And I [S/Paul] answered, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said unto me, "I am/AM Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." (Acts 22:8)
And I [S/Paul] said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." (Acts 26:15)
Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus was the last person declared in the scriptures to have seen the Lord Jesus. (I Corinthians 15:1-8) Here, the Lord Jesus instructed Paul to continue on his journey into the city and to remain there awaiting further instructions. As we read, Paul remained there in prayer for three days.
A disciple instructed by the Lord Jesus went to the place that Paul was, saying to Paul - "The Lord JESUS who appeared to you hath sent me to instruct you." So arise Paul and be baptized in water, and in so doing, wash away all your sin whilst calling upon the Name of the Lord Jesus ... and be filled with the promised gift of JESUS breath -- His holy Spirit.
For those who may not know, this man Saul (soon to be renamed Paul) was chosen of the Lord Jesus to be His apostle to the Gentiles. We see this specifically in the example in Mars Hill, wherein Paul, upon entering noticed an abundance of monumental statues bearing various inscriptions. In reference to one in particular, Paul said,
"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" -- whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you." (Acts 17:12)
Well that inscription became the text for Paul’s next message to the people within that city! Paul opened his message by saying that this unknown God to whom you in ignorance worship - it is this “unknown" God that I am going to tell you of. So, who was this unknown God that Paul spoke about? Yes, as we know from the scriptures, Paul immediately preached to the people about the God who was none other than the Lord JESUS!
The I AM, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
In another place, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28) But I digress.
Nevertheless, this is the true gospel message that we need to reflect upon today. The good news gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that was spoken of from the very beginning. And to preach to our children and to their children and to all those that are afar off this same message of redemption.
This earth was walked upon by a man who spoke a different language than that which was the norm of earth’s inhabitants. Further, this man went about doing good things - healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, opening blind eyes and deaf ears. Indeed, He made the crippled to walk again, cast out demonic spirits, and raised the dead. He even fed the multitudes when food appeared scarce. As well, this man spoke to the raging wind and sea, calming the storm all about. All good things so that we could understand how much God loved us.
Is it any wonder that the powers that existed at the time wanted this man dead? This man would have caused a complete collapse of man’s seated institutions and systems - the whole political, judicial, religious, medical system would become as bandages. In fact, this man so revolutionised man's historical records that regardless of which nation we are born into, society is dated and governed with BC (before Christ) and AD (after Christ's death).
Yes, Paul preached JESUS to the people. Why? Because JESUS is the unknown God that Paul wanted everyone to know about. No man could ever do the aforementioned wonders except God was with Him and in HIM. Thus the message is simple - "RETURN to Me," saith the Lord, "for I have REDEEMED YOU!"
As Paul asked (before his conversion) -- "WHO ARE THOU LORD?"
The answer -- I AM JESUS! And this answer has not changed over time. His Name is still JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins ... Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23)
Praise His precious holy Name this day. Stand in the offering plate.
From Acts 17:1-34 -- for your edification and learning:
"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, "What will this babbler say?" other some, "he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection."
And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bring certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean." (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing).
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" - whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us ...
... for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring." Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all [men], in that He hath raised Him from the dead."
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