Henry: Welcome to immerse, the daily bible reading experience.
Day 17.
Afterward, Paul felt compelled by the spirit to go over to Macedonia
and Aya before going to Jerusalem.
And after that he said, I must go on to Rome.
He sent his two assistance, Timothy and Erastus ahead to Macedonia while he stayed
a while longer in the province of Asia.
About that time serious Trouble developed an Ephesus concerning the way it began
with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver
shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.
He kept many craftsmen busy.
He called them together, along with others employed in similar
trades and address them as follows.
Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
But as you have seen and heard this man, Paul has persuaded many people that
handmade gods aren't really Gods at all.
And he's done this not only here in Ephesus, but
throughout the entire province.
Of course, I'm not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business.
I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess,
Artemis, will lose its influence.
And that Artemis, this magnificent goddess, worshiped throughout the province
of Asia and all around the world will be robbed of her great prestige at this.
Their anger boiled and they began shouting.
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
Soon the whole city was filled with confusion.
Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aris
Starke, who were Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia.
Paul wanted to go in too, but the believers wouldn't let him.
Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message
to him begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater inside.
The people were all shouting some one thing and some another.
Everything was in confusion.
In fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told
him to explain the situation.
He motioned for silence and tried to speak, but when the crowd realized he
was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours.
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
At last, the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak
citizens of Ephesus, he said.
Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple
of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.
Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.
You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple
and have not spoken against our goddess.
If Demetrius and the craftsman have a case against them, the
courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once.
Let them make formal charges, and if there are complaints about other matters,
they can be settled in a legal assembly.
I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman
government since there is no cause for all this commotion, and if Rome demands
an explanation, we won't know what to say.
Then he dismissed them and they dispersed.
When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them.
Then he said goodbye and left for Macedonia.
While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through.
Then he traveled down to Greece where he stayed for three months.
He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot
by some Jews against his life.
So he decided to return through Macedonia.
Several men were traveling with him.
They were Soter, son of PIIs from Berea, Arista, and Saks from Thessalonica,
Gaius from Derby, Timothy, and Antiochus and Hammus from the province of Asia.
They went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
After the Passover ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia,
and five days later joined them in Troas, where we stayed a week.
On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers
to share in the Lord's Supper.
Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day,
he kept talking until midnight.
The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps.
As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Utica sitting on the
window sill became very drowsy.
Finally, he fell, sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below.
Paul went down, bent over him and took him into his arms.
Don't worry, he said he's alive.
Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord's supper and ate together.
Paul continued talking to them until Dawn, and then he left.
Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and
everyone was greatly relieved.
Paul went by land to AZA where he had arranged for us to join
him while we traveled by ship.
He joined us there and we sailed together to midi.
The next day, we sailed past the island of Kios.
The following day, we crossed to the island of Semos, and a
day later we arrived at Myletis.
Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus for, he didn't want to spend
any more time in the province of Asia.
He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time
for the Festival of Pentecost.
But when we landed at Mauss, he sent a message to the elders of the church at
Ephesus asking them to come and meet him.
When they arrived, he declared, you know that from the day I set foot in
the province of Asia, until now, I have done the Lord's work humbly, and
with many tears, I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots
of the Jews, I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear
either publicly or in your homes.
I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike, the necessity of
repenting from sin and turning to God and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
And now I am bound by the spirit to go to Jerusalem.
I don't know what awaits me except that the Holy, holy Spirit
tells me in city after city, that jail and suffering lie ahead.
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the
work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.
The work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God.
And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the
kingdom will ever see me again.
I declare today that I have been faithful.
If anyone suffers, if eternal death, it's not my fault for I didn't shrink from
declaring all that God wants you to know.
So guard yourselves and God's people.
Feed and shepherd.
God's flock, his church purchased with his own blood over which the
Holy Spirit has appointed you.
As leaders, I know that false teachers like vicious wolves will come in among
you after I leave, not sparing the flock.
Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth
in order to draw a following.
Watch out.
Remember the three years I was with you, my constant watch and care over
you night and day, and my many tears for you, and now I entrust you to God and
the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance.
