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Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

June 27, 2018

27:32

Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelation

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

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Dave Stotts: In our last episode, Paul was nearing
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the completion of his third missionary journey.
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Despite warnings, his heart was to return to Jerusalem.
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Paul retraced his steps around the Aegean Sea to Philippi,
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where he reconnected with Luke and celebrated the Passover.
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Then it was on to Troas.
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From there, they weaved their way through the islands off the
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coast of Asia Minor to Miletus, where they met with the elders
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of the Ephesus church for a final farewell.
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Paul said, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going
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to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
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I only know that in every city, the Holy Spirit warns me
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that prison and hardships are facing me.
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However, I consider my life worth nothing to me.
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My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the
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Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good
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news of God's grace," Acts 20:22 through 24.
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Hurrying to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost, Paul and Luke sailed
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around the southern end of Asia province to Patara,
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then straight across the Mediterranean to the ports
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of Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea.
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From here, at Caesarea, Paul journeyed to Jerusalem
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one last time.
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Dave: At this point, it had been about 24 years since the
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first believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit here in
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Jerusalem at Pentecost.
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Despite trials and tribulations, the Christian church had grown
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with remarkable success.
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Now, after three long years of journeys around the
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Mediterranean, Paul returned to Jerusalem to give a glowing
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report to James and the elders of the Christian church here
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about what God was doing in the spread of the gospel
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among the nations.
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But Paul returned to find controversy brewing,
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and it was a familiar one.
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As it turns out, the leaders of the church here were worried
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that Paul was urging Jews around the world not to follow the law
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after they became followers of Jesus.
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As you might recall from previous episodes, there was an
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ongoing question as to whether Christ-following Jews were
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required to follow the religious rituals of the Mosaic law.
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The church in Jerusalem thought it wise for Paul to squelch the
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rumors publicly by ceremonially purifying himself.
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Paul was willing to comply for the sake of the church, so he
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got together with a few other men and started the process.
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However, just before he completed the seven days
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of public rituals, Paul was stopped in his tracks.
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"When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews
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from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple.
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They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting,
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'Fellow Israelites, help us!
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This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against
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our people and our law and this place.
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And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and
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defiled this holy place.'
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The whole city was aroused, and the people came running
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from all directions.
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Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple,
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and immediately the gates were shut.
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While they were trying to kill him, news reached to the
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commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem
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was in an uproar.
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He at once took some officers and soldiers,
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and ran down to the crowd.
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When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers,
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they stopped beating Paul," Acts 21:27 through 32.
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The four towers of the Antonia fortress loomed
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over the northwest colonnade of the temple complex.
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A Roman garrison of about 600 soldiers was stationed there.
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They had direct access to the temple grounds,
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with orders to stop any riots or disturbances,
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such as the one that just broke out.
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One of the specific charges against Paul was that he brought
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a non-Israelite, specifically a Greek, with him to worship
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in the sacred portion of the temple grounds.
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This was a major offense, even punishable by death.
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According to Roman historian Josephus, there were numerous
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warning signs posted to that effect that separated
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the inner and outer courtyards of the temple.
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Although the account tells us that Paul was wrongfully accused
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of bringing Greeks into the sacred place,
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the charge was enough to cause a riot.
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In 1936, this inscription fragment was discovered
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near the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem.
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It is an example of one of the warning signs
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that Josephus wrote about.
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It basically said no foreigners allowed beyond this point,
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a clear warning that outsiders, those not part of the community
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of Israel, were forbidden to enter the inner sanctuary.
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This partial fragment is currently housed
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at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
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However, it matches a complete version discovered in 1871,
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which is currently housed at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum
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in Turkey.
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Written in Greek, the full warning actually reads,
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"No foreigner is to go beyond the balustrade and the plaza
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of the temple zone.
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Whoever is caught doing so will himself to blame for his death,
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which will follow."
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So, the charges against Paul stuck.
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A riot ensued in the temple courtyard.
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And the Roman soldiers stepped in to prevent
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a vigilante killing.
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After the soldiers secured Paul, the commander gave him a chance
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to defend himself to the crazed crowd.
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Paul took the opportunity and delivered his case.
