Passage of the Day - February 14, 2011

Acts 24:10-21

¹⁰When the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,

 ¹¹since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

 ¹²"Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot.

 ¹³"Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me.

 ¹⁴"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;

 ¹⁵having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

 ¹⁶"In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.

 ¹⁷"Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings;

 ¹⁸in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar But there were some Jews from Asia--

 ¹⁹who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me.

 ²⁰"Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council,

 ²¹other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'"

Verse 16 is so important.  Very convicting.  Do we have a blameless conscience?  If we were falsely accused, could we respond to all charges without tripping all over ourselves due to some accusations actually being true?  Do we give people reasons to attack Christianity or hold a grudge against it?  Have we taken the extra effort to be blameless according to the codes of others?  Paul was able to dodge all of these land mines.  It didn't get him out of trouble with Man, but he was able to blameless before God and never damaged the cause of Christ.

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/)