Week 46: An Outline for Effective Evangelism | Day 3

Tasks for this week:

  1. Watch all three parts of  An Outline for Effective Evangelism
  2. Complete daily Bible reading
  3. Memorize Acts 20:24 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Week 46: Day 3

Please watch the second part of An Outline for Effective Evangelism today.

Today’s F260 Bible reading: Acts 24-25

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought formal charges against Paul to the governor. 2When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time of peace through your rule, and reforms are being made in this nation through your foresight. 3Most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way with all gratitude. 4But so that I may not delay you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. 5For we have found this man to be a troublemaker, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we arrested him. 7 8When you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn from him about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” 9The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, claiming that these things were true. 10When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. 11As you can verify for yourself, not more than 12 days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12They did not find me arguing with anyone or stirring up a crowd in the temple courts or in the synagogues or throughout the city, 13nor can they prove to you the things they are accusing me of doing. 14But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. 15I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. 16This is the reason I do my best to always have a clear conscience toward God and toward people. 17After several years I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings, 18which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, without a crowd or a disturbance. 19But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who should be here before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me. 20Or these men here should tell what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the council, 21other than this one thing I shouted out while I stood before them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’” 22Then Felix, who understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, adjourned their hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” 23He ordered the centurion to guard Paul, but to let him have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from meeting his needs. 24Some days later, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” 26At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, and for this reason he sent for Paul as often as possible and talked with him. 27After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. 25:1 Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him. 3Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, they urged Festus to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. 4Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly. 5“So,” he said, “let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him.” 6After Festus had stayed not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. 7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they were not able to prove. 8Paul said in his defense, “I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there on these charges?” 10Paul replied, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11If then I am in the wrong and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, but if not one of their charges against me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!” 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14While they were staying there many days, Festus explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met his accusers face-to-face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. 17So after they came back here with me, I did not postpone the case, but the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought. 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. 19Rather they had several points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. 20Because I was at a loss how I could investigate these matters, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 21But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” 22Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, “you will hear him.” 23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, along with the senior military officers and the prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. 24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting loudly that he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, and when he appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this preliminary hearing I may have something to write. 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him.” (NET Bible)

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),
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