In last week’s passage Paul was arrested and he gave his defense to the Jewish people. In today’s passage is the crowd’s reaction to Paul’s defense. The crowds “raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!’… They were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air.” (22, 23) The Roman commander wanted to know why the crowds were shouting so much at Paul so he ordered Paul to be whipped and then questioned. When they started to whip him, Paul, almost like he was bragging, says that he is a Roman citizen. However, he wasn’t bragging, and he was not using his Roman citizenship as a “ticket” to Rome. He was saying this so that he would have a longer chance to evangelize. By saying this, he was protecting his life so that the Gospel of God could be shared. For Paul “to live is Christ and to die was to gain. ” (Phil. 1:21) He wanted Christ’s name to be praised through him whether he lived or died. Today let’s look at 3 aspects of “To live is Christ.” (Phil. 1:21)
I. Don’t forget the calling that God has given you. (vs. 22, 23)
First let’s look at how the crowds got angry. From verse 1 and on as Paul’s testimony was given, the crowds were calm. First Paul says that before he became a Christian, he was too a very enthusiastic person toward the law. Secondly he says that that zealousness was wrong. The goal of the law was to believe in Jesus Christ, but he persecuted Jesus Christ. His enthusiasm missed the mark. Therefore, his third point was to repent, believe in Christ, and make Christ your backbone.
Paul talked considerately as not to get the crowds emotionally upset and in an uproar. However, the Jews threw off their cloaks, flung dust into the air and, shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” (22) Why did they become so furious?
Of course, they probably as they listened to Paul talk, anger built up in their hearts. In most cases anger works that way. At first it doesn’t matter what is said, you are able to have a calm attitude. However, when it hits the limits, you are unable to keep still. Then it explodes. Even so there is usually something that triggers the explosion. In this case, what was the trigger?
The trigger was Paul’s words recorded in verse 21. The reason these words pierced their hearts was because they thought of themselves as “the chosen people of God”. Since they were the chosen people, they thought God would always be with them. Consequently, they thought they were better than any other nation or peoples. They thought that only they were saved. For a Gentile to be saved, first he had to become a Jew. The real problem was that they had forgotten the purpose for which they were chosen.
Deut. 7:6-8
In this passage we are told that they were chosen by God to be a holy people, the “treasured possession” of God. (Deut. 7:6) They were a special people to God. They were chosen not because there were a lot of Jews or because they were strong. They were chosen because the Lord loved them and because God was keeping the oath which He had made with their ancestors. Concretely said, it was the promises that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3
The Jewish ancestry began with Abraham. God chose Abraham and told him to leave his home and go to the place that God would show him. If he did so, then God would make him into a huge people and bless him and all peoples on the earth would be blessed by him. Therefore, Abraham left the land that he was born in and went to God’s Promised Land, Canaan. That was not only so that he would be blessed, but so that all peoples on the earth would be blessed. In other words, Abraham was chosen that he might be a base for the blessing of all peoples. Even so, the Jews forgot the purpose for which they were chosen. They thought only about themselves being blessed. They completely forgot that they were chosen to be a witness to the real living God in the entire world. Therefore, when they heard Paul say that God told him to go because God was sending him to the Gentiles, the Jews were furious because they couldn’t conceive of the idea that the chosen Jews would be set aside and that Gentiles would be saved. For them, that was unthinkable!
Here, we can see basis of the sin of prejudice. When a person is afraid about his position, then he always lowers the other person, and tries to protect himself. Prejudice comes from such mental thinking. The wrong Jewish consciousness of being “the chosen people” is the outcome of nothing else than self-protecting sinners. They didn’t want their special privileges to be invaded on by other peoples and nations.
We need to have the vision that all the people on the earth will be blessed by us. If you have some special ability or skill, you need to think that through you all the peoples of the earth will be blessed and use those abilities for all the peoples in the world. We need to have vision to see that all peoples are in one family and not focus on our own group.
