Discernment

Acts  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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This morning we continue with the story of Paul heading into a certain peril in Jerusalem. While our passage is predominantly a narrative of the events that took place, I think there are some lessons that are very appropriate for today. ⭐
Acts 21:17–20 CSB
17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly. 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

Day 1

Paul and company (Luke, etc) arrive in Jerusalem and are welcomed by “the brothers and sisters”. Anyone and EVERYONE who has accepted Jesus as their savior is your brother or sister! You don’t get to pick your family… but you DO get to love them and BE loved by them! Regardless of where they live, their vocation, gender, age, ethnicity - they are family.
One of the things a family *should* do is practice hospitality. Paul & Co were “welcomed warmly”. We can assume that they were thus provided food and lodging as well as friendship.
Generosity towards each other, love, hospitality, should be marks of each and every one of us that calls ourselves Jesus followers: ⭐
Romans 13:8 NLT
8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Brothers & Sisters: today is a great day to ask yourself, “How can I show love, hospitality, and generosity to the family of God this week (or this month if the week is already packed).

Day 2

The second day, Paul & Co go and see James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem. This is a group that DID NOT disperse with the persecution of the followers of “the Way”. We do not know if they were in hiding or out in public. Knowing that the Sanhedrin had commissioned Paul (and presumably others) to persecute the church, it is very possible that this was an underground church - off the radar.
** in my mind I can picture Paul and crew meeting with the disciples the night before and then being led through back alleys and sneaking through places to take him to the hideout of the elders. Maybe I watch too many spy movies!

The report:

Paul shared a report about what God did AMONG THE GENTILES, or while Paul was among the “nations” or “people” of the regions outside of Jerusalem. In this third missionary journey we do not have reports of the throngs of people, Jew or Gentile, that chose to follow Jesus. Luke seems to have left out some of those details in the 3rd journey. However the response of the elders after the report gives us some insight: ⭐
Acts 21:20 CSB
20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.
I am sure they were all excited about the thousands of Gentiles that believed, but the focus of the present response was the number of Jews who believed and followed the law. WHY would that be important? Because there is trouble in Jerusalem!

BUT ⭐

Acts 21:21 CSB
21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.
Notice that big but getting in the way!
The JEWS among the Gentiles were zealous for the law. This was a validation that Paul was NOT teaching Jews that lived outside of Jerusalem to abandon the Law of Moses (the Torah).
The elders (and James) said, “WE SEE that God has used you to reach both Gentiles AND JEWS and that you have been faithful to YOUR PEOPLE and THE LAW”.
BUT there were others that were spreading reports that PAUL was turning the Jews away from the law of Moses, or the Torah.
Acts (Paul’s Arrival and Arrest in Jerusalem (21:17–40))
This is the third church conflict involving Jewish-Gentile relations (see Tannehill 1990, 268). First the question of baptizing (and eating with) Gentiles was resolved in Acts 11. Then the controversy over requiring Gentiles to be circumcised was addressed in Acts 15. The problem before the church now has to do with pressure, real or perceived, on Jewish Christians to forsake their Jewish customs, values, and practices

The Plan

There was a problem, so there needed to be a plan, right? ⭐
Acts 21:22–26 CSB
22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law. 25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.
Though Paul did not have to prove anything to the Jews, there was a recommendation that he consider some form of public that might demonstrate that he still cared about the law AND encouraged other Jews to keep the law.
By purifying himself he demonstrated his regard for the law. This was probably a ceremonial bathing in one of the baths near the temple. [⭐IMAGE]
By taking the four men with him and paying for them to get their heads shaved Paul would demonstrate that he was encouraging other Jews to follow the law, and even willing to put his money where his mouth is.
What James and the elders demonstrated here is discernment.
Discernment is the ability to make judicious and insightful decisions or judgments, often by perceiving and understanding subtleties and nuances that may not be immediately obvious. It involves evaluating information or situations with careful consideration and insight to distinguish between what is true, valuable, or appropriate and what is not.
In practical terms, discernment might involve:
1. Judgment: Assessing the truth, merits or quality of something based on careful evaluation.
2. Perception: Recognizing subtle differences and underlying truths that are not readily apparent.
3. Decision-Making: Making choices that are well-informed and wise, considering both immediate and long-term consequences.
4. Insight: Understanding complex issues or situations more deeply, often by seeing beyond surface-level details.
Discernment is valued in many contexts, including personal decision-making, professional settings, and moral or spiritual matters, where the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity is crucial.
The elders assessed that Paul was NOT doing anything wrong: against the Jews, the Torah or the Temple. They made a judgement based upon the testimony of Paul and the witness of his traveling companions.
The elders perceived that there was a problem in Jerusalem, and trouble brewing for Paul because of what they heard others saying about Paul. They gave wise advice that would demonstrate to those who were genuinely interested that Paul was, in fact, committed to and passionate about the Jews, the Law and the Temple.
The Greek ⭐ word for “discern” is δοκιμάζω and it means to examine, scrutinize or approve.
NOTE: You can, and SHOULD be discerning. However, being discerning and acting in a discerning manner does NOT mean that you will be successful or that people will accept what you say and do. This we will see as we continue: ⭐
Acts 21:27–30 CSB
27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also 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 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
This group LACKED discernment, as agitated mobs often do. Luke seems to present mobs in this fashion throughout his writings.
“The mob is the mother of tyranny, and it is the tyrant’s most obedient servant.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Jews from Asia, that were in Jerusalem at that time (possibly for the fest of Pentecost) accused Paul of teaching people:
1. Against the Jews
2. Against the Law
3. Against the Temple
They even accused him of defiling the temple (worthy of the death penalty) by bringing a Gentile into the temple - which he apparently did not do.
With the accounts we have, it is obvious that Paul did not teach against the Jews - he was one! He did not teach against the temple, he was there to worship in the temple and to celebrate the feast of Pentecost there. He did not teach against the law - he obeyed it, even taking a vow according to the Law and requiring that Timothy (a Jew) be circumcised.
Acts Paul’s Arrival and Arrest in Jerusalem (21:17–40)

