Acts 26:1-23. The Heart of Christianity - Truth
It is becoming very apparent that many politicians are quite inept at politics. They repeatedly make promises, up to election day, but from that day on all we hear are excuses, excuses over the next four years. Where has integrity gone? Some know what the opposite of ‘integrity’ is. It is ‘dis-integrity’ or ‘disintegration’. When a person stops doing what is right before God their personal life begins to disintegrate, to fall apart, then the family disintegrates and finally that society disintegrates - all because people cannot live as God wants.
Jesus has a message from God that is both true and is evidence based, it is both credible and life changing. True faith is always life-changing.
Background
When Paul visited the secular city of Athens on his second missionary journey (50-51 AD) he faced a problem. The people loved debating issues such as politics and morality, much as our society does today, but they had no firm basis for how they should live, again much as in our society today. When Paul walked around the city, he saw that it was full of idols to this god and that god, all of which were extrapolations of mans natural desires. (See Appendix 1)
Debate with philosophers
He got into discussions with local philosophers but note what he wanted to tell them about, he always wanted to get to the facts about Jesus, his death and his resurrection.
“A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.”
Then he noticed another altar ‘To an unknown God’, and he used this in his discussions. Note he didn’t start by attacking, first he wanted to find a bridge with his hearers. So Paul said to the leaders of the people in the Areopagus debating area:
“For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:23
Remember Paul had written a letter in 55 AD giving the basis for his teaching:
This passage offers the theological basis for his later courtroom arguments. He emphasises the resurrection's factual basis, listing multiple eyewitnesses to the risen Christ, including himself. He goes on to explains (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) that if Christ has not been raised, then Christian faith is ‘useless’ and believers ‘are still in your sins .
Trials in Jerusalem - his essential defence
When Paul went to Jerusalem (55 AD), after his third missionary journey, riots were encouraged against him by the Jewish authorities and he was arrested. His defence at his trials and interviews was always the same. Thus he said to Festus, the Roman Governor:
“What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Acts 26:25
If anyone wanted to verify the fact of the resurrection of Jesus they could have called up hundreds of witnesses to say they had seen the risen Christ after his death. Significantly the authorities never did that. For them political expediency and suppressing the story about Jesus was the priority.
At his five trials that Paul faced he kept coming back to the question of the resurrection of Jesus. This was central to his message to the world as it proved his claim to be God’s Messiah. Truth is always a good way to answer false accusations but it did also help in his legal strategy of dividing the Pharisees from the Sadducees.
When Paul first stood before the Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin, he realised it was comprised of two rival factions: the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, and the Pharisees, who believe in it. Paul leverages this division by declaring,
“Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead”. Acts 23:6–10
This statement immediately triggered an angry dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees, finding more in common with Paul on this point than with their rivals, defend him by saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man”. The conflict grows so violent that the Roman commander orders Paul to be taken into protective custody.
Following his volatile hearing before the Sanhedrin, the Lord again appeared to Paul and said,
“Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome”.
What an encouragement this must have been to Paul. This promise reinforces Paul's original encounter with the resurrected Christ and assures him that despite his imprisonment and many powerful enemies, his mission will continue and this must have given him great boldness.
Paul's defence centred on the resurrection Jesus as a fulfilment of what the Jewish Scriptures teach, as the living proof of Jesus's identity, and the foundation of his Christian message that if we belong to christ we will be safe when we meet God in judgment after our resurrection..
In his trial before the Roman governor Felix, Paul connected his belief in the resurrection to the long-held hope of the Jewish people. He stated,
“I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked”. Acts 24:14–15
Speaking to King Agrippa and Governor Porches Festus, Paul said that he was:
“. . . on trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our ancestors”. Acts 26:6–8
These are the promises of Scripture. He went on to say that his message was consistent with what Moses and the prophets predicted:
“. . . that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles”. Acts 26:22–23
The context
At this fifth defence Paul is standing before Herod Agrippa II and Bernice. She was Agrippa’s sister but was widely thought to be in an incestuous relationship with the king.
Paul is defending not just himself but the Christian cause.
One of the reasons that headmaster’s summons naughty children to the Headmaster’s Study is that the venue of standing in front to the seated headmaster makes people feel uncomfortable. It is the same in Courts of Law; they are deliberately formal and awe-inspiring so that people naturally feel uncomfortable. Can you imagine the situation Paul was taken into:
“The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.” Acts 25:23
Paul, in chains, stood before the King of Israel and a significant part of the Middle East and the Roman Governor. Agrippa was a powerful figure, the son of Agrippa I who had had James, the son of Zebedee beheaded. His grandfather, Herod the Great had overseen the massacre of the innocents as well as having some of his family killed. Paul’s accusers wanted the death penalty for him.