We can say the same of us Christians who hare chosen. We have been chosen so that through us, all peoples will be saved. We have been chosen to be a base for salvation.
I Peter 2:9
We have been chosen to be “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,” so that we can share the greatness of God who called us “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (I Peter 2:9) If we loose sight of this purpose, and are just content with being chosen, then we are abiding in self-protecting sin and selfishly are protecting ourselves. Therefore, it is important to remember why we were chosen to be Christians and reconfirm our calling.
These Jews who had forgotten such fact, tried to kill the awakened Paul. The same is true today. When we try to live above group consciousness or racial consciousness and live by God’s calling, we always meet large obstacles. However, God’s will is “I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (22:21) and “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3) Therefore, we need to give up our wrong consciousness that we are the chosen people and remember that we exist so that all peoples on the earth will be saved and live.
II. To live is Christ (vs. 24-28)
Secondly, let’s look at Paul who claims he is a Roman citizen. The Roman commander saw the crowds attack on Paul and immediately ordered that Paul “be taken into the barracks.” (24) The Roman commander knew the Paul was the cause of the problem, but he couldn’t understand what he had done to cause such a disturbance. Therefore, he commanded that Paul be whipped and questioned. This was not really questioning, but while being whipped he would be forced to confess. The whip was a merciless instrument of torture. It was a whip of leather thongs with pieces of bone or metal attached to the ends. When the person was whipped, the bones and metal would tear the skin so that the internal organs would fall out.
When Paul was ordered to be whipped, Paul said to a centurion that was standing near, “Is it legal to fog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” (25) Paul claimed that he was a Roman citizen. It was legal to use a whip to force a confession from a slave or alien, but never from a Roman citizen. It was illegal to whip a Roman citizen unless he had a proper trial. It was a huge crime to do so. However, if Paul was willing to die, why did he claim his rights?
Paul claimed his rights so he could live to fulfill his call from God. When he was in Ephesus, the Holy Spirit told him something. That was that he was to go through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem and from there he “must visit Rome also.” (19:21) That was his call from God. To fulfill that call, he went to Jerusalem, and witnessed fervently to the Jews in hope that they would be saved. There is nothing left for him to do there. All that is left is Rome. He needs to go to Rome and share the Gospel there. To do that he has to live a little longer. This is not for his own safety. It is so the he witness to the Gospel. For Paul both living and dying is so that Christ will be worshipped.
Philippians 1:20,21
Paul wanted at all times and cases not to be shameful, but always boldly witness to Christ. To live was Christ. For Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21) May we too at all times and in all cases not be shameful, but always boldly witness to Christ.
III. Never fear at all times (vs. 29)
When Paul claimed that he was a Roman citizen, “Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen in chains.” (29) Now the situation has completely reversed itself. Instead those who were going to question Paul are now afraid. This is because all situations are in the hand of God.
Even in the deserts of life, in dangerous situations, God’s hand is there in the midst of the desert. In no matter what situation we are in, God is there so there is no need to fear.
Matt. 10:28-31
Even one sparrow does not fall to the ground without God’s permission. We are only a small thing, but our Father in heaven remembers us. There is nothing we need to fear. The only thing we need to fear is the one and only God who can throw our soul and body into Hell.
Isaiah 12:2
If we put on glasses of fear and look at situations then everything causes worries and anxiety. However, if we believe in our Savior, live relying on the Word of God, then everything will change to thanksgiving and praise. What is necessary is to not look at the situations and our environment, but to keep our eyes on God. We need to put on such glasses of faith. What kind of glasses are you wearing when you look at your present situation?
Let’s not draw back from all situations, but deal with them. Even with struggles and dangers before us, let’s believe that the Lord is with us. Confess our fears to God. God is our hiding place and our fort. He is who we should depend upon. “To live is Christ.” (Phil. 1:21) and let’s at all times and in all cases not be shameful, but always boldly witness to Christ. Let’s seek to have Christ worshipped. That’s because for us too “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)