Strange! Paul is in no hurry to get away from the mob that only seconds before was beating him to death.
Bruised and no doubt bleeding, Paul has only one thing on his mind. Convincing these people to become students of Jesus!
Even in pain, Paul has a one-track mind! He asks the commander of the soldiers who rescued him for permission to speak to the crowd.
This is an incredible example of dedication to the Teacher who said – Go and make students in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Paul reminds them of his former life as a persecutor of Christians. How he participated in the stoning of Stephen and of his efforts to kill other followers of Jesus!
Then he tells them how Jesus appeared to him and he became a student of Jesus. Commissioned to take the Good News to the Gentile nations!
He tells how Ananias taught him the necessity of being baptized into Christ - And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.
He defends his mission efforts among the nations - Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'
The crowd listened quietly to Paul until he mentioned the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan. At this, they began again to call for his death and the soldiers carried him away.
Did Paul believe his testimony would change their minds? That they also would become students of Jesus? He must have hoped so.
In any case, he was doing what the Jesus asked of him. He was being a good student of the Teacher! And like Jesus, he loved them.
Saying someone has a one-track mind usually isn’t a compliment. But if it is a mind set on pleasing the Teacher it is high praise indeed!
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