This was at least his sixth formal interrogation and fifth trial since he had been arrested two years previously
1. Before the mob 21:37 - 22:22
2. Interrogation before Claudius Lysias. the Tribune in Jerusalem 23:18-35
3. Before the Sanhedrin 22.30 - 23:10
4. Before Felix, the Governor. 24:1-27
5. Before Porcius Festus, the new Governor 25:1-12
6. Before Agrippa II, Bernice and Festus. 25:23 - 26:32
This last defence is majestic. He has had two years in prison to think about this (24:27). After Porcius Festus became governor he was offered a trial in Jerusalem but knowing the hatred of the Jews for him, he had opted to be tried in Rome before Caesar. (25:11-12)
Standing now before Agrippa and Festus he has little to lose so he gives a careful defence of the Christian faith.
His defence was that everything he has been saying is true, really true. Last week we looked at the book of 2 John where he also wants to protect the true faith against imposters and says that truth will both be evidence based but will always be associated with love and the God that truth talks about is a God of love so those who have the spirit of God in them will share this love for truth and demonstrate the truth of love.
Key Question - Is there a resurrection?
Today there are many who think that the Christian faith is irrational, and doesn’t make sense. Some thinks we have lost our marbles to think that the next world matters more than this. The key question is ‘Is there a resurrection?’ Significantly this is the heart of Paul’s defence. He argues that because Jesus did rise from the dead, there must be an all-powerful God. God alone can break what we call the‘Laws of Science’ though if you think about it science cannot make laws. In science we learn about the laws God uses to make his universe work.
In the resurrection of Jesus we learn that death has been conquered. Jesus is that God and is the first fruits of a real resurrection.
Paul then goes on to say that the Lord Jesus had personally appeared to him on the way to Damascus and God gave him the commission to announce to the world who Jesus is and that he did indeed rise from the dead. He refers to this realisation as ‘the switching on of the light’. There is a real God. There is therefore an absolute truth, there is a final accountability. All of us will have to stand before God, shamefaced for the way we have lived. Yet there is the possibility of receiving salvation form our sins. Look at Acts 26:17-18 where we are given a clear summary of the Christian message that we have to proclaim
“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18
As a result of people hearing the message about who Jesus is about his death to pay for our sins and about his resurrection to prove who he is, a radical change can take place in people:
1. Darkness becomes light
2. The power of Satan that destroys people’s lives is defeated by the power of God
3. Our sins are forgiven.
4. We are empowered to live very different godly lives. We are taken from where there is no relationship with God to join a people who are being changed into the likeness of Jesus.
If you go up into our loft at night you wouldn’t see much, but turn the light on all my rubbish can be clearly seen. When we turn back to God the light goes on and all the rubbish of our lives becomes painfully apparent. Things are seen for what they are. Forgiveness is on offer, so we too can be sure that we will be resurrected to be with God in heaven
Agrippa understood what Paul was trying to do:
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”i Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:28-29
I suspect that Porcius Festus was also puzzled. Perhaps he tried to ease the situation for Agrippa. He suggested, as some try to do today, ‘You have lost your marbles.’
“At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” Acts 26:24
Festus recognised that Paul was very intelligent and educated but what he was saying did not fit in with his experience of life. The same sort of responses are seen today - resurrection!. Yet most people do instinctively recognise that some decisions we have made are not in tune with what God wants, We sometimes lie, steal covet, lust and certainly don’t love the Lord with all our hearts and minds. So some try to justify the rejection of God by saying that faith is not rational and try to overlook their inborn consciences. Paul continues and urges his listeners to engage their minds and check other facts.
“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Acts 26:25
It is a key question, is “Christianity rational? Must people abandon reason to be a Christian? Is it a blind leap in the dark? Paul argues the very opposite by giving people the reasons why the christian faith is really true
Pauls usual way of helping others understand the gospel
Paul would have been well able to discuss the evidence for Jesus being the Messiah as he had spent many years teaching this material.
It seems that on his second missionary journey Paul was only able to stay in the city of Thessalonica for three to four weeks. Following his normal practice he went to the local synagogue each Sabbath and taught the Jews and God-fearers there. As they revered the Scriptures that was where he started. It seems that on the first Sabbath he showed, from the Scriptures, that the Messiah had to suffer and die because of our sins. On the second Sabbath his theme was that the Scriptures teach that Messiah would rise from the dead. On the third Sabbath he told them how Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies. He would tell them all about Jesus, his death and resurrection and how he and many others had met him after his resurrection.
