Caesarea - Obeying the Heavenly Vision

Caesarea was the ancient Roman provincial capital built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus Caesar. The amphitheatre has been restored to the point where opera has been performed here in recent times – the acoustics are excellent.

There is a hippodrome where chariot races used to be held. It was designed to be open on the side near the sea – to catch the sea breezes.

An inscription has been found there bearing the Latin name, PONTIVS PILATVS – Pontius Pilate, the governor when Jesus was crucified (read the V as a U). A copy of it is on display here – the original is in the Israel museum in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us of the coming of Jesus as a real person into the real world, now charted by the historian.

The ruins of what is thought to be Pilate’s house have been excavated. The Roman governors didn’t reside in Jerusalem. They sought more comfortable living conditions away from the pressures of Jewish religious and cultural observances.

Later governors, Felix and Festus, kept Paul in custody here. It is thought that Paul may well have given his defence before King Agrippa in the amphitheatre.

As a young man, Saul of Tarsus had come to Jerusalem to learn from the prominent Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel. He became very fervent in belief and practice and, when he encountered Christian teaching, opposed it by all possible means. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death, Saul was there approving that extreme action (Acts 7.58; 8.1). From that time, he was determined to root out this strange new belief (8.3).

Saul set off for Damascus with that express intention. On the way, however, he had an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ which changed the direction of his life. The arch-persecutor of Christians became Paul, the Christian missionary (9.1-22).

The Jews were greatly disturbed that their most promising advocate had turned to the other side. They tried to eliminate him there and then (v. 23). Later, in the course of his missionary journeys, local Jews stirred up opposition and riots again and again (as in 13.35; 14.2,4,19).

Following his third missionary journey, Paul was on his way to Jerusalem amid prophecies that imprisonment and death awaited him (20.23; 21.4,11,13). A mob was about to lynch him in the Temple when the Roman commander and his troops intervened (vv. 27-36). Because of a further plot on his life, Paul was brought to Caesarea under cover of darkness for safe custody (23.12-35).

The Roman authorities were in no haste to hear his case, hoping for a bribe (24.26). In frustration, Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to have his case heard before Caesar (25.10-12). This put the authorities in a difficult position because they had no real charge against him.

King Agrippa was a younger member of the Herod family who had been given a small kingdom to the north and north-east of Palestine. He changed the name of his capital, Caesarea-Philippi at the foot of Mount Hermon, to Neronias in honour of emperor Nero. Festus enlisted the help of the visiting King Agrippa to listen to Paul’s story and to try to establish the case he should answer before Caesar (vv. 26-27).

In the course of his defence, Paul described the course of events that had led to his conversion. He said, "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven" (26.19).

Do you see visions and dream dreams? Not everybody does. Some who claim to be visionaries simply become cranks and fanatics. Festus was inclined to think Paul was "out of his mind" (v. 24). But Paul had simply been confronted by the truth and was living out his life in response to the truth – he was living in obedience to the heavenly vision.

That is what is meant by "integrity", except that we set ourselves as the standard of truth – and try to be "true to ourselves." God is the standard of truth. We meet him in Jesus Christ who came to rescue us from our warped way of life. His truth forgives and changes us. Then he has promised to be with us as we "live it out" – not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, so often we head off in our own directions, proud to be autonomous and independent – you call it sin. We look after Number One and seek self-fulfilment and self-satisfaction – you warn it is the path to destruction. Just when we think we have you crossed out of our life – you offer forgiveness. Turn us around, Lord! Lead us beyond our professional excellence to the springs of true Love – flowing from your heart to those around us! Amen!

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