Paul is in Jerusalem at the temple when a group of Jews from the province Asia stir up a mob against him. To quell this uproar in the temple courts, the Roman commander and his troops arrest Paul and prevent the mob from killing him. Paul addresses the crowd and shares his story of being “zealous”(22:3) and a “persecutor of followers of the Way”(22:4) until he is blinded by the Light. The crowd is indignant and they yell out, "Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”(22:22) The Roman Commander is not sure why the Jews are so upset at Paul, and so he orders the chief priests and Sanhedrin to assemble. This is the beginning of several trials for the Apostle Paul. Paul will appear before the Sanhedrin (23:1-10), before the governor Felix (24:1-27), before Festus (25:1-12), and before King Agrippa (26:1-31). In the process of his trials, Paul appeals to have his case heard by Caesar (25:11), and eventually his request is granted. In this lengthy trial section of Acts, the Apostle Paul is a witness of Jesus the Messiah and an ambassador in chains. He will give testimony of Jesus and share his story. During these trials Paul is made to stand alone, but he is never alone. Jesus appears to Paul and says, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (23:11) As Paul gave witness to Jesus in the tough circumstances of accusation, hardship, and confinement in Jerusalem, he could do so because he knew Jesus stood next to him. In the same way, when we go through trials (both literal and metaphorical) we need to ‘take courage’. Jesus is with us until the end of the age.