ENDURANCE/ PERSEVERANCE

8-4-2024

Reminder:

Endurance/Perseverance

Acts 24:1–27 (ESV)

¹And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. ²And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, ³in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. ⁴But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

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⁵For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. ⁸By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” ⁹The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

• Accusations:
  • Stirs up
  • A ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes
  • to profane the temple
• Compared to the Acts 21 Accusations
  • Teaches people
    • The People
    • The Law
    • The Temple
  • That he defile the temple
• Acts 23 Informal Council commanded by the Tribune
  • Paul believes in the resurrection of the dead and declares Jesus the Messiah
  • Some of the Pharisees declare they find no fault in Paul
  • Sadducees (The ruling elite, including the high priest’s family) don’t relent.
• Conclusion:
  • Paul has violated no Roman Law, so the accusers are trying to claim sedition or at the least get Paul released to their Jurisdiction to be tried.

¹⁰And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. ¹¹You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, ¹²and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. ¹⁴But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. ¹⁶So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. ¹⁷Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. ¹⁸While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— ¹⁹they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. ²⁰Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, ²¹other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ ”

• Paul’s Defense
  • Was (collection from all the churches in the Diaspora) and worshiping during the festival of weeks (Pentecost)
    • Spent no time arguing in public or the synagogues
  • He is indeed a amongst those that follow
    • Which happens to hold all the same exact beliefs as his accusers aside from the resurrection and that Jesus is the Christ.
  • He try to defile the temple.
    • His main accusers are not even present, which is a serious offence in Roman law.
  • Those present cannot provide any proof of their accusations; it is all hearsay.

²²But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. ²⁴After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

• Drusilla
  • Daughter of King Agrippa I.
  • Supposedly extremely beautiful.
  • Left her first husband King Azizus of Emesa for Felix.
• Paul’s preaching to Felix and Drusilla
  • Righteousness
  • The coming Judgement
  • Felix’s response of

²⁶At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. ²⁷When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

• Felix’s removal
  • AD 58 a dispute between Syrians and Jews turned to violence. Felix handled the situation very poorly and a delegation was sent to Rome to declare a grievance with the Emperor. Upon this Felix was removed from office.
• Porcius Festus
  • Described as a but died from illness rather shortly after taking office; AD 26.

Endurance/ Perseverance

• Set
  • Trusting in God trials

1 Peter 2:19–25

• A Promise Made
  • for following Jesus

Luke 21:10–19

• Not Without Purpose
  • … unpleasant as it may be sometimes

Romans 5:1–5 (ESV)

¹Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ²Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

• The Example

2 Corinthians 6:2–10 (ESV)

²For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

…Possessing Everything…