Paul's Final Words

"Paul explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade the Roman Jews about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.  Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe."   

. . .after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet;

‘Go and say to this people:

When you hear what I say, you will not understand.
When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—
 so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
 
So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”

"For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him,  boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him." Acts 28:17-31(NLT)


Today's Reflection  

Isaiah’s prophecy is repeated in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans and here. It is at first puzzling and also hugely important.   When Isaiah (in chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah) met God in the temple he heard God call him to spend his life calling others back to God, but that hardly anyone would listen, yet he was supposed to go anyway.

First, the great truth here is that inside every human being is a little rebel with a distaste for God. We’ve all got it. That’s why no human effort can covert us to God, only God can do that. This is what Paul ran into with his own people.

Second, the right way to read this passage is certainly not that God has set it up that the Gospel is intended to turn people away, rather that the Truth of God will always cause a reaction. The same sun (we could insert here Son) that hardens clays melts butter. It’s the same God but depending on our reaction we are hardened or melted. The passage is a Hebraic way of saying that for God to break through it requires His intervention.

Third, Paul is clear here and in Romans that God will reach his people, the Jews, by way of non Jews (gentiles) coming to Christ. They will return to the fullness of God’s love at least in part through the witness of non Jews.

Fourth, Acts ends like a book I recently read which has a number of different endings from which you can choose, or make up your own ending. “What happened next?” we all want to know (it’s actually possible Paul was released, made it to Spain, came back, was rearrested and was then beheaded in Nero persecution of 64). We don’t know for sure. Some scholars think Luke actually had the thought that the future of this brand new Jesus movement depends on the ending that each of us “writes” with our own lives.

So, the question. If your life is the sequel, Acts part 2? How does your life read? Does It look something like Acts? Blessed mightily, full of troubles but you persevere and believe and make it clear to others that your life depends on and is about Jesus raised from the dead? Is it clear that it is the cross and God’s forgiveness through which you have eternal life? And are you an optimist because the resurrection means that God is making and will one day have made all things new?

Can you choose to live from now on as an embodiment of Acts, the Sequel?


Today's Prayer

“Lord, in the book of Acts it is obvious that your greatness in and through Jesus Christ and made personal and living through the power of the Holy Spirit was front and center in thousands of people’s lives. May that be so in my life, Lord. Lord, by your Grace and Power, I invite you to make it so in my life as well. In Jesus’ Name. Amen”