Written by Eric Miller
When I read this passage for the first time, I was immediately amazed at Paul’s perseverance and steadfast commitment to God in the face of adversity – adversity unlike anything most of us will ever encounter! Paul finds himself in prison numerous times throughout his life for sharing the gospel. In Acts 23, Paul is on trial before the Jewish high council because of his profession of Jesus Christ and his mission to bring the gospel to the gentiles in his testimony. The Jews are so outraged at his “blasphemy” that 40 people devote themselves to his murder. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have 40 people so determined to kill me that they would fast and lay in waiting in ambush until the deed was done. Yet Paul, even with 40 people plotting to kill him, doesn’t even flinch from his commitment to the mission God has given him.
I often ask myself, how did Paul do it? How could he keep preaching the gospel when his life was in danger? I think this chapter provides us with a key insight into how Paul was so steadfast in his commitment to the mission of God. In verse 6, Paul takes advantage of an opportunity to deflect the opposition he was getting from the Pharisees. In verse 11, God tells Paul he will take him to Rome, and then in Verses 23 to 35, we see how God orchestrates his move from Jerusalem to Caesarea. This move would eventually lead him to his ministry in Rome.
We see in these key moments that God opens doors for Paul to follow the plan and mission He has called him to. What sets Paul apart, in my view, is his awareness of these open doors and his willingness to walk through them. Paul is so in tune with the Holy Spirit that he simply walks where God leads him. I think this was a huge reason for his success in his ministry, and why he remained confident in the midst of adversity.
God opens doors for all of us every day. It may be an opportunity to trust Him, to follow Him in obedience, or to step in faith to a new place He is leading us. If God opened doors for Paul even when he was in prison and being hunted down by angry Jews, He will open doors for us no matter what situation or circumstances we find ourselves in. The challenge for us is to look for these open doors, and then to walk through them with the confidence that God’s master plan for us is a good one that will have significant impact in our world. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and guided Paul to bring thousands to Christ invites us to participate in God’s mission.
