I can think of no greater defender of the Gospel message than the apostle Paul. Prior to his radical conversion on the road to Damascus, Saul (as he was originally named) was on the forefront of the attack on Christ followers. He was a Pharisee of the worst kind; both self-righteous and cruel. As we know from later accounts however, Paul was forever changed by his encounter with the real Jesus. And from that point forward, his life would never be the same again.
Paul was no stranger to suffering and difficulty. Often times he would find himself in chains or in prison, all to the glory of God. On multiple occasions, he ended up defending Gospel truth by way of debate or exegesis. In chapter 25 of the book of Acts, Paul even finds himself before a Roman procurator, attempting to defend himself against charges brought from the local Jewish ruling party.
Acts 25:10-11 says, "Paul answered: 'I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!'"
In this peculiar moment, the apostle Paul throws himself at the mercy of the court. He knows that being a Roman citizen grants him certain rights and privileges, so he decides to use that fact to acquire a meeting with Caesar himself. A bold move for someone in chains, with half of the nation against him. But Paul is nothing if not bold.
As it happened, Paul would first need to appear before King Agrippa prior to sailing to Rome and meeting Caesar. This was something that the procurator Festus had promised Agrippa. Let the reader here understand also, that Agrippa was more or less a "client king." This means that the government installed him as a leader and king, but only in so much as he kept the peace. The moment Agrippa lost favor with his Roman big brother, I suspect he would no longer be in charge. This created a certain amount of tension during that time and in that area, as this lifestyle promotes a certain level of struggle in order to feel important and stay in charge. Please the people, but not too much so that there is a revolt or an uprising. In other words, he is not a true authority.
This begs the question for us today: to whom can we appeal as a true authority for our own lives? Who can you and I go to in order to be certain we are treated fairly and with care one-hundred percent of the time? If there is a God up there, then is it true to say that He is the only god (or the one true god)?
Keep in mind that for many people in our country today, the God of the Bible isn't their go-to authority. In truth, many don't hold the words of the Bible in any authority whatsoever, and I believe the symptoms of this are everywhere. Scripture says that as time goes on - especially in these end times - people will become more unruly, and the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).
During times like this, I believe it truly behooves us to seek out someone or something that we can rely on as a singular truth in all circumstances. Something in our lives that we can count on to help guide our ship into calmer waters when the storms are raging.
Let's look for a moment at the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20. It says, "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Most will look at this passage and take from it the idea that followers of Christ are to go out into the world, and baptize people to make disciples. This is absolutely correct, by the way. But focus for a moment on the first sentance - it says 'all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.' This is quite a statement. If we are to believe this (and I think we surely can, or Jesus wouldn't have said it), then it sets up the son of God as the one true authority over all things.
This means that not only does God command the Earth and the Universe around it, but that He has a calling on our lives as well. We are not completely "free agents." There are certain moral duties and obligations that we are called to live by. Now you will note, that if someone or something calls us to behave a certain way, it also follows that it should be a two-way street I think. Not necessarily that this being must also follow our desires, but rather that we can put our trust in this individual. This is our reciprocation. God is our superior ... our authority figure. The one we can call on in times of difficulty, as well as times of great flourishing.
One more question remains, however. Do we really believe this? Can we throw ourselves on the mercy of the court like Paul when he called out to Caesar? Will we allow God to be our superior? It's an important question I think. The outcome of our answer will either act to relieve us from the burden of thinking that we can't trust anyone, or it will enable us to relax and lean into a loving God.
I invite you to lean in. Take the leap of faith, and read through the Gospels again. Take away from the Great Commission not only the concept that we must evangelize, but also the idea that we are helping convert people based on a real authority. Not a power that comes from you and I, but from the throne of Zion and the prince of peace Himself. God is no mere client king.
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