Witness Before Rulers

MEMORY VERSE: “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” —Acts 24:16

ACTS 24:10-21

TRUE to what the Holy Spirit had prophesied, when Paul reached Jerusalem circumstances developed which led to his imprisonment. Actually, however, his imprisonment was in the nature of a protective custody. The Jewish religious leaders would doubtless have put him to death had not the Roman authorities interfered by rescuing him from the infuriated mob and placing him in prison. Even so, Paul’s enemies plotted to reach him in some way and put him to death, whereupon he was removed from Jerusalem to Caesarea by a small army of Roman soldiers.

During his turbulent experiences in Jerusalem, Paul let it be known that he was a Roman citizen; hence the Roman authorities were obligated to protect him and to see to it that he received a fair trial. He was taken to Felix, a Roman governor, who ordered that Paul be kept in Herod’s judgment hall until his accusers arrived from Jerusalem. When they arrived, the trial was held, and today’s lesson is Paul’s reply to the charges brought against him by his accusers.

Tertullus was the spokesman for Paul’s accusers, and he charged that this man was a “pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: who also hath gone about to profane the temple.” (Acts 24:5,6) Felix gave Paul an opportunity to reply to this charge; he did so, briefly, by denying that it was true.

But Paul did have a confession to make. He said to Felix: “This I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”—vss. 14,15

Paul was a conscientious man, as he expresses in our memory verse, and he steadfastly proclaimed the great hope of the resurrection set forth in the Old Testament Scriptures. “Touching the resurrection of the dead,” he said, “I am called in question before you this day.” (vs. 21) Paul not only preached the resurrection of the dead, but he affirmed the resurrection of Jesus and taught that the resurrection of all “the just and unjust” would come through him. It was this point that particularly angered the Jewish religious leaders.

While Paul reminds us that the resurrection of the dead is taught in the Old Testament Scriptures, we do not find the word “resurrection” until we reach the New Testament. In the Old Testament various words and expressions are used to set forth the hope of the resurrection. In a prayer to the God of Israel, Moses said, “Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.” (Ps. 90:3) Here the word “return” expresses the thought of the resurrection.

The Old Testament likens the dead to prisoners, and speaks of their awakening from death as a bringing again of their captivity. Concerning the Sodomites, the Samaritans, and the Israelites, the Lord said, “When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them.”—Ezek. 16:53

Similar language is used to describe the resurrection of the Moabites. “Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 48:47) A similar promise is made concerning the Elamites: “It shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord.”—Jer. 49:39

Paul explained that the Law and the Prophets called for a resurrection of both “the just and unjust.” Both these groups are mentioned in Daniel 12:2, where the resurrection is likened to an awakening from sleep. We quote: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” It is the “just” who will enter immediately into everlasting life. The unjust will come forth to trial, or a testing. Because of their past wrongdoing these will be held in contempt until they reform, as they will then have the opportunity of doing. In the Hebrew text, the passage rendered “everlasting” contempt in the King James Version, is age-lasting, or lasting to a consummation.

QUESTIONS

Explain the circumstances which led up to Paul’s imprisonment.

What was one of the main points Paul’s enemies held against him?

How is the resurrection taught in the Old Testament?

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