PAUL IN JERUSALEM
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Opening Prayer
Coming to your Word today, Father, I ask that you do not let me simply read what it says—give me greater understanding and conviction to apply it.
Read ACTS 21:17–26
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How hard is it for you to accept the views of others? In what ways do you usually respond to opinions different from yours?
Differences between Christians can be challenging. Sometimes alternative views are held and defended very fiercely. There can be a lot of emotion because everyone is highly invested in living a godly life and will want to do his or her best for God. Here, Paul and his team may have anxieties about their reception by the Christians at Jerusalem, where they have arrived after their long, difficult, and possibly dangerous journey. Luke reports that they are greeted ‘warmly’ (v, 17). After a night’s sleep, the missionaries go to see James, who still leads the Jerusalem church. They may have been anticipating a tense and unsettling meeting. Luke recorded earlier the significant differences of opinion between those involved in the Jewish and the gentile Christian missions.1
A wonderful testimony to the grace and love that is possible through Christ becomes apparent. Paul tells James and the elders stories of the many gentile conversions he has seen—and the brothers in Jerusalem are full of praise to God for the spread of the gospel. With a similar generosity of spirit, Paul agrees to undergo a Jewish ritual to reassure the Jerusalem brethren that he is not abandoning or rejecting their customs. This was an example of loving acceptance of one another’s differences in Christ. Before many more years, all the Christians in Jerusalem would be persecuted for their faith, irrespective of their Jewish or gentile pedigrees.
It is important to proclaim the faith, to plant churches, and to teach and train disciples. It is also important to embrace the gentleness of Christ toward one another. Paul’s missionary journeys were incredible human achievements, but his heart was shaped by generosity and kindness. He was truly a captive of Christ.
Apply
Where does God’s grace need to fill your own heart with love toward others?
Closing prayer
Lord, help me that my own life is one that expresses the gracious acceptance and commitment that was Christ’s; help me so that I can be a witness for him in any circumstance.
1 Acts 15
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