Acts 22: What Spirit-Filled Living Looks Like Under Pressure

We are beginning with Acts 21 and continuing the story into Acts 22.

I love Scripture, but so often I wonder how the person in the story felt when they walked through the events that Scripture unfolds. In this story, I wonder…

Did Paul tremble when he arrived in Jerusalem? Jerusalem! Oh Jerusalem! Such a SPECIAL place! The temple was here. Jesus walked here. He had precious relationships here. Paul had so much to tell them.

He was excited to share that thousands of people had been saved. He told them about the miracles, the healings and the spiritual growth that had taken place. Paul's friends were thrilled to hear how quickly the gospel was spreading throughout the world.

Their excitement was not shared by everyone.

Paul wasn't in Jerusalem very long before he was recognized in the temple by people that believed he was teaching against Moses and the law.  Some yelled, "This is the man that is teaching people everywhere beliefs that are against our law. He has brought Greeks into our holy temple. They have polluted our holy place of worship."

Their fury ignited a mob that drug Paul out of the temple into the streets.

They had only one intention, getting rid of this trouble maker once and for all. They were going to kill Paul.

The whole city was stirred up.

When the chief captain received the report of the turmoil, he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the Jewish people saw the chief captain and the soldiers coming, they stopped beating Paul.

The chief captain arrested Paul. Paul was chained between two soldiers. "Tell me, The chief captain yelled, "Who are you? What have you done?"

The crowd answered for Paul. Some yelled one thing. Others yelled something else. When the captain couldn't understand anyone, he ordered the soldiers to bring Paul to the barracks.