Acts 24

Devotional:
“But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. (Acts 24:14)

At Paul’s hearing before Governor Felix, the corrupt Ananias came with a spokesman named Tertullus. His presence indicates that Ananias had much contempt for Paul, as he went to great lengths to defeat him and “The Way.” Tertullus would refer to Paul as a “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,” which was derogatory in nature. In this way, the early church could be considered a group with no religious foundation. Paul would not deny his affiliation to Jesus the Nazarene and staunchly defended that this sect they referred to worshipped the same God and followed the same laws as the Jews did. We, too, are followers of Jesus the Nazarene and believe that the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments, reveal the redemptive revelation of Christ. Do we study the Old Testament with as much fervor as we do the New Testament?

Pray it:
Father, I thank you for the truth of your Word found in both the Old and New Testaments and how it instructs me on what to believe and how to live. Help me not to forget the foundation of our faith laid in the Old Testament and to see how all your Word points me to Jesus. Amen.

Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?