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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