Daily Devotions
September 6th, 2011 by Pastor SolleyActs 26:22
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Here we find a man refusing truth, refusing Christ, because he thought Paul was “Mad” with learning. Paul was giving to Festus the simple truth of the gospel message. In reality what Festus charged Paul with he was guilty of himself. Festus was an educated man, he knew they philosophy of the day as well as the pagan rites and rituals. Much learning was true of Festus and it kept him from receiving Christ. We see this over and over again today. People are so consumed with learning that they miss the simple truth of Scripture, so filled with learning that they lift themselves above the Word of God, so filled with learning that they cut themselves off from truth. This started in the very beginning of the church age when men tried to find hidden meaning in everything. They looked so far beneath the written Word to find the hidden meanings that they missed the gold nuggets laying on the surface. What could be more simple than John 3:16? But you would be surprised to find all the different meanings that certain ones give to this verse. Why not just accept what Jesus said? That He died for all and all can be saved. Praise God for the simple truths of the Bible.