“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” Acts 17:2-4
Paul and Silas then moved down to the city of Berea and again made the synagogue their first port of call. Presumably he used the same approach, trying to convince people, starting from where they were.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.” Acts 17:11-13
So in his defence of the Christian faith before Agrippa Paul also argued that he is speaking true and rational words. The evidence he gave could be substantiated. It could be tested. Nothing is hidden.
Paul Barnett (PhD, London University) is a visiting fellow in ancient history at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He has written a number of superb books on the historicity of the Christian faith and has famously said,
“The historicity makes the Christian gospel unique.”
Sadducee beliefs
The Sadducees were a conservative group primarily made up of the wealthy and priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem. They controlled the Sanhedrin, the temple and all its business functions. They only accepted as authoritative the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. They rejected the authority of other books in the Old Testament as well as the traditions the Pharisees accepted. As the Torah does not specifically mention that there is a resurrection or an afterlife they rejected this doctrine all together. According to the historians Josephus the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body at death and there are no rewards or punishments after death. This led them to focus on worldly power and success which they viewed as a sign of divine blessing.
However there are several clues in these first five books of the Bible that there will be a Messiah and there is an afterlife.
In Genesis 3 we are told about the coming of one who will crush Satan’s head. God said to Satan
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
Jesus did defeat Saran on the cross.
At the end of the book of Genesis Jacob blesses his sons but kept a special blessing for Judah. King David and Jesus were both of that tribe:
“The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” Genesis 49:10
The Passover story given in Exodus 12 reminds people that God alone can save his people from the destruction that will come to many. This ceremony is explained in Leviticus:
“. . . because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins.” Leviticus 16:30
In Genesis 25:8, after describing Abraham's death, it is said that he “was gathered to his people”. This phrase, used again for Isaac (Genesis 35:29) and Jacob (Genesis 49:33), is separate from the description of the physical burial and suggests there was a reunion in a spiritual realm after death. Similarly when God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promise was not fully fulfilled in their lifetimes. So in order for God to keep his promise, there must be a resurrection of the patriarchs to experience the fulfilment of that promise.
The Sadducees had missed what the Torah is saying, God has always wanted his people to get to the Promised Land. Just as in John Bunyans ‘Pilgrims Progress’ there were many problems on the way. Similarly in the Old Testament a few did make it through to the promised land. You may remember the ditty:
“Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb, the son of Jephuneh Were the only two who ever got through to the land of milk and honey.”
Pharisees belief in the resurrection
The rest of the Old Testament is abundantly clear that there is a resurrection. Elijah and Elisha both raised the dead to show that this was God’s work.
Job, possibly the oldest book in the Old Testament was clear when he said:
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25–27
The Psalms are full of confidence in an afterlife:
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol [realm of the dead] or let your holy one see corruption.” Psalm 16:10
“Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Psalm 49:14-15
“You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” Psalm 71:20
Isaiah had no doubts that God raises the dead:
“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” Isaiah 26:19-20
Of particular note is the great chapter Isaiah 53. It is the clearest description of what the Messiah was gong to do in his life and through his death and resurrection. He would die as a substitute for the sins of many. Yes this prophecy goes on to say:
“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see [light] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11
The prophet Daniel was clear
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:2–3
Daniel recognised those who have died will be raised from death to face God’s judgment.
Hosea was sure:
“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” Hosea 6:1–2
The book of Jonah taught that after 3 days in the stomach of a great fish, new life appeared. No-one entering into a fishes belly survives more than a few minutes let alone three days.
“And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. . . . Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. . . . I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.” Jonah 1:17–2:2, 6
The first evidence Paul goes to are the Old Testament prophecies about the resurrection. I have little doubt he would have explained these prophecies in detail to the assembled court.:
Although the Pharisees recognised there is a spiritual promised land and a judgment to come they had failed to understand the message of the Talmud that a Messiah was coming who alone would be the way into this promised land.
Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah
I don’t suppose Paul would have missed the opportunity to remind the dignitaries gathered there that the Old Testament prophesied much about the Messiah, God’s chosen King who would enter his world to free and empower his people.
The Bible is clear that sin is ultimately not an offence against others or even myself but is against God. That is why we need God’s forgiveness.
The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of David:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2
He will be killed by crucifixion. This prophecy was written by David around 1000 BC, long before crucifixion was used!
“Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” Psalm 22:16-18
There are several prophecies saying that the Messiah will be a direct descent of King David. This passage if often read at Carol services:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7
This human child would be called Mighty God and live for ever!
