Archive for month: September, 2024

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 25:13-27.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 25:13-27 (NIV)
13  A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
14  Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.
15  When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

On verses 13-27:  King Agrippa II was a Jewish ruler who came from a long line of kings (including his great grandfather King Herod the Great and his father Herod Agrippa I).  Under Roman supervision, King Agrippa ruled over various territories in the region.  Here we see King Agrippa accompanied by Bernice, who was King Agrippa’s sister and with whom King Agrippa was rumoured to be carrying on an incestuous relationship.  King Agrippa appears here in a visit to Caesarea most likely because he wished to build diplomatic ties with the newly appointed Governor Festus.  Festus had to give Caesar a report on Paul’s case before sending Paul to Caesar. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 25:1-12.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 25:1-9 (NIV)
1  Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2  where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
3  They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4  Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

On verses 1 to 9:  Originally governor Festus rejected the request of Paul’s opponents to have Paul moved to Jerusalem for the trial (verses 4-5).  So why in verse 9 is Festus now giving into their request and trying to convince Paul to move to Jerusalem?  It’s because of what happened in verse 6: “After spending eight or ten days with them”.  In other words, Festus spent over a week hanging out with Paul’s opponents.  As a result, Festus became like putty in their hands and was ready to give them what they wanted.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 24:17-27.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 24:17-21 (NIV)
17  “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
18  I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
19  But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.
20  Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin–
21  unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'”
 
On verses 17-21:  Paul continues his defense at his trial before governor Felix in Caesarea.  Paul notes that he did not do anything unlawful or illegal, unless believing in the resurrection of the dead is a crime (v21).  When it came to any possible charges that Paul’s critics would try to lay on Paul, Paul was blameless.