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Read (and listen!) through the New Testament in 8 weeks with your small group or on your own.
Immerse: Messiah is the first of six volumes in Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience. Messiah takes the reader on a unique journey through every book of the New Testament. Each section of Messiah begins with one of the Gospels, and together they combine to provide a life-changing reading experience centered on Jesus. This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures, can be experienced in Messiah through the rich variety of lenses provided by the books of the new covenant.
The Immerse Bible Series is the proud winner of the prestigious Bible of the Year award from the ECPA Christian Book Awards. Immerse: The Reading Bible is specially crafted for a distraction-free listening and reading experience, helping you dive in and get immersed in Scripture. You’ll have a great experience using Immerse by yourself. But for an even richer experience, try reading with friends.
Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience is an invitation to a different kind of community interaction with the Bible. Less like a Bible study, more like a book club.
- 8 or 16-week Bible listening plans take you through a large section of the Bible like the New Testament or the Torah
- Meet once a week for a free-flowing discussion about the text
- Wrestle with questions and celebrate ‘aha!’ moments together
Nothing impacts spiritual growth more than spending time in Scripture. Immerse removes many of the barriers that make Bible reading difficult and invites communities to become transformed together through the power of God’s word.
Welcome to the saddleback church anchored life challenge which can also by found on the saddleback companion app or by purchasing the immerse messiah book from tyndale.
The anchored life challenge includes speakers such as Andy Wood, Rick Warren, and Stacie Wood.
Immerse Messiah 9
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Reader 1: [00:00:00] Welcome to Immerse Messiah Reading for Week 2, Day 9.
Rick Warren: Afterward, Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. And after that, he said, I must go on to Rome. He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia, while he stayed a while longer in the province of Asia.
Rick Warren: About that time, serious trouble developed in 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.
Rick Warren: 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 [00:01:00] 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.
Rick Warren: I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence. And that Artemis, this magnificent goddess, worshipped 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.
Rick Warren: Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, 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.
Rick Warren: Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was [00:02:00] 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.
Rick Warren: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! 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.
Rick Warren: 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 craftsmen have a case against them, The courts are in session and the officials can hear the case [00:03:00] at once. Let them make formal charges, and if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater, son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, [00:04:00] Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy.
Rick Warren: 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 [00:05:00] the Lord's supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left.
Rick Warren: Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved. Paul went by land to Asos, where he had arranged for us to join him while we traveled by ship. He joined us there, and we sailed together to Mytilene. The next day we sailed past the island of Chios. The following day we crossed to the island of Samos, and a day later we arrived at Miletus.
Rick Warren: 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 Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus. Asking them to come and meet him.
Rick Warren: When they arrived, he declared, you know that from the day I set foot in the province of [00:06:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: If anyone suffers [00:07:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: I have never coveted anyone's silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands [00:08:00] of mine 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Kos.
Rick Warren: The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patera. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a [00:09:00] week.
Rick Warren: 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 said our farewells. Then we went aboard.
Rick Warren: And they returned home. The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemaeus, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. The next day, we went on to Caesarea 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.
Rick Warren: 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 [00:10:00] shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, and turned over to the Gentiles.
Rick Warren: 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're 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.
Rick Warren: After this, we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Nason, a man originally from 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.
Rick Warren: After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the [00:11:00] 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.
Rick Warren: But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter. [00:12:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, 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 [00:13:00] riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: And the crowd followed behind, shouting, Kill him! Kill him! As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, May I have a word with you? Do you [00:14:00] 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?
Rick Warren: No, Paul replied. I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and [00:15:00] customs.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: The people with me saw the light, but didn't [00:16:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: 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. [00:17:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Stephen 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.
Rick Warren: The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, Away with 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 [00:18:00] had become so furious.
Rick Warren: 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?
Rick Warren: Yes, I certainly am, Paul replied. I am too, the commander muttered, and it cost me plenty. 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.
