Suffering and Deliverance (Part 41) – Paul (Part A)

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1.      Paul from his enemies’ numerous attempts to kill Him

1. When Paul was given his commission from Christ, he was told that he would suffer great things for Christ’s name’s sake (Act 9:15-16).
2. Paul endured persecutions and afflictions at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, (2Ti 3:11), as well as many other places.
   1. Persecution n. 1. a. The action of persecuting or pursuing with enmity and malignity; esp. the infliction of death, torture, or penalties for adherence to a religious belief or an opinion as such, with a view to the repression or extirpation of it; the fact of being persecuted; an instance of this.
   2. Affliction n. – 1. The action of inflicting grievous pain or trouble. The state of being afflicted; sore pain of body or trouble of mind; misery, distress.
3. The Jews try to kill Paul in Damascus.
   1. Soon after Paul was converted on the road to Damascus and baptized, he began to preach (Act 9:17-20).
   2. Paul increased in strength and confounded the Jews, proving that Jesus was the Christ (Act 9:21-22).
   3. The Jews’ solution to the problem of Paul and his superior argumentation was to try to kill him (Act 9:23).
      1. When wicked men can’t answer your arguments, they will try to spread lies about you to malign your character (Act 6:10-14).
      2. When that doesn’t work they will kill you if they can get away with it (Act 7:54-60).
   4. Paul learned of their lying in wait to kill him and avoided them as they watched the city gates day and night (Act 9:24).
   5. The governor of Damascus kept the city with a garrison of soldiers in an attempt to apprehend Paul (2Co 11:32).
   6. Garrison n. – 4. a. A body or troop of persons (obs.). A body of soldiers stationed in a fortress or other place for purposes of defence, etc.
   7. Paul escaped the city by night by being let down through a window by the wall in a basket (Act 9:25; 2Co 11:33).
      1. There is a time to flee (Mat 10:23; Jos 2:15; 1Sa 19:12).
      2. It’s prudent to flee or act at night under the cover of darkness (Act 17:10; Jdg 6:27).
   8. Paul was delivered from death by God.
4. The Grecians try to kill Paul in Jerusalem.
   1. After escaping an assassination attempt at Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem and tried to join the church there (Act 9:26).
      1. They were afraid of him and didn’t believe he was a disciple because of his reputation as a persecutor.
      2. They were being prudent and not believing every man who claimed to be a follower of God (1Jo 4:1).
   2. Barnabas vouched for Paul’s conversion (Act 9:27).
   3. He was then accepted by the brethren in Jerusalem (Act 9:28).
   4. He preached boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed with the Grecians (Act 9:29a).
   5. Just like the Jews in Antioch, they tried to kill him because they couldn’t contend with his arguments (Act 9:29b).
   6. When the brethren found out about the assassination plan of the Grecians, they brought Paul to Caesarea and then sent him to Tarsus (Act 9:30).
   7. Paul had spent three years in Damascus before having to flee for his life, but it appears that he only spent 15 days in Jerusalem before having to flee for his life there (Gal 1:17-18).
   8. Once Paul was gone, the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had rest and peace for a while (Act 9:31).
   9. Sometimes in fleeing to another place God will give His saints a reprieve.
      1. Persecutions and trials will last “for a season” (1Pe 1:6).
      2. If we are faithful and resist the devil (Jam 4:7 c/w 1Pe 5:8-9), he will depart from us “for a season” (Luk 4:13).