Acts 23:17

Thursday, 4 January 2024

Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” Acts 23:17

The words more literally read, “And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, ‘Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.’”

In the previous verse, it noted that Paul’s nephew heard of the planned ambush, and so he went to the barracks and told Paul. With that remembered, it next says, “And Paul, having called one of the centurions.”

The centurion was probably the head man on duty at the time. He would then have reported to the commander (chiliarchos, thus a chiliarch,) who would have been over ten centurions and in charge of the entire force at the fort. Having called the centurion, he then said, “Take this young man to the commander.”

The word translated as “young man” doesn’t tell us much concerning his age, but what will happen later will show that he is probably a very young person. The word in Greek simply means a youth or a young man. At times, it is even used for a man of forty years of age. Having said that, Paul continues, saying, “for he has something to report to him.”

Because of his status as a Roman citizen by birth, the request would not be out of line. The centurion certainly would not want to impede the matter, especially after what previously happened when Paul was illegally bound. Further, the petition for the commander to hear the matter meant that it was above his own pay grade to properly handle.

It should be noted that Paul has already been promised by the Lord that he would be safeguarded and that he would see Rome, but this doesn’t exclude him from acting in order to make that happen. There is nothing contradictory in the two concepts. Rather his efforts will complement the promise already made.

Life application: Quite often, people expect their lives to be without troubles simply because they have accepted Jesus. It is as if the purpose of their faith is for them to be served by God. When something difficult, taxing, or even terrible happens, the first question off of their lips is, “Why is God doing this to me?”

For example, the person has a car, needing it to get to work each day. If the car breaks down, the “Why is God...?” question pops out. Is it God’s responsibility to ensure the car runs forever? Should we expect Him to spend His time changing the oil, greasing the joints, and keeping it filled with gas? If not, then at what point does His responsibility start?

The same person, on the same day, has the home air conditioner fail. Again, the almost accusing question pops forth, “Why is He treating me this way?” How many times was the a/c turned on and a “Thank You for this wonderful a/c!” uttered? If not, then it demonstrates that it was something under that person’s control.

Cars break down, air conditioners fail, and bills must be paid. We cannot expect God to live our lives for us. Rather, we should take the actions necessary to have our lives operate properly. And even if we are responsible for hot water heaters, isn’t it right from time to time to thank the Lord for the hot water we have? Many people in the world have never taken a hot shower.

We should be grateful for every blessing we possess, and yet, we should be responsible enough to care for those things that are under our control without blaming God or questioning His goodness when things stop working as they should.

The more we have this perspective, the less we will be frustrated by the world which casts out frustration at every rising of the sun. Be grateful! Be filled with thanks! And be content, even in times of trouble! Live a life that is tuned into the goodness of God, even as you walk through the troubled valleys of life.

Lord God, how thankful we are for every good and kind blessing of this life. Ultimately, all good things come down from Your open hand of grace. Help us to be appreciative of what we have, responsible for caring for those things, and accepting of the times when they fail or are taken away from us. Above all, thank You, O God, for the giving of Jesus Christ our Lord. Hallelujah and amen.