Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (NTA)

Acts 24:10-21

¹⁰ And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. ¹¹ You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, ¹² and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. ¹⁴ But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. ¹⁶ So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. ¹⁷ Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. ¹⁸ While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— ¹⁹ they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, ²¹ other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ ”

Everything should be proven by witnesses. They should stand to give their charges before the governor. But they will come with lies, and tell of up risings and stirring people against the empire. Paul reminds the governor that he has the hope in the resurrection and was only in the temple like any other Jew.

Paul once said that he knew only Christ and him crucified among the Corinthians. He now speaks of the resurrection. It is with respect to the resurrection that the people hate him. It is true that even though their are people there that believe in the resurrection, they do not believe in Christ's resurrection. Paul will not separate the two, because our resurrection is connected and a part of the same resurrection, which is what St Paul writes to the Corinthians.

Often times we pick which part of our faith we desire to emphasize. We will chose to think of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, sainthood, justification, sanctification, holy living, election, grace or acceptance as various places of emphasis. This can lead to problems in the way we communicate the full work of Jesus Christ in all these areas.

There is a time for everything under Heaven, but in order to know that proper thing at the proper time, one must listen. You need to listen to the people you are talking with. You need to listen to what they emphasize in their communication, so you can provide the proper response, and point them to the cross of Christ. Because it is there where we find salvation, and all of these emphesi come together.

It is a good idea to slow down and listen, as St Paul shows us in this text.