Our text this morning comes from Acts. As we are making our way through Acts. We are in Acts chapter 21 we're going to be looking at verses 17 through 26.
If you remember last week as we entered chapter 21 chapter 21 is a transition point in the book of Acts. It's really the transition to the end of the book of Acts. It is the beginning of the end as Paul makes his way to Jerusalem. And here we see he is in Jerusalem, and we'll consider this as the Lord would be pleased and draw out the things that he would want us to, draw out that Christ would be glorified. Well, let us before we read it, let's go to the Lord in prayer, Our Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are not silent that you speak. The heavens are declaring the glory of God. But Lord, as we come to Your Word, we might know salvation, that we might know Jesus, that we might know that by faith in Him, our sins are indeed washed away and we are made as white as snow.
Lord, we thank you that not only are you not silent, but you are also a God that is not just in a distant land, but that you are here now with your people.
Jesus's promise that He will be with us till the end of the age.
And Lord, we believe that promise that he is not forsaken, but he is present through the power of His Spirit. And Lord, I pray that by the power of your Spirit, you would indeed strike our hearts, you would convict us of sin, that we might flee from it, that we might turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, that we might rest upon Him alone as he's freely offered to us in the Gospel. Lord, bless your people, comfort your people. And it's in Jesus's name we pray, amen.
People of God hear God's word for us this morning from Acts chapter 21 beginning in verse 17,[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. 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. [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. [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.” [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.
He who has ears, let him hear the Word of God you may be seated.
This text is so clearly evident what it's talking about and what we're to get from this passage, right? I mean, obviously reading it, you know exactly what's happening here, right now, I'm that's obviously sarcastic, because this is, I think, the most difficult text in Acts. And if you're visiting with us today, here you are.
Congratulations. You've come to the hardest text in the book of Acts now. And if you are here, if you've been working with us through the book of Acts back in chapter 18, you might recall Paul gives himself somewhat of a haircut, and we had to figure out why did Paul get a haircut back in chapter 18, but now, as we come to chapter 21 that now he's paying for four other guys to get a haircut. And why is this here? Why has God given this to us? What's happening this passage? I think, honestly, it makes me a little uncomfortable, because.
But one, I don't know if I understand completely what's going on with it, even as I've wrestled and I've struggled with it and I've studied with it, and I also think that there's a really clear tension and a question that makes us even ask, Did Paul compromise the gospel in his actions here?
Did he capitulate to the pressure that was put on him for the sake of unity? Or did He lovingly use his liberty for the sake of unity? Did he draw a very careful line between what is essential and what is indifferent? I think that's the question that's posed. I think what my conclusion would be, and what I hope we'll walk through, is that Paul has freedom in Christ, and so do you who are in Christ. And he uses his freedom in Christ to not insist on his own rights, but he participates in this cultural practice that the sake of the Gospel might go forward, that it might unify the church, and that the gospel might be presented.
Now, there are things I think we can also draw that from this text that also make us think about our own Christian liberty, make us think about cultural accommodations. But I think ultimately, above all, the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice for us, there are three movements or sections in this text. I think we see the report, or reports that were given in verses 17 through 21 then we see the request that is made of Paul in verses 22 through 24 and then we see the result, or the resolution, of what happens in verses 25 and 26 now again, remember the context of where we are In the Book of Acts, especially here in chapter 21 Paul has arrived in Jerusalem. The Spirit revealed.
Remember, we were wrestling last week. The Spirit has revealed to Paul and even others, that if he goes to Jerusalem, suffering and imprisonment awaits. He's warned repeatedly not to go. His friends, Luke, included here, are urging and pleading with him not to go. But he says, am I right? I am ready not only to be imprisoned, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. So he is going to Jerusalem, he feels compelled by the Spirit to go Jerusalem, to share the gospel in Jerusalem, to be there at Pentecost when it would be one of the feasts that it would be swelling with people coming in to share the gospel, to visit the church, the Gospel must go forward. And Paul loves the church there. And he's again, moves to go there. Now, another thing that we haven't talked about for some, quite some time, is that Paul's not only going to share the gospel to in Jerusalem, but he's also going and he's carrying with him a gift, a monetary gift, in his different missionary journeys, he's actually been taking a collection at various churches Like Corinth and Galatia for the impoverished Christians there in Jerusalem. Remember Agabus, who we talked about last week. We also met Agabus back in chapter 11, and he made a prediction about a famine that was going to strike the whole land of Judea, and it occurred, and now there are lingering effects in Jerusalem from that famine, and this monetary gift is supposed to help that church in Jerusalem.
