Gtcotr/ws012920
Determining
the proper interpretation of the scriptures is an adventure called Hermeneutics. If we liken scholarly study of the
scriptures to a baseball game, hermeneutics would be the rule book which
governs the game.
Hermeneutics
deals with the principles and methodology of the study of the scriptures
holding to the goal of finding and refining the most accurate interpretation as
intended by the writer. In order to fully understand what the writer intended;
it is argued that we must:
· Know the one who was
speaking
· Know the one(s) to
whom those words were spoken
· Understand the setting
into which the speech or writings were made, including but not limited to:
o History
o Customs
o Culture
o Current affairs
ongoing at the time as well as
o Ensuring the
interpretation does not violate or cause a departure from other well-defined
passages of scripture.
o Finding the correct
application of truth in life today.
o Basically,
Hermeneutics follows a never-ending circuit of:
§ Observation
§ Interpretation
§ Application
Fortunately,
when it comes to the Word of God, we have the Author living inside of us. I am
speaking of the Holy Spirit who guides us along the way towards understanding the
divine truth of the scriptures. Nonetheless, the Apostle Paul, by the
inspiration of that same Holy Spirit, admonishes us to:
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
That
word study literally means to be diligent and work hard to ensure we “cut
straight and divide right”, (rightly dividing – Greek word found nowhere else
in the Gospel), when dealing with God’s word and work.
In
that vein, allow me to share just a little observation from my brief studies
concerning the historical context into which Acts 26 fits and to whom these
anointed words were spoken.
Last
week we discussed who Governor Festus was in history and in Paul’s immediate
life as recorded in Acts 25. He was basically clueless as to the affairs of the
Jews and most likely just wanted to wash his hands of the whole affair but
didn’t want to upset the Jewish religious leaders and have them complain about
him to his boss, Emperor Nero. Festus is first a politician and he had been
handed a tough job.
Shortly
after Festus arrives in Caesarea and begins his new job as governor of the
province, King Agrippa and Bernice come for a
visit. Perhaps they are traveling to or back from Rome or maybe they just
wanted to officially welcome the new governor. At first read a person would
assume King Agrippa and Queen Bernice were a married couple. That assumption
would be wrong and might not lend us to fully understand why the Apostle Paul
approached his defense in the manner chosen.
King
Agrippa, also known as Agrippa II, was the son of Agrippa I. Bernice was his slightly
younger sister. They were all a part of the Herodian Dynasty that ruled the
Roman province of Judea between 39BC and 92AD. One of the things the Herodians
were known for was the incestuous relationships within the family.
Agrippa
I gave his daughter Bernice I marriage to a prominent man named Alexander when
she was about 12 years old. Alexander died shortly thereafter and Agrippa then
married her to his brother, Herod of Chalcis. Chalcis was an independent
kingdom situated in the northeast portion of Israel on the eastern side of the
Jordan river including the Golan Heights and portions of what we now know as
Syria and Jordan along the Transjordanian Mountains and northwards towards Mt
Herman. Sadly, Bernice’s second husband, Uncle Herod, died in 48AD.
Meanwhile,
Agrippa II, who was young and needed experience was appointed by Emperor
Claudius in that same year to be the superintendent of the Temple in Jerusalem.
After 2 years, Agrippa II was promoted to become the new Herod of Chalcis in
AD50. Bernice and her brother Agrippa II entered into an incestuous
relationship for several years before she decided to marry a third time. This
time it was Polemon II, the King of Cilicia. Under her influence he converted
to Judaism but soon afterwards Bernice left him and went back to live with her
brother, who had now been given the title of King Agrippa.
History
records that during the Roman-Jewish wars, Bernice was the lover/consort of the
famous Roman Commander, Vespasian, who later became the Emperor of the Roman
Empire. During that time is was also rumored that she was having a second
affair with Emperor Vespasian’s son, Titus.
