Passage of the Day - February 8, 2011

Acts 23:23-35

 ²³And he called to him two of the centurions and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen."

 ²⁴They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

 ²⁵And he wrote a letter having this form:

 ²⁶"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

 ²⁷"When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

 ²⁸"And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council;

 ²⁹and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.

 ³⁰"When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you."

 ³¹So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

 ³²But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

 ³³When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

 ³⁴When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,

 ³⁵he said, "I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also," giving orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.

Paul was born a Roman citizen.  This fact provided him with extra protections and advantages.  These include getting a fair hearing and being protected from angry mobs.  If he wasn’t born a Roman citizen, he would have been allowed to be killed.  Not only is God paving our path, he has given most of us a great starting point.  Most people reading this live in freedom and prosperity.  We have been given so much for a purpose.  What is that purpose?  We will never know unless we walk with Christ down the path God is paving for us.

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/)