[Paul continues to describe his conversion.] “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
My first experience of so-called friendly fire was distressing. It sent me away from fellowship that I had previously treasured. It scurried me into a defensive posture. It engendered a guardedness about my true beliefs and convictions. It was within the church, and specifically from fellow classmates and former allies in the good fight of faith. And, saddest of all, it came from all sides. I was convinced that the liberals were going to destroy the church, and the conservatives were on a self-assigned mission to save it by whatever means they could. Friends became adversaries. Allies became foes. I stood alone – or so I thought. Today – though I can still identify with these ideas – I may have overreacted a bit. There may have been a better way to have handled it. I didn’t really need to cut myself off from all sides.
Today people face such situations in the political realm (a slam dunk of an example!), in regard to medical practices and treatments, as you talk about ICE or EV cars, or questions about immigration, LBGTQ+ or minus. It’s easy to consider withdrawing.
Paul shows us a better way to deal with such situations. He speaks about it in 1 Corinthians 13, by the way: the way of love. 1 Corinthians 13 is often used at weddings. It is called the Love Chapter and conveys powerful truths about love. It is essential. It is impactful. It is eternal. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians shortly before heading to Jerusalem – just months before the events recorded here. And it seems to me that he is truly applying the teachings of the Love Chapter.
Paul’s demeanor throughout this ordeal is not anxious or overly-defensive. He is not keeping a record of wrongs. He does not take his eye off the prize of the call of Jesus which he even recounts here. He will continue to witness faithfully to the love of God and the resurrection of Jesus, the call to repent and the promise of forgiveness.
Paul will defend himself. He must, lest he be killed. But he will also share things about his conversion and the challenges he had in gaining a standing with the believers in Jerusalem. He is taking shots from all sides. The Romans want to flog him. The Jews want to kill him. There is no place to go – except to Jesus and his claim on his life, his mission, and his promises.
A Harvard MBA student once described the mission of a prominent church as being that of turning pagans into missionaries. Paul wasn’t a pagan. But in some ways he was worse. He had been a sworn enemy of the Christian faith. What turned him around? What made the difference in his life? What was he seeking to display?
Now these three remain, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
David Bahn - Reflections 
Leave a comment