Rick Warren: 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. [00:19:00] Gazing intently at the High Council, Paul began, Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience.
Rick Warren: 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?
Rick Warren: I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest. Paul replied, For the scriptures 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.
Rick Warren: This divided the council, the [00:20:00] 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.
Rick Warren: 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.
Rick Warren: 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 [00:21:00] 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.
Rick Warren: So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council 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.
Rick Warren: 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 Council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information.
Rick Warren: But don't do it. There are more than [00:22:00] 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 Caesarea at 9 o'clock tonight.
Rick Warren: 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 Claudius Lysias 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.
Rick Warren: When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I removed him to safety. Then I took him to their High Council to try to learn the basis of the accusations against him. I soon discovered that the charge was [00:23:00] 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 on to you.
Rick Warren: I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you. So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the mounted troops took him on to Caesarea. When they arrived in Caesarea, they presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix.
Rick Warren: He read it, and then asked Paul what province he was from. Cilicia, 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. Five days later, Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus to present their case against Paul to the governor.
Rick Warren: When Paul was called in, [00:24:00] Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor. You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews. And with foresight have enacted reforms for us. For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very grateful to you. But I don't want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment.
Rick Warren: We have found this man to be a troublemaker, who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes. Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the temple when we arrested him. You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself.
Rick Warren: Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true. The governor then motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said, I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years. So I gladly present my defense before you. You can quickly [00:25:00] discover that I arrived in Jerusalem no more than 12 days ago to worship at the temple.
Rick Warren: My accusers never found me arguing with anyone in the temple, nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue, or on the streets of the city. These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. But I admit that I follow the way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets.
Rick Warren: I have the same hope in God that these men have, that He will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. Because of this, I always tried to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people. After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid my people and to offer sacrifices to God.
Rick Warren: My accusers saw me in the temple as I was completing a purification ceremony. There was no crowd around me and no rioting. But some Jews from the [00:26:00] province of Asia were there, and they ought to be here to bring charges if they have anything against me. Ask these men here what crime the Jewish High Council found me guilty of.
Rick Warren: Except for the one time I shouted out, I am on trial before you today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead. At that point, Felix, who was quite familiar with the way, adjourned the hearing and said, Wait until Lysias. A few days later, Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish.
Rick Warren: Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self control, and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. Go away for now, he replied. [00:27:00] When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again. He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him quite often and talked with him.
Rick Warren: After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison. Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.
Rick Warren: They asked Festus, as a favor, to transfer Paul to Jerusalem, planning to ambush and kill him on the way. But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea, and he himself would be returning there soon. So he said, those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.
Rick Warren: About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the [00:28:00] following day, he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove. Paul denied the charges. I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws, or the temple, or the Roman government, he said.
Rick Warren: Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there? But Paul replied, No, this is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die.
Rick Warren: But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar. Festus conferred with his advisors, and then replied, Very well. You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go. [00:29:00] A few days later, King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus.
Rick Warren: During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. There is a prisoner here, he told him, whose case was left for me by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial.
Rick Warren: They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn't delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. But the accusations made against him weren't any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus who Paul insists is alive.
Rick Warren: I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he [00:30:00] would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor, so I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar. I'd like to hear the man myself, Agrippa said, and Festus replied, You will.
Rick Warren: Tomorrow. So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. Then Festus said, King Agrippa, and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem.
Rick Warren: But in my opinion, he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome. But what shall I write the Emperor? For there is no clear charge against him, so I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, [00:31:00] King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write.
Rick Warren: For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without specifying the charges against him. Then Agrippa said to Paul, You may speak in your defense. So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense. I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies.
Rick Warren: Now please, listen to me patiently. As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors.
Rick Warren: In [00:32:00] fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope. Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene.
Rick Warren: Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.
Rick Warren: One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, A light from heaven, [00:33:00] brighter than the sun, shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
Rick Warren: It is useless for you to fight against my will. Who are you, Lord? I asked, and the Lord replied, I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get to your feet, for I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.
