Monday, September 21, 2015

The Bible in Poetry: The Acts of the Apostles 4


Extracted from the Bible In Poetry

From Genesis to Revelation

The Acts of the Apostles 4

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Forbidden to go to Jerusalem Paul made his way to Caesarea,
There he would meet Agabus, a prophet that came from Judea;
He had taken Paul’s girdle; with it binding his own feet and hands,
Prophesied the Jews at Jerusalem will bind and deliver this man.

Paul asked them why they wept and tried to break his heart,
He was willing to be bound for Christ and from this world depart;
He would not be persuaded so they had to stop their begging,
Taking up their carriages, they made their way to Jerusalem.

During this sojourn in Jerusalem the matter of the law rose again,
Paul was accused of teaching persons keeping the law to refrain;
Furthermore they had argued that he had polluted the holy place
By bringing Gentiles in to the temple; that was a serious disgrace.

As they went about to kill Paul tidings was brought to the captain,
Leaving off that matter they attended to the matter at Jerusalem;
After, the chief captain commanded to bind the apostle with chains
Then he questioned Paul on the matter for which he was blamed.

Permitted to address the brethren Paul was able to present at last
His defense concerning the Gospel and the life he lived in the past;
He told them he was a Jew and was born in the village of Tarsus,
Sitting at the feet of Gamaliel and concerning God he was zealous.

He told them of his encounter while pursuing plans for Damascus,
And of his subsequent conversion when he had met the Lord Jesus;
He spoke of the voice he had heard and of seeing a very bright light,
Of how he had become blind and later how he regained his sight.
  
Well, they heeded not his word neither could they with him atone,
But God spoke to him in a vision; he must also witness at Rome;
Informed about a plan concerning a desperate plot to killed Paul,
He was moved away from them and kept in Herod's judgment hall.
Before the Roman Governor Paul would also present his case,
He remained true to his convictions; overall it seemed a waste;
Felix appearing convinced had dismissed him for some reason,
Requesting Paul to depart; “Come back at a convenient season.”

Detained in Caesarea Paul presented his case before Festus,
Festus could find nothing wrong save Paul’s allegiance to Jesus;
Agrippa agreed to hear Paul, scheduled it for the following day,
Paul was persistent with his story why he turned the Jesus way.

He told Agrippa of Jesus’ suffering and his rising from the dead,
That he was a light to lighten the Gentiles; that he had also said;
He had told them to turn to God and do works fit for repentance
But they caught him in the temple intending to kill him that instance.

It was just about this time that Festus accused Paul of madness,
He had felt that Paul’s much learning had left his head in a mess;
King Agrippa had appeared then to have caught a bit of the vision,
When he said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to be a Christian.”

“I would to God,” Paul had said, “not only you but all of you were.”
So King Agrippa and his colleagues turned aside and did confer;
They would find nothing in Paul that was worthy of death or bonds,
All of the accusations levelled at him were set on faulty grounds.

Paul might have been set free but he had appealed to Caesar,
Now the message of the Gospel would be spread a lot further;
Here was the opportunity for Paul to share the love of Jesus,
Boarding a ship for Italy they would sail via Sidon and Cyprus.


Stewart Russell © 2013

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