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"I am a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
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but brought up in this city.
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I studied under Gamaliel, and was thoroughly trained
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in the law of our ancestors.
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I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
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I persecuted the followers of this way to their death,
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arresting both men and women, throwing them into prison, as
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the high priest and all the council can themselves testify.
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I even obtained letters from them to their associates in
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Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners
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to Jerusalem to be punished.
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About noon, as I came near Damascus,
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suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
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I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,
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'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'
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'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.
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'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,'
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he replied.
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My companions saw the light, but they did not understand
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the voice of him who was speaking to me.
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'What shall I do, Lord?" I asked.
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'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus.
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There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'
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My companions led me by the hand into Damascus
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because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
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A man named Ananias came to see me.
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He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected
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by all the Jews living there.
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He stood beside me and said,
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'Brother Saul, receive your sight.'
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And at that very moment, I was able to see him.
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Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know
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his will, and to see the righteous one,
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and to hear his words from his mouth.
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You will be his witness to all people of what you
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have seen and heard.
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And now, what are you waiting for?
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Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away,
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calling on his name,'"
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Acts 22:1 through 16.
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Paul went on to discuss his early outreach in the synagogues
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of Damascus, and his ultimate return to Jerusalem,
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and how he felt rejected and threatened by the Jews there.
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He then explained how he felt called to leave Judea
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and preach the gospel to the nations everywhere.
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At this point, the people went crazy again.
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They raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him.
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He's not fit to live."
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The Roman soldiers again protected Paul
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from the unruly riots.
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And they took him into custody at the nearby Antonia fortress,
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the ruins of which you can see right behind me.
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There they chained him and they beat him,
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until they discovered that he was a Roman citizen himself.
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The soldiers thought it best to then deliver him into the hands
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of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Judaism.
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Bad idea.
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When Paul defended himself to the Sanhedrin,
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he caused another violent uproar.
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This was the last straw.
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Hearing of a conspiracy to kill Paul, the Roman commander
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stationed at the Antonia fortress stepped in and ordered
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Paul's evacuation from Jerusalem to Caesarea,
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the provincial seat of Roman government.
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This commander, known as a tribune in the tenth
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Roman legion, was named Claudius Lysias.
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These guys prided themselves on control, and Claudius wasn't
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going to allow things to get out of hand.
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He would then let Marcus Antonius Felix,
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the procurator of the entire Judea province, deal with Paul.
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The Roman legion stationed here in the Judea province
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at the time of Acts was made up of about 5.000 soldiers.
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It was known as the Legio Decem Fretensis,
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or the tenth legion of the strait.
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The tenth legion of the strait had a long history of success,
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having been led by the likes of Caesar Augustus.
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Artifacts with the name and number of this legion,
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as well as its icons, the bull, boar, ship, and Neptune
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have been found on artifacts discovered all over Judea
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and even in Jerusalem itself.
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Lysias was a military commander called a tribune.
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Each regular tribune was responsible for 12 centurions
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and up to 1.000 soldiers.
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There were six tribunes that served under the top general in
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the tenth Roman legion.
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Roman legionary soldiers of the empire period were typically
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equipped with armor of metal and leather, a shield, spears,
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a dagger, and a gladius.
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The gladius was the famous short sword of the Roman foot soldier.
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In Roman fashion, the soldiers were usually clean shaven
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with short hair.
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The legionaries endured difficult training and faced
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harsh penalties for not serving properly.
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Punishment could be as severe as decimation, which was the act
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of killing 10% of an entire unit as an example to the others.
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Harsh stuff indeed, but it created a fierce
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and successful military.
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According to Acts chapter 23, tribune Lysias was determined to
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get Paul out of Jerusalem, away from the angry mobs,
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and safely to Caesarea.
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The first leg of the journey was northwest through the rugged
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hill country between Jerusalem and Antipatris.
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In order to avoid the large crowds, Lysias rushed Paul off
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at night with a heavily armed contingent of 200 soldiers,
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200 spearmen, and 70 horsemen.
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After they arrived in Antipatris, the foot soldiers
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returned to Jerusalem, and Paul continued on to Caesarea
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on horseback with the cavalry.
