Come Follow Me LDS- Acts 22-28 Part 1

'Jesus is Lord, Lord is Jehovah'
- Paul defends himself in Jerusalem
- This is a court of 'doctrine'
- Paul's 'Heresy' is preaching that the prophets have preached of Jehovah as Christ

 

 

Come Follow Me

LDS Mormon New Testament Acts Bible

 

in this episode we'll talk about Jesus

is Lord and the Lord is Jehovah here we

go all right so setting the stage from last

week you recall that Paul had come to

Jerusalem he had met with James the just

and the members of the Jerusalem church

there and then he ended up going to the

temple and he had a group of people that

had gone with him those that actually

shaved their heads that were committed

to work with him there's some funny

business going on with this yet it he

ends up going to the temple and then

there at the temple there are some Jews

from Asia that which would be parts in

Turkey that identify him and say that he

is teaching against the law of Moses

against the people and against the

temple and so he's then taken away

because there's a riot that starts up it

almost seems like there is collusion

going on here that something happened

between some people that were in this

meeting with Paul and the Christians and

that they set this up I don't know if

that's true but it if you go back and

read through it seems it seems odd

the way it's written and it seems like

somehow there may have been a setup here

for Paul now remember that early on in

Christianity here everything is not

hunky-dory with the Christians there of

course is great joy about learning about

Christ and the resurrection from the

dead and the fullness of the gospel and

the second coming and all of these

things the priesthood being given to

many people and going the gospel going

to the Gentiles it's an incredible

outpouring of the Spirit and of truth

and of excitement and joy but at the

same time this is not like the birth of

a brand-new baby where you have a

precious little baby that is completely

innocent and no flaws right that's not

how this works this is the same thing

that happened in the church

Leon think of all of the struggles that

Joseph Smith and the leaders of the

church had early on with the church of

course there was an outpouring of the

Spirit I mean can you imagine the

stories that came about two new converts

into the church and the whole thing with

a Book of Mormon in the plates in the

translation and having a prophet again

on the earth and Joseph Smith and the

fullness of the gospel and of the

priesthood of John the Baptist coming

and Peter James and John and building up

the church again the true church with

the priesthood and the keys and the

doctrine I mean what an incredible time

and an outpouring of a spirit that was

happening but at the same time there are

major conflicts and struggles that are

happening here this is the last

thing in the world that the world wants

is this pureness of truth and

righteousness it's going to naturally

have a very difficult time coming in to

fruition and so this is what's happening

at Paul's time there are conflicts

within the church think of the conflict

that they had about circumcision that's

probably still going on here that is

still a major issue these are mostly

Jewish Christians and the whole

preaching to the Gentiles which is

Paul's major mission here may be a real

issue to several of the Christians and

it is interesting here that we don't see

the Christians coming to Paul's defense

for whatever reason Luke doesn't have

the Christians coming here as witnesses

to his defense so the Romans have come

in they've bound Paul and taken

him from the temple

and because he was causing a riot

apparently and Paul turns to the captain

of the guard here and says please let me

speak to the people I want to speak to

the people here so they can understand

I'll think about the audience here who

is the audience the audience is likely

Christians some for him and some

very possibly against him and Jews which

would not be again Jews are not lockstep

there are different groups and here

we're gonna see this focus on the

Pharisees against the Sadducees and then

you have the Romans that are here and

maybe many other people this is during

the festival so there there's a lot of

people in here from all over the

place this would be Jews from all out in

the Diaspora Jews from Jerusalem Paul is

a major figure and there's a lot of

conflict there's a lot of controversy

here with Paul and so we open up chapter

22 with the following with the speech

that Paul gives to this audience he says

men brethren and fathers hear ye my

defense which I make now unto you and

then down in verse 3 I am verily a man

which am a Jew born in Tarsus a city in

Silesia yet brought up in this city this

is Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel

and taught according to the

perfect manner of the law of the fathers

and was zealous toward God as ye all are

this day he's saying look I'm one of you

I come from the same background

especially of these very zealous Jews

that have a real problem with him he's

saying I'm one of you I come from the

same background I've been taught this

way since a little kid he was taught

from sitting at the feet of Gamaliel now

Gamaliel is a little bit different right

for whatever reason Gamaliel is someone

who was a moderate and he was one that

did not try to fight against the Romans

he did not try to fight against the

Christians he was kind of a live and let

live kind of a guy a moderate and that

was a big part of the school one school

of thought with the Jews another school

of thought was those who were a lot more

zealous toward the Romans especially and

the Christians it was this is the law

this is how things have to be and we may

end up having to pick up swords against

the Christians

and swords against the Romans and we

need to make our liberation here just

like they did in Egypt right with the