Sounds
like a great mini-series doesn’t it … at any rate, this is the same Bernice
who, along with her current lover and brother, King Agrippa, came to visit
Governor Festus during the time the Apostle Paul was being held under arrest in
Caesarea.
It's
about AD59/60. Agrippa is 33 years old and Bernice is 31. The Apostle Paul is
55 years old and he has seen quite a lot during his life. He is well acquainted
with the Herod family ad all their shameful behavior. In this light, Paul and
has but one goal: When Paul could have begged for his life, it was clear he had
rather see these troubled people hear about Jesus and get saved.
This
goal will require that Paul stick to God’s plan for mankind and not let the
current affairs or their shocking sin distract him. Paul must share the gospel,
the good news, and not the bad. He has to remember: God loves sinners and Jesus
is not afraid of their sins. If anything, these two people are ripe and ready
to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 25 NKJV
13 ¶ And after some days King
Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
23 So the next day, when
Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with
the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was
brought in.
Acts 26
1 ¶ Then Agrippa said to
Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand
and answered for himself:
2 “I think myself happy, King
Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the
things of which I am accused by the Jews,
3 “especially because you are
expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I
beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was
spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.
5 “They knew me from the first, if they were
willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I
lived a Pharisee.
6 “And now I stand and am
judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.
7 “To this promise our twelve tribes,
earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s
sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 “Why should it be thought
incredible by you that God raises the dead?
9 “Indeed, I myself thought I
must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 “This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of
the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief
priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 “And I punished them often in every synagogue
and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against
them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 ¶ “While thus occupied, as
I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 “at midday, O king, along
the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me
and those who journeyed with me.
14 “And when we all had
fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew
language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to
kick against the goads.’
15 “So I said, ‘Who are You,
Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 ‘But rise and stand on
your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister
and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I
will yet reveal to you.
17 ‘I will deliver you from
the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now
send you,
18 ‘to open their eyes, in
order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa,
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 “but declared first to those in Damascus and
in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the
Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting
repentance.
21 “For these reasons the Jews seized me in the
temple and tried to kill me.
22 “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to
this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things
than those which the prophets and Moses said would come —
Acts 26 NKJV
18 ‘to open their eyes, in
order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Paul’s
Major Points – The Successive Steps Jesus gave Paul for people to be saved.
·
Open
·
Turn
Matthew 13:15 For the
hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And
their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and
hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their
hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
·
Receive
To reach out and take it with you hand.
Matthew 14:19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down
on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking
up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and
the disciples gave to the multitudes.
Luke 9:16 Then He took the five loaves and the
two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to
the disciples to set before the multitude.
James 1:7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive
anything from the Lord;
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received
from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the
same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a
lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
·
Inherit
·
By Faith in Jesus
24
¶ Now as he thus made his defense,
Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is
driving you mad!”
25 But he said, “I am not mad, most noble
Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.
· I’m not crazy
· I only speak the words
of truth and reason
26 “For the king, before whom I also speak
freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things
escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.
27 “King Agrippa, do you
believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul,
“You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
29 And Paul said, “I would to
God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost
and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
· I know you know … and
I know you believe
o As do most of the
people you will ever meet
· Almost persuaded …
o The whole world is
almost persuaded today …
o The whole world is
wondering if Jesus is the Son of God
o The whole world, even
those in terrible situations and horrible sin want to be saved …
o God is not afraid of
sin or sinners and neither should we be … the most desperate may not even know
they’re in such great need …
· Paul said, I’m pray that
the one I’m talking to and all the bystanders who hear me speaking would accept
Jesus as Lord.
As
the Apostle Paul teaches us in this moment, when his life was hanging in the
balance, we must be ready to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ above our own
personal considerations and without missing the opportunity to see others who
need Jesus come to Him.
Don’t
get distracted from the most important opportunities …
Paul
challenged the leaders of his day to accept Jesus and be born-again … so should
we. Jesus is the only remedy for any soul and the only hope of any nation.
People are already almost persuaded … we need to be the witness God wants.
Eternity is about us … Today is about others.
