Acts 24:1 (KJV) Set Up

Acts 24:1 (KJV)
And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

I’ve been “set up” before. 

Many years ago, our church sponsored a missionary with the Baptist Bible Fellowship.  He had pastored in our state and, when the church he pastored grew to just one or two elderly ladies meeting in a building the city was going to condemn for needed repairs, the little congregation left had decided to sell their property and use the money to help this pastor reach the mission field. There was another pastor in the state who had some hesitation’s, but he had no legal or biblical authority in this church. When I explained the situation, he told me he understood and was fine with this guy proceeding with the sale of the property and using it for missions work. 

On a certain day, I was asked to appear before a group of pastors of the Baptist Bible Fellowship and present this missionary. It required that I travel to Springfield, MO, my first and last trip there. When I arrived, I discovered that the pastor who had hesitations was also there and he had changed his mind. He planned to appear before this group of pastors and object to the approval of the missionary. Further, he had brought another, well known, pastor to support his objection. The other Pastor` was not from our state and had no personal knowledge of the circumstances. He was just a friend of the one opposing and who offered his support of the opposition on that basis. I could have also had a well-known pastor supporting my position if I had known I was going to be opposed. I did not. 

I was “set up.”

Acts 24 feels like a “set up” to me. Paul had been snuck out of Jerusalem under threat of his life. The Jews, upset that an angry mob had not just done away with Paul, sent a contingent to Caesarea and included in the contingent a famous and gifted speaker. Once he was done with this oratory the Bible says Paul was permitted[1]to speak for himself. 

He did an admirable job and God intervened. The governor refused to let the Jews have him and Paul, though not freed, was protected. His ministry carried on for many more years. Some would say he did his most important work after this. 

Those who “set me up” did not succeed either. I had a few unanticipated hurdles to jump but the missionary was approved and served on the field until his wife’s passing. 

God is bigger than those who try to set us up to fail.

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[1]Forced, really.

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Acts 24:1 (KJV) Set Up

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