* Acts 23:12-22
* GOD’S PROVIDENCE PREVAILS!
12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged [him, See thou] tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.
-Acts 23:12-22 GOD’S PROVIDENCE PREVAILS!
* INTRODUCTION to Acts 22:12-22 is Acts 22:30-23:11
* DOCTRINE THAT WE DO! 22.30-23.1-3
* DOCTRINE THAT WE DIVIDE OVER! 4-10
- Believers and Unbelievers rail against church division & separation. What has happen to large denominations & cults who have a centralized vs decentralized government polity with power. Power seems to have a side kick that always tags along = poison in doctrine & purity! Maybe some division instead of denominational globalistic control is good!
* DOCTRINE THAT WE LIVE & DIE FOR! 11
- Maybe we ought to be willing to die than join forces with the devil
- Maybe we ought to stay pure doctrinally and morally than yoke up with the wicked
* Acts 23:12-15
- 12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, hat saying they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
* THE DEVIL’S PLAN! 12-15
-The Devil has his Devices which today’s text reveals a few!
*Act 23:12
- 12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
* NOTE THE MEANS TO THE END!
* 12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together,
* THEY BANDED = -AV-do 357, make 113, bring forth 14, commit 9, cause 9, work 8, show 5, bear 4, keep 4, fulfil 3, deal 2, perform 2, not tr 3, misc 43, vr do 3; 579
- OTHERS RECRUITED TO EVIL! “banded together”
- The commitment they aim to perform is Satanic
- The cause they want to accomplish is Satanic
- The work they join together To fulfill is Satanic
- This grew out of great dissension in verse 10
- That is the origin, the root of sedition, insurrection, uproar
* THEY BOUND THEMSELVES! bound themselves under a curse,
- saying that they would neither eat nor drink
- BOUND AV-curse 1, bind under a curse 1, bind with an oath 1, bind under a great curse + 331 1; 4
- Satanic glue is being bound around curses of devotion to destruction
- They made a bond, an oath, a curse to do evil, harm wickedness
* NOTE THEIR END! till they had killed Paul.
* THE DEVIL’S MEANS ARE CORRUPTED AND HIS ENDS ARE DEATH & DESTRUCTION!
- He plots and pursues evil
* ACTS 23:11
* GOD’S PLAN
-He overules
-God gave Paul comfort before Satan’s attack
* ACTS 23:12
* PREPARING FOR SATANIC CONSPIRACIES!
* BEFORE 12-15 occurred 11 occurred
- GOD PREPARED PAUL FOR SATAN’S MURDEROUS PLOT and PURSUIT BY WHAT HAPPENED IN VERSE 11
- identify the source by the means to the end
* Acts 23:11! And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
*Act 23:11 GOD’S GIVES PROPER PERSPECTIVE!
-11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
* KNOW HIS PRESENCE In vs 11 God And the night following the Lord stood by him,
- & He stands with us
- GOD COMFORTS BY His Presence
- GOD STANDS BY US
* KNOW HIS PEACE VS 11 God said, Be of good cheer,
- GOD COMFORTS BY His Peace
- GOD CHEERS US
* KNOW HIS PURPOSES vs 11 God promised Paul as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem,
- GOD COMFORTS BY His Purposes! Promises!
-TO TESTIFY MEANS to charge, attest, affirm, confirm truth to THOSE IN ROME about HIM, 11 so must thou bear witness also at Rome
- TESTIFY= 1263 διαμαρτύρομαι diamarturomai dee-am-ar-too’-rom-ahee from 1223 and 3140; v; AV-testify 11, charge 3, witness 1; 15 -earnestly charge, solemnly affirm, to confirm of HIM by testimony, to cause it to be believed
- This is God’s PURPOSE for Paul “to testify of Him”
- GOD WANTS US TO TESTIFY OF HIM
* KNOW HIS PROMISES so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
- BEAR WITNESS in Rome THOU MUST= 3140 μαρτυρέω martureo mar-too-reh’-o, from 3144; v; AV-bear witness 25, testify 19, bear record 13, witness 5, be a witness 2, give testimony 2, have a good report 2, misc 11; 79
- Slightly Different greek word but related
1) to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration 1a) to give (not to keep back) testimony 1b) to utter honourable testimony, give a good report 1c) conjure, implore
- God wanted to cause TRUTH ABOUT HIMSELF to be believed -GOD WANTS OR WITNESS TO BE BORN TO OTHERS
* Acts 23:11 SO BEFORE THE TRIAL COMES TO YOU 11 by faith not by sight
* HIS PRESENCE? IS JESUS STANDING BY YOU Or is Satan evident in OUR actions
* HIS PEACE? ARE WE RECEIVING JESUS’ PEACE?
* HIS PURPOSES? Or are Satan’s purposes & PLEASURES owning & drives us
* HIS PROMISES? = OUR PROMISES?
- Or the promises of Satan’s lies
* Is Jesus’ Perspective Enough for Us?
*Act 23:13 THE DEVIL’S PLAN
- 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
* CONSPIRACIES DEPEND ON NUMBERS!
- TO FULFIL THEIR WICKEDNESS
-CONSPIRACY = AV-conspiracy 1; 1
1) a swearing together
2) a conspiracy Please observe the word conspiracy in verse 13
- Oaths with evil means and evil ends
- When we employ evil means for How some say “the better good”, you have a snapshot of Satanic activity
- This is where separation comes in
- The ends do not justify the means unless both the means to the end are as righteous as the righterous ends in God’s eyes!
- An evil conspiracy is one in which the means and or the ends are evil
*Act 23:14 THE DEVIL’S PLAN
-14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
* CONSPIRACIES DEPEND PEOPLE, POWER AND POSITION!
*And they came to the chief priests and elders, *and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, *that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
*Act 23:15
-15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
* CONSPIRATORS DEPEND ON DECEPTION!
* Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow,
* as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him:
* and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
* Act 23:16-22 PROTECTION AGAINST CONSOIRACIES
- 16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged [him, See thou] tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.