The Essential Question (Part 8): Paul's Journey to JerusalemExemplo

The Paradox of Ministry

Prepare: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

Read: Acts 23:12-35

Reflect: Paul's predicament reads like a good thriller: an assassination plot by a group of extremists, clandestinely supported by corrupt officials; a powerful army coming to the rescue, secretly guided by a vulnerable boy. But this is no novel--Paul faced a real and present danger.

Some Christians think if they are truly following God they shouldn't have to use human strategies to accomplish his purposes. Just let go and let God! But here, even as a prisoner, Paul took initiative to save himself; he schemed with his nephew and a centurion to gain freedom and continue his mission to Rome.

So was it God's plan or human effort that made the difference? The answer is both, and that's the paradox of ministry. If we've taken time to genuinely seek God's will, and we have his peace about it, then action is a way of showing our trust in God. That's what a step of faith is all about.

This passage also reminds us that God sometimes uses secular officials to accomplish his purposes. Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander of Antonia Fortress, was not a member of "the Way" but at least he was trying to do the right thing, and that enabled God's plan to move forward. It's true, there are times when Christians are called to resist the evils of government, but that shouldn't be our default position. Perhaps it was Paul's experience with Claudius Lysias that later prompted him to write, "For the one in authority is God's servant for your good" (Romans 13:4 NIV 2011). Christians must respect government officials because their authority comes from God and he uses them to do his will (Romans 13:1-7).

That's not to say old Claudius was a super saint. His letter, while basically truthful, rearranged the facts in a way that made him look good--typical bureaucratic behavior. What's harder to fathom is why he felt Paul needed such massive secret service protection: four hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen for one measly Roman citizen! Claudius thought he was just bumping Paul's case upstairs. But now we see God was using this series of bureaucratic decisions to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the most powerful city in the world.

Buried in this passage is a significant detail: Paul had a sister (23:16). It's intriguing that Paul's family system was one more variable God used to accomplish his plan. No sister, no nephew, no way to alert the commander, no more mission to Rome. The episode came to a positive end for Paul, but we are left to wonder if the plotters kept their word (Acts 23:14).

Apply: What kind of relationship do you have with your family? Think of some practical thing you could do today to forward God's purposes for a member of your family.

The Essential Question (Part 9): Paul's Roman Trial

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