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There, the soldiers brought him before Governor Felix,
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along with a letter from Lysias, which explained
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what was going on.
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Following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul would now take
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me to the awesome city of Caesarea Maritima,
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or Caesarea by the Sea.
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Perhaps the most impressive collection of Roman ruins
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in the entire Holy Land,
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Caesarea is literally filled with history.
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And once again getting behind the wheel of my old companion,
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Steve McQueen, was good for the soul.
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Maybe not so good for the back.
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Truly there's nothing quite like being on the open road,
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driving through history in the Holy Land.
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Caesarea Maritima, meaning the city of Caesar by the sea,
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was built by Herod the Great on the Mediterranean coast about
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70 miles northwest of Jerusalem.
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Caesarea was one of Herod's massive building projects,
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and it was built over an earlier site known as Straton's Tower,
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which was founded in the fourth century BC
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by King Straton of Sidon.
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According to the historian Josephus, Herod's construction
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of this new and expansive city occurred between 22 and 10 BC.
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Caesarea's layout was typical of other ancient Roman cities,
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with well-planned streets, an underground sewage system,
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an aqueduct, a Roman temple dedicated to Caesar Augustus,
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an amphitheater, and a harbor.
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The harbor at Caesarea is probably its most impressive
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feature, believed to be the first artificial harbor
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in the world.
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It was built with a technique that used hydraulic concrete
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made from special volcanic sand.
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This sand, known as pozzolana, was the secret ingredient
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that allowed the concrete to form and harden underwater.
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Since there was no natural harbor at Caesarea, engineers
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carved into the coastline and built a huge breakwater
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using this revolutionary technology.
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The scope of construction here was massive, with concrete
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blocks as large as 39 feet by 49 feet by 5 feet,
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and some weighing more than 50 tons.
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The southern breakwater for the harbor extended
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more than 1.500 feet out into the Mediterranean Sea.
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Extra blocks beyond the breakwater were used as
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foundations for lighthouses and statues.
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It must have been quite a sight.
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According to geologic analysis, scholars have determined that
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the concrete used at Caesarea harbor was made with pozzolana
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imported from the gulf of Naples over 1.200 miles away.
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It took hundreds of ships to get all that sand
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across the Mediterranean Sea.
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By the way, curing cement underwater was such
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a revolutionary process that after the fall
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of the Roman Empire in the fifth century,
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the technology was lost to the entire world
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for hundreds of years.
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In about 130 AD, an earthquake
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severely damaged Caesarea harbor.
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Within a few centuries, the harbor ceased being used at all.
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Today, the majority of the harbor is only visible
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from the air or through underwater exploration.
00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:14.290
And talk about underwater exploration.
00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.100
Apparently, there was still a lot of cool stuff
00:16:17.110 --> 00:16:19.120
to discover out there.
00:16:19.130 --> 00:16:21.030
In fact, in May of 2016, scuba diving archaeologists uncovered
00:16:21.040 --> 00:16:26.090
a 1.600-year-old shipwreck that contained one of the largest
00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:30.290
treasure troves of statues and coins ever discovered
00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.210
in the Mediterranean.
00:16:34.220 --> 00:16:38.010
After Paul was delivered here to Felix the governor, it was about
00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:45.240
five days before the high priest and the religious elders
00:16:45.250 --> 00:16:49.280
followed from Jerusalem to make their case against Paul.
00:16:49.290 --> 00:16:54.070
Acts chapter 24 continues.
00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:57.080
"But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the way,
00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:01.080
put them off, saying, 'When Lysias the tribune comes down,
00:17:01.090 --> 00:17:05.050
I will decide your case.'
00:17:05.060 --> 00:17:07.150
Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept
00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.010
in custody, but have some liberty in that none of his
00:17:10.020 --> 00:17:13.090
friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
00:17:13.100 --> 00:17:16.270
After some days, Felix came with his wife Drusilla,
00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:20.160
who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak
00:17:20.170 --> 00:17:24.030
about faith in Christ Jesus.
00:17:24.040 --> 00:17:26.210
And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control
00:17:26.220 --> 00:17:29.220
and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said,
00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:33.050
'Go away for the present.
