Originally posted 11-23-2009. Reposted 11-24-2010
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In Acts 21 we find Paul making his way with a group to Jerusalem. They make several stops along the way and something curious happened when they stopped in Caesarea. Paul and his companions were meeting with the Christians there in Caesarea when a prophet approached Paul with a message. The prophet said that Paul would be arrested and ruined if he were to continue his journey on to Jerusalem. The Christians there were stricken with panic and grief and they begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Then the writer of Acts reports Paul’s response:
But Paul wouldn’t budge: “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backwards. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”
~Acts 21:13 (Message)
Paul’s response here is a little mysterious. Because of his faith in Christ’s mission and calling he was willing to run into the den of lions waiting for him in Jerusalem. There were other occasions as well where Paul was willing to be beaten and/or arrested for his beliefs. Yet there were plenty of times when trouble erupted around Paul and we see him sneaking off under the cover of darkness to escape arrest, torture or death. How did Paul know when to run from danger and when to run towards it?
As best as I can tell the answer to this mystery is in Paul’s final words in Acts 21:13, “…what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?” I believe, for Paul, running toward danger or running away from it was a matter of obedience. He was so in tune with the Holy Spirit that he had a “sense” regarding what God wanted him to do. If the Holy Spirit was leading him to run away, Paul ran away. If the Spirit was leading him to stand firm, he stood firm.
This begs the question then: How is it that Paul was so in tune with God’s Spirit? That is no mystery. Paul was a man of prayer. He was a man of integrity. He was a man who studied God’s Word. He was a man who had been with Jesus. When we are people of prayer, integrity, God’s Word, and we spend time with Jesus, we will then be in tune with God’s Spirit.
Let’s all get in tune and stay in tune! Nothing sounds worse than a life being lived out of tune.
Incredible brother. I totally agree with you. When we are in tune with God’s Spirit (through the means that you mention) we are free to obey what he asks whether it seems logical to those listening to the worlds wisdom or not.
Wow. I’m slow. It just hit me that I never responded to your comment Jeremy! Sorry about that.
Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for the comment!