JESUS HAD PAUL IMPRISONED:
WHY SUCH AN EXTREME ACTION?

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JESUS HAD PAUL IMPRISONED:

WHY SUCH AN EXTREME ACTION?

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ Give me a few minutes and I will try to explain this to you, as best I can.

As a short review of the background for Paul’s prison-situation, we find the first clue in​​ Acts 23: 10, 11, NASB,​​ - the scenario was Paul being attacked by a temple mob in Jerusalem, 58 CE, and he had just come from an interrogation in the Sanhedrin counsel,

“And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.​​ 

 

11​​ But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said,​​ "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause * at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also."​​ 

 

(My emphasize)

 

Paul was chosen by Jesus to be sent as a​​ religious diplomat​​ to the same kind of counsel, the Sanhedrin, that which was seated in Rome.

Jesus explicitly told Paul, ….as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.

What a message to have delivered in the middle of the night, Paul hardly had slept at all that night…having been almost torn apart by the furious fanatical Jewish mob, who falsely accused him of having brought an unclean ‘dog’ to the temple, a Gentile (the Greek man Trophimus). But Paul had committed no such sacrilege. He knew the rules in Jewry’s strict temple laws​​ – that Gentiles were forbidden entry.

Jesus found it important to send Paul to Rome –​​ for the sake of Israel’s welfare, if the nation possibly could avoid destruction if the Jews at Rome received Jesus and repented all of them. Paul was NOT sent to pay visit to his addressees of his epistle, the Romans. He was sent to the Pharisees and Sadducees in the synagogues there. Those who had not yet taken any public standing in regard to Jesus as the Messiah.

In​​ Acts 28:25-28​​ we learn that the diplomatic mission to perhaps save the nation from going down, failed miserably. Paul thus told them straight forward, verse 28,

"Therefore​​ let it be​​ known​​ to you that​​ this​​ salvation​​ of​​ God​​ has been​​ sent​​ to the​​ Gentiles; they will​​ also​​ listen."

 

PAUL’S EARLIER RELATION TO THE EPHESIANS

 

Paul left Ephesus in 57 CE, as we learn from​​ Acts​​ 20:17-37.​​ He bade them a grievous and tear wet goodbye. He left them as an apostle who​​ they all loved and cherished​​ and had held in the highest regard. That is for sure.

Paul declared that he was cleared of having any blood on his hands from among them. He had served them entirely unselfishly and in an impeccable manner all things considered.

If we go back to chapter 19, we​​ find that Paul had ministered with​​ an apostles signs: Healing miracles, casting out of demons, healing and delivering innumerous sick and afflicted citizens; causing much havoc because of the​​ evil minded silver smiths​​ who accused him of having stolen their ‘market’ since so many Ephesians received Christ!

Acts 19:11-20,​​ NASB, - bear with me for the substantial quotations, for this is important,

“11​​ God​​ was​​ performing​​ extraordinary miracles​​ by the​​ hands​​ of​​ Paul,​​ 

 

12​​ so​​ that​​ handkerchiefs​​ or​​ aprons​​ were​​ even​​ carried​​ from his​​ body​​ to the​​ sick, and the​​ diseases​​ left​​ them and the​​ evil​​ spirits​​ went​​ out.​​ 

 

13​​ But​​ also​​ some​​ of the​​ Jewish​​ exorcists, who​​ went​​ from​​ place​​ to​​ place,​​ attempted​​ to​​ name​​ over​​ those​​ who​​ had​​ the​​ evil​​ spirits​​ the​​ name​​ of the​​ Lord​​ Jesus,​​ saying, "I​​ adjure​​ you by​​ Jesus​​ whom​​ Paul​​ preaches."​​ 

 

14Seven​​ sons​​ of​​ one​​ Sceva, a​​ Jewish​​ chief​​ priest, were​​ doing​​ this.​​ 

 

15​​ And the​​ evil​​ spirit​​ answered​​ and​​ said​​ to them, "I​​ recognize​​ Jesus, and I​​ know​​ about​​ Paul, but​​ who​​ are you?"​​ 

 

16​​ And the​​ man, in​​ whom​​ was the​​ evil​​ spirit,​​ leaped​​ on them and​​ subdued​​ all​​ of them and​​ overpowered​​ them,​​ so​​ that they​​ fled​​ out of that​​ house​​ naked​​ and​​ wounded.​​ 

 

17​​ This​​ became​​ known​​ to​​ all,​​ both​​ Jews​​ and​​ Greeks, who​​ lived​​ in​​ Ephesus; and​​ fear​​ fell​​ upon them​​ all​​ and the​​ name​​ of the​​ Lord​​ Jesus​​ was being​​ magnified.​​ 

 

18​​ Many​​ also​​ of​​ those​​ who had​​ believed​​ kept​​ coming,​​ confessing​​ and​​ disclosing​​ their​​ practices.​​ 

 

19​​ And​​ many​​ of​​ those​​ who​​ practiced​​ magic​​ brought​​ their​​ books​​ together​​ and began​​ burning​​ them in the​​ sight​​ of​​ everyone; and they​​ counted​​ up the​​ price​​ of them and​​ found​​ it​​ fifty​​ *​​ thousand​​ pieces​​ of​​ silver.​​ 

 

20​​ So​​ the​​ word​​ of the​​ Lord​​ was​​ growing​​ mightily​​ and​​ prevailing.”​​ 

 

In verse ​​ 38 we learn that the riot due to the anger of the silver smiths, living from making images of the​​ goddess ‘Artemis” (Diana), was​​ calmed down so Paul was spared of an eventual lynching! Thanks to the wise town clerk, who made it clear to them that they risked severe punishments if they attacked Paul,

"So​​ then,​​ if​​ Demetrius​​ and the​​ craftsmen​​ who are with him​​ have​​ a​​ complaint​​ against​​ any​​ man, the​​ courts​​ are in​​ session​​ and​​ proconsuls​​ are available; let them​​ bring​​ charges​​ against​​ one​​ another.”

