ACTS LESSON 46
We will continue in Acts 21:17 "And when we were come to
Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly." Acts 21:18 "And the [day]
following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were
present."
This verse 17 above, shows the love that all of the early church
had for each other. We, also, see the great position that James (the
half brother of Jesus) had in the church at Jerusalem. If there ever
was a doubt that James is the head of that church, this Scripture
settles it. Paul shows great respect to James here.
Acts 21:19 "And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly
what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry."
Saluted means greeted them with respect. This was as if he were
reporting to James and the elders, the accomplishments the Lord had
made through him in all the churches he had established.
Acts 21:20 "And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and
said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there
are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:"
We see, here, a group of people claiming to believe that Jesus is
Messiah, but they undoubtedly did not accept his crucifixion as being
total payment for all sins for everyone. If they are still keeping
the law of Moses and still sacrificing, then they did not understand
Jesus was the perfect Lamb sacrifice of God. They are hanging on to
Judaism with one hand and claiming to be Christians on the other hand.
They cannot have both. Those zealous of the law are under the law and
not grace, because that is where they have placed their trust. This
problem could be due to not enough extensive teaching of the Truth.
Acts 21:21 "And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all
the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that
they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after
the customs."
We see that they are accusing Paul of teaching not to circumcise
the men and not to keep the law of Moses. This truly is what he has
been teaching and what he should have been teaching. The circumcision
of a believer is in his heart. The Mosaic laws and customs are not for
believers, either. For the believer, God has written His law on their
heart. These two schools of thought prevailed then and now, as well.
There was the group who believed in grace and there was the group
looking to the law. They are like oil and water, they don't mix. These
Jewish converts to Christianity are not willing to give up their old
customs. They are angry with Paul for telling the truth. In Matthew
5:17, we see that the law was not done away with, but fulfilled by
Jesus.
Acts 21:22 "What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come
together: for they will hear that thou art come." Acts 21:23 "Do
therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow
on them;"
Paul's message from the beginning had been salvation through the
free gift of Jesus Christ, not of works. Now all these (Christians?)
have decided you must circumcise and live up to the law. Had Paul
taken a stand right here, and said we are not under the law, he
possibly could have made a case in favor of grace, but as you see in
the next few verses, he conforms somewhat to the law himself. We can
read about the Nazarite vow in Numbers chapter 6. Christians fast,
Jews take a Nazarite vow.
Acts 21:24 "Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at
charges with them, that they may shave [their] heads: and all may know
that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are
nothing; but [that] thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the
law."
Since they are forming the conduct of the church for centuries to
come, it is very important what kind of stand they take here. I truly
believe the question is {is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
sufficient to take care of the obligations of the church}, or should
we all go back to the practice of sacrifices? I believe this would
have been the moment for Paul to make a declaration on what is correct
to do. We were not there, so we could not say this for sure (only
speculate).
Acts 21:25 "As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have
written [and] concluded that they observe no such thing, save only
that they keep themselves from [things] offered to idols, and from
blood, and from strangled, and from fornication."
The obligations to be a Christian should be the same for all
mankind. If Gentile believers are required to refrain from things
offered to idols, from blood, from strangled, and from fornication,
then that should be the requirements for the Jewish believers, as
well. The church in Jerusalem and Peter had sent a letter to all the
new Gentile churches that these few things were the only requirement.
It appears to me, that they still have the wall of partition up
between Jew and Gentile, even though the curtain in the temple was
torn from the top to the bottom when Jesus was crucified. God had
torn down the wall, and now these Jews are putting it back up: all
the while proclaiming to be followers of Christ who tore it down.
Acts 21:26 "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying
himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the
accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering
should be offered for every one of them."
Paul knows that he has been made pure by the blood of Jesus
Christ. This has to be just a show for these Jews to be accepted of
them. We Christians, when we receive Christ, put on his righteousness
and we are pure.
Acts 21:27 "And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews
which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all
the people, and laid hands on him,"
The temple in Jerusalem was a symbol of the law. Religion is
whatever you do habitually. These Jews had never truly understood the
meaning of the law. They were just repetitiously carrying out these
rituals. This is not a religion of the heart or spirit, but a religion
of flesh and custom. They looked on the outward man, while God was
interested in the inner man. These Jews of Asia had been a problem all
along. They really wanted to kill Paul, but God had kept them from it.
Now they have followed Paul to Jerusalem and stirred up the people.
Acts 21:28 "Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that
teacheth all [men] every where against the people, and the law, and
this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath
polluted this holy place." Acts 21:29 "(For they had seen before with
him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul
had brought into the temple.)"
You can easily see, from these verses above, why it would be an
impossibility to mix Christianity and Judaism. Christianity teaches
that God is the Father of all who will accept Him, Judaism teaches God
is Father of just a very small select group. Jesus taught that we are
not to be a respecter of persons, Judaism taught that the Jew alone
was worthy to come into the temple. Judaism taught keeping of the law,
Christianity teaches love and grace. Jesus had rightly called them
stiff-necked and whited walls. Everything these Jews were associated
with in the temple had to do with cleaning up the outside of man.
Jesus Christ taught the cleaning up of the heart of man by washing in
the blood of the Lamb. There was no way these two could be meshed
together into a compatible religion.
Notes
Acts 46 Questions
1. How were Paul and his companions received by the leaders in
Jerusalem?
2. Which leader did Paul go to see in Jerusalem?
3. What is meant by Paul saluting them?
4. What good news did Paul bring them?
5. How many Jews did they say believed?
6. What was peculiar about their belief?
7. In verse 21, what did they reprimand Paul for teaching the Jews?
8. How many men were involved in a Nazarite vow?
9. In verse 24, these Jews told Paul to do what?
10. Why had they taken the vow?
11. Why is it so important for Paul to take a stand for Christianity
right here?
12. What does the author believe is the true question here?
13. What had they (the church in Jerusalem) written to the Gentiles?
14. Is there a difference between the obligation of a Jew and Gentile?
15. Who had torn the wall of partition down between Jew and Gentile?
16. Who built the wall back up, even though it was torn down by God
when Jesus was crucified?
17. What did Paul do in verse 26, that signified he was pure?
18. How is a Christian purified?
19. Why did Paul do this in verse 26?
20. What Jews came and stirred up the people against Paul?
21. What was the temple in Jerusalem a symbol of?
22. What is religion?
23. What three things did these Jews from Asia say Paul taught
against?
24. In verse 27, what did they do to Paul after the seven days?
25. How did they say Paul had polluted the temple?
26. Give several reasons why it is impossible to mix Christianity and
Judaism?
Notes
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