00:17:33.060 --> 00:17:35.020
When I get an opportunity, I will summon you,'"
00:17:35.030 --> 00:17:37.220
Acts 24:22 through 25.
00:17:37.230 --> 00:17:42.140
Felix spent the next two years procrastinating on
00:17:42.150 --> 00:17:46.040
the official case against Paul.
00:17:46.050 --> 00:17:48.260
That's right, two years.
00:17:48.270 --> 00:17:51.100
During that time, we know that Felix would occasionally
00:17:51.110 --> 00:17:54.160
meet with Paul to hear more about the gospel.
00:17:54.170 --> 00:17:58.080
Now, we can't be certain where this meeting took place,
00:17:58.090 --> 00:18:01.060
but it's likely that they met at the promontory palace,
00:18:01.070 --> 00:18:04.270
or the praetorium, originally built by King Herod.
00:18:04.280 --> 00:18:09.130
Now, the praetorium in the context of a city was the
00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:12.210
designation for the governor's official residence.
00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:17.160
Here you can see the remains of the praetorium,
00:18:17.170 --> 00:18:20.130
excavated here on the southern shoreline of Caesarea.
00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:24.280
Talk about incredible beachfront property.
00:18:24.290 --> 00:18:27.210
Out there, you can see where the governor's palace
00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:30.030
extended into the sea.
00:18:30.040 --> 00:18:32.290
Archaeologists have determined that this palace featured
00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:36.030
at least two floors, gardens, huge stone walls,
00:18:36.040 --> 00:18:40.150
a swimming pool, a Roman bath, colorful geometric
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:44.110
mosaic floors, and decorative columns.
00:18:44.120 --> 00:18:48.100
Archaeologists have also discovered official Latin
00:18:48.110 --> 00:18:51.110
inscriptions mentioning legati here, or governors.
00:18:51.120 --> 00:18:55.230
In the years prior to Felix, this palace structure was home
00:18:55.240 --> 00:19:00.070
to many historical figures in the Bible,
00:19:00.080 --> 00:19:03.020
from Herod the Great to Pontius Pilate.
00:19:03.030 --> 00:19:06.060
So, Paul was under house arrest here at Caesarea
00:19:06.070 --> 00:19:09.160
for two full years.
00:19:09.170 --> 00:19:11.230
Acts tells us that Felix kept Paul so long because he was
00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.090
trying to earn some favor with the Jews, and he thought
00:19:15.100 --> 00:19:19.020
he might be able to work a bribe for his freedom.
00:19:19.030 --> 00:19:23.190
According to Roman historian Josephus, in 60 AD,
00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:28.080
Nero removed Felix from office because of some
00:19:28.090 --> 00:19:31.230
local complaints against him.
00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:33.290
Porcius Festus was then appointed the new Roman
00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.060
procurator in the province until he died about two years later.
00:19:37.070 --> 00:19:41.280
Both Felix and Festus are well attested in writings
00:19:41.290 --> 00:19:46.050
outside the Bible.
00:19:46.060 --> 00:19:48.050
Almost immediately, Festus dealt with the two-year custody of
00:19:48.060 --> 00:19:52.090
Paul, ordering him to come in so that he could hear
00:19:52.100 --> 00:19:55.120
his side of the story.
00:19:55.130 --> 00:19:57.280
"Paul said, 'I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law,
00:19:57.290 --> 00:20:01.240
or against the temple, or against Caesar.'
00:20:01.250 --> 00:20:05.100
Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul,
00:20:05.110 --> 00:20:09.050
'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial
00:20:09.060 --> 00:20:12.000
before me there on these charges?'
00:20:12.010 --> 00:20:14.160
Paul answered, 'I am now standing before Caesar's court,
00:20:14.170 --> 00:20:18.140
where I ought to be tried.
00:20:18.150 --> 00:20:20.100
I have not done any wrong to the Jews,
00:20:20.110 --> 00:20:22.190
as you yourself know very well.
00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:24.280
If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death,
00:20:24.290 --> 00:20:27.270
I do not refuse to die.
00:20:27.280 --> 00:20:30.180
But if the charges brought against me by these Jews
00:20:30.190 --> 00:20:33.040
are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them.
00:20:33.050 --> 00:20:36.280
I appeal to Caesar.'
00:20:36.290 --> 00:20:39.190
After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared,
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:43.210
'You have appealed to Caesar.
00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:45.190
To Caesar you will go,'" Acts 25:8 through 12.
00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:51.260
Festus then asked Herod Agrippa II
00:20:51.270 --> 00:20:54.220
to hear Paul's defense,
00:20:54.230 --> 00:20:56.210
a defense that was likely given in this very room, so that he
00:20:56.220 --> 00:21:00.230
could include some relevant information about the prisoner
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.010
that he would be sending to Rome.
00:21:04.020 --> 00:21:06.100
Now, as you may recall from a previous episode,
00:21:06.110 --> 00:21:08.280
Herod Agrippa II was the seventh and final king
00:21:08.290 --> 00:21:12.260
in the Herodian line of proxy rulers for Rome.
00:21:12.270 --> 00:21:17.150
Since we have arrived at the last king in the Herodian line,
00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:20.270
this would be a great opportunity to go back
00:21:20.280 --> 00:21:23.000
and revisit the family tree that was so important
00:21:23.010 --> 00:21:26.040
in New Testament history.
00:21:26.050 --> 00:21:28.130
As we explored in the "Gospel" series, it all started
00:21:28.140 --> 00:21:31.090
with Herod the Great, who reigned over Judea
00:21:31.100 --> 00:21:34.160
from about 40 to 4 BC.
00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:38.050
His legacy continued through his sons, Herod Antipas,
00:21:38.060 --> 00:21:42.140
Aristobulus, Archelaus, and Phillip.
00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:46.010
Then came Herod the Great's grandson, Herod Agrippa I,
00:21:46.020 --> 00:21:49.270
who dropped dead here at Caesarea during
00:21:49.280 --> 00:21:52.130
a public festival in 44 AD.
00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:55.280
And finally his great grandson, Herod Agrippa II, who finished
00:21:55.290 --> 00:22:00.260
the family dynasty and is the subject of our current account.
00:22:00.270 --> 00:22:06.030
In about 60 AD, Festus invited Herod Agrippa II here
00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:11.040
to Caesarea to hear Paul's case.
00:22:11.050 --> 00:22:14.000
In typical Herodian fashion, Herod showed up, along with
00:22:14.010 --> 00:22:17.150
his sister Bernice, to great fanfare, along with high ranking
00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:21.290
military officers and some prominent men.
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.140
Paul was brought before the entire crowd,
00:22:25.150 --> 00:22:28.030
and Festus said this:
00:22:28.040 --> 00:22:30.140
"King Agrippa and all who are present with us,
00:22:30.150 --> 00:22:32.220
you see this man.
00:22:32.230 --> 00:22:34.150
The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in
00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.220
Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought
00:22:37.230 --> 00:22:41.160
not to live any longer.
00:22:41.170 --> 00:22:43.220
I found he had done nothing deserving of death,
00:22:43.230 --> 00:22:46.160
but because he made his appeal to the emperor,
00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:49.060
I decided to send him to Rome.
00:22:49.070 --> 00:22:51.240
But I have nothing definite to write to his majesty about him.
00:22:51.250 --> 00:22:55.180
Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and
00:22:55.190 --> 00:22:58.160
especially before you, King Agrippa,
00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:01.030
so that as a result of this investigation,
00:23:01.040 --> 00:23:03.190
I may have something to write.
00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:06.020
For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner
00:23:06.030 --> 00:23:09.040
on to Rome without specifying the charges against him,"
00:23:09.050 --> 00:23:13.110
Acts 25:24 through 27.
00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:16.240
As he had done so many times before,
00:23:16.250 --> 00:23:18.270
Paul went on to tell his whole story.
00:23:18.280 --> 00:23:21.290
He shared with him his Jewish upbringing, his zeal
00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:25.020
for the Mosaic law, his early persecution of the Jesus
00:23:25.030 --> 00:23:29.070
followers, his conversion on the road to Damascus,
00:23:29.080 --> 00:23:33.070
and his obedient sharing the gospel to both Jews
00:23:33.080 --> 00:23:36.050
and Gentiles ever since.
00:23:36.060 --> 00:23:39.280
Paul: That is why that you seized me in the temple courts
00:23:39.290 --> 00:23:42.200
and tried to kill me.
00:23:42.210 --> 00:23:46.000
But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand
00:23:46.010 --> 00:23:50.010
here and testify to small and great alike.
00:23:50.020 --> 00:23:54.120
I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets
00:23:54.130 --> 00:23:56.160
and Moses said would happen, that the Christ would suffer,
00:23:56.170 --> 00:24:01.180
and as the first to rise from the dead would proclaim light
00:24:01.190 --> 00:24:04.190
to his own people and to the Gentiles.
00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:07.150
Dave: At this point, Festus interrupted Paul's defense.
00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:10.260
"'You are out of your mind, Paul!' he shouted.
00:24:10.270 --> 00:24:13.120
'Your great learning is driving you insane.'
00:24:13.130 --> 00:24:16.250
'I am not insane, most excellent Festus,' Paul replied.
00:24:16.260 --> 00:24:20.160
'What I am saying is true and reasonable.
00:24:20.170 --> 00:24:24.010
The king is familiar with these things,
00:24:24.020 --> 00:24:26.040
and I can speak freely to him.
00:24:26.050 --> 00:24:28.020
I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice
00:24:28.030 --> 00:24:31.010
because it was not done in a corner.'"
00:24:31.020 --> 00:24:34.090
Paul: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?
00:24:34.100 --> 00:24:41.180
I know you do.
00:24:41.190 --> 00:24:43.240
King Agrippa: Do you think that in such a short time,
00:24:43.250 --> 00:24:46.000
you can persuade me to be a Christian?
00:24:46.010 --> 00:24:48.200
Paul: Short time or long, I pray God that not only you,
00:24:48.210 --> 00:24:54.140
but all who are listening to me today may become what I am,
00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:58.170
except for these chains.
00:24:58.180 --> 00:25:01.290
Dave: "The king rose, and with him the governor
00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:04.180
and Bernice and those sitting with him.
00:25:04.190 --> 00:25:07.160
After they left the room, they began saying to one another,
00:25:07.170 --> 00:25:10.180
"This man is not doing anything that deserves death
00:25:10.190 --> 00:25:13.210
or imprisonment,'" Acts 26:19 through 31.
00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:19.170
In the end, Festus considered Paul insane.
00:25:20.130 --> 00:25:23.290
But Herod and his sister Bernice were impressed by his testimony.
00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:29.000
Ultimately, after more hearings with Paul here in Caesarea,
00:25:29.010 --> 00:25:33.060
they all agreed that he had done nothing, quote,
00:25:33.070 --> 00:25:36.000
"deserving of death or chains," and might have been released
00:25:36.010 --> 00:25:39.260
if he had not appealed to Caesar.
00:25:39.270 --> 00:25:45.010
You know, I've always found it interesting that the Bible
00:25:47.100 --> 00:25:49.070
records that Paul could have been set free if he had not
00:25:49.080 --> 00:25:52.190
appealed to his special status as a Roman citizen
00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:55.270
and appealed to Caesar.
00:25:55.280 --> 00:25:57.280
It's one of those little details that speaks
00:25:57.290 --> 00:26:00.020
to the authenticity of the text.
00:26:00.030 --> 00:26:02.150
And the book of Acts is filled with details like that.
00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:06.050
Paul was loaded onto a ship with other prisoners and sent
00:26:06.060 --> 00:26:10.020
from here in Caesarea harbor to Rome.
00:26:10.030 --> 00:26:13.220
Paul would never again return to Judea,
00:26:13.230 --> 00:26:17.080
but his missionary adventures were far from over.
00:26:17.090 --> 00:26:22.120
00:26:22.130 --> 00:26:26.110
00:26:28.090 --> 00:26:38.080
00:26:38.090 --> 00:26:48.080
00:26:48.090 --> 00:26:58.080
00:26:58.090 --> 00:27:07.160
00:27:14.020 --> 00:27:21.010
00:27:21.020 --> 00:27:25.010
CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING 1-800-688-6621 WWW.ABERCAP.COM
00:27:25.020 --> 00:27:30.020

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

Acts to Revelation | Episode 12

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