Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
The Word of the Lord.
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Saint Paul has just been put on trial, severely lashed, and thrown back into prison. Half-dead, he prays from his cell, “God, what is your will for me?”
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Anyone would’ve hoped for an open door or relief from pain and suffering.
But mysteriously, the Lord appears to Paul, saying, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
That will be Paul’s next – and final – stop.
After faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, he will be put to death, just like his Lord.
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What this passage tells us is as haunting as what it does not tell us.
It does not tell us why God allowed Paul to suffer, other than the fact that he “bears witness”; nor does it explain away our own suffering.
But it does tell us that the Lord appeared to Paul; that Paul did God’s will; and through it all, Jesus was with him.
“Take courage,” the Lord says. “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
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What can Paul’s life and ministry say to us?
That, at times, God allows pain and suffering to enter into our lives. But not without grace.
As Paul himself writes, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”
Paul bore his cross faithfully. His way out – his reward – was the resurrection. And for him that promise of eternal life was more than enough.
May Paul pray for us that we, too, would accept the Lord’s will even when suffering is involved, because it leads to life in abundance.
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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) Saint Paul in Prison, Amazon.com (3) Pinterest
At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus: “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
The Word of the Lord.
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“They threw their arms around Paul and kissed him…They were deeply distressed, because they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.”
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For the last three years, Paul has been living in a Christian community, which he helped to establish. Now the time of his departure is at hand; the Spirit has revealed to him in prayer that he must leave for Jerusalem.
“What will happen to me there,” he says, “I do not know.”
While this community was heartbroken by Paul’s departure, it was a blessing in disguise – at least for us Christians today.
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Paul was always a man on the go. He’d establish one Christian community, stay there for a while, then depart for another. Because of his absence, he’d write pastoral letters to encourage these new Christians.
Those letters, along with the Acts of the Apostles, form almost half of the New Testament.
So, what do Paul’s words reveal about the early Church? And what was some of his parting advice?
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From the beginning, there was a handing on of authority. The power which the Apostles received was also given to Paul. Then he appointed presbyters – priests – who became his successors by prayer and the laying on of hands.
Then he warned these communities that “savage wolves” – false preachers – would come among them. Sadly, we still encounter false witnesses occasionally in the Church today. But Paul exhorted them to remain faithful to the Gospel they received.
Finally, he lived a life of surrender – freely accepting whatever happened to him: rejection, imprisonment, even death.
Everything Paul did was for the glory of God.
May his courageous spirit, which inspired these early Christians, also inspire us to continue God’s work today.
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Image credits: (1) SlidePlayer (2) St. Paul, Bartolomeo Montagna, Public Domain (3) DailyVerses.net
