Day 34: Acts 22

Even though Romans were the ones holding Paul, he recognized that the crowd was full of Jews. So, he spoke to them in their native Hebrew, despite Greek being the official language. When they heard Paul speak in the language of their ancestors, they became more quiet and started to listen. Paul recounted his testimony of how he had been just like them at one time and how God changed him.
People communicate in many languages as well as in different ways. The more we can pick up on how people perceive the world and communicate “in their language” the easier it will be for them to understand us. Paul trusted that if he spoke in Hebrew some of the Hebrews in the crowd would understand that he was one of them and not a crazy heretic.
In spite of this, when Paul mentioned God sending him to the gentiles, some of them were so enraged that they were calling for Paul to be killed!
But when the Romans began to stretch him out to be flogged. Paul asked a surprising question. “Is it lawful to flog an un-condemned Roman?” The obvious answer is no. Roman citizens had special rights in the empire. Roman law had rules. You had to have a trial and condemn a Roman citizen before you could punish them. The commander admitted that he had paid a lot of money to become a citizen, but Paul said to the surprise of everyone listening that he was born a citizen.
So, the commander released Paul of his chains and ordered that the chief rulers among the Jews be brought in, and he also had Paul there. The commander was going to get to the bottom of why they were accusing Paul. Like a pre-hearing before a trial.
Even though Paul was close to being killed many times, God preserved him through the danger as He was obedient to trust God and look for His way out.

Today, let us trust God even when it seems like there is no way out.