Exodus we need a Moses figure we need a

Messiah not Jesus to them we need a

Messiah to lead us and maybe the

prophecies of Daniel and others are

telling us that about now this is what

they would have been thinking about now

there would be a political Messiah that

would free them from the shackles of the

Roman Empire but of course that's not

what happens the Messiah comes alright

but not the Messiah that they have in

mind so Paul was one of these that was

zealous against the Romans and against

the Christians against his mentor right

he went to the other school of thought

which would have likely been similar to

the thought of many of those that are in

his audience right now and then in verse

4 and I persecuted this way unto the

death binding and delivering into

prisons both men and women he says and I

persecuted this way so you might say

that is referenced to the zealousness

that he had and that school of thought

that he had but remember the way is also

an early name for the Christians and so

he's saying look I was one of you

fighting against the Christians and now

here I am a Christian and why the way

well a lot of reasons why this could be

but again think about the procession of

Jesus coming into Jerusalem I to me that

may be an anchor point for the reason

that they call Christianity the way or

this way he was on that path of that

procession he being the king the Messiah

Jehovah that would be coming into the

temple in the way it's just like John

used to preach prepare ye the way well

what is the way the way is the way of

the King right so it would be it's a

sci-fi novel too but it's the way of the

Kings

in other words it's the true

Messiah being Jehovah coming in from the

east into Jerusalem and going out up

into the temple just this happened on

Palm Sunday so he says here that he

persecuted this way unto the death

binding and delivering into prisons both

men and women so that's what he did

again a lot like Elma the younger would

have been same type of an attitude he

tried to destroy Christianity and then

he gives a retelling of what happened to

him on the road to Damascus and this is

the second time Luke brings this up

remember we've already talked about this

once what actually happened to Paul on

the road to Damascus now he now he's

recounting this and he's recounting

it and he'll recount it again in the

next episode we'll cover it yet again

but this is the same thing that happens

with Alma the younger Alma the younger

is we hear about what happens to him as

he is out persecuting the church and the

angel of the Lord comes and they

fall to the ground and then he stands up

and talks to him and he's out of it for

three days because he's so freaking

scared is what it is and then later on

he's speaking to his son in Alma 36 and

he gives a recounting of what happened

yet again and in their very very similar

types of things very similar experiences

there's something I really want to point

out here that's important he says and it

came to pass that as I made my journey

and was come nigh into Damascus about

noon

suddenly there shone from heaven a great

light round about me and I fell into the

ground and heard a voice saying unto me

Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and I

answered who art thou Lord and he said

unto me I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou

persecute us now I made a point before

where Saul was in the episode

where Saul had

the Lord hear about the Lord being

Jehovah in other words what we see often

times in the New Testament when we see

the term Lord what they are using that

word for is Jehovah so let's move back a

little bit we can move backward to find

out kind of this etymology or this DNA

going back to Jehovah when they wrote

the Septuagint which we went over an

episode or two ago they used the Greek

word kurios and kurios means Lord

there's another form of that word which

is Kitty and kiri is what is the word

that is used whenever you address

someone you know in a respectful manner

soror it's someone who's above you in

class so it could be saying for example

sir or mister even and so it's

interesting here what we see in verses 8

through 10 and bear with me in a minute

and I'm gonna get to the reason I'm

talking about this says and I again in 8

and I answered who art thou Lord and he

said unto me I am Jesus of Nazareth whom

thou persecutest again what we see here

I believe is Luke trying to bring

together what the Jews don't understand

and that is that Jesus is Jehovah it's

not that he's the Messiah that's part of

it again

completely different ideas between the

Jews and the Christians of what the

Messiah represents so Luke is bringing

this together and of course Paul is

bringing this together here saying that

Jesus is Jehovah and so when you read

throughout the New Testament oftentimes

you'll see the term Jesus is Lord what

they're actually saying there I think is

Jesus is Jehovah well that's of course

our doctrine we believe that Jesus or

Jehovah is the god of the Old Testament

and so when we're dealing with the term

God in most cases maybe not all maybe

not El Elyon which is the god most high

but where typically when we're referring

to God were referring to Jehovah who is

Jesus and so then in verse 10 he says

and I said what shall I do Lord and the

Lord said unto me arise and going to

Damascus and there it shall be told thee

of all things which are appointed for

thee to do now two times we see the word

Lord here first in verse 10 the first

time in verse attendances and I said

what shall I do Lord so this is kiri

this is where you use that term when you

are addressing someone of a higher class

it would still be Lord right it would be

Lord think of Old English times right

where you might in someone who has

property or is a higher class you in

your lower class person you might say

some say to someone Lord

similar type of a thing except that that