I can’t imagine that Paul would not have reminded his hearers about Isaiah 53. This extraordinary chapter was the one that convinced my friend David Roberton, who lived in this road, about Jesus. It is a detailed description of what God’s Messiah would do for us. He ‘was despised and rejected by men’, ‘we esteemed him not’, yet:
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:4-11
Here the Old Testament prophet describes in great detail the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, even to the point of his being buried in a rich man’s tomb.
Daniel also foresaw the coming of a Messiah, a man who would also be equal to God and who would rule for ever.. This is a staggering prophecy particularly when you remember that Jesus ascended into heaven through the clouds.
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
Agrippa, as King of the Jews was now in a quandary. The Sadducees, who were in power, did not believe in an afterlife or the resurrection of the dead. This was one of the core theological differences that separated them from the Pharisees during the time of St. Paul and Jesus. He clearly saw that he was being forced to make a rational decision about whether Jesus fulfilled all these Old Testament prophecies.
“The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Acts 26:26-27
Paul was on trial for believing the Scriptures and, like the other apostles, for saying that he had seen the risen Christ. Yet his faith was rational and consistent. This teaching resulted in Paul and other Christians living selflessly, serving and teaching others, because they knew they also would one day experience a resurrection and will have to face the judgment of God. They relied on the sufficiency of the death of Christ to pay for their sins. They were forgiven because of Jesus. It seems as if it is now Agrippa on trial.
The difference between Christianity and religion.
The difference between Christianity and any other religious system is that it is based on core facts about real people living in a real place that were witnessed by many. Jesus was an extraordinary person. He did remarkable miracles, he turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, fed 5,000 with two fish and five loaves, and walked on water. He was crucified because what he taught was hated by the Jewish leaders. He then rose from the dead and was again seen by many, on one occasion 500 saw the risen Messiah. Then he was seen to rise supernaturally through the clouds. If any are honestly unsure please read through John’s gospel and look at the evidence he gives about Jesus. He was the disciple Jesus loved.It is this evidence that should convince a sincere person.
I was pleased to hear that the book ‘Stepping Stones’ was on display at Knights Templar school this week. This book reviews the convincing evidence that there is a God who has revealed himself in Christ, starting from where many are today, They know they have values they think are real, they are looking for a purpose and basis for their lives but are unsure where to look.
The story about Jesus in the Torah, the Talmud and in the apostles writings are so different to those of other religions. Most religions start with a self-proclaimed prophet who tells witnesses what he has received but this not open to being tested. All faith should be evidence based.
For any today who are unsure there are four gospels and the book of Acts which were written during the lifetime of those who had experienced Jesus and the beginning of the church so any mistakes in historical details would be obvious and those opposed to would be sure to highlight any errors.
The Bible is not just full of public fact but there is prophetic hope
Paul is certain that these prophecies are all about Jesus:
“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Acts 26:27
This repeats what Paul had said earlier:
“. . . so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen - that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” Acts 26:22-23
It is significant that he stresses the books of Moses, the Torah which are the only ones the Sadducees accept as authoritative. Open the Bible anywhere and it looks forward to the coming of God’s Royal king, the Messiah.
Just your interpretation?
At a supper party some sceptical guests repeatedly said to the Christian speaker:
‘This is just your interpretation’
Paul has confidently rebutted such accusations. No-one could doubt his sincerity but sincerity alone can be mistaken. However anyone rejecting his conclusion needs to find a way to reject what the Scripture say about the Messiah and explain how so many contemporary people, first hand reliable witnesses, were will to say they had met the risen Jesus. The Christian faith is definitely evidence based. I have tried to give more of this evidence in the books ‘Cure for Life’ and ‘Stepping Stones”
In the Bible we are given a consistent pattern of prophecies, events, promises and warnings. This week I was talking to a group about the evidence for Christ. The response of a solicitor was striking
“I am not really interested.”
Our society and individuals need a cause to live for, a real cause that is evidence based, We do need forgiveness, we need an answer to death and most have an innate desire to find answers to almost anything. Yet when it comes to what must be the most important questions we can face in our short life this is many people’s response.
Paul was unashamed in making clear to King Agrippa and all the dignities present just what the demands of Jesus, our future judge, are. This has always been the Christian message, Jesus is our only hope but faith has implications:
“I preached that they should repent of their sins and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.” Acts 26:20
True faith will always be marked by obedience to Jesus Christ, (See Appendix 2) Often it is this realisation that prevents people from accepting Christ’s forgiveness.
