YOU MUST ALSO TESTIFY IN ROME

Passage: Acts 22:30-23:11

Key verse: 23:11

NIV

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.(A) So the next day he released him(B) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin(C) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin(D) and said, “My brothers,(E) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience(F) to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias(G) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.(H) 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!(I) You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”(J)

4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[a]”(K)

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees(L) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,(M) I am a Pharisee,(N) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”(O) 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,(P) and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees(Q) stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,”(R) they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”(S) 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.(T)

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!(U) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”(V)

Footnotes
  1. Acts 23:5 Exodus 22:28
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Paul Before the Council

30 But on the next day, (A)desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, (B)I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest (C)Ananias commanded those who stood by him (D)to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you (E)whitewashed (F)wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet (G)contrary to the law you (H)order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile (I)God's high priest?” 5 And Paul said, (J)“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, (K)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were (L)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, (M)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is (N)with respect to the (O)hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees (P)say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of (Q)the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, (R)“We find nothing wrong in this man. What (S)if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into (T)the barracks.

11 (U)The following night (V)the Lord stood by him and said, (W)“Take courage, for (X)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must (Y)testify also in Rome.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

It had been Paul’s vision to preach the gospel in Rome (Acts 19:21; Rom. 1:15). Paul was a great mission strategist; he planted churches in large cities to serve as strategic centers from which the gospel radiated out to the surrounding areas. A good example was his ministry in the city of Ephesus, where he spent at least two years and three months teaching the Bible and raising disciples (19:8-10).

There was no other city more important than Rome from Paul’s mission strategic point of view. His prayer for the gospel mission in Rome was so earnest that the Holy Spirit inspired him to author the book of Romans, to which there would be no comparison in its importance of affecting human history.

Paul probably did not have the whole picture of what his mission to Rome would mean to Christendom. What he did was to simply obey Jesus’ world mission command, “Go; …you must also testify in Rome” (11b) and teach the Bible in a rented house for two years (28:30).

Prayer: Father, thank you for Paul’s example of simple but absolute obedience to Jesus’ world mission command. I am one of those who have benefited from his obedience. Help me follow his example of obedience. Amen.

One Word: Obey Jesus’ world mission command and “Go!”