired.

So the leadership of the Jerusalem church came up with a plan whereby Paul’s Jewish orthodoxy would be on display for everyone to see. The plan involved four Jewish believers who were part of the Jerusalem church and were coming to the end of a Nazarite vow where they would have to pay for sacrifices to complete their vow. The idea was that, because Paul had been in Gentile territory and therefore would have to go through his own 7-day period of ritual purification before participating in temple worship, Paul’s ritual purification could coincide with the end of their Nazarite vow and Paul could publicly pay the expenses for their vow. Again the idea was that Paul’s Jewish orthodoxy would be on display for everyone to see. So with that we pick up in verse 27….

And verse 27 says that when the seven days were almost completed, certain Jews from the province of Asia, seeing Paul, in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

3 Bock, page 50

3

(Now it’s reasonable to suggest that these Jews were from Ephesus in Asia where Paul stayed the longest; in fact verse 29 says the Asian Jews saw Paul with an Ephesian Trophimus, in the temple.)

Look at the trouble they caused, verse 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.

Within minutes Paul was surrounded by an angry Jewish mob and they had captured him. And they were crying out at the top of their lungs, that Paul was anti-Jewish, anti-Moses, and anti-temple!...charges similar to those brought against Stephen4. And even worse that all of that—a crime that deserved the death penalty—they cried out that he had brought a Gentile into the inner courts of the temple! (For they had seen Trophimus , whom they knew to be a Gentile, with Paul in the city, and they had jumped to the conclusion that Paul had brought him into the temple’s inner court which was forbidden to Gentiles.)

We’ve talked before about the four and half foot tall stone wall (or ballistrade) that prevented Gentiles from entering the inner court of the temple. The wall had warning signs that separated the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Jews. Two of these notices have been found.5 They read…

Well it goes down hill for Paul… 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.

4 Acts 6:135 Bruce as quoted by Stott, page 344, “Two of these signs (both in Greek) have been found—one in 1871 and one in 1935—the text of which runs, No foreignor may enter witin the barricade which surrounds the temple and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”

4

The people ran together. Isn’t it interesting the things that people can find unity in? They dragged Paul out of the temple and at once shut the gates…It’s hard to know exactly what gates were shut6… but it’s probable that Paul was ushered out of the “inner temple” area into the court of the Gentiles. It’s as if the crowd said, “It’s up to us to protect this holy place from further desecration.”

And there’s irony in that because Paul was engaged in a purification rite at that very moment so that he would not defile the temple.7

Vs. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him…they are beating him…they want to kill him.

This is Paul, who just months earlier had written to the Romans…in Romans 9… I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

“Jesus, send me to hell in place of my people,” Paul would say. His anguish was unceasing that his fellow Jews didn’t know Jesus as the Messiah. And here they are pummeling him with their fists, trying to kill him………………………….and I’ve called this sermon, “Life in Christ is a Triumphant Procession”

Could you be surrounded by a vicious, angry mob who is out to take your life and you still be in a triumphal procession?

At this particular moment in our story in Acts, is God no longer the main actor in the book of Acts?

At this particular moment, is Jesus not reigning from the right hand of God in heaven?

Members of our own congregation are dealing with difficult, difficult problems. Will we have the faith that God is leading us through those problems and spreading the knowledge of him among those who need to be saved?

Well it turns out that salvation comes to Paul from an unlikely source. Roman troops from the Antonio fortress, vs 31, come to Paul’s aid…

6to the court within the outer court” And Marshall, page 348, mentions that Jeremias suggested that these were the gates separating the inner courts from the court of the Gentiles. Peterson, page 590, “These would possibly be the gates between the inner and the outer courts, which were probably shut by the captain of the temple to prevent further desecration.”

7 Marshall as quoted by Peterson, page 590

5

It turns out that Herod the Great, the builder of this Jewish temple, anticipated moments like this when there would be a disruption on the temple grounds. So he built a fortress called the Antonio Fortress or Fortress of Antonio8 (named after his friend Mark Anthony) at the northwest corner of the temple and stationed a cohort of troops there.

Powerpoint

The garrison in Jerusalem consisted of 760 infantry and 240 calvary and was commanded by a Tribune whose name we will get to know in Acts 23 as Claudius Lysias.9

The fortresses’ high towers provided a full view of the temple area, and it had two flights of stairs leading down into the temple grounds, so that soldiers could run down to the crowd almost immediately. 10

Here is a representation of Herod’s temple in Jesus’ time and you can see the Antonio fortress in the back right of the slide.