Rick Warren: And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people who are set apart by faith in me.
Rick Warren: And so, King Agrippa. I obeyed that vision from [00:34:00] heaven. I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God, and prove they have changed by the good things they do. Some Jews arrested me in the temple for preaching this.
Rick Warren: And they tried to kill me, but God has protected me right up to this present time, so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen, that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God's light to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Rick Warren: Suddenly, Festus shouted, Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy. But Paul replied, I am not insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. And King [00:35:00] Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner.
Rick Warren: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Agrippa interrupted him, Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly? Paul replied, Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.
Rick Warren: Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, This man hasn't done anything to deserve death or imprisonment. And Agrippa said to Festus, he could have been set free, if he hadn't appealed to Caesar. When the time came, we set sail for Italy.
Rick Warren: Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, [00:36:00] a captain of the imperial regiment. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a ship whose home port was Adramitium on the northwest coast of the province of Asia. It was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province.
Rick Warren: The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs. Putting out to sea from there, we encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course. So we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.
Rick Warren: Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast to Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia. There, the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board. We had several days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty, we finally neared [00:37:00] Nidus.
Rick Warren: But the wind was against us, so we sailed across to Crete, and along the sheltered coast of the island, past the Cape of Salmoni. We struggled along the coast with great difficulty, and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Licia. We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall.
Rick Warren: And Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it. Men, he said, I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on. Shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well. But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul. And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor, a poor place to spend the winter, Most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there.
Rick Warren: Phoenix was a good harbor, with only a southwest and northwest exposure. [00:38:00] When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. But the weather changed abruptly. And a wind of typhoon strength, called a northeaster, burst across the island and blew us out to sea.
Rick Warren: The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Kata, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it.
Rick Warren: They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Sirtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind. The next day, as gale force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day, they even took some of the ship's [00:39:00] gear and threw it overboard.
Rick Warren: The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last, all hope was gone. No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.
Rick Warren: But take courage, none of you will lose your lives even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me. And he said, don't be afraid Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar. What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.
Rick Warren: So take courage. For I believe God. It will be just as he said, but we will be shipwrecked on an island. About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven [00:40:00] across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep.
Rick Warren: But a little later, they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep. At this rate, they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship. They lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship.
Rick Warren: But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard. So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away. Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. You have been so worried that you haven't touched food for two weeks, he said.
Rick Warren: Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish. Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God [00:41:00] before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat, all 276 of us who were on board. After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
Rick Warren: When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon.
Rick Warren: The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan.
Rick Warren: Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard [00:42:00] first and make for land. The others held on to planks or debris from the broken ship, so everyone escaped safely to shore. Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.
Rick Warren: As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, A murderer, no doubt. Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live. But Paul shook off the snake into the fire, and was unharmed.
Rick Warren: The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn't harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Near the shore [00:43:00] where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days.
Rick Warren: As it happened, Publius father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him. And laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result, we were showered with honors. And when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.
Rick Warren: It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. From there, we sailed across to Regium. A day later, a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Putili.
Rick Warren: There we found some believers who invited us to spend a week with them, [00:44:00] and so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at the three taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.
Rick Warren: When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging. Though he was guarded by a soldier. Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors.
Rick Warren: The Romans tried me and wanted to release me because they found no cause for the death sentence. But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar. Even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people, I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted, and [00:45:00] so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel, the Messiah, has already come.
Rick Warren: They replied, We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here, but we want to hear what you believe. For the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere. So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging.
Rick Warren: He explained and testified about the kingdom of God, and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the scriptures. Using the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul.
Rick Warren: The Holy Spirit was right when He said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, Go and say to this people, [00:46:00] When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear. And they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see.
Rick Warren: And their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me, and let me heal them. So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it. For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the kingdom of God, and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rick Warren: And no one tried to stop him.
Reader 1: This concludes today's Immerse Reading Experience. Thank you for joining us.