With all those he has set apart for himself, I have never coveted anyone's
silver or gold or fine clothes.
You know that these hands of mind have worked to supply my own needs and even
the needs of those who were with me, and I have been a constant example of how you
can help those in need by working hard.
You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them.
They all cried as they embraced and kissed him.
Goodbye.
They were sad, most of all because he had said that they would never see him again.
Then they escorted him down to the ship.
After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed
straight to the island of cos.
The next day we reached roads and then went to Patra.
There.
We boarded a ship sailing for Fania.
We cited the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed
at the harbor of tire in Syria where the ship was to unload its cargo.
We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week.
These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul
should not go on to Jerusalem.
When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation,
including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us.
There we knelt, prayed, and set our farewells, then we went
aboard and they returned home.
The next stop after leaving Tire was Timaeus, where we greeted the brothers
and sisters and stayed for one day.
The next day, we went on to Cesarea and stayed in the home of Philip, the
evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.
He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
Several days later, a man named Agabus, who also had the gift
of prophecy arrived from Judea.
He came over, took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands with it.
Then he said, the Holy Spirit declares so shall the owner of this belt be
bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.
When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go
on to Jerusalem, but he said, why all this weeping you are breaking my heart.
I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem, but even to die
for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and
said, the Lord's will be done.
After this, we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.
Some believers from Cesarea accompanied us and they took us to the home of
nascent, a man originally from SE Cyprus and one of the early believers.
When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.
The next day, Paul went with us to meet with James and all the elders
of the Jerusalem church were present.
After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished
among the Gentiles through his ministry.
After hearing this, they praised God and then they said, you know, dear
brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all
follow the law of Moses very seriously.
But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all
the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses.
They've heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children
or follow other Jewish customs.
What should we do?
They will certainly hear that you have come.
Here's what we want you to do.
We have four men here who have completed their vow.
Go with them to the temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for
them to have their heads ritually shaved.
Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you
yourself observe the Jewish laws.
As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter.
They should abstain from eating food offered to idols from consuming
blood or the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.
So Paul went to the temple the next day with the other men.
They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date
when their vows would end, and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.
The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in
the temple and roused a mob against him.
They grabbed him yelling.
Men of Israel help us.
This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells
everybody to disobey the Jewish laws.
He speaks against the temple and even defiles this holy
place by bringing in Gentiles.
For earlier that day, they had seen him in the city with Trophe, MOUs, a
Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the temple.
The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed.
Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the temple, and immediately
the gates were closed behind him as they were trying to kill him.
Word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all
Jerusalem was in an uproar.
He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd.
When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.
Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains.
He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.
Some shouted one thing and some another.
Since he couldn't find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered
that Paul be taken to the fortress.
As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent.
The soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him, and
the crowd followed behind shouting.
Kill him.
As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander,
may I have a word with you?
Do you know Greek?
The commander asked, surprised, aren't you the Egyptian, who led a rebellion
some time ago and took 4,000 members of the assassins out into the desert?
No, Paul replied, I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Saia,
which is an important city.
Please let me talk to these people.
The commander agreed.
So Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet.
Soon, a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed
them in their own language.
Aramaic brothers and esteemed fathers.
Paul said, listen to me as I offer my defense.
When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.
Then Paul said, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Sia, and I was brought
up and educated here in Jerusalem under Emelio as his student, I was carefully
trained in our Jewish laws and customs.
I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did.
Just like all of you today.
And I persecuted the followers of the way, hounding some to death, arresting both
men and women and throwing them in prison.
The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so for, I
received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to
bring the followers of the way from there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.
As I was on the road approaching Damascus, about noon, a very bright light from
heaven suddenly shone down around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting me?
Who are you Lord?
I asked, and the voice replied, I am Jesus The Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.
The people with me saw the light but didn't understand
the voice speaking to me.
I asked, what should I do, Lord?
And the Lord told me, get up and go into Damascus, and there you will
be told everything you are to do.
I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand
to Damascus by my companions.
A man named Ananias lived there.
He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law and well regarded
by all the Jews of Damascus.
