Paul explains why he is a prisoner in Rome

Acts 28:19-22

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“…who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.” Acts 28:18-19

The Jewish people protested to the Roman officials against releasing Paul from custody, they wanted him to be imprisoned and executed. This is when Paul was imprisoned for a little over two years in Judea under the watch of Felix and Porcius Festus, Acts 23:23-24 and Acts 24:27. Paul wasn’t released, he appealed his imprisonment and was sent to Rome. Paul didn’t appeal to be tried in Rome to accuse the Jewish culture, but rather that he could plead his case as a Chrisitan living for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today, government leaders, politicians, and community leaders market themselves in public as being the Christ that is trying to bring peace, love, unity, and kindness to the world. It would seem that if anyone would appreciate the fruit of the Spirit in Christians, it would be the leaders who promote those qualities. It would seem that while we are being scrutinized, despised, and treated as outcasts by today’s culture, we would be able to appeal to the governing authorities. Not that we want to accuse anyone, but simply plead the case as peacemakers, being harmless, and only living for the Gospel of Christ.

As we know, the Romans kept Paul in prison in agreement with the Jewish culture and eventually executed him. Today, we see that is the real agenda of the global government and its global culture, to eradicate the presence of Christians and the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Christ has been abandoned by the churches, government lawmakers no longer integrate the values of the Bible into laws and policies, the educational system does not allow the teaching of the Bible in classrooms, and the spread of the Gospel of Christ is not wanted in any sector of society.

Why are Christians shunned in today’s culture? Because we want the presence of the Holy Spirit to speak and live through us, but today’s culture wants the entity that has power over physiology to speak and live through them. The atheistic entity replaces the conscience and spirit [while oppressing the Holy Spirit] to intertwine itself within the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people everywhere. This entity gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. This entity sets in the temple of God, our body, as if it is God. This is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”.

 “For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” Acts 28:20

Paul wanted to speak to the leaders of the Jewish culture about Jesus Christ because He is the hope of Israel. If the Jewish people would have received Jesus as Christ and Son of God 2000 years ago, the tragedy happening to them in this modern world, since 1948, would never have happened. The war-battered Jewish State of Israel would never have existed, and the holocaust would never have happened. That’s because as Christians, we do not have a country on this earth to call our own, we do not share a national identity. Our country is the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth. Whatever country we are in, we obey their laws and live peaceably with others the best way we can. “…be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:1-2

Why do we want to share our born-again experience? Because this is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16 In the same way that the Jewish people could have spared all of their misery by coming to Jesus Christ, so can the culture of this world. Because they don’t, tragedy and tribulation is coming to them. Global warming is already here, and it is the Fourth Plague of Revelation 16:8-9. The United Nations will succeed in becoming established as the one world government [like the Jewish people succeeded in having the State of Israel], and they will have peace for a “half hour” before the events of the Seven Trumpets are unleashed. “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Revelation 8:1 Click here for a post on that. The opening of the Seventh Seal reveals the events of the Seven Trumpets in Revelation 8, 9, 11.

“Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.” Acts 28:21-22

The Jewish leaders seem to be wanting to “wipe the slate clean” and kind of giving Paul a chance to “start from a clean slate”. From that clean slate, they wanted to hear Paul’s opinion about the Christian “sect” which they knew was spoken against everywhere. Even then, they had to have known that Paul was a powerful and influential person of the “sect” that they already perceived as being evil. After all, before coming to Jesus Christ, Paul was a very powerful Pharisee, rising up in the power rankings of Jewish leaders. Paul was also a naturally born Roman citizen. His father was a Roman and his mother was Jewish. On behalf of the Jewish culture and Roman Empire, Paul arrested, persecuted, and consented to the killing of Christians. The Jewish leaders of Rome would have been very much out of touch not to hear anything against Paul, the leader of the “wicked sect” of Christianity.

Today, the atheistic culture, which is global, will offer us a “clean slate” saying they know of nothing against us. They are giving us a chance not to express belief in God, not to talk about the need for Jesus Christ, and not to give reverence for the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity of God. Our slate will remain clean if none of that is spoken about. However, when we begin speaking of the Gospel of Christ, we are made the enemy of today’s culture.

Only Jesus Christ can cleanse us from sin and sanctify our spirit, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” [Church Song]

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11