Gladly & Madly Welcomed

Introduction

Good morning! We’re continuing in Acts chapter 21 today, picking up in verse 15. A passage in which Paul will be both “gladly” and “madly” welcomed to Jerusalem.

We have been following Paul as he makes his way, somewhat gradually, towards Jerusalem, bidding farewell to friends along the way.

It has been difficult for his friends to say goodbye to Paul. Partly because some of them know they’ll never see him again.

They’ve also been told, by the Spirit, and even through visual demonstration, that Paul will end up in chains again.

In verses 12-14, we see this tension, where those close to him desperately want to prevent him from going to Jerusalem, though eventually they concede to the will of the Lord.

Acts 21:12–14 LSB

12 And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, “The will of the Lord be done!”

“The Lord’s will be done.”

This is a faithful response to the very natural emotions and desires they had, which were not inherently wrong, but they recognized God’s will as having much greater priority, given God’s much greater perspective than their own. In doing so, they were following the model presented by Jesus himself in Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, and even John 6:38

John 6:38 LSB

38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

This is one prayer we can know is always faithful, and will always be answered affirmatively: the will of the Lord be done!

Transition

So, Paul, following the will of the Lord, proceeds to Jerusalem, in verse 15:

Acts 21:15–16 LSB

15 Now after these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we were to lodge.

Notice the use of the first-person “we” here, like we saw first in chapter 16:10, and again in chapter 20:5-15, which implies that the author, Luke, was in this group that accompanied Paul to Jerusalem.

Mnason/Mason of C/Kyprus is described as an “early disciple.” A believer since the early days, perhaps having believed during Paul’s first missionary journey, or even prior.

Gladly Welcomed

Acts 21:17–20 LSB

17 And after we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 And after he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;

It’s always nice to receive a warm welcome, isn’t it?

They are welcomed with gladness, which must have been a little bit of a relief, to have some acceptance and encouragement before the impending rejection, and...

New Living Translation Study Bible Chapter 21

It was important for James and all the elders of the Jerusalem church to hear of Paul’s successful mission among the Gentiles and for the mother church to continue to endorse this effort (21:20; see 15:7–21). Paul’s report communicated that God had accomplished his purposes among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry.

They of course respond by giving glory to God! And by giving Paul an update of their own, which at first seems like more encouraging news, right? They boast of thousands, many thousands, even, who have believed. And…they are zealous for the law. That is, they follow the law very seriously.

“These guys aren’t just religious, they’re like, super religious!”

That in itself is not presented, or viewed as a negative thing, however, what becomes concerning is the conflict they foresee with Paul, who seems to some as if he’s turned his back on his religion, in particular his Jewish identity, almost entirely.

We, the readers, know this is not really the case, but that’s how it’s perceived.

Concern

These are the rumors circulating about Paul, as we read on:

Acts 21:21–22 LSB

21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

QUESTION: Has Paul told the Gentiles to forsake Moses?

NO, that’s not a fair assessment of Paul’s teaching. The books of Moses, as well as the rest of the Old Testament, are still very much relevant to Christians in Jerusalem and everywhere, as it lays the foundation for understanding who God is and his relationship with his people, and I don’t see Paul steering people away from understanding those books.

Has he told them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs?

Well, yes! When it comes to the question of how to practice and apply their faith, Paul has taught that legalistic adherence to traditions and rituals is an unnecessary burden to place upon those who are not born into it.

Not just Paul, by the way! This was a decision made by the whole council of leadership in Jerusalem (chapter 15), and communicated by written letter to those abroad.

What Paul has not done is discourage any Jews who were already torah-observant, practicing the law, from continuing to do so!

Anyone who’s already used to it, or who just really wants to become immersed in Jewish culture is not discouraged from doing so, just as long as it’s not viewed as a prerequisite to salvation, but rather as a response to it, or to serve a specific purpose in a specific context. And that would have been a perspective shift, perhaps, for many who saw non-torah-observance as apostacy.

So, what’s the big deal?

It’s difficult, I think, for us to understand the level of concern they have here, because most of us probably aren’t accustomed to practicing the kinds of traditions and rituals that govern every aspect of life, from waking to sleeping, as someone very serious about following torah and the Talmud would be.

