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Listened Up To This Word - Acts 22
Listened Up To This Word - Acts 22
Paul stood on the steps leading onto the temple area and addressed the Jewish people. They had falsely accused him of bringing a gentile, Trophimus, into the temple area. The Roman army rescued him and now he speaks to the angry mob. When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they grew quiet and listened to him.
He recounts his personal history and the events of his conversion to being a follower of Jesus. They didn't freak out as he spoke of seeing Jesus, being baptized in the name of Jesus, or the death of Stephen. He then stated that Jesus had said to him: "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (vs. 21).
Luke records that "up to this word they listened to him". That word was 'gentiles'. At the mere mention of gentiles and God, they lose control of themselves. They raise their voices and begin yelling. They agitate and demand that Paul should die for THIS. They throw off their cloaks and begin throwing dust in the air. One wonders what the Roman soldiers thought of this scene!
There are for most people certain 'words' that set us off. They are our 'sacred cows'. They are off limits to even talk about. They are not negotiable. We will not even consider that such thoughts are wrong. We, like these in Acts 22, will listen to someone – up to this word.
The sad part is that if such a concept is WRONG, then the holder of it will never be able to accept truth. Things are not true just because we have believed them and held to them for a long time. They are not true just because our parents and grandparents held them.
While we are never encouraged to believe everything we hear, we are challenged to examine even those things that at first hearing we disagree with. The Bereans were commended because they "examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Paul wrote that we are "test everything; hold fast what is good" (1Thess. 5:21). That means listening past our 'buzz words'.
Concerning the acceptance of the gentiles, Peter stated: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35 KJ). This truth began with the promise to Abraham that ALL NATIONS would be blessed in his seed (Jesus). Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach to every nation and to the whole creation (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 16:15). Paul wrote that the gospel "was the power of God to save all who believe, to the Jew first and also unto the Gentile" (Rom. 1:16). He stated that "in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek…" (Gal. 3:26-28).
I am sure there are people who read 'up to this word'. To some, 'this word' may have been the word 'Greek'. To many in our day, the word would have been 'baptized'. What word causes you to quit listening?
Hugh DeLong
