Paul describes being purified in the temple and being on trial for belief in the resurrection.

Acts 24:17-21

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“Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.’” Acts 24:17-21

Paul is making his case, during the hearing in front of Felix, of why he has goodwill towards the Jewish people and no destructive desires towards them at all. Paul said, “Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation…”. Paul was spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ for those “many years” and was away from Jerusalem [which he calls his nation]. After those “many years” away from Jerusalem, he returned and brought material support [alms] for the poor of the Jewish people and gave his offerings to his nation. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have come apart from the ways of this world, but we are still citizens of an earthly nation. We pay “alms” to the poor and needy of this nation, which nowadays is done through paying taxes. We also give our reverence and respect to the nation we live in. Our Lord Jesus says to us, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17 The Holy Spirit repeats these words through Paul, “For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:6-7

During the time that Paul was bringing his alms and offerings to his nation, some Jewish people found him purified in the temple, behaving peacefully, and not among a turbulent mob of people, as quoted, “…in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.” As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not part of a rebellious crowd. However, we acknowledge our body as the temple of God, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 Those of today’s culture has an issue with finding us in the “temple of God”. That’s because they see the human body as the home of the entity that replaces the conscience and spirit [while oppressing the presence of the Holy Spirit] to give people what to think, feel, say, and do. This atheistic entity 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”.

Paul didn’t have any eyewitnesses that came forward of him committing any wrongdoing or creating a raucous. Even the leaders of the Jewish people, who were bringing their case against Paul, had no evidence of anything they were accusing him of, as quoted, “They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council…”. As followers of Jesus Christ, there aren’t witnesses against us to say we have brought turbulence towards the community culture of today. We bring no harm to the nation we live in because we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, who says, “…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

There is only one reason that the Jewish people wanted Paul imprisoned and out of their mind and sight; because of his belief in the resurrection of the dead, as quoted, “…unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.” In today’s atheistic culture, there is no belief in life beyond the grave. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in the immortality of the soul and eternal life in the new heaven and earth. The resurrection also relates to our born-again experience where we die to the values of this world and live a new life in the Spirit through Jesus Christ. The resurrection also gives life to the Holy Spirit within us, to make us the temple of the Holy Spirit, which crowds out the entity that wants to intertwine itself within our thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors. In other words, to believe in the resurrection is to claim we are not part of the values of this atheistic culture, which is global.

Today’s culture wants to take away the resurrection of Jesus Christ because that is the core to our faith in God, because He lives, we will live eternally with Him. “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty… And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 17-19

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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, 3:1