Paul has circumcised Timothy (16:3), taken a Nazirite vow (18:18), and observed the Jewish feasts (20:6, 16). In other words, he has been a Torah observant Jew and nowhere in Acts has he taught his fellow Jews to do otherwise.

The mob lacked discernment because they did not evaluate the facts and make an informed decision. Their perception led them to action because they failed find out the truth. They did not want to know the truth, they wanted to be right and they were willing to kill and innocent man over perceived reality.
"Men in crowds are more foolish than men alone, and are less capable of seeing things in their true light." - Charles Mackay (author of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds 1841)
I can be hard to be discerning, but it can be even more difficult when we want to be part of a crowd or want to prove that we are right.
Did you notice the exaggeration in this passage? The mob accused Paul by saying he teaches “everyone” and “everywhere” against these things. They were not wanting or not capable of seeing things in their true light. As you strive to be more discerning, learn to pick up on exaggerations as they may be in indicator that the ones speaking do not have an accurate or complete understanding.
EXAMPLE: If I said, “All vegetarians are malnourished and all vegetarians are hurting themselves.” That would be an exaggeration and a falsehood! There is a risk of malnutrition if someone is not careful about the foods they consume on a vegetarian diet, but that does not mean it is unhealthy nor does it guarantee undernourishment. It would prove a lack of discernment on my part because I haven’t understood the facts or the people.
So what happened next in the narrative? ⭐
Acts 21:31–36 CSB
31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!”
The commander had orders to keep the peace, and obviously he had to intervene! He shackled Paul with 2 chains. We assume from the previous message from Agabus that these chains were on his hands and feet.
NOTE: God’s words do not fail. Ever. Paul was told he would be chained in Jerusalem, and that is exactly what happened.
Generally, you do not chain someone unless you believe they are a criminal. While some commentators suggest that they chains were to protect Paul, I am not sure I agree. You can protect someone without shackling them. Similarly, we will soon find out that the commander thought Paul was a notorious criminal.
Paul was then carried by soldiers up the stairs to the barracks because there was no other way to protect him from the crowds. ⭐
Acts 21:37–39 CSB
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” 39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

The commander lacked discernment.

The commander asked the mob who Paul was and what he had done, but did he ask Paul? Not that we have recorded. When Paul spoke in Greek, the commander was caught off guard because of some assumptions he made. The commander assumed Paul was someone else - an Egyptian that caused a revolt.
Acts (Explanation of the Text)
This characterization corresponds to an event related by Josephus. A false prophet from Egypt came into the country and gathered 30,000 people, whom he led through the desert to the Mount of Olives with the promise that the walls of Jerusalem would collapse (or with the promise that a conventional attack would be successful), allowing them to enter the city, defeat the Roman occupiers, and establish himself as ruler over the people; however, the Romans captured 200 and killed 400 of the Egyptian’s followers, though he himself managed to escape. The reference to the Mount of Olives suggests messianic aspirations of this Egyptian impostor (cf. Zech 14:1–5). The tribune evidently believed, not unreasonably, that the Egyptian was now renewing his efforts at a political revolt. Since “the entire people” of Jerusalem had assisted the Romans in repulsing the Egyptian, the assault of an excited crowd in the outer court against Paul, demanding his execution, would make sense. The tribune thought at first that “he had captured a real prize—the Egyptian revolutionary who had recently slipped Felix’s grasp.”
Discernment requires seeking out the truth and figuring out the odd nuances of a situation. It was not wrong to ask the crowd about Paul, however, the commander should have also asked Paul who he was and why he was being charged. There are other questions that the commander could have, and should have asked, that he failed to ask and it could have cost him his life.
Discernment means not making assumptions and not following the mob UNLESS you have done your homework to ascertain the truth and merit of a situation and that the mob is correct.

