Today I read Acts 21 which recounts the story of Paul going back to Jerusalem. All the brethren were trying to get Paul to not go to Jerusalem because they feared what the people would do to him. A man even prophesied by the Spirit that Paul would be bound if he went up to Jerusalem. All the people begged him not to go but Paul just tells them that he is not only ready to be bound but to die for his testimony of Jesus Christ if necessary. His conscience was clean before God and man.
Not withstanding Paul's bravado and trust in the Lord, he accepts the counsel of the Quorum of the Twelve in having 4 men stay with him to try and counter the accusations against him that he is telling the Jews to go against Moses. I am actually pretty surprised Paul agrees to this idea considering that these so called accusations were all true. He was teaching the Jews that there was no more need to circumcise their children. He was teaching them that there was no more cause to follow the law of Moses. All of these things were completely true, because under the higher law, they were not necessary. So since all these accusations were true I'm really surprised Paul agreed to this subterfuge, but he probably looked at it as following the counsel of his priesthood leaders.
But sadly it does not work. When Paul goes to the temple, he is recognized and taken by a mob of Jews and beaten, so savagely that he cannot walk unaided. His life is spared by the guards who when they hear the uproar of the mob go down to see what is going on and promptly arrest Paul assuming that he is the cause of the riot. Paul begs the leader of the guards who rescued him to let him address the people and the guard agrees to let him talk to them, which is the next chapter.
Paul never ceases to amaze me. I know he trusts in the Lord, but honestly his trust almost comes across as fanaticism. I guess he really just does understand that it doesn't matter what happens to him in this life because this life is temporary and it is the next life that actually is what lasts for all time. He understands and he does not fear man at all, that is obvious. When he is faced with bodily harm or potential death, he just accepts it and walks right into the hands of the Jews if it means he can preach and do as he feels he needs to do as he has been commanded to do by the Spirit. He has been stoned, beaten, imprisoned and who knows what else at this point and he still is just plugging away and doing what he feels is the right course of action for him to pursue. You have to admire him and his dedication really, I mean it is impressive to me. It definitely gives me something to strive for that is for sure.
Now some might confuse Paul's confidence with arrogance but I don't think Paul is arrogant. I think he just has a perfect understanding of the plan of salvation and understands that his duty is to preach the word of God and do His will and act as the Savior would act were He still upon the earth. Anything more than that is superfluous and just a distraction. Luke in his recording of Paul's life in typical Jewish fashion, omits anything and everything about Paul's personal life, whether he was married or had children or anything about his life outside of the ministry so all we really know about Paul is he was a disciple of Christ and eventually an Apostle testifying of the resurrection of Jesus. He is an inspiration to all of us and give us something to emulate in his zeal for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how a disciple should behave. Perhaps his greatest lesson is that he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and that is something we should all strive to be able to say. Until tomorrow.
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