And if you visit Jerusalem today you can see a scale model of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day and here is a picture of the Antonio Fortress in the model.

8 Antonia, Tower of, (an-tohʹnee-uh), a Hasmonean fortress (known as Baris) on the rocky scarp at the northwest end of the Temple in Jerusalem, luxuriously rebuilt in the late first century B.C. by Herod the Great and named for his friend Mark Antony. In it were kept the high priest’s vestments between festivals, under the seal of Herod and later of the Roman procurators. It was taken and destroyed by Titus in the revolt of the Jews against Rome in A.D. 70. Once thought to be the site of Jesus’ trial (John 19:13), a pavement below the present-day convent of Notre Dame de Sion has now been shown to date from Hadrian’s Aelia Capitolina (the name he gave to Jersualem when he rebuilt it) of the second century A.D. The Antonia is, however, referred to in Acts 21:34-37; 22:24; and 23:10, 16, 32 (RSV: ‘barracks’) as the scene of Paul’s arrest and consequent imprisonment after a riot provoked by Asian Jews who accused him of bringing a Gentile into the Temple (Acts 21:27-36). See also Baris; Herod; Temple, Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). In Harper’s Bible dictionary. San Francisco: Harper & Row.9 Marshall, page 34810 Peterson, page 590

6

POWERPOINT

The tribune and and his men ran down to the commotion, vs 32. And when the Jews saw the tribune they backed away from Paul.

In verse 33, they arrested Paul and bound him with two chains, possibly attaching him to a soldier on each side.11 If you were with us last week, this could be a fulfillment of Agabus’ prophecy, Acts 21:11, but not to the letter since his feet were not bound and the Jews didn’t really hand him over to the Romans.

It’s interesting that the verb used in verse 30, where Paul was ‘seized’ by the Jewish mob is the same verb used in verse 33, for the tribune ‘arresting’ Paul. Where the Jews were out to kill Paul, the Romans were out to protect Paul.12 It really does seem like Paul is being led in a triumphal procession. God is still in charge.

Well the scene was mass confusion. Some were yelling this, some were yelling that. And the tribune, who was trying to get all the facts couldn’t make heads or tails of it. And because of the violence of the crowd, they actually had to carry Paul up the steps of the barracks of the Antonio fortress.

Verse 36 “Meanwhile the crowd was yelling, ‘Away with him!,’ just as nearly thirty years previously, another crowd had shouted at another prisoner.”13

As Paul was being brought into the barracks, verse 37, he said, “May I say something to you?” And it’s pretty clear he asked his question in Greek. A Roman tribune wouldn’t have been expected to speak Aramaic or Hebrew.14 The tribune was surprised, “Do you know Greek?”

Evidently the tribune hadn’t heard Paul speak.

11 Peterson, page 59112 Stott makes this observation, page 34513 Stott, page 345 Luke 23:18 and John 19:15. 14 Schnabel, page 897

7

38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”

It turns out--and Josephus the Jewish historian confirms this--that there was a false prophet from Egypt who came to Jerusalem in AD 54—that would be three years previous to our story. This Egyptian false prophet led his troops to the Mount of Olives and promised them that when the walls of Jerusalem fell down at his command, they would be able to break into the city and overpower the Romans. Well Felix the Roman governor, the Roman procurator, got wind of it and sent troops against them, killing 400 and capturing 200 of them. But the Egyptian false prophet escaped and was never seen again.15

Since the entire people of Jerusalem had assisted the Romans in repulsing the Egyptian, “the assault of an excited crowd in the outer court against Paul”16 felt like a rerun. And the tribune thought Paul was this Egyptian false prophet making another appearance.

39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”

“People in antiquity were judged by the importance of the place where they were born: ‘their own personal honor and dignity was in part derived from the honor rating of the place from which they came.”17 So the tribune, impressed by Paul’s credentials, added it up… “This man’s a Jew, he’s a Jew from a large city in Cilicia… maybe he can clear this matter up!”

Isn’t it amazing that Paul takes center stage here on the steps leading up the Antonio Fortress? Isn’t it even more amazing that Paul wants to minister to these people who just were trying to kill him?

