Acts #26: The believer: a litigant like any other? (Acts 26); Patrice Berger

sermon Acts 26 : Patrice Berger, 2022_11_30, AB Lausanne church

title : Acts #26: The believer: a litigant like any other? (Acts 26); Patrice Berger

Sermon: Acts #26 Chapter 24-26

The believer: a litigant like any other?

Huge read

Today we are going to have a lot of reading because chapters 24 to 26 form a unit.

Indeed, they present to us the defence of the apostle Paul against the accusations of the religious and political leaders of Jerusalem.

Before the leaders, the king, and the emperor.

Paul sets out his defence case before the highest political and military officials (Romans and Jews) and will end up, as every Roman citizen had the right to, appealing to the Roman emperor at the time, Claudius.

Christ with Paul was destined for this mission to minister to the great, the leaders of society and this is realized:

Acts 9. 15

But the Lord said to him, “Go ahead, for this man is an instrument that I have chosen to make known my name to Gentiles, to kings and to Israelites.

Gospel is not a palliative for little people

The gospel is not the opium of the people (quote from Karl Marx:
Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the soul of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless state of affairs. It is the opium of the people. The real happiness of the people demands that religion is suppressed as the illusory happiness of the people.)

The gospel is not a cutesy ideology for the populace, an illusion to swallow the difficulties of life because the poor buggers have nothing else to eat…

Great Leaders, Like Others, Need Christ

Today’s text, like other passages in the book of Acts, shows us the great interest that the highest authorities of the time took in the gospel. Nothing has changed.
I have heard of several presidents, advisers, managers, and very big bosses who were authentic believers, and Switzerland has some of them!

Romans 1. 16

Indeed, I am not ashamed of the Gospel [of Christ]: it is the power of God for the salvation of every man who believes, of the Jew first, but also of the non-Jew.
Regardless of social status or responsibilities…

Acts 25. 23

23 So the next day Agrippa and Berenice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall with the Roman commanders and the important men of the city.

Acts 25.9-12

9 In a desire to please the Jews, Festus answered Paul,
“Do you agree to go up to Jerusalem to be judged there in this case in my presence?”
10 Paul said,
“I am standing before the emperor’s judgment seat, and there I must be judged. I did no harm to the Jews, as you know very well. 11 If I have committed an injustice or a crime worthy of death, I do not refuse to die, but if their accusations against me are false, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to the Emperor.” 12 Then Festus answered, after deliberation with the council, “You have appealed to the emperor, you will go before the emperor.”

3 charges against Paul

During this reading, we will be able to note that the accusations brought against him relate to 3 areas:

Violation of Jewish law, while protected by Rome (Acts 6. 11 & 13, 18. 13, 21. 21 & 28, 23. 29).
Desecration of the temple was also placed under the protection of Rome (Acts 6. 13, 21. 28, 24. 6).
Conspiracy against the emperor and his laws (Acts 6. 13, 21. 28, 24. 6).

While Paul has always demonstrated his respect for:

the law of Moses (Romans 7.12, 8.3-4, 1 Corinthians 9.20);
for the temple (Acts 21:26);

for Roman laws (Romans 13.1-7 and 1 Timothy 2.2).
And certainly, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, particularly develops these aspects under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that Theophilus, the first recipient of the book of Acts, can become aware of them, and by extension so can we!

The particular ancient context in which Paul found himself is for us still a great source of inspiration so that we can understand the behaviour that God would like us to have in relation to justice when we are confronted with it.

And we will meditate on this aspect after reading these chapters.

Acts 24 verses 1-20 (Check the sidebar)

This text helps us see the 3 aspects of accusations that were made and refuted by Paul:

violation of Jewish law,
desecration of the temple,
and conspiracy against the emperor and his laws.

Verses 20-27 (Check the sidebar)

This shows that indeed, the way in which Félix married Drusilla was not an example of justice or self-control (he made her leave her former husband by incorporating sorcery through a magician) and the brutal way Felix exercised his responsibilities isn’t an example of justice or self-control. So, the fact of evoking the judgment to come must have stung Felix’s ears…

The rest of our text shows a little about the personality of Félix:

26 He was hoping at the same time that Paul would give him money [to release him]; that is why he had him come often enough to talk to him.
27 Two years passed in this way, and Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. In a desire to please the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.

Acts 25 (Check the sidebar)

The text helps us understand that Agrippa was well-versed in Jewish law. Later, it is even he who will appoint the high priest and keep the ceremonial clothes reserved for the great day of atonement.