In short: We find in this passage of apostolic history, Acts 19, noted by Luke, that Paul at Ephesus had actually ‘lived out’ a full ministry mirrored in for example Mark 16:16-18, NASB,

 

“16​​ He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.​​ 

 

17​​ These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;​​ 

 

18​​ they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover *."​​ 

​​ 

Mark 16 is entirely evident in Paul’s ministry at Ephesus. They heard and they saw innumerous signs, wonders and miracles as Paul preached the Kingdom of God on earth to them.

Only 6 years later​​ than his farewell to them at Miletus, he wrote them an epistle from the jail cell in Rome. The epistle to the Ephesians – the very ‘Arch-type’ document for our faith doctrine and Grace Salvation – and thus also revealing the NEW teaching: The ‘One New Man’ – the body of Christ. Salvation by faith alone.​​ The law of Moses abolished, Jew and Gentiles made into one body by faith in Christ, no wall-of-partition as it had been in the entire time of Acts.

There is no chance that the Ephesian believers would have forgotten the extreme​​ presence of God​​ seen in the immense miracles and healings performed​​ by Paul in 57 CE! Not a chance!

 

EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS HAVE NOT

A SINGLE CLUE RELATING TO

MARK 16 WITH ITS SIGNS AND WONDERS!

 

Reading Ephesians and Colossians is a whole new and very different world than Mark 16!

Thus we readily understand why: Paul had left that kind of ministry, for good. No more signs, wonders, healings, tongues, casting out of demons, water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, confession of sins, Holy Communion, works to prove ones faith in Christ, etc.

It was all gone, and it still is like that, 2024 CE!!

And when the Ephesians were reading his epistle to them – 6 years after he took farewell at Miletus,​​ -​​ they had in mind how it all went when he ministered among them 54-57 CE. Actually I find it true to say that Paul’s ministry at Ephesus with all what happened there – signs and wonders – was an all-time-high to Paul as a preacher to the Jews of the Kingdom of God on earth, at the return of Jesus from heaven.​​ He knew nothing of the Mystery he explained to them in Eph. 3:1-9, concerning a new stewardship, the​​ household of the Grace of God.

And so Jesus also knew what would be the right action regarding Paul. The Lord had to make sure that Paul would not be put in a squeeze between his first visit there when he worked signs and wonders, and the new ‘visit’ to them after Israel had fallen from God and all miracle gifts were suspended.​​ 

If Paul had come there as a free visitor, undoubtedly the believers would acquire of him to heal their sick and cast out demons of eventually possessed people. And this would really put Paul between a tree-trunk and a hard place.​​ 

Jesus spared him of this embarrassment, and had him put in jail. He thus understood it all: Jesus had made him​​ His prisoner​​ for the good sake of reaching to the Gentiles with this NEW Gospel revelation, the free Grace of God in Christ by faith, and no longer any following signs.​​ And no doubt, the Ephesians understood this matter. The new Gospel revelation coming from Paul went right into their hearts and minds, and they couldn’t have been happier! They understood NOT to seek for ‘signs and wonders and healings’. Unlike our time, with all the Pentecostals and Charismatics everywhere. Our present time is filled with heretics craving for Mark 16 and signs and wonders; instead of praising God for​​ Ephesians 2:17-22,​​ NASB, saying,

“17​​ AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;​​ 

 

18​​ for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.​​ 

 

19​​ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,​​ 

 

20​​ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,​​ 

 

21​​ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,​​ 

 

22​​ in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”​​ 

 ​​​​ 

Paul’s jail situation was a​​ security measure​​ seen from the Lord’s point of view. Jesus knew for sure how to avoid too much strain for His faithful suffering apostle.​​ He protected Paul, using the Roman police.

Notice as Paul tells of Jesus having come and preached to those far away and to those who was near – there is NO MENTION OF JESUS WORKING MIRACLES. The main issue is: He PREACHED.​​ Paul avoiding to touch in on all things regarding his previous visit, and not pointing to signs etcetera. He pointed to the Church’ ‘Dwelling of God in the Spirit’. ​​ This has become a favorite passage to all preachers, regardless of denomination. They return to this passage again and again it seems. And I can only say Amen to that!

Paul managed to have the Ephesians and the Colossians focused NOT on Mark 16 and signs, but on the ‘One New Man’ – the Church, sat already in heaven in Christ and given ALL spiritual blessings in Christ, and we are also hidden with Christ in God, Col. 3:3.

Notice:​​ When I used the ‘Mark 16’ –stamping, it is not in literal meaning; Mark and the three other Gospels were not written yet, as Paul told the Ephesians/Colossians of his new Gospel revelation. But I chose to use it since all Christianity knows what I mean by that!

So consequently we cannot find anything close to Mark 16 and signs, or Acts 5 with the extreme powerful healing action through​​ Peter at Jerusalem – making ALL THE SICK GETTING HEALED. Paul knew that this was over. It is now an entirely new and different dispensation; it is the dispensation the Grace of God by faith in Christ, and no works. Eph. 2:8, 9. Law of Moses ABOLISHED, for crying out loud.

Well, I end this little article here and hope it will encourage you in trusting the Lord Jesus Christ…He Who really had all of us Gentiles in mind, as well as His own people of old.

 

 

Gracepano.com

 

 

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