"Dying's easy, living is harder"

Introduction

If we know suffering is coming even as part of God’s plan for us, will we participate in it or will we flee. To follow Christ is to experience suffering as he did, which was through reliance on the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

There are times when we know what God’s will is for us and that it will include specific types of suffering. Suffering is not a reason not to follow through with something the Lord has communicated that you need to accomplish. Jesus is our prime example: Knowing the certainty of his death in Jerusalem, he still went. Living for Jesus will include suffering with Jesus

Context

We’re going to see some people’s names that we’ve seen before like Philip, Agabus, and Trophimus. The character references are important, its a reminder of people who have taken part in various parts of the narrative thus far, acts as a summary before the final third of the book start. This section acts as a summary and transition into the final section.

Read Acts 21:1-36

Paul’s Travels to Jerusalem (1-16)

Explanation

Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem demonstrates the balance of his ministry. While recent chapters emphasized his work among Gentiles, his ministry in a location regularly began with his fellow Jewish people and now he desires to return to Jerusalem to report on his work (Acts 20:16). His priority is to unite Jew and Gentile in their faith in Christ.

In this section, Luke mentions a couple times that people were warning Paul about what was to come. There are some warning him “through the spirit” (verse 4) and then there was Agabus who came down from Judea (probably Jerusalem) who acted out a prophecy. Agabus came down from Judea and understood what the climate was surrounding Paul’s ministry and what the non-Christian Jewish leaders thought of his ministry.

What is Paul to do? Is Paul to heed the warning of the disciples and Agabus?

A couple of things to pay attention to regarding why Paul went on to Jerusalem even after the warning.

First, even though Paul was sure that imprisonment was coming and there was at least one other prophet describing what would happen, there does not appear to be any command given that Paul should not go. The people interpret the descriptions and appeal to Paul based on their concern for his safety: don’t go to Jerusalem. Their first instinct is to help Paul avoid the suffering

There was no command given to Paul through the Spirit to not go, and Second, Paul believed he was bound, compelled, or constrained to go to Jerusalem regardless of the outcome Acts 20:22-24 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”

So while Paul recognizes their care for him, he also knows he’s under compulsion to go to Jerusalem. But that doesn’t take away the sting of their pleading. Paul was ever compassionate, using emotional language. He was in touch with his whole being, did not hide his emotions. Just as Jesus experienced emotions, we see Paul expressing his emotions. Paul was affected by the concern of his brothers and sisters and it broke his heart. It crushed him on the inside. Yet he was still going to go to Jerusalem.

Illustrations

The hit Broadway show, Hamilton: An American Musical, tells the story of the rise and fall of founding father Alexander Hamilton. During a song midway through the first act, Hamilton is speaking with General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton is telling Washington about his dreams of fighting for his country and making a name for himself through selfless acts of heroism and even martyrdom. He is not afraid to die in battle and wants to go out to lead the troops. Washington has continually resisted Hamilton’s requests because he sees his gifts in other areas (i.e. writing, military strategy, etc.).

What Washington says to Hamilton here is instructive for us today: “Dying is easy, young man. Living is harder” (https://www.stmattsav.org/post/2017/02/12/dying-is-easy-young-man-living-is-harder-vi-epiphany-a)

General Washington suggests to Hamilton that dying is easy because it doesn’t require any more effort, yet living requires us to follow up and continue to make decisions and give effort.

When we look at what he’s being warned, we could see how Paul could anticipate death coming to him. In continuing on with his journey to Jerusalem, Paul was in effect saying whether by living or dying, I will walk with Jesus and continue on this journey. Paul wrote about this in Philippians 1:20-24 “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Paul recognized how death is easier, and maybe even more desirable, yet was ready to continue with life.

Application

The question this section confronts us with is what do we do when we know suffering is coming our way. Are we going to avoid suffering or are we going to embrace the way of Jesus regardless of what suffering may come our way. Let’s bring it down to brass tacks, right here in our context: Are we going to devote ourselves to the family of this church, getting vulnerable, developing deep relationships that become family bonds even when our time here is limited? Are we going to attach to one another knowing that when it is time to leave, it will cause pain? It’s so easy to come to a new church after a PCS and maintain surface-level relationships because we’ll be leaving again in a couple of years. We save ourselves pain by putting some distance between us and the people we go to church with because it is painful to leave. But what if deep relationships are what God desires of his church? What if God wants us to make these deep connections despite the pain that will occur when we leave, or they leave? I really believe that in 21st century military communities we get to experience the suffering of Christ by the relationships that come and go. The joy that we are offered in deep relationship will cause sorrow when we are separated, but the joy gets to continue because of the impact that the people have on us and we have on them. If we look at our relationships in this church right now as if they are temporary, then we can put up walls and keep distance, but the reality of the body of Christ is that this is a forever bond. While we may mourn separation through PCS, we have the hope of continuing the bond of family into eternity.

