Heralds Digest

“For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes...And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭24:5, 9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/act.24.5,9.nkjv In our wicked world of deceit and power struggle, the enemies of peace are often the loudest propaganda of the gospel of peace. They are much skillful to invade the privacy of any system with their peace and prosperity offerings, wrapped with a time-bomb of disagreement, dissociation and disaster. For the team comprising the high priest and elders from Jerusalem, who came to Caesarea in order to accuse Paul before Governor Felix, politics or praise of peace was leveraged to invade the system with plague. And as long as the rhetoric of peace is attractive in any home, work and societal system, the enemy of peace will continue to thrive with plague offering, after the injection of chaotic and panic mod...

“He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands,” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭24:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/act.24.6-7.nkjv A sincere protection of the temple against profanity is commendable, even as Jesus also defended the sanctity of the sanctuary with zeal. The temple of God is reserved for holy activities, including the offering of prayer, praise and worship unto the Lord. However, the accusation against Paul was not sincere. Actually, Paul was violently prevented from completing the mandatory purification, seized and planned to kill him contrary to the law. Now, they are here accusing commander Lysias, who prevented the possible destruction of lives and properties from the instigated uproar, of violent intervention. Obviously, an insincere defender of an external temple, institution and a religious culture leaves the real temple of God vulnerable to d...