We’re going to see these same realities through the end of the book of Acts. Yes Paul will be in custody, yes Paul will be forgotten, he will be incarcerated but each imprisonment, each incarceration, each change in venue is just going to offer him new locations and new audiences for sharing the gospel. The gospel triumphs time and time again over the most concentrated attempts of Paul’s enemies to squelch and discredit him.18 And that’s something we’ve seen throughout the book of Acts—the gospel wins, no matter what. It does seem that Paul is indeed supernaturally being carried along in a triumphal procession behind King Jesus.

Well what does Paul say on the steps leading into the Antonio Fortress? Follow me as I read verses 1-5.

15 Peterson, page 59216 Schnabel, page 89717 Withergton as quoted by Peterson, page59218 Peterson, page 594

8

“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.

Paul begins respectfully… “Brothers and Fathers, my countrymen, my family according to the flesh, hear me…hear my defense….19

Some in the crowd who heard Paul speaking Hebrew (or Aramaic) became even more quiet. It’s possible that many had gathered only because they heard the temple had been defiled and they didn’t know Paul personally. And all of a sudden this “temple desecrator” that they had come to lynch was speaking their language.

In verse 3, Paul opens a window into his life that would endear him to any Jewish audience. … “I’m a Jew, born in Tarsus…in other words I’ve got the right credentials.” Paul mentions Tarsus only briefly but quickly transitions to “I was brought up in this city, Jerusalem.

No one really knows when Paul came to Jerusalem. Since he had a sister in Jerusalem—we’ll learn that in Acts 23—it’s possible, some argue, that he came at an early age.20 But it was probably at the age of 13, that he began to be educated at the feet of Gamaliel, ‘arguably the most significant and influential Pharisaic educator in the early 1st century.’21 …according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers…being zealous for God as all of you are this day…

And how zealous was he? Verse 4, He was so zealous for God that he persecuted men and women who were part of the Way delivering to prison both men and women.

Paul even says, verse 5, that the high priest and the whole council of elders, the Sanhedrin, could bear witness that he went hard after Christians.

Now it’s been over twenty years since Paul breathed death threats against the Christians.22 Caiaphas was the high priest twenty years before. But Paul claims that even though the personnel are different, that the high priest and the whole council of elders could testify about these matters.

Paul continues with his conversion story in verses 6-11:

19 Schnabel, page 899 This the first of six defense speeches of Paul20 Zahn as quoted by Schnabel, page 90021 Peterson, page 59722 AD 34 to AD 57

9

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. It’s interesting that Paul’s personal conversion story is told three times in the book of Acts—once in Acts 9, here in Acts 22, and once again in Acts 26. James Montgomery Boice says this about that:

“It is significant in so short a book attempting to cover the expansion of Christianity from its small beginnings in Jerusalem to a religion that filled the whole empire that the tale of one man’s conversion should be so emphasized. It’s striking but not surprising. For more than any other individual in these early years, Saul of Tarsus picked up the banner of the cross of Jesus Christ and carried it through the Roman Empire.”23

We covered Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. But notice how Paul in front of this Jewish audience clearly gives witness to the lordship of Jesus of Nazareth…vs. 8 Who are you Lord? And then vs. 10, What shall I do Lord? And the Lord said to me…Rise and go into Damascus….I came to Damascus.

Clearly the apostle Paul was a transformed man!

12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there…Notice how in his description of Ananias he is appealing once again to his Jewish audience…And Ananias 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.’

And look, verse 14 and 15, at what Ananias the devout man according to the Law said to Paul…

“The God of our fathers…the God of the Patriarchs… Paul your God and mine…has done three things for you…”

“He has appointed you, to know His will….He has chosen you to know His will in a direct and personal way.”

He has appointed you to see the Righteous one, …a Messianic term describing Jesus Christ.

23Boice, Acts, page 147

10

And He has appointed you to hear a voice from his mouth… and to witness about what you’ve seen and heard.

Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

So up to this point, Paul has emphasized how Jewish he is. He was brought up in Jerusalem. He was trained as a devout Jew under Gamaliel. He was zealous for God. And then, while heading to persecute Christians, Jesus of Nazareth confronted him on the road to Damascus. A devout man according to the law, Ananias, well spoken of by the Jews in Damascus…notice how Jewish Paul’s story has been….well Ananias, the devout man according to the law and well spoken of by the Jews of Damascus, told him that God had appointed him to know His will, to see the Righteous one, and to hear a voice from his mouth and to bear witness of what he had seen and heard. Could there have been any more Jewish connections to Paul’s experience?

