Paul in Jerusalem

Notes:

Westminster Confession:

“Christian Freedom and Freedom of Conscience

I saw the recorded speech by King Charles earlier this week, he sounded very Kingly with that aged British accent. Imagine I’m reading these words with that kind of gravitas:

In Christ believers have free access to God and can obey him, not out of slavish fear, but with a childlike love and a willing mind. All these freedoms were also held by believers under the law. However, under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians has been enlarged to include freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected. Christians also have greater boldness of access to the throne of grace and a fuller gift of the Spirit of God than believers ordinarily had under the law.

A Warm Welcome

17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed...

Greet and celebrate: This is important. No question about Paul, his authority, or whatever. Full support of elders.

Gone are the days of questioning Paul’s authority or calling. Like a reunion of old and more wise partners in ministry.

“You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed...”

This is great!!

What an incredible movement!! The gospel is transforming people! The freedoms of Christ are exploring throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the EARTH!

A Worrying Warning

…they are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

It’s great so many people have come to believe, but that belief has also created a renewal of sorts for the Law...

“We won the lottery!!” “Oh, wow, really?” “Yeah, only thing is that we lost the lottery ticket, we can’t find it anywhere...”

“I bought a new car!” “Oh wow, that’s amazing, where is it?” “Well, I actually couldn’t afford, so I returned it.”

Zealots for the Law:

Zealot=Militantly enthusiastic about the Law

Belief in the Gospel made them more fervent Torah abiders.

Different than legalism: Fusion of two God-ordained administrations.

Accusations Against Paul:

Forsake Moses

Don’t circumcise children

Don’t live according to the costumes

Half truth later on the passage: Paul was trying to get people to see the TRUE temple.

Strange what’s happening in Jerusalem…

Resurgence of Religious Ferver

No peaceful transition! People were holding on to what they had.

William Larkin: “Our religious past can make distortions of the truth attractive to us, especially those that reinforce our pride in loyalty to our traditions.”

Get back to this point...

A Purification Plan

23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

Here’s the plan to appease the Jews:

“First, Paul should join in the purification rights. Let the people see him submit to our traditions.”

“Second, get Paul to pay for the final few days of 4 men completing their Nazirite vow. Get people to see how he’s financially contributing to our purification rituals.

“Paul will get spiritually carwashed to go to the temple, and we’ll be good to go!”

This is what we’re going to do with the Jews: Go through ceremonial scruples to satisfy their confusion.

Why does Paul go along with this?

Is Paul being inconsistent with his theology?

Here’s the plan to make sure we’re consistent with the Gentiles, in case they see you:

25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Why share this?

Nothing has changed since we last talked.

“We’re still on the same page here with regards to grace.”

We’re not getting you to go through this spiritual carwash because we think it’s necessary, we’re doing it to save your skin and to show people you’re not throwing the Old Testament into the trash bin.

A Surprising Backfire

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

Seven days were almost complete!

Jews from Asia stirred up the crowd. care less of his attempts to respect their traditions, and they start accusing Paul:

Accusation #1: Paul’s against our people and our Temple.

They recognized Trophimus the Ephesian (29).

29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Accusation based on an assumption!

Did Paul do it? I wouldn’t put it past him!

Us verses them mentality

Trend towards Roman sympathy and Jewish rebellion.

Shift to Application:

This passage incapsulates so many themes we’ve already touched on in this sermon series. We’ve talked about legalism, we’ve talked about how difficult grace is to accept. We’ve talked about adding to the dangers of adding to the Gospel…

But one thing I haven’t really pushed yet is the theme of Freedom in Christ… Like, what does it mean that as Christians, we are free?

Freedom in Christ= Death to Performance Religion

“You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law.”

Christians who are passionate still about performance based religion.

Zeal for the Law=Process of making God happy.

Gospel wasn’t enough!

Faith AND performance.

Grace and get er done yourself.

Interesting how passionate Christians can also be the most legalistic?

We love Jesus so much that we’re going to maintain a structure based on obsolete rules to make us still feel as though we deserved grace!

Passion for Obedience blinded them of what was in front of them!

In what ways does performance religion still play a role in your life?

When you look at people who are on the streets? Down and out? Those who make bad decisions…

Do you ever think, “Man, I deserve more then they do.” “I earn my keep.” “I deserve this, that, and the other thing.”

Be very careful with those thoughts… They are the slippery slope to performance based religion.

Grace=YOU DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING. YOU CONTRIBUTED NOTHING TO GRACE. YOU ACTUALLY FOUGHT AGAINST IT KICKING AND SCREAMING AND NEEDED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE!

To keep performance religion dead in your heart, don’t start any thought with “I DESERVE.” Cut if off at the pass!

Freedom in Christ=Willingness to Participate in Performance Religion

Strange how Paul accepted this challenge to go through these spiritual carwashes customs to appease others. All for the purpose of winning people over!

Stott quoting F. F. Bruce: ‘a truly emancipated spirit such as Paul’s is not in bondage to its own emancipation’.

1 Corinthians 9:20: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.”

The comedian Jerry Springer talks about introducing the concept of Halloween to children who’ve never heard of it. The kids are like, “So like, people just hand out candy? How can I be a part of this incredible evening? What do I have to do? Okay, I could wear that?”

Paul’s like, “I’ll do that! If that’s going to bring peace, if that’s going to reduce the frenzie, I’ll go through a purification ritual. No problem.”

“I’m so free in Christ that I’m willing to do anything for the sake of others. Even revert back to old customs, and traditions.”

How do you think strategically about winning people over for Christ?

Do you think, “How can I accommodate for this person so they will be won over?”

I’m not suggesting you need to be something you’re not. You may not have to put on a mask, but you may need to put on a costume! Be accommodating while still being authentic is a challenge. I’m sure Paul’s not going through this process thinking, “Man, why do I need to go through all this? Don’t they know who I am! I’ve been healing people, I’m started how many church? And now I have to go and now I have to go through this silly spiritual ritual to save face...”

No, he’s accommodating to save souls!

Freedom in Christ=Embrace the Outsider

One of the issues Luke highlights in these verses is the controversy of Trophimus the Ephesian being spotted in the temple with Paul. Not only was this as assumption on the Jews part, but it was also a failure to see the power of the Gospel to unite people…

Ephesians 2:13-14:  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.

Dividing wall of hostility=F.F. Bruce: ‘Two of these notices (both in Greek) have been found—one in 1871 and one in 1935—the text of which runs: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the temple and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” ’

Such an important theme in Acts, and Luke comes back to it again and again… WHY? Because we need to hear it time and time again!

We are masters at compartmentalizing people! Placing people in boxes, taking them out of boxes and putting into ones we think they belong to…

To Trophimus: “YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!”

When you control the piety—what is holy and what is not—then you control the people! You determine who is in and who is out…

1. Story of Youth Convention

Before we accepted a call to church planting, we went through a 2.5 year process of discernment. Where do you want us to go, Lord?

There was one moment when I knew it was time to leave.

1,000 youth: “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much.”

As a teen, I probably would have clapped…

A whole church culture clapping about being a particular ethnic group is a reminder of the issues in this passage.

In the Kingdom, there is celebration of diversity, but not at the expense of any one. It celebrates differences without making any one feel like their outside. It’s praising God for the differences of language, looks, lands, and lords… But without a hint of prejudice.

Who is in your live who may feel a bit like an outsider?

Who are the people around you you need to be careful of putting aside as unimportant?

In conclusion: