“Take courage!” (Acts 23:6-35)

 “Take courage!”

 

 

 

[Acts 23:6-35] 

 

 

We have already reflected on how to live in this twisted world.  In a nutshell, we have learned that we should lead a righteous life of faith (Acts 22:30-23:5).  God has provided us with three teachings: (1) We should serve God in all things with a clear conscience; (2) We must disdain hypocrisy; and (3) We must be led by God's Word.  Thus, through living a genuine faith life, we are to shine as blameless and pure children of God in the midst of a twisted and rebellious generation, revealing ourselves as lights in the world (Phil. 2:15).

 

Indeed, what is needed for us to manifest a righteous life of faith as lights in this dark and twisted world?  We can consider seven essential elements:

 

(1)    Calling: There must be a sense of calling from God, knowing that He has called you and me.

(2)    Conviction: A foundational and fundamental assurance of salvation is necessary, and we should be confident in both our calling and God's will.

(3)    Commitment: Those obedient to the Lord's calling must dedicate themselves completely to the Lord, surrendering everything.

(4)    Confidence: Rather than having confidence in something within ourselves, we need confidence based on the fact that God is our God.

(5)    Courage: Obedience to the Lord's calling and fulfilling His will requires courage. We need to be bold, especially in the midst of challenges.

(6)    Consistency: Those who live fittingly according to the Lord's calling are faithful before God, consistently handling the Lord's work.

(7)    Completion: The one who receives the Lord's calling is the one who completes the work of the Lord.

 

                Today, let's contemplate the fifth element, "Courage," from the seven necessary elements discussed in Acts 23:6-35, with a focus on verse 11 where the Lord stood by Paul and said, "Take courage!"  In particular, we will reflect on two aspects: firstly, the situations where Paul couldn't muster courage, and secondly, why Paul had no choice but to be courageous, seeking lessons from God in the process.

 

First, what were the situations where Paul couldn't muster courage?

 

We can consider two situations:

 

(1)    The first situation Paul encountered was a great dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees within the council (vv. 6-10).

 

The cause of the intense conflict between these two groups was Paul's proclamation of the core gospel doctrine, the resurrection of the dead.  In verse 7, when Paul cried out that he was on trial for his belief in the resurrection of the dead, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, causing the assembly to be divided.  The reason for the division was that while the Pharisees acknowledged doctrines such as the resurrection and the existence of spiritual beings (angels or spirits), the Sadducees rejected these beliefs, asserting that there is neither resurrection nor angel nor spirit (v. 8).  Therefore, when the Pharisees claimed, "We find nothing wrong with this man.  What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?" (v. 9), they were expressing their support for Paul's position.  The disagreement over doctrine escalated, leading to a great uproar (v. 9) and a great dissension (v. 10).  Ultimately, with this doctrinal dispute causing significant turmoil between the Pharisees and Sadducees, the chief captain ordered Paul to be taken into custody, fearing that he might be torn apart by the crowd (v. 10).  Isn't it intriguing?  While the Pharisees and Sadducees had initially united against Paul and his proclamation of the gospel, they ended up in a major dispute over the resurrection doctrine, resulting in a perilous situation for Paul.  Considering these circumstances, it becomes evident that, from a human perspective, it was not easy for Paul to summon courage in such a precarious situation.

 

(2)    The second situation Paul faced was the threat of death from more than forty Jews who had bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed him (vv. 12-24).

 

Considering the intense hatred these forty individuals must have harbored towards Paul, organizing a fast and conspiring to kill him, it seems that Paul gradually faced greater distress and danger.  It's somewhat perplexing, from a common-sense perspective, to understand how, after receiving the comforting and admonishing words "Take courage!" (v. 11) from God, Paul encountered even greater peril, specifically a threat to his life.  These more than forty individuals who formed the fasting conspiracy were not merely driven by simple emotions to kill Paul but engaged in an extreme expression of devotion stemming from their religious beliefs, making the situation severe (Yoo).  Consider the following analogy: women strapping bombs to themselves to commit suicide and kill U.S. soldiers.  This illustrates an extreme expression of devotion arising from religious beliefs, not merely an emotional dislike for U.S. soldiers.  How terrifying are these individuals?  It cannot be anything other than a weapon of murder.  The members of the fasting conspiracy, aiming to kill Paul, sought cooperation from the chief priests and elders (vv. 14-15).  Informing them of their sworn alliance and request for cooperation, they stated, "The council is going to investigate Paul, so have him brought down to you under the pretext of further examination.  We are ready to kill him on the way (Yoo).  These individuals, members of the fasting conspiracy, even sought the assistance of the chief priests and elders, leaders in the Jewish religious hierarchy, to kill Paul.  In a situation where his life was threatened in this manner, it is indeed reasonable to assume that, from a human perspective, Paul would have found it challenging to be courageous.

 

Now, consider situations that may be deemed as ones where we cannot muster courage.  What circumstances evoke fear in your hearts?  There could be various situations, but one example might be the fear one experiences when going to the hospital for tests.  Particularly, the fear and anxiety about the possibility of having cancer when undergoing examinations like an MRI can be overwhelming.  Everyone, at some point, experiences fear about death.  Although one may have faith in resurrection, the fear of death, even if momentary, is likely to arise. In situations of such fearful nature, how can we muster courage?

 

Second, what was the reason Paul could be courageous?

 

The reason was because he received the word of God’s promise.  This promise is recorded in verse 11: ".. .just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."  In other words, the Lord promised Paul that, just as he bore witness to the gospel in Jerusalem, he would also bear witness in Rome.  Ultimately, this promise enabled Paul to face the second situation, where he felt a greater threat to his life, without fear, but with courage.  What we need to pay attention to here is how, in the two situations where the apostle Paul felt threatened, God remained faithful to His promise.  In other words, how did the Lord fulfill His promise to Paul that he would testify to the gospel not only in Jerusalem but also in Rome?  The answer to this question lies in the fact that the Lord protected and delivered Paul from danger.  In the first situation, as we have already considered, when there was a great dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees due to a doctrinal difference, God used the Roman military tribune to rescue Paul from the precarious situation, transferring him to the barracks (Park).  In the second situation, when more than forty individuals bound by an oath sought to kill Paul, God, through Paul's nephew (vv. 16-17), made their conspiracy known, and ultimately, having heard of the plot, the military tribune decided to safely escort Paul to Caesarea and prepared a large force (200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen) on an urgent basis (v. 23).  He also instructed that a mount be provided for Paul to ride (v. 24).  Furthermore, he ordered a letter to be written to Governor Felix (vv. 26-30), and under the command of two centurions, a force of 470 Roman soldiers accompanied Paul safely to Caesarea (Yoo).  The centurion or military tribune spared no effort to protect Paul (vv. 17-19, 22), and all these arrangements were made possible by God's special intervention (Park).  As you can see, the Lord faithfully kept His promise to Paul by intervening in these situations.

                We must be courageous.  Regardless of the difficult situations we may face, we must be courageous.  The reason is that we have received the promises of the Lord.  Our God is a faithful God.  He is the God who faithfully fulfills the promises He has given us.  His protection, guidance, and deliverance in every trial are the acts of a God who rescues us.  Even though there are times when the Lord tells us to be courageous and gives us promises, we may encounter greater difficulties and painful situations than before.  Even if we cannot fully understand why the Lord allows us to face more significant challenges after encouraging us to be courageous and giving us promises, we must believe with faith that we are always in the Lord's will. "In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33).

 

‘This I have told you, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have

trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. This I have told you, so that in me

you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome

the world. This I have told you, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you

will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’

 

[David and Jonathan's ‘Take Courage!’]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing for strength and courage,

 

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Praying to look to the Lord in all situations)