The Tenth Sermon in the Book of Acts
The tenth sermon in the book of Acts: Acts 25:10-Acts 26:22 (specifically Acts 26:2-29)
Setting: A hearing before Festus in Caesarea
Speaker: Paul
Audience: Festus, King Agrippa, Bernice, high-ranking military officers, and prominent city leaders.
Preceding Events: Paul, in an effort to avoid being assassinated in Jerusalem, appeals his case to Caesar (whom he likely assumes will grant him a fair trial).
Overall Theme: Paul shares the story of his life, always the devote follower of God, at first opposing those who follow Jesus and later becoming one of them, with the purpose of telling the Gentiles about Jesus.
Scripture Quoted: none directly, though some of Paul’s story and the words spoken by Jesus are recorded in Acts 9:3-18 and again in Acts 22:3-21.
Central Teaching: Paul hopes and prays that everyone will follow Jesus.
Subsequent Events: Since Paul appealed his case to Caesar, he cannot be set free and instead is sent to Rome.
Key Lesson: Paul’s zealous pursuit of God is worthy of emulation, but despite having done nothing wrong or illegal, Paul remains imprisoned for his faith.
This post is from the series “Sermons in the book of Acts.” Read about sermon #9 or sermon #11.
Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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