As an important sidenote to this section: Luke is sure to point out the importance of all members of the family (both genders included in the story throughout this passage) particularly in verses 5 and then in 8 and 9. He also includes Philip’s four daughters. Several commenters see the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 as recorded in Acts 2:18 here. Joel 2:28 says “After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Philip likely raised his family with a high view of scripture and a clear understanding that everyone has a place in the church. His children, daughters in particular, had parents who cultivated the gifts that they had. A call to parents: are we paying attention to the ways our children are gifted spiritually and cultivating that as much as we cultivate their athletics or intellect?

Paul with the Elders (17-26)

Explanation

As we move into this next section, I need to make this comment about the CSB’s titling of this section. The CSB calls the section from 15-25 "Conflict over the Gentile Mission" which seems to me to be very misleading. Within the group of men that the discussion is taking place, there is no conflict. They are all in agreement, but alerting Paul to what many say about him which leads to the counsel of taking a vow. This meeting is about Jews misunderstanding of what Paul is teaching Jews, not about Paul’s mission to the Gentiles.

Now that’s been said, let’s take a look to see what is happening here in this meeting.

After Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem we see him quickly receive an audience with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.

First, he explained all that had happened since his last trip to Jerusalem. He likely described Ephesians riots, the impact of the gospel in Athens and Corinth, escaping assassins and death threats, Eutychus’ swan dive and resuscitation, as well as some of his disciples.

Second, something that isn’t mentioned here in Acts, but is mentioned elsewhere is the presentation of the offering for the poor brothers in Jerusalem. In Acts 11:28-29 “Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius. Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea.” Romans 15:25-31 tells us that Paul is taking an offering for the saints there and he’s concerned about its reception. But the reception is warm and we see in Acts 21:20 “When they heard it, they glorified God. . .”

At this point we see the concerns of the Christian leaders in Jerusalem and what will become their proposition to ease concerns in the city.

Some Jewish people had been telling Jewish believers in Jerusalem that Paul was discouraging Jews from keeping the law. The word that Luke uses to describe Paul’s teaching to the Jews is apostasia - rebellion; abandonment (v.21 - CSB/NASB to abandon Moses; ESV to forsake Moses; NIV to turn away from; NLT to turn their backs on). The Jews in Jerusalem believed that Paul was teaching Jews to turn away from Moses and the Law and that he himself had turned away from the law.

And just like most rumors, there is a kernel of that is twisted into a lie. The truth is twisted in this way: Paul is including Gentiles in the family of God, calling them sons of Abraham, yet not requiring them to follow the law. If they are sons of Abraham and don’t have to follow the law, he must also be teaching that the Jewish sons of Abraham must not have to follow the law. But we see that the Jerusalem church recognized this wasn’t the case, but show considerable pastoral sensitivity to the Jews around them. James suggested that Paul take on a vow in order to show that there was nothing to the charges of him teaching Jews to turn away from Moses. The whole point of the vow was to show that he still observed the Law. Paul willingly agrees to the vow and its not the first one that he undergoes in the book of Acts. See Acts 18:18 for that vow. We’ll talk a little more about the vow in a few minutes.

Paul saw the wisdom in what James suggested and agreed. Paul was free to take the vow or not, he was under no compulsion either by the Law or by the elders. But he embodied Galatians 5:13-15 by undergoing this vow. Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul was undergoing this vow as a way to show his love for the Jews and for his brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

There are a good number of commenters that believe that Paul was coerced into this vow, that the vow was distasteful to Paul, and even that Paul was in sin to undertake that vow. They often point to 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 as evidence that Paul no longer lived following the Torah, it says this 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 “Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.”

On its face, it may seem that Paul is saying that depending on where he is, he may or may not follow Torah the way he was raised. But I’m convinced that this line of argument, though still popular, misreads Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 and doesn’t take into account 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 in their analysis of Paul’s life. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 “Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches. Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. Let each of you remain in the situation in which he was called… (24) Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.” If Paul is saying that if you’re a Jew live like a Jew, or if you’re a Gentile, don’t take on circumcision, it sure seems that he would live in line with that. Jesus did not teach freedom from Torah observance for Jews, he freed them from sin and thinking their justification came from works of the law, justification is by faith.