Paul exercised discernment

Paul, because of his care for the Jews, wants them to hear the truth - of his conversions and of the Messiah. To get the commander’s attention, he used discernment - he spoke to him in Greek. That got the commander’s attention, and he FINALLY admitted that he thought he knew who Paul was.
Paul then set the records straight, but only gave out enough information to make his point. He said that he is:
a Jew
from Tarsus in Cilicia
a citizen of an important city (this could mean Tarsus, but it could also be a veiled way of referring to his Roman citizenship)
Paul did NOT play out all of his cards. He COULD have said he was a Roman citizen, but did not… just yet.
NEXT WEEK: Lord willing, you will see this discernment continue as Paul speaks to the Jews in Aramaic and demonstrates his concern for the Law, the Jews, Jesus… and the Gentiles.

The Massive Need for Discernment.

In our passage, we see the discernment of James and the elders, and we are reminded that just because we act in a discerning way does not guarantee that people will accept it.
The mob and the commander acted without discernment allowing their emotions and actions get out of control without any attempt to find out the truth. Both acted on assumptions. One group almost took the life of an innocent man, and the other could have forfeit his own life.
Paul then used discernment to understand how to communicate with the Greek commander and the Jewish mob. In the end, he will get a change to share with both of them about Jesus, though they may not accept what he says.
We can learn from both good and bad examples - especially in this scenario.
In our sound byte society where we get one liners taken out of context and journalism that often promotes opinions and feelings instead of facts, and sensational headlines to get clicks, there can often be a disconnect between reality and perceived reality. This is something we must all be on guard against. IT takes discernment.
It is very easy to believe what we hear or read online, on our phones, and even from others and act on it without checking the facts. The masses can sway us to believe that which is not true and possibly even act in rash ways like the mob in Jerusalem.
Even technology, which *should* make it easier to be discerning, can also work in the opposite way.
EXAMPLE: while AI can be a great tool, and one I even used to help do some research for this message, it is certainly capable of making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. Have you heard of “deep fakes”? Deep fakes are legit! There is a voice recorder that can take samples of your voice and generate a profile that sounds like you. Type in any message and it sounds like that person said it. And there is image software that can recreate an image of you and place it an context with any other people.
If a society chooses to believe the sound bytes and fails to find ways to identify deep fakes, then perceived reality becomes an even bigger problem and discernment truth and correct actions will become even more challenging.
So how are we to engage with our culture as people of discernment?
We need to be people that:
Evaluate situations and circumstances
Seek to understand the nuances and perceptions of our society
make decisions that are well informed and wise (true, valuable and appropriate) - considering both present and future consequences
CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW:
As Christians, we have a standard for what is true, valuable and appropriate for many things in life... Jesus prayed for his disciples (including our generation) this way: ⭐
John 17:17 CSB
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Sanctify - make holy -> set apart of the work of God. We have a source of truth that is the Word of God, and as we embrace, study and infuse our lives with that truth it will help us to discern what is right (true, valuable and appropriate) in God’s eyes. That is the place we must always start when we are looking to make wise and informed decisions.
The truth of God’s Word gives us a foundation to weigh and discern what is right and wrong. It helps us determine what is pleasing to God, which is what ultimately matters. ⭐
Romans 12:2 CSB
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
When it comes to issues of right and wrong, good and bad, we need to ground our reality in the truth of God’s word. Since the garden, God has asked us to trust Him to define good and bad, and not to redefine it according to our own standards.

What about issues that are not covered in the Bible?

In some situations, discerning the truth and acting in wisdom may be a moving target. For instance, you can act on a medical report that comes out today, and next month there could be new facts that change scenario.
You can find many articles that talk about milk being bad for you - saturated fat and heart disease, possible increased risk of cancer, and possible residual antibiotics and hormones.
You can also find many articles that tout the health benefits of milk - lower risk of stroke, reduced risk of diabetes, bone health and a possible decrease in the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
As fields like medicine evolve and technology gives us better tools, we can expect that the medical landscape will change drastically. It is hard to discern which reports to listen to, in which case you might want to speak to your doctor :) Seeking wise council can also be a way to show discernment.
My advice is that if it is something that affects your life and your relationships, make sure you are doing all you can to discern what is true and helpful from what is not.
When available, go to the source (like the commander should have done with Paul). For instance:
I know many people who have talked about some of the Supreme court decisions but have not actual read any of them. They are public. Read them and seek to understand the facts.
When possible, try to understand multiple sides or perspectives of the issues.
So much of our society has been pitted against each other. One side standing for their perspective without being willing to listen to the other side. ( like the mob when they heard from Paul - next week!)
When interacting with others, act with wisdom: ⭐
Proverbs 15:14 CSB
14 A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
Proverbs 15:14 LEB
14 The heart of him who understands will seek knowledge, but the faces of fools, they will feed on folly.
Finally, we should also commit these things to prayer. God can give us a spirit of discernment in areas that we are uncertain about.
In the end, discernment should be motivated by love. You and I have the privilege of having God’s spirit in us to teach us to love God and to love others. Paul prayed for the believers in those Gentile regions he visited this way: ⭐
Philippians 1:9 CSB
9 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,
And that is my prayer for each of us today.
That we would not make decisions based upon speculation (mob)
That we would not make decisions based upon assumptions (commander)
But that we would be people of discernment: seeking to know the truth, understanding the culture and context, and making wise and informed decisions that are motivated by truth and love.
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