If I go a day without showering or brushing my teeth, I definitely feel a little “off,” not quite myself! But even then, I don’t attach religious value to those “rituals.” I don’t expect God to scorn me if I forget to brush my teeth (though my wife might), it’s just something I do for the sake of my own health and as a courtesy to others. But still, imagine if someone came and told you that you don’t have to wash your hands or brush your teeth ever again…the science behind it is all wrong, and there’s no need to ever clean anything.

Now that’s a teaching I would try to protect my kids from ever hearing!

It’s kind of a silly analogy, but I guess it’s because I find it challenging to relate to the scale and intensity of just how disruptive Paul’s teaching was. That might especially be the case for those of us who are not from a very orthodox or liturgical background, where ritual plays a bigger role in the practicing of one’s religion. American and Baptist traditions seems to lean more heavily into the concepts of independence, freedom, and individuality. This can lead to awesome diversity, and it sort of makes every day a new adventure; especially here at NCF, I have to say you’re never really sure what you might be getting into on a Sunday morning, we like to change things up with little notice, or none at all sometimes.

I don’t point that out as being necessarily bad or good, it’s just a part of our culture that might make it difficult to relate to the culture Paul was dealing with in this circumstance.

Paul himself has been crossing all kinds of cultural barriers, but now he’s back in Jerusalem, where he spent a significant portion of his life, to challenge the very heart of his own people.

His friends, the locals are concerned about how Paul will be received by those who have heard about Paul’s perceived leniency when it comes to the law.

Again, he’s not actually telling Jews to stop being Jewish, to stop observing their festivals, to the contrary, he himself still finds great value in that, but only if it is not a hindrance to the core message of the gospel of Christ.

Nevertheless, the rumors and perception is that he’s preaching apostacy.

Demonstration

So, they give him this advice:

Acts 21:23–24 LSB

23 “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.

Acts 21:25 LSB

25 “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should keep from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality.”

So, they want Paul to strengthen his credibility by essentially putting his respect for the law, and his Jewish identity, on public display. At least, on display in the temple. They want him to put on a demonstration, and to bankroll it besides, in order to prove that he still cares about the law of Moses. At the same time, maintaining that Gentile converts did not need to learn and follow the hundreds of rules the Jews followed.

Again, this is just a reemergence of the same conversation, and decision that was reached back in chapter 15:22-29. They reiterate what they wrote to the Gentiles previously, with a small set of basic guidelines that would help set them apart as believers without burdening them with a multitude of rules and regulations.

But we know that:

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 21

Paul was not opposed to circumcising Timothy (16:3) or to taking Jewish vows (18:18). What he opposed was any claim that such observances of Jewish law merit salvation (Gl 2:15–16).

Galatians 2:16 LSB

16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

So, Paul agrees to try their solution. He goes along with it:

Acts 21:26 LSB

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Now, this could likely have been a fulfilment of a Nazarite vow, during which the one who made the vow would let his hair grow. At the end of the designated period of time, he would shave off his hair, dedicate it to the Lord, and burn it together with the sacrifice for the fellowship offering. (That does not sound particularly pleasant to me, but it certainly would be memorable).

So, he’s partaking in the ceremonial recognition of a vow having been fulfilled, as a demonstration of his respect for tradition and commitments.

Uproar

Acts 21:27–30 LSB

27 Now when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

So…the demonstration doesn’t work! In fact, it kind of backfires.

Again, if it seems like they’re overreacting, you have to understand that it was a crime, punishable by death, to bring any non-Jew into the Temple precincts beyond the court of the Gentiles. They assumed Paul had violated this sacred law by bringing Trophimus, a gentile from Ephesus, into the forbidden area.

This perceived desecration of the temple infuriated the people who were dedicated to preserving the temple! They close the gates because they thought the area had been “contaminated” or “defiled,” and they want to get rid of the guy who THEY view as responsible for this.

What Do?

In this case, Paul will actually end up being rescued by the Romans! The story continues with a fascinating twist, and some dialogue that demonstrates the value of language and speaking to people on their terms, but I’m going to refrain from going further into the story for now.

This week, let’s take some time to contemplate the events leading up to this, through verse 30.

Paul is, in fact, zealous for the law of Moses. His track record shows that.

But he has found an even greater zeal for the one man who actually fulfilled that law and brought it to perfect completion in himself so that nobody else needs to carry that burden again.

