"....But they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive." (Acts 25:19, NASB)
This is "Bible in the raw." Festus, a Roman official in Israel, was attempting to make some sense out of the Jews' accusations against Paul, "about their own superstition (margin) and a dead man." Notice, however, "the power of the Gospel," of Jesus, "whom Paul asserted to be alive." Let us consider for a few moments what has happened to such clarity, such foundational Truth throughout the centuries.
"Post modern," and, "Post Christian" can tend to get overworked in these days. But the "reality check" of the current global scene is that the number of people claiming their religion as Christianity is steadily decreasing, church attendance decreasing, financial giving decreasing. I know, repetition-- sorry.
I am scheduled to preach in our local congregational meeting on May 5. I am seriously considering as a text Isaiah 8:11-14a. One verse describes what has happened in Christendom over the centuries, "Do not think like everyone else does." Okay, so saying that this is the number one reason for the perversion, as well as the decreasing numbers, in Christendom throughout the centuries may be a little over the top; but it certainly has to be in the top ten.
All throughout Israel's history, the followers of the One True God, "The Eternal One," revealed in Jesus Christ, had to continually battle with those, "inside the camp," who believed the proverbial, "grass is greener on the other side of the fence," e.g., "No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like the nations...." Furthermore, and especially since the so-called Enlightenment era, most of Christendom has flirted with and, indeed, converted to the same humanism. After all, science and "book larnin" is far more respectable than believing all that Genesis 1-10 myth. Well, as the saying goes, "The rest is history."
Today's text is a classic example of a "secular humanist" attempting to "make sense" of, "the Faith of Jesus," aka, Christianity. He observed the religionists babbling on about how this Paul was a continual threat to their religion, and some very strange claim, probably to him as well as the rest of the political leadership in attendance that day, that a, "dead man named Jesus," was now, "alive." Everyone in that room that day had a life and death choice.
Just as Festus, you and I have a daily challenge and, yes, daily choice. We are surrounded, literally surrounded by children of the "Enlightenment." Are we going to choose "Enlightenment" humanism, or the, "Words of God," as our life style?!?
Father, in Jesus' Name, I choose You. Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
