Acts chapter 24 is where we're going to be today if you want to take your Bibles and go to Acts

Chapter 24 and I'm going to be mindful of the time because at the close of my teaching we are also

going to share communion together. But for the moment, Acts chapter 24 is where we're going to be.

While you're turning there just in summary of where we have been. We looked last week at chapter 23,

where the apostle Paul was arrested in Jerusalem because an angry mob was trying to kill him.

So he was actually arrested for his protection. Why was an angry mob wanting to kill him? Because Paul as a Jew

was preaching the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, which sounded like heresy

to the ears of the Jews who did not believe that Jesus was and is the Messiah. They believed

that righteousness came by obeying the letter of

the law. And here comes Paul saying, no, it is not by obedience to the law that we are made right

with God. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we are made right with God. Jesus died on a cross.

As our Savior, he paid the price for our sins.

But for Jews who did not believe that Jesus was and is the son of God, they saw Paul as a traitor.

They saw his message as heretical, and so they were trying to kill him. So a Roman commander

actually rescued Paul from the angry mob because at this particular time,

Israel was under the Roman Empire.

And so there were stationed there different Roman garrisons.

And this one Roman commander of this garrison saw that Paul was about ready to be shredded

by the mob and he intervenes

and protects Paul and he throws him in prison until this matter can be resolved.

Paul then testifies before the Jewish ruling council, tries to explain himself, shares

his testimony of faith in Jesus. That doesn't go well. We talked about that last week.

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