“Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defense.” When they heard him speaking in Hebrew to they were very quiet.
“I really and a Jew born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up here in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. I was taught according to the perfect manor of the law of the fathers and was zealous towards God like all of you. I persecuted people both men and women, this way, binding them and delivering them to the prisons. The high priest and the estate of the elders witnessed me. I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.”
Oh yay! We get to hear about Paul’s vision again.
“As I made my journey, and coming near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a heavenly light shown around me. I fell to the ground and heard avoice saying “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
I answered “Who are you, Lord?”
He said to me “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you’ve persecuted”
The people who was with me saw the light, and were afraid but they didn’t hear the voice. I asked the voice what to do, and the Lord answered me, to go to Damascus and you’ll receive more instructions. Except I had been blinded by the light so my companions had to take me by the hand to lead me to Damascus.
One devout man Ananias, who lived according to law, had a good report of all the Jews who lived there. He came to me and said “Brother Saul, receive your sight!” and within an hour I could totally see him. He told that God had chosen me, so I should know his will, and see that Just One, I’ve got to take that to mean JC, and hear his voice. He told me I’d be his witness to all men of what you’ve seen and heard. So why wait, get up, be baptized and wash your sins in the name of the Lord.
It came to pass that when I came back to Jerusalem, even when I prayed in the temple I was in a trance. I saw him tell me to hurry and get out of Jerusalem, because they won’t receive the testimony concerning him. Again we’ve got to take it be JC. I said Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat them in every synagogue that they believed in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, you’ll remember that Stephen was the one they bit, I was standing by, consenting to his death, I kept the clothes of his killers. He said to me “Go, I am sending you far away to the Gentiles”
I guess this speak didn’t thrill the crowd because they lifted up their voices and said “Get this guy off the off the earth, he’s not fit to live!” as they said this they cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air! I don’t understand these ancient times. The chief captain commanded him to be brought to the castle and decided that he should be examined by scourging, so he would know why they were so very against him. Um words aren’t good enough?
As they bound him Paul asked the centurion that stood by, “is it lawful for you scourge an uncondemned Roman? The chief captain came and asked Paul if he really was a Roman. Paul told him he was.
The chief captain told Paul “I achieved this freedom with a great sum of money”
Paul told him “But I was born free!”
So the people who were about to scourge him left, and the captain was afraid, because they had bound a Roman citizen. The next day, he loosened his bands and commanded the chief priests and all of their council to pear to find out what Paul had been accused of by the Jews. They brought Paul before them…
Oooo La La, another cliff hanger, eh? Awesome.
ReplyDeleteI guess being born Roman is like being an American it makes you feel entitled to all kinds of fabulous prizes. I think Paul probably would have felt entitled regardless of his birth.
Anyway, I'm pissed so I'm going to go throw some dirt in the air. I'll catch you later.