Appeal

GROW: APPEAL • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Easton’s Bible Dictionary Appeal

APPEAL—a reference of any case from an inferior to a superior court. Moses established in the wilderness a series of judicatories such that appeals could be made from a lower to a higher (Ex. 18:13–26.)

Under the Roman law the most remarkable case of appeal is that of Paul from the tribunal of Festus at Caesarea to that of the emperor at Rome (Acts 25:11, 12, 21, 25). Paul availed himself of the privilege of a Roman citizen in this matter.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts I. Paul’s Commission from Christ (26:16–18)

Paul’s Gentile ministry is specifically delineated in verse 18. In outline form it might appear as follows:

1. A Ministry of Spiritual Illumination: to open their eyes.

2. A Ministry of Spiritual Conversion: that they may turn from darkness to light.

3. A Ministry of Spiritual Deliverance: from the power of Satan unto God.

4. A Ministry of Spiritual Remission: that they may receive remission of sins.

5. A Ministry of Spiritual Inheritance: that they may receive … an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.

Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

APPEAL DFINED:

to invoke

to call upon for one's self, in one's behalf

any one as a helper

as my witness

as my judge

to appeal unto

to call upon by pronouncing the name of Jehovah

an expression finding its explanation in the fact that prayers addressed to God ordinarily began with an invocation of the divine name

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus fulfilled every legal issue separating us from God doesn’t mean we are automatically saved. We must legally apprehend, for ourselves, what Jesus legally provided for us. 1 John 1:9 displays this fact. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God is faithful and just. Faithful speaks of His covenant keeping nature. He will be true to the covenant He made with us through the blood and body of Jesus. A covenant is a legal entity. This Scripture also says God is just. This means He administers justice into place.

Henderson, Robert. Operating in the Courts of Heaven (pp. 50-51). Robert Henderson Ministries. Kindle Edition.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/entertainment/americas-got-talent-archie-williams-wrongful-conviction-trnd/index.html