So, Paul is going to prove here that faith in the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that he is the long-awaited Messiah.

It is for this reason that he himself, Paul, became a believer.

Acts 26 (Check the sidebar)

Believers and justice?

As I said in the preamble, these chapters are important for our relationship as believers with regard to the justice of our countries.

The Christian is not necessarily called to be shunned

These chapters completely extinguish the idea that the believer must suffer the injustices of society and suffer in silence as if it were a spiritual virtue.

We are not called to redo, to relive the truncated judgment and the cross like Jesus. He did it once perfectly.

Suffering foolishly will never improve our salvation.

Paul activates the codes of justice of the time

Here, the apostle Paul pleads several times in what could be related to our courts: he argues and dismantles the false accusations, and he uses the remedies that are within his right as a Roman citizen, such as for example to appeal for justice through the emperor.

Paul defends himself as a bearer of the Gospel message

I note, however, that the defence of the apostle has a purpose: to continue to testify.

Perhaps this can be a source of inspiration for us if we have to resort to justice.

What is our end goal?

Anthropocentric (self-centred)?
Or as an ambassador of Christ?

The entire Bible

To broaden and establish a more accurate reflection, when we are in a narrative Bible text, it is always wiser to look at the rest of the Bible at what is said about it, especially for us in the epistles.

God is Just

The first thing we might notice is that righteousness is a character trait of God, He has perfect righteousness.

Characteristics of His representatives

Being created in the image of God, this character trait – righteousness must be reflected in His primary creature, humans.

God’s representatives must be righteous, even if they are imperfect.

Humanity is affected by sin and therefore all of our systems of justice remain imperfect.

However, the principle of justice is

linked to our identity,
linked to our creator,
as proof, that the intrinsic need for justice in all humans is an echo of our creator, of the very person of God.

Demonstration of our original connection with God

And since we are in the image of God,

• this feeling of universal justice,

this need for justice,
this absolute justice,

is a powerful testimony to our original connection with God.
And should, as a non-believer, question us positively towards God.

Perhaps even these aspirations for this type of justice are traits that differentiate us from the animal world. Meditate on this.

In the Old Testament

There are many laws of justice so that the law is just and equitable (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy etc.).

In the books of the prophets, many reminders

to the leaders of the people
and to the rich
to exercise impartial justice, (Jeremiah 29. 7) invites the good of the country, and the prophet Amos invites the rich to respect the law even with the poor.

Micah 6. 8

You have been made to know, man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: that you practice justice, that you love kindness and that you walk humbly with your God.).

In the New Testament

The principle of authority is recalled in the epistles

It is a principle delegated to magistrates, to persons of law: in this capacity, they are even associated with the servants of God in the sense that they exercise justice (the principle of justice is divine).

Obviously, we are invited to respect

• these authorities,

these magistrates,
and therefore the laws they represent.

In order not to be afraid of the authorities, let us submit to them and to the laws they represent.

This is what reminds us

Romans 13:2-5

2 Therefore whoever opposes authority resists the order which God has established, and those who resist will bring condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not to be feared when doing good, but when doing evil.

Don’t you want to fear authority? Do good and you will have his approval, 4 for the magistrate is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be in fear. Indeed, it is not for nothing that he carries the sword since he is a servant of God to manifest his anger by punishing those who do evil. 5 It is, therefore, necessary to submit to the authorities,

If we are outside the law, it is normal to be sanctioned

If we do anything, we can indeed be in normal fear and not attribute any value to spiritual persecution when we do not respect the laws of common rights.

Even when we answer for our faith when it is challenged

Even in the delicate case of being like Paul arrested for his faith, it is not for bad conduct, the idea of defending oneself peacefully, as demonstrated by the apostle Paul is recalled:

1 Peter 3. 13

13 Who will harm you if you model what is good? 14 Besides, even if you had to suffer for righteousness, you would be happy. Have no fear of them nor be troubled, 15 but respect in your heart the holiness of God the Lord. Always be ready to defend the hope that is in you, before all who ask you for reason, 16 [but] do it with gentleness and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that even where they slander you [like if you did evil], those who criticize your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer, if it be the will of God, by doing good than by doing evil.

Synthesis

Finally, the believer is a litigant like any other, he rejoices that justice is done fairly to everyone, even if it is imperfect; he sees a divine principle in it.

If he has to assert the law, it is always in relation to what he is, that is to say, a witness of Christ.

More than his rights, the demand for justice here below is coupled with his role as a witness. It is strange that in some areas we have our identity as a believer is “paused” when we touch certain areas

such as money,
like my right, for example.