In my opinion, the commenters who remark about Paul being in the wrong to take part in the vow misunderstand the actual conflict and the Jerusalem council. The Jews are still under the law, but the big difference is that it has been made clear that their justification has not come from the works of the law, but the justification by faith. The Jews are still Jews and, those in Jerusalem, are still living zealously for or under the law. Paul is teaching Gentiles that they don’t need to take on the law for their justification because theirs also comes through faith in Christ. The Gentiles are still Gentiles, the Jews are still Jews. None of these are at issue for the Church in Jerusalem, hence the letter from Acts 15 and reference to it, and that’s is why there are Jewish Christians from Jerusalem who are undergoing a vow. Paul had undergone a vow in Acts 18. There is nothing in Paul’s writing or in the example saved for us in Acts that suggests he wasn’t Torah observant throughout his ministry. Still being a Jew and living a Torah observant life, he is still free to go about the vow without any violation of his conscience. He was, throughout his ministry, a Jew who followed Jesus.

Application

This section requires us to consider what it means to love our neighbors as ourself and to think of other’s needs as more important than our own. Paul’s decision to take on the vow was not required, he was free to avoid it, but he took it on in order to show his love for the fellow believers in Jerusalem and the Jews that didn’t believe in Jesus. Paul shows us what it looks like to love our neighbor, by setting aside our freedom in order to serve. We like to talk about freedom, this is America after all. But are we willing to set aside our freedom in order to serve those around us. We kind of get this in the military, we set aside our freedom to become contractually obligated to the federal government who tells us where to go, when to be there, and what to do so that our nation can remain in freedom. But what Paul’s doing is beyond that. So who is the neighbor in your life that you know God wants you to serve in love? What is the thing you need to give up in order to help a brother or sister in the faith grow in their discipleship? What things do you need to sell or give away in order to provide for a brother or sister in need?

Paul in the Temple (27-36)

Explanation

Some important context for this section is that this is taking place around Pentecost. Pentecost was one of the major festivals that required all males to come to present themselves in Jerusalem. This meant that the population of Jerusalem would swell as Jews from around the world would come to Jerusalem to take part in the festival. Because Jerusalem was a volatile place with a tendency toward revolt, the Romans had a routine of reinforcing the garrisons in Jerusalem around the festivals to prevent any revolts. The Roman governor, or prefect, would come along with hundreds of extra soldiers from the Roman Tenth Legion. This is why Pilate was in Jerusalem during Passover and why there are seems to be a quick reaction force near the temple.

The was a fort built by Herod on a high rock at the northwest corner of the great temple area, and called after Mark Antony. It was called Antonia’s fortress. Two flights of steps from the fortress would lead directly into the outer court of the temple. There the soldiers could quell any disturbance that may arise.

Most commenters throughout church history work with the idea that the vow that Paul is undergoing is a Nazarite vow. Numbers 6 contains the rules for a Nazarite vow. There are regulations for cutting hair, certain things to abstain from and the ritual ending of the vow with a time of purification and sacrifices. Some Nazarites that are mentioned int he text would be: Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. They were all Nazarites for life. However the typical term for a Nazarite vow was 30 days. There’s evidence that someone who had not undertaken the entire vow could take part in the final seven days of special purification by paying for the vows of the ones that they were to join. This is likely what was going on

With that in mind, we see that Paul went and took part in the vow, paid the charges, and in the last seven days, he went to live in the temple, as was the custom to protect from any accidental defilement.

In a perfect storm, a large crowd of Jews from around the world are in Jerusalem, Jews unhappy with Paul’s impact in Ephesus see him with his disciple Trophimus, they find Paul in the temple and assume that he brought Trophimus who was a Gentile into the temple with them and the result is a mob.

The crowd is stirred up into a frenzy and they take Paul out of the temple and begin beating him. The Ephesian Jews stir up others by making a false accusation about Paul’s teaching and actions of bringing Trophimus into the temple and more people join in. Very quickly we see the QRF mobilized and spring into action.

Application

This section forces us to reconcile with the possibilities of what could happen when we follow the Lord in self-sacrifice. Paul subjected himself to the vow, but then as a result of the vow he becomes the target of a mob and being handed over to the Gentiles, just as was predicted by Agabus earlier in the chapter. Paul had made up his mind: whether in life or in death, he was going to live for the Lord. No suffering would prevent him from following Jesus and living out what God had made him to do. What about you? Is dying easy, but living harder for you? Are you avoiding suffering in your life? Are you avoiding self-sacrifice for the sake of your brothers and sisters? This passage makes us wrestle with these questions.

The hymn, “I have decided to follow Jesus,” helps us wrestle with these questions. The simple lyrics state: “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. Though none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back.” The song’s origin story is uncertain, but there is an account that describe the words based on the last words spoken by a martyred Indian tribal man from Meghalaya named Nokseng. The story goes that he, his wife, and his two children were evangelized by a Welsh Methodist missionary. Upon hearing of the man’s conversion, the

[a]ngry . . . village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man sung his reply, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back.” Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.” But the man replied, again singing, “Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back.” The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.” In the face of death, the man sang, “The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.” He was shot dead like the rest of his family. .

May we have that same view of following Jesus today: “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. Though none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back.”