King Agrippa clearly understood the implications of what Paul had explained:
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Acts 26:28
Paul replied, confirming that that was exactly what God demand of all people everywhere,
“Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:29
The Lord loves each one of us and longs for each of us to respond to his offer. The decision is ours. Joshua said to all those who heard him speak:
“Yield your hearts to the Lord.” Joshua 24:23
The people replied:
“We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” Joshua 24:23
Appendix 1 The Roman Gods and what they represented
Desire for love and sex
A group of deities called the Erotes represented the complexities of love and desire.
Aphrodite: The goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, Aphrodite ruled over all aspects of physical desire and attraction. In one story, she possesses a magical girdle that makes anyone who wears it irresistible.
Eros: A son or companion of Aphrodite, Eros is the god of love and sexual desire. He used his bow and arrows to make mortals and gods fall madly in love, often with chaotic results. He is most famously known through his Roman counterpart, Cupid.
Himeros: The god of sexual longing and intense desire, Himeros is a companion of Aphrodite and often appears alongside Eros.
Pothos: Personifying passionate yearning and longing, Pothos is the god of unfulfilled desire.
Anteros: The god of reciprocal love, Anteros avenges those who suffer from unrequited love.
Desire for power and victory
Ares: The god of brutal, raw warfare and violence, Ares personifies the desire for bloodshed and conflict. In contrast to his sister Athena, who represented strategic warfare, Ares represented the more destructive and untamed aspects of battle.
Zeus: The king of the gods was notorious for his insatiable lust and desire for power, leading to numerous affairs with goddesses and mortal women. His repeated unfaithfulness demonstrated a desire to exert his patriarchal authority.
Desire for knowledge and order
Apollo: A complex god, Apollo was associated with truth and prophecy, poetry, and reason. He represents the human desire for knowledge and divine revelation, as embodied by the Oracle at Delphi.
Athena: As the goddess of strategic warfare and wisdom, Athena represents the desire for rational thought, skill, and justice, balancing out her brother Ares's violent urges.
Desire for ecstasy and release
Dionysus: As the god of wine, festivity, and ritual madness, Dionysus embodies the human desire to abandon inhibitions and experience ecstatic release. His worship, centered on wine and frenzied rites, offered a temporary escape from the mundane.
Pan: This rustic god of the wild embodied primal, lustful desires, as well as the wild, instinctual aspects of human nature. He was known for his lust for nymphs and his association with unrestrained fertility.
Appendix 2 The Obedience of Faith
The concept of the "obedience of faith" is taught throughout the Bible, most explicitly in the book of Romans. It emphasises that genuine, saving faith is not a passive belief but an active trust in God that results in a transformed life of obedience. Without this devotion to live a Christ asks, any outward faith is spurious. These are some key passages although this is the message of the whole Bible.
Book of Romans
Romans 1:5: Paul states that he received his apostolic commission to bring about “the obedience of faith among all the nations”. This connects his mission of proclaiming the gospel to a faith that actively obeys God's commands.
Romans 16:26: Concluding his letter, Paul reiterates that the mystery of the gospel was revealed to all nations "for the obedience of faith". The gospel is not simply to be believed intellectually but to be obeyed as an act of faithful submission to Christ.
Romans 2:6–7: Paul explains that God will give "eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality," clarifying that faith is demonstrated through a pattern of obedience.
Romans 10:16: Here, Paul contrasts belief with disobedience, stating, "they have not all obeyed the gospel". This implies that believing the gospel is an act of obedience.
Jesus own teaching
Matthew 7:21: In this section of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns about false leaders who, in spite of their words, do not really obey him. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
John 14:15: Jesus tells his disciples, "If you love me, keep my commandments." This verse links genuine love for Christ with a willingness to obey his teachings.
John 14:23: Jesus again emphasises the need for obedience in true discipleship, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
John 3:36: This verse presents belief and disobedience as opposites. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who "does not obey the Son shall not see life".
1 Peter
1 Peter 1:2: This verse describes believers as chosen "for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood". This highlights that obedience is the very purpose for which Christians are set apart by the Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 1:14: The apostle calls believers to be "obedient children," urging them not to conform to their former ways but to live holy lives.
1 John
1 John 2:3–4: John indicates that keeping God's commandments is how believers know they have come to know Him, implying that not doing so means someone is untruthful in their claim of knowing God.
Related passages on faith and works
James 2:14–26: James uses examples to show that faith must be accompanied by actions, stating that "faith without works is dead". Works demonstrate the reality of saving faith.
Hebrews 11: This chapter provides examples of individuals who demonstrated obedient faith through their actions, such as Abraham who left his home as God commanded.
Matthew 7:21: Jesus states that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father.
