"They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus" Acts:18:23
While the Apostle Paul was is Rome awaiting to have his hearing before Cesar Nero, he sent out an invitation to Jewish leaders of the Synagogues to come and meet with him so that he might explain the message of the Gospel about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God that he and other Apostle had been preaching though out the Empire.
Journey to Rome
The Doctor/ Evangelist/ Historian Luke who was Paul's co-worker in the preaching the Gospel and traveling companion records Paul's journey to the Rome the very capital of the Roman world. Paul's party having been shipwrecked had wintered on the Island of Malta, when the spring came they were able to find passage on an Alexandrian ship whos' stern was adorned with the gods Castor and Pollux stopping briefly at Syracuse in Sicily for three day then a stop at Rhegium and then to the Italian mainland at Puteoli.
"After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli."Acts:28:11-13
Paul's travel to Rome provided the Apostle with spend time with the Christian Community in that part of Italy and to give them instruction and encouragement strengthening both theirs and Paul's own faith.
"There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome." The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged."(14-15)
Ministering Under Guard
Luke records that upon arrival in Rome Paul is placed under house arrest with a Roman guard to look after him. Paul is however is permitted to carry out his ministry with out interference while he guard bu a Roman solider.
"When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him".(16)
This arrangement allows Paul to meet with ,and pray with his traveling companions, or to write and send letters and to read and study what ever copies of the Scriptures might have been available to him.
The Hope of Israel
After three days upon Paul's arrival in Rome the Apostles issues an initial invitation to the Jewish leaders of the Synagogues around the area to come and meet with him , that he might explain and give them clarification regarding the message about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. During this first meeting Paul defends his ministry and explains the circumstances which led to his appeal to Caesar and his being brought to Rome to the assembled leaders.
"Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people." (17-19)
Paul asserts to the Jews, that it is for the very "Hope of Israel" , that is, all that they as a people have wanted and sought for and have awaited for from the calling of Abraham to that very hour is the "Hope" for which he is imprisoned.
"For this reason I have asked to see
you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am
bound with this chain.” (20)
Paul used this idiom "the Hope of Israel" to get their attention and to attempt to demonstrate that the "Hope of Israel" is the very "Hope" that he and all who are apart of the Christian movement have set their hearts upon. Paul is trying to build a bridge and means to have a meaningful dialogue with them so that he might have opportunity to speak to them about Jesus , whom he understand is the "Hope of Israel" fulfilled.
Paul's conversation with the Synagogue leaders leads to arranging another meeting for them to assemble and hear more of what Paul has to say.
"They
replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you,
and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said
anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect". (21-22)
On a Certain Day
On a Certain Day a meeting is set for the leaders to come to Paul's quarters and hear what he has been preaching. There is a large response , many of them have heard reports about the spread of Gospel and are aware of Christian Churches being established through out the Empire and they have come to find out more. All of this is taking place under the watch of a Roman Guard who is has oversight of Paul.
"They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger
numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from
morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the
Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about
Jesus." (23)
On this "certain day" ,some of them , thru the Gospel message encountered Jesus Christ. From their vantage point this "certain day" may have been what was "convenient" for them, but from the vantage point of eternity this "certain day" had divine intent.
This gathering was not an accidental gathering, but had been ordained by God himself. They were gathered together by God for the purpose of meeting Jesus , in and thru the Gospel presented by the Apostle Paul. This is as the Reformer John Calvin declared " Christ comes to us clothed in his own Gospel" .
This means that on any "certain day" that we hear the Gospel message preached we are encountering Jesus Christ himself. Jesus is both the subject of the message and the active agent of the message.
Jesus came to them, and to all of us, in the presentation of the message and reveals himself to us. Jesus is there giving us a glimpse of the divine love of God for each and all and the glorious "Hope" which our God has given us in Christ "on the certain day" which we hear the Gospel preached.
The "Hope of Israel" is the "Hope" of all people whatever nation they arise from, it is God's divine intent on what ever "certain day" we hear the Gospel preached to encounter Jesus in the Gospel and come to believe as some of the Jewish leaders came to encounter Jesus and believed and embraced him as their very "Hope" but some "would not".
"Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
“ ‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen" (24-28)
On Our Certain Day
When we come together, on our "Certain Day" what ever day that maybe , are we aware of God's divine intent for us to encounter Jesus Christ? Do we perceive God's divine intent being carried out, do we encounter Jesus, or are too focused on the human instrumentality which stands before us and fail to recognize who it is that truly speaks to us? Are we hearing what God has gathered us together to say to us?
Some of the Jewish leaders missed out on God's divine intent and as the narrative says "they would not believe" . Theses Jewish Leaders did not believe because they did not accept who it was that was in truth speaking to them out of the Scriptures and thru Paul. The Jewish leaders who would not believe only perceived a Jewish man bound in chains under the watchful eye of a Roman soldier.
We can be the same way today, we may only look upon the human instrument and miss the One who in truth is speaking to us "on a certain day", and is so doing we miss what our Lord might have to say to us.
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "But
when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the
truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He
hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.…Jhn:16:12-14
Recognize Who is Speaking
Thur out the entire word of God the Holy Spirit is speaking to us about the person of Jesus, for it is thru Jesus that all that God has to reveal about himself is made known.
Thru the agency of the Holy Spirit God speaks thru and to humanity about his love for us demonstrated in the person of Jesus.
Paul wrote of this appeal of God to all the world thru the preaching of the Gospel message.
"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."2Crth:5:20
God works thru those who are ordained and commissioned to proclaim to the world Jesus Christ that they might experience the reconciliation that God has accomplished for humanity in his Holy Son.
We should be ever ready to hear what God is saying "on a certain day" . Israel as a nation had a certain day when the Gospel was preached to them and yet they did not receive it jest as the Jewish leaders did not on their "certain day"
" Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world.
For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore
since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who
formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of
their disobedience, God
again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long
time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.” Heb:4:1-7
Some of those who came to Paul "on a certain day" were much like their ancestors in the wilderness who heard , but refused the one who spoke even when he spoke of the very Hope for which they sought.
On what ever the "certain day" is for us, let us always be willing to hear the one who truly speaks to us, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania. www.gcfountainoflife.org
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