is the term that anciently was used here

in Greek for Jehovah as well so if you

were praying to God you would say use

the Greek kiri

when you're addressing him but when you

are referring to him as Lord as Adonai

which is what they used in Hebrew you

would use kurios and in the second

example here says and the Lord so he's

not addressing him and the Lord said

unto me it's kurios so again I'm just

trying to put a little something here

together a little puzzle here together

for you that says Luke is trying to give

you a specific narrative Paul is trying

to give you a specific narrative it

appears to me which is Jesus is Jehovah

he's not just the Messiah that you do

you're looking for he is he's God he is

your God so very big difference here and

then he gives the account of when he

probably

few years later he is in Jerusalem again

and he's in the temple and he has a

vision here in a trance and in this

vision he sees God again he sees the

Lord he sees Jesus Christ who tells him

again go out and teach the Gentiles that

is his mission and so he's defending

himself to a lot of these Jews that are

like look what are you doing you're

trying to bring people into the fold

that shouldn't be in the fold right none

of these people are circumcised you're

teaching them from our scriptures and

they're not Jews so he's defending

himself so then at this point that chief

captain is going to bring him into the

castle and is going to whip him and try

and get the truth out of him about him

causing this riot and then Paul brings

up the fact that he is a Roman citizen

and at first the captain is incredulous

but then he's afraid because he realizes

he has to follow certain rules and that

he could be in a lot of trouble if he

doesn't follow these rules with a Roman

citizen and so he loosens Paul from his

bans and commands him to present himself

before the high priests and the council

and then we go over to chapter 23 then

over in verse 23 we get a theme here

which is very interesting it's again

very similar to one of my favorite

stories and characters and I think is

hugely central to all of our scriptures

and that's a banner die Paul defends

himself by saying that he is a follower

of God just like he should be that he is

not doing anything wrong he's following

the law of Moses he is following the

teachings of the prophets and of the

Torah and the scriptures and he opens up

chapter 23 saying men and brethren I

have lived in all good conscience before

God until this day in other words hey

I'm clean I follow the rules that I'm

supposed to follow and the high priest

Ananias commands that he's going to be

smitten right and Paul says thou whited

wall in other words you hypocrite for

sittest thou to judge me after the law

and commands me to be smitten

contrary to the law so in other words

you're charging me with breaking the law

which I don't and yet you're going to

lay a consequence down here which is

contrary to the law but another thing

that is contrary to the law is speaking

ill of the high priest very similar to

saying do we sustain the Brethren right

so he doesn't know even that Ananias is

the high priest which is very odd not

that he doesn't know specifically but

what attire would Ananias be in I don't

know it seems like he should be in

something a certain type maybe not the

temple garb at this point but he doesn't

know that he's the high priest and that

would be common right because there

could be overturn of the different high

priests and there are numerous high

priests there are three major high

priests just like we have in the First

Presidency and he just didn't know he

hasn't been in Jerusalem but then at

this point Paul gets wise and he notices

that the audience here of Jews are

divided between Pharisees and Sadducees

and so he's going to bring up the topic

of resurrection because that is a bitter

issue between these two sets of Jews the

Sadducees not believing in resurrection

the Pharisees believing in resurrection

and so this is what he does I am a

Pharisee the son of a Pharisee of the

hope and resurrection of the Dead

I am called in question in other words

one of the things he's talking about is

the resurrection of Jesus Christ so he

by saying that he is Jehovah and God and

that he has resurrected he is taking

more of a stance over toward the

Pharisees who believe in the

resurrection and so he works that in

with the doctrine of resurrection to

align himself here with the Pharisees of

which he is one but completely against

the Sadducees and this is such a bitter

issue between these two groups that they

start forgetting about Paul himself

because they both want to defend their

doctrine in their positions here and it

says here in verse 9 and the scribes

or of the Pharisees part arose and

strove saying we find no evil in this

man again they're protecting their own

doctrine but if a spirit or an angel

hath spoken to him let us not fight

against God isn't that convenient for

them hey he says he spoke to someone

that someone told him what we believe

too so who are we to say makes a lot of

sense truth is a funny thing

isn't it and so there arises a great

dissension and the captain fearing lest

Paul should have been pulled in pieces

of them commanded the soldiers to go

down and take him by force from among

them and to bring him into the castle

and then we get another visit here from

the Lord in verse 11 and the night

following the Lord stood by him and said

be of good cheer Paul for as thou hast

testified of me in Jerusalem so must

thou bear witness also a trauma this is

this is Paul's coal this is what he

wants he wants to go to the heart of the

beast and he will and so then there is

conspiracy and oaths that are taken by

forty Jews that are gonna lay in waiting

to try and trap Paul and kill him but it

comes out his nephew and his sister help

him out and then the chief captain

decides okay this is just too dangerous