But our identity must particularly reveal itself in areas that are sometimes sensitive.

Counter-example

If the law authorizes me to collect more money and if winning my case would then put people in precarious conditions, is it necessary to activate justice? Is it necessary to clutter justice for secondary trifles? Will my testimony come out stronger?

Good example

I know a person in Christ who was completely in the right about an inheritance thing. Faced with the animosity of those who had dreamed of the so-called inheritance, she voluntarily renounced her rights so that the testimony, peace and affection would not be tainted.

It’s also interesting to see the depth of faith when it comes to money.

Special domain

This admirable example leads me to mention an area where justice should be settled in a simpler way, and that is when there is a dispute between brothers and sisters in Christ.

In the Old Testament

Already in the Old Testament, the Hebrews came before Moses, then afterwards before certain leaders of the people so that the right given by the Eternal One to Moses could be applied.

Cases were therefore instructed by people who were attached to the Lord and to the law. Religious leaders had this duty and the Old Testament prophets frequently called for a return to the law.

There was this double legal dimension of common law linked to the attachment to the Eternal One.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul himself points out with the help of the Holy Spirit the following thing to the Christians of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 6. 1-8

1 When one of you has a dispute with another (these are two believers here),
how dare he seek justice before the unjust,
and not before the saints?

2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
And if the world is to be judged by you, are you unable to pass judgments of little importance?
3 Don’t you know that we will judge the angels?
How much more the affairs of everyday life!
4 Now if you have disputes concerning the affairs of everyday life, you take as judges people of whom the Church does not care!
5 I say this to your shame.
So there is not a single wise man among you who can judge between his brothers and sisters!
6 On the contrary, a brother is on trial against a brother, and that before unbelievers!
7 It is already a complete failure for you to have lawsuits with each other.
Why don’t you put up with an injustice instead?
Why don’t you rather let yourselves be stripped?
8 But it is you, on the contrary, who commit injustice and rob others, and it is towards brothers and sisters that you do so.

If there was a disagreement between believers, the ideal judge, spiritually speaking, should be spiritually inclined people so that it would be possible to find a just outcome

in the eyes of God,
in the light of what He gives us in His Word, the Bible,

in prayer so that the hearts of each person may be permeable to the thought of God, with fraternal dispositions.

Justice, an area like any other in our life as believers.

This subject of the exercise of justice for us, believers, is ultimately only a simple declination of our life of faith in Christ and of our priorities in life, so that in this area too we can look to our central objective in Christ while demonstrating it to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to our fellow men.

Bible Passages

Acts 24 / ASV Bible

1. And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with certain elders, and [with] an orator, one Tertullus; and they informed the governor against Paul.
2. And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy much peace, and that by the providence evils are corrected for this nation,
3. we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
4. But, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
6. who moreover assayed to profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold: [and we would have judged him according to our law.]
7. [But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,]
8. [commanding his accusers to come before thee.] from whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.
9. And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so.
10. And when the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, Paul answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I cheerfully make my defense:
11. Seeing that thou canst take knowledge that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem:
12. and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man or stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city.
13. Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me.
14. But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
15. having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.
16. Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.
17. Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:
18. amidst which they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor yet with tumult: but [there were] certain Jews from Asia--
19. who ought to have been here before thee, and to make accusation, if they had aught against me.
20. Or else let these men themselves say what wrong-doing they found when I stood before the council,
21. except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.
22. But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will determine your matter.
23. And he gave order to the centurion that he should be kept in charge, and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to minister unto him.
24. But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
25. And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.
26. He hoped withal that money would be given him of Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
27. But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

Acts 25 / ASV Bible

1. Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2. And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,
3. asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
4. Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart [thither] shortly.
5. Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.
6. And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7. And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;
8. while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.
9. But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10. But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.
11. If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is [true] whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
13. Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus.
14. And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;
15. about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed [me], asking for sentence against him.
16. To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.
17. When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
18. Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;
19. but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20. And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.
21. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar.
22. And Agrippa [said] unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. To-morrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.
23. So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.
24. And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25. But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.
26. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.
27. For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.

Acts 26 / ASV Bible

1. And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
2. I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
3. especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4. My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5. having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6. And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
7. unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
8. Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
9. I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10. And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11. And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
12. Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13. at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
14. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
15. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16. But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
17. delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
18. to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
19. Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20. but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21. For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
22. Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
23. how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
24. And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.
25. But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
26. For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
27. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28. And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
29. And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
30. And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31. and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32. And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.