And we can see that Paul, in his zeal, wants to teach, desperately, the heart of the gospel, to as many people as possible, without laws and traditions becoming a barrier to receiving and accepting the gospel.

The way people interpreted his teaching, they missed the point of what he was saying.

Jesus accused them of this, of “missing the point,” if you will, of the words of the prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:6 LSB

6 For I delight in lovingkindness rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 9:13 LSB

13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

He says it again in Matthew 12:6-7

Matthew 12:6–7 LSB

6 “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

And it’s not just the prophet Hosea in the Old Testament, the wisdom of Proverbs teaches this as well:

Proverbs 21:3 LSB

3 To do righteousness and justice Is chosen by Yahweh over sacrifice.

And Micah:

Micah 6:6–8 CSB

6 What should I bring before the Lord when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the offspring of my body for my own sin? 8 Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Value of Works

The traditions of studying scripture, prayer, and selfless acts remain even to this day as primary means of "drawing near" to God, to Jews, Catholics, and Christians alike.

In fact, According to one section of commentary on the Torah,

"Whoever is busy with [learning] Torah need not bring an Olah, Chatas, Mincha, or Oshom (types of sacrifices)."

There is a recognition here of priorities here, that learning Torah has to come before following Torah, even for those who have dedicated themselves to doing so.

Again, Paul was never advocating for the Jews to abandon their commitment to the law, rather that they come to see their justification as being by their faith in God, through his son Jesus Christ, rather than through strict adherence to rules and regulations.

Paul explained this to the Galatians:

Galatians 2:16 LSB

16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

And a little later, in chapter 5:

Galatians 5:5–6 LSB

5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

And to the Colossians:

Colossians 2:16–17 LSB

16 Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

And to the Romans, he explains this same concept from a different perspective:

Romans 14:1–8 LSB

1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats must not view the one who does not eat with contempt, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards the day, regards it for the Lord, and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

This is a pretty loaded passage, but the core of this message, at least part of it, is the importance of context, and of not spending too much of our time and energy arguing about who’s right or wrong.

Imagine if we spent so much time arguing about when and how to celebrate Christmas that we missed out on celebrate the advent of Christ completely! We can enjoy our our family traditions without imposing them on others. Welcoming those who would join, but not forcing it upon anyone.

We can be encouraging each other to have healthy habits without requiring a perfect, sinless lifestyle in order to be counted as a brother or sister in Christ. We must have grace and patience for each other.

If you want to really get to the practical heart of the whole Bible, Jesus summed it up perfectly, when

Matthew 22:34–40 LSB

34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 And one of them, a scholar of the Law, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

My challenge to you (and myself) this week is to ponder, and ask ourselves:

“Do I love God?” “Do I love the people around me?”

If not, why not? And I genuinely encourage you to reach out to me with if you’d like someone to discuss these concepts with. It may take me a while to respond, but if the Lord allows me to, I will.

If I DO claim to love God, how has that affected my life already? And am I willing to share that with the people around me? How might loving God impact my thoughts and actions, today?

If I DO claim to love the people God has placed in my life, how does that affect my interactions with them?

I’ll close with one more passage, after reading from so much from Paul, I think it’s fun to bring in Peter’s perspective, who taught the same message in different words, and one great passage on this topic is found in 1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4:1–11 LSB

1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose—because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin— 2 so as to no longer live the rest of the time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, maligning you, 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For to this the gospel has been proclaimed even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh as men, they live in the spirit according to the will of God. 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God— 11 whoever speaks, as one speaking the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

WOW! In just a few paragraphs, He’s touched on everything from suffering for Christ, to abandoning sin, to the end of the world, and spiritual gifts! We could probably preach at least four sermons on this passage alone, but two verses that I really want to highlight for today are verse 5, and verse 8, because they speak directly to the context of our passage in Acts.

1 Peter 4:5 NLT

5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

Verse five is a reminder of who stands as the ultimate judge. It is God who judges perfectly, with perfect justice and mercy.

And verse eight is just such a powerful encouragement, and exhortation, that I want to encourage us all to take to heart:

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Thank God for his incredible love and mercy, which has been shown to us, even while we were still sinners, that Christ would give himself up for us, that we may have eternal life in him. May we, by God’s grace, and through the power of his spirit, extend such grace and love to those around us, as we navigate all the joys and challenges of life together.