Paul arrives in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-26)

Paul and several other disciples enter into Jerusalem.

Paul had gathered a bit of an entourage.

He had Luke, Timothy, and his other traveling companions.

He had picked up several disciples from Caesarea.

And, they were accompanied by an older disciple, Mnason, of Cyprus, with whom they would stay.

When he entered the city, the first thing that he did was go to meet with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.

The Bible tells us that Paul’s initial reception was a glad one.

Paul had a deeply rooted history in the city of Jerusalem.

There were reunions to enjoy at his return.

I wonder if there might have been more of his former Pharisee friends who had gotten saved since he had left the region.

As Paul meets with James and the other leaders of the church, there are two topics of discussion.

First, Paul delivers a report of all that God had done.

Of course, everyone is excited to hear this report.

They give glory to God for all that He had done.

God had used Paul to reach thousands of people with the gospel.

God had also been blessing the church in Jerusalem.

James shares with Paul how that God had added to their number thousands of believing Jews.

It is these thousands of Jewish believers that precipitate the second topic of conversation.

James informs Paul that these believers are all still very zealous about adhering to the law.

I can just see Paul nodding his head in agreement.

He has to be wondering where this is going.

James, too, probably feels awkward having to address Paul this way after such a long absence.

James goes on to tell Paul that there have been reports about him that have made their way back to Jerusalem.

The reports say that Paul has been teaching the Jews that were living among the gentiles to forsake the laws of Moses.

This includes not having your kid circumcised.

And, giving them permission to disregard the customs and traditions associated with being a Jew.

This report is, of course, not true.

Paul HAD been teaching the gentiles that they did not have to become Jews to be saved.

He had NOT been telling the Jews to abandon their culture.

In fact, if you go back to Acts 16, you’ll see that Paul personally circumcised and adult Timothy.

If I was Timothy, and I was in this meeting, I would have laughed out loud and James’ nerve in even mentioning this report.

James seems to know that this report cannot be legitimate.

However, he needs Paul to convince the doubters.

James knows that word of Paul’s presence in the city will draw many people out to see him.

Some friends and some enemies, but all Jews.

He asks Paul to do something that will require him to go above and beyond to show to the people that he is still a practicing Jew.

Before we look at what Paul will be asked to do, let’s stop and take stock of what is happening.

Paul shows up in Jerusalem for the first time in decades.

He shares the many testimonies of what God had accomplished among the gentiles.

He learns that he has been maligned among the citizens of Jerusalem.

And now, Paul has to do something rather humiliating in order to prove that the reports are not true.

This isn’t fair.

Paul shouldn’t have to prove himself to any of them.

But, this is not Paul’s attitude.

In order to prove his critics wrong, Paul agrees to James’ plan.

James’ plan has 3 parts

Paul is to join 4 other Jewish men in the church who have made a vow.

This is to include shaving their heads.

It involves ritualistic purification,

Paul is to pay for these four men to accomplish their vow.

Chiefly, this would have meant the purchase of a sacrifice.

There could have also been other costs and fees involved.

Remember that Paul was already heavily financially invested in his return to Jerusalem; he had been fundraising for the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem before his trip.

Paul would then accompany them to the temple so that sacrifices may be made to God upon completion of their ritual.

All of this is so that the Jews of the city will see that the reports about Paul were false.

They needed to see that Paul walked orderly and kept the law.

Paul did everything that James had asked.

He joined the men, who had made vows of their own volition.

He underwent the process of ritualistic purification.

He most likely shaved his head with them.

He entered in to the Temple to make sacrifices to God.

Paul did all of this for two reasons.

To promote unity among the Jewish believers.

To try and remove the incentive of the Jewish non-believers to be angry with him.

If the Jewish Christians had heard the reports about his ministry, so had the Jewish unbelievers.

If this might help, Paul was willing to submit.

Did he have to submit to James’ idea?

No.

Paul cared more about the lost and his Jewish brethren than his own ego.

I wonder if any of us are willing to set aside our own ego for the sake of others.

I am not going to talk to you this morning about making huge sacrifices.

I am not going to talk to you about risking your life for the sake of the gospel.

All I want to challenge you with this morning is the thought of, are you willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others?

Are you willing to be humiliated for the sake of others?

Are you willing to do something that you don’t have to do for the sake of others?

Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ enough, that you would be willing to go out of your for the sake?

Go out your way means that you altar your course.

You do something that you did not intend to do.

Do you love the lost enough to inconvenience yourself in order to have a better chance at reaching them with the Gospel.

People hear a lot of false reports about Christians.

Are you ready to go above and beyond to prove them wrong?