Godly Calling Versus Religion

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 22:30-23:11

 

Acts 23:1-2

 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

(ESV)

 

I once heard a pastor say from the pulpit that religion bored him.  While this might sound like a person pastoring a Church, bored with his job, the reason for the pastor making this statement was making a differentiation between religion and one having a personal relationship and calling from God.  In John 10:12, Jesus makes a comparison between a shepherd and a hired hand.  Unfortunately, religions have people viewed and promoted by media as highly religious, are in the pulpit for personal gain and fame.  For Paul, living for Christ was a calling and why he strove to live a Godly life, but the high priest and council serve as hired hands with a duty to preserve religious traditions, something threatened by the teaching of the Apostle Paul. 

 

The Tribune has now decided to bring Paul before the high priest and council to determine the real reason Paul is accused by his fellow Jews.  We cannot be sure of is if the Tribune was prepared to enter a religious debate between the differing beliefs of two sects of Judaism, the Pharisees, and Sadducees.  The main point of contention between these different religious sects is the belief in resurrection by the Pharisees and the Sadducees who believe there is no resurrection (Matthew 22:23). 

 

Jesus entered into this dispute in Matthew 22:23-33 where the Sadducees were attempting to trap Jesus by presenting a hypothetical situation of a woman dying childless and who she would be married to in the resurrection after marrying the seven brothers of her deceased husband (Matthew 22:24-28).  Jesus answers their question by reminding them that scripture says that after the resurrection people will not marry but instead be like angels (Mark 12:25; Matthew 22:30).  Jesus then reminds them that God told Moses He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all of which had died before Moses was born (Exodus 3:6; Matthew 22:32). 

 

For Paul, the religious confrontation over the resurrection differed because the Pharisees were part of the council (Acts 23:6).  Paul, as a Pharisee, states his hope and the resurrection of the dead as the reason he is on trial resulting in an argument over the topic of the resurrection between the Pharisees and Sadducees present in the council (Acts 22:7-9).  So contentious was the argument between these different religious sects that in the interest of Paul’s safety, the tribune once again had to take Paul to the barracks for safety (Acts 22:10).  Perhaps knowing Paul had discouragement over the religious dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees over the resurrection, He reminds Paul that just as he testified about Jesus in Jerusalem, he will do the same in Rome (Acts 22:11). 

 

When Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was performing his religious duty as a Pharisee with letters to the Synagogue and Damascus, allowing him to bring any believers in Jesus (the way) to Jerusalem for trial.  However, after encountering Jesus, Paul discovered his Godly purpose and calling from God.  Paul went to Damascus as a hired hand, working for the Jews in Jerusalem but discovered his Godly calling to shepherd the Gentiles into belief in Jesus as their savior. 

 

The pastor referred to at the beginning of this post said religion bored him because it meant one was like a hired hand who shows up at work to do a job of teaching from the Bible.  This pastor found this boring, so we are correct in viewing this as one bored by their job.  However, as a pastor begins to view his preaching from the pulpit as the calling of a shepherd working under the Great Shepherd, the boredom stops.  An ungodly world in Chaos needs more pastors serving as shepherds and fewer hired hand pastors.  May God challenge and bless those reading this post.