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple….

Now it turns out that this return to Jerusalem is some three years after Paul’s conversion…you can go to Acts 9:20-26 to confirm that… it seems that after Paul was converted that he did some missionary work in Damascus and Arabia …and then, here in verse 17 he returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple…notice in contrast to the accusations…he wasn’t anti-temple… and he had another vision from Jesus… I fell into a trance 18 and saw him…saw Jesus… 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.’ In other words, Paul is arguing that he is the very person that the Jews ought to hear. Surely they would listen to the testimony of one who had imprisoned and beaten Christians in the synagogues. 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Well with the mention that Israel’s God had called him to invite the Gentiles into blessing, the crowd erupted.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

24 Why? It’s not really clear. We do know the Jews hated the Gentiles. Stott, page 348, says this: “In Jewish eyes, proselytism (making Gentiles into Jews) was fine; but evangelism (making Gentiles into Christians without first making them Jews) was an abomination. It was tantamount to saying that Jews and Gentiles were equal.”

11

shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air—no one really seems to know what these actions signified….

Clearly the audience was offended at what Paul has said. Are the people excited?25 No doubt. Are they shaking out their garments, taking the outer garment off in a mock preparation for stoning? Is their dust throwing a sign of grieving?26 Are they expressing their rejection of blasphemy by shaking off the dust from their clothes?27 Whatever it all meant, one author said, the crowd was “clearly repelling the wickedness of Paul’s words”28

Well the tribune, verse 24, not knowing what to do with his prisoner but knowing he needed some answers… ordered (Paul) 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. The idea was that a flogging or scourging (whipping with leather thongs, to which rough pieces of bone or metal had been attached) would cause a true confession.

Let’s pause the story here and ask our questions again…

Could one be stretched out to be flogged and still be in a triumphal procession?

At this particular moment in our story in Acts, is God no longer the main actor in the book of Acts?

At this particular moment, is Jesus not reigning from the right hand of God in heaven?

25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said …pardon me…may I ask a question? … to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” As a Roman citizen Paul could rightly appeal to be delivered from scourging as a form of inquisition.29

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.”

Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” As a person who was a citizen by birth, Paul outranked the commander socially30

25 Bruce, as quoted by Marshall, page 35826 Bock, page 66327 Witherington as quoted in Peterson, page 60728 Johnson as quoted by Peterson, page 60729 Peterson, page 60830 Peterson, page 609

12

It’s possible that Paul established his citizenship by means of what was called a ‘diploma’ which was a small wooden thing which would attest that he was indeed a citizen.31

Verse 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

_____________

Over and over in our story this morning we’ve seen the invisible but sovereign hand of our God at work in Paul’s life. IT’s clear that God will complete the purpose he has for Paul. It is as if he has been in a triumphal procession. The gospel will win. Period.

As we close this morning I want to return to the verses in 2 Corinthians 2, that we looked at at the beginning of the message…. 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16….actually let’s start in verse 12…. 2 Corinthians 2:12…

12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. It seems that the context here is Paul’s anxiety over the situation in the Corinthian church. Paul was devastated by the conflict he had had with the church. And he was waiting for word from Titus that things were better. But no reassurance came. He didn’t find Titus so his Spirit was not at rest.

But in verse 14, he moves from anxiety to gratefulness…14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ …the words ‘in Christ’ are not idle words, they describe our unshakeable union with Jesus come hell or high water….we have an unshakable, unending, unbreakable union with Christ… But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Now some think that Paul got some good news from Corinth and that’s why he moved from anxiety to gratefulness. But it seems to me that what really happened is that Paul began to reflect on unseen realities. He reminded himself that Christ had indeed won the victory, yes he was anxious, he was troubled about what was happening in Corinth but he knew that he’d been purchased by Christ, he knew he was a slave of Christ. He knew that he was not his own. He knew that his life was hidden with Christ in God. He knew that he was on the winning side and no matter what came his way, no matter what crossed his path, his Savior always led him in a triumphal procession, and through him spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

31 Peterson, page 608

13

Isn’t that what Paul just did in our story? Didn’t he continually spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere?

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, …you and I are the aroma of Christ to God…verse 16…and among the lost the aroma of Christ is the smell of death… among those who are to be saved, the aroma of Christ in our lives is the smell of life.

Who is sufficient for these things?

14