Passage of the Day - January 26, 2011

Acts 21:31-40

 ³¹While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

 ³²At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

 ³³Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.

 ³⁴But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

 ³⁵When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;

 ³⁶for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him!"

 ³⁷As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?

 ³⁸"Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"

 ³⁹But Paul said, "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

 ⁴⁰When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,

You know, the Christian Church can sound a lot like this.  Utter confusion.  We can’t agree on many issues such as baptism, communion, music, church government, paths to heaven, same-sex marriage, Bible translations, the roles of church vs. government, etc.  This utter confusion has allowed many lies and half-truths to be able to enter in.  Paul could have been a great blessing to the Jews, but due to the lies and confusion, he wasn’t allowed to be a blessing.  I wonder how many blessings we forsake due to our confusion and disunity.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)