He came and stood beside me and said, brother Saul, regain your sight.
And that very moment I could see him then he told me, the God of our ancestors
has chosen you to know his will and to see the righteous one and hear him speak
for you are to be his witness telling everyone what you have seen and heard.
What are you waiting for?
Get up and be baptized.
Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.
After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the temple
and fell into a trance.
I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, hurry, leave Jerusalem for the people
here won't accept your testimony about me.
But Lord, I argued, they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned
and beat those who believed in you.
And I was in complete agreement when your witness Steven was killed.
I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.
But the Lord said to me, go for, I will send you far away to the Gentiles.
The crowd listened until Paul said that word.
Then they all began to shout away, was such a fellow he isn't fit to live.
They yelled, threw off their coats and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.
The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips
to make him confess his crime.
He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.
When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there,
is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?
When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and
asked, what are you doing?
This man is a Roman citizen.
So the commander went over and asked Paul, tell me, are you a Roman citizen?
Yes, I certainly am.
Paul replied, I am too.
The commander muttered and it cost me plenty.
I.
Paul answered, but I am a citizen by birth.
The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when
they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because
he had ordered him bound and whipped.
The next day, the commander ordered the leading priests into session
with the Jewish High Council.
He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about.
So he released Paul to have him stand before them.
Gazing intently at the high council Paul began.
Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience.
Instantly.
Ananias the high priest, commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth.
But Paul said to him, God will slap you.
You corrupt hypocrite.
What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me?
Struck like that.
Those standing near, Paul said to him, do you dare to insult God's high priest?
I'm sorry, brothers, I didn't realize he was the high priest.
Paul replied for the scripture, say, you must not speak evil of any of your rulers.
Paul realized that some members of the high council were
Sadducees and some were Pharisees.
So he shouted.
Brothers, I am a Pharisee as were my ancestors, and I am on trial because my
hope is in the resurrection of the dead.
The this divided the council, the Pharisees against the Sadducees.
For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but
the Pharisees believe in all of these.
So there was a great uproar.
Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up
and began to argue forcefully.
We see nothing wrong with him.
They shouted, perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.
As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would
tear Paul apart, so he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force
and take him back to the fortress.
That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, be encouraged,
Paul, just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem.
You must preach the good news in Rome as well.
The next morning, a group of Jews got together and bound themselves
with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
There were more than 40 of them in the conspiracy.
They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, we have
bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
So you and the high counsel should ask the commander to bring
Paul back to the counsel again.
Pretend you want to examine his case more fully.
We will kill him on the way.
But Paul's nephew, his sister's son, heard of their plan and went to the
fortress and told Paul, Paul called for one of the Roman officers and said,
take this young man to the commander.
He has something important to tell him.
So the officer did explaining Paul, the prisoner called me over and asked
me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.
The commander took his hand, let him aside and asked, what is it you want to tell me?
Paul's nephew told him Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul
before the high counsel tomorrow pretending they want to get some
more information, but don't do it.
There are more than 40 men hiding along the way ready to ambush him.
They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him.
They are ready now.
Just waiting for your consent.
Don't let anyone know you told me this.
The commander warned the young man.
Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, get
200 soldiers ready to leave for Cesarea at nine o'clock tonight.
Also, take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops, provide horses for Paul to ride
and get him safely to Governor Felix.
Then he wrote this letter to the governor from Claudia SIUs to
his Excellency Governor Felix.
Greetings.
This man was seized by some Jews and they were about to kill him.
When I arrived with the troops, when I learned that he was a Roman
citizen, I removed him to safety.
Then I took him to their high counsel to try to learn the basis
of the accusations against him.
I soon discovered that the charge was something regarding their religious law.
Certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death.
But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately sent him onto you.
I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you.
So that night as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as antitrust.
They returned to the fortress the next morning while the mounted
troops took him onto Cesarea.
When they arrived in Cesarea, they presented Paul and the
letter to Governor Felix.
He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from.
Cia Paul answered.
I will hear your case myself.
When your accusers arrive.
The governor told him, then the governor ordered him, kept in the
prison at Herod's headquarters.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.