On Tuesday, in our weekly Bible study group on Zoom, as I was reading a line from my notes, I realized that I had overlooked a typing mistake when I printed the notes: “Agrippa II was the bother of Drusilla, Felix’s wife.” The letter “r” that was missing from the word “brother” makes an interesting difference in the meaning of the sentence. As I was typing the first line of today’s blog, I noticed that I had missed a letter in the word “line.” It was the letter “n” which would have drastically changed what I intended to write. Just as one letter can make a big difference in what we write, so one person can make a big difference in our life.

On Monday night, Karen and I went to a birthday party for a friend whose wife went to be with the Lord last year. Remembering how much pain Dianne suffered helped us understand how much David loved his wife and missed her. In studying the book of Acts, our men’s group has seen that some of the marital relationships described in God’s Word were not what God intended. For example, in Acts 25:13, we read “… King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.” The late Robert Munn observed: “Bernice was Agrippa’s own sister. She had married Agrippa’s uncle but at the moment of Paul’s trial she was living as her brother’s common-law wife. It was before this incestuous and infamous couple that the apostle Paul had his last trial before embarking for Rome.” If you would like to follow this course, which is available in English and French, please let me know and I would be glad to send it to you.

In his commentary on Paul’s speech in Acts 26, the late Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe observes five statements that summarize Paul’s defense:

Acts 26:4-11 – “I lived a Pharisee” – Paul’s early life in Jerusalem was known to the Jews, so there was no need to go into great detail. It was because of his convictions about the resurrection and “the hope of Israel” that he was now a prisoner (Acts 23:6; 24:15). The Greeks and Romans would not believe in the doctrine of the resurrection (Acts 17:31-32), nor would the Sadducees who were present (Acts 23:8). To Paul, this was a crucial doctrine, for if there is no resurrection, then Jesus Christ was not raised and Paul had no gospel to preach. (For Paul’s argument about the resurrection and the gospel, see 1 Corinthians 15.)

Acts 26:12-13 – “I saw a light” – Not content to limit his work to Jerusalem, Paul had asked for authority to visit the synagogues in distant cities. His zeal had driven out many of the believers and they had taken their message to Jews in other communities (Acts 8:4). Paul had been a self-righteous Pharisee who needed to discover that his good works and respectable character could never save him and take him to heaven (Philippians 3:1-11).

The light that Paul saw was supernatural, for it was the glory of God revealed from heaven (compare Acts 7:2, 55-56). It actually blinded Paul for three days (Acts 9:8-9), but his spiritual eyes had been opened to behold the living Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). But seeing a light was not enough; he also had to hear the Word of God.

Acts 26:14-18 – “I heard a voice” – Paul’s companions had seen the light, but not the Lord, and they had heard a sound, but they could not understand the words. They all fell to the earth, but only Paul remained there (Acts 9:7). Jesus Christ spoke to Paul in the familiar Aramaic tongue of the Jews, called him by name, and told him it was futile for him to continue fighting the Lord. In that moment, Paul made two surprising discoveries: Jesus of Nazareth was alive, and He was so united to His people that their suffering was His suffering!

Acts 26:19-21 – “I was not disobedient” – Paul began to serve the Lord in Damascus and it almost cost him his life (Acts 9:20-25). Likewise, when he had witnessed to the Jews in Jerusalem, they attempted to kill him (Acts 9:29-30). In spite of repeated discouragements and dangers, Paul had remained obedient to the call and the vision that Jesus Christ gave him. Nothing moved him (Acts 20:24)!

Acts 26:22-32 – “I continue unto this day” – Paul was saved by God’s grace and enabled to serve by God’s grace (1 Corinthians 15:10). The one word that best summarizes Paul’s life and ministry is “witnessing” (see Acts 26:16). He simply shared with others what he had learned and experienced as a follower of Jesus Christ.

May we be diligent to study God’s Word and share it with many who need to know how much God loves them.

Scripture for the weekend: “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 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.” Acts 26:17-18 (NKJV)

Thought for the weekend: “I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace, He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.” – Martha Snell Nicholson (from her poem “The Thorn”)