this is a Roman citizen and I have to

protect him or I'm going to be in

trouble so they get ready some beasts

and a traveling crew how many over 200

soldiers to bring him from Jerusalem to

Caesarea where he'll have more

protection there and that takes us to

chapter 24 and so in Caesarea the high

priest Ananias descends with the elders

and confronts Paul with a lawyer who is

a Roman this is tertullus who comes with

him now might be that he was required to

be there that in Caesarea they might

have required that there was a Roman

lawyer that would represent them I'm not

sure or it might have just been the plan

of the high priests to have a Roman

represent them in front of the Roman

governor Felix here and tertullus is

arguing for sedition and that he's from

he says the sect of the Nazarenes which

would be hey this is the Jews but this

is a certain sect that he's calling the

Nazarenes again I've said this before

I'm not really sure that Nazarenes is

the right translation for this group but

we'll go with it for now and so here's

the charge sedition and profanity in the

temple against Paul so Paul steps up to

defend himself and this is what he says

which is really interesting and very

important for us to understand about the

difference between the Christians of the

time the sect of the Nazarenes and the

Jews or the rest of the Jews or the

majority of the Jews at this time so

down in verse 10 it says then Paul after

that the governor had beckoned unto him

to speak answered for as much as I know

that thou has spent of many years a

judge unto this nation I do the more

cheerfully answer for myself so again he

has no representation where is everybody

where is James the just where is our are

the leaders of the church in Jerusalem

did they not come to see Surrey also

it's kind of odd so he begins to defend

himself here and he says in verse 12 and

they neither found me in the temple

disputing with any man he was just

teaching and preaching neither raising

up the people and either in the

synagogue's nor in the city so he's

saying look this is rubbish none of this

stuff is true that they're saying

against me then in 14 comes the Nugget

that we're looking for this is really

important he says but this I confess

unto thee that after the way which they

call heresy so worship I the God of my

father's so let's break this down a

little bit parse this out and see what

we're getting here I confess unto thee

that after the way which they call

heresy so they're talking about not just

that he profane it was it profaned the

temple but about the doctrines that he's

bringing up this is a it's a court of

doctrinal disputation here is really

what's happening that's what Luke is

showing us here

it is it is the difference between the

lower law that the Jews had continued to

accept and actually are not following

just like the priests of Noah and the

higher law with fulfillment of the

priesthood and of the true Messiah and

so he's saying look I do follow these

things that they say are heresy I

worship God in this manner in other

words I worship Jesus Christ as Jehovah

as the Son of God and that I worship Him

as the God of my father's well who are

their fathers the Jews that are there

it's the same father's of course and he

ties it together saying believing all

things which are written in the law

that's the Torah and in the prophets

that's the rest of the Tanakh so he's

saying look I'm not doing anything wrong

based on their law at all and everything

that I believe in that I worship that

they call heresy is all in the Tanakh

it's all in the Septuagint it's all in

the scriptures but they're not following

it in other words Jesus Christ is the

son of God and this doctrine that I

preached about the resurrection and

about the Son of God Jehovah coming down

and being born into mortality taking on

the sins of the world dying on the cross

and then being resurrected this is all

in the scriptures just like we're told

over and over again from Apollo's and

everybody else all of the prophets have

always taught this but all of the

prophets have been stoned or killed

maybe not all of them but a lot of them

this is what they do it is the knee

whore principle and it is a consequence

of the knee whore principle so we have

the same scriptures but we don't believe

the same thing about them you interpret

this as something completely different I

interpret this as it should be which is

the suffering servant Malachi Zechariah

all of the prophets Moses have

prophesied of Jesus Christ and have

prophesied of the suffering servant the

individual that will the judge that

Jehovah would come down and suffer for

us and that's all in the Old Testament

and so Felix decides to not do anything

to Paul at this time but he's gonna hold

him but gives him some Liberty here in

Caesarea and finally after a few days he

has Paul come unto Him and to his wife

who is a Jewess and Paul says to them

talks to them about his faith in Christ

and then again he reasons of the

righteousness temperance and judgment to

come and Felix trembled and answered go

thy way for this time when I have a

convenient season I will call for thee

and Paul is here for two years and Felix

even though he is afraid about this

judgment about what Paul is saying

about Christ he wants to please the Jews

also and so he leaves him bound and

that's where this episode ends and so

Paul fiercely defending himself is

fiercely defending the prophets of the

Old Testament and the message that they

had to offer which was Jesus is the

Christ or in other words Jehovah will

come down to earth and be born of a

woman and bear the sins of the world and

that's what we need to be looking

forward to his message is that the

Scriptures all testify

of Jesus Christ his message in this

Court is that Jesus took on the sins of

the world and his message is that he was

resurrected on the third day and

overcame all I'll talk to you next time