So the collection, I would also say, is not simply a financial gift to the people in Jerusalem.
It was a theological gift as well. It was representative from the Gentiles to the Jews, that we are not separate, but that we are one and unified. In Christ Ephesians, chapter two says, For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down his flesh in the dividing wall of hostility.
And you might even recall, when we first started, we were getting support from our denomination, and that was helpful for us as we started, but as the Lord increased us financially. It wasn't simply a financial gift that was helpful, but it was a remember. It was a reminder to us that we are not alone. We are one that people are praying for us. People are thinking of us. People love us.
And that was the idea of this Gentile gift to the Jews that you're not separate. We're one.
You're loved the Jews and Gentiles who hated each other for 1000s of years.
Are now one in Christ, and Paul is now bringing that gift. And you might even think, when Paul comes into Jerusalem with such a wonderful uniting gift, he might be received with great thanks, but that's not what Paul finds in verse 17, before he meets with the congregation as a whole. As he comes into Jerusalem, he is received by the brothers gladly. And notice, here we Luke is including himself again with Paul. Notice, remember what's going to happen to Paul in Jerusalem, suffering imprisonment. And you know what, if I'm Luke and Paul's going into Jerusalem, I might not go with Paul to Jerusalem, because suffering waits there. But here Luke goes with Paul, for the sake of the gospel in the Jerusalem with Paul, though they know suffering, imprisonment, wait and the brothers welcomed him on verse 18. On the following day, Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
They're having a little bit of a meeting with the leadership of the church, before engaging more broadly with the congregation there in Jerusalem. James, if you might recall, is the half brother of Jesus. He is the pastor, if you will, at the Jerusalem church, and he has his elders who are there alongside of him, and they, Paul meets with them, and he gives a detailed report of what God has done among the Gentiles. This was probably a long report, you know, it's taking us over a year or so to get through Acts.
There's a lot to report about what Paul has been doing, but also notice here that the emphasis of the report is not look at all the wonderful things that I have done. It's a focus on what God has been doing in the land of the Gentiles.
Look what God has done in Ephesus. Let me tell you about Ephesus. When I went to Ephesus and started sharing the gospel, they took their magic books and they threw them all in there as a symbol of their idolatry, and they set it on fire because they hated their idolatry and they loved Jesus, and they turned away from the God of Artemis.
You know that great temple, Artemis? They left Artemis and they followed Jesus. Great is Jesus of Nazareth?
Oh, there was a riot there too.
Look what God has done in Philippi. I met this wonderful lady named Lydia. You know, I came in Philippi, and there wasn't even a synagogue for us to go to, and I just went to the river and I shared the gospel.
And there was just a one woman named Lydia who sold purple goods, very hospitable lady, and she believed. And then there was a slave girl. She was possessed by an evil spirit, and we freed her, not only from the spirit, but she's freed in Christ. And here you have this little church with a woman and this slave girl we set free. And you think everyone would celebrate, but guess what happened then? Oh, yeah, a riot happened there, and we were put in prison. And God shook the prison. But through that, there was this old, crusty jailer who was going to kill himself. And we said, Don't do it. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and your household. And he did. God did that. And in the church in Philippi began with this little girl, this woman, and this crusty old jailer in Philippi.
Look what God is doing.
Also in Thessalonica, Jason, there was there was another riot.
Also, Berea Iconium, lystro, get riots.
Psalm two is happening here, right? The nations are raging.
The people plotting in vain. The kings of earth set themselves, and the rulers are taking counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed.
Saying, Let us burst our bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. But guess what? He who sits in the heavens, he is laughing. The Lord holds him in derision.
He set his King on Zion, His holy hill. And nothing is shaking it. Nothing. Look what God is doing.
Praise be to God. Christ is being proclaimed. He is convicting. He is converting sinners all around he is gathering a holy nation for himself from all the nations, gathering from all the countries, giving them new hearts, putting his spirit within them.
And James and the elders of Jerusalem, they they hear just a little bit of that report.
That's just a small part of it, isn't it about all the wonderful things God has been doing.
That's just a small part of the report. In verse 22 They say they glorify God. How can you not glorify God with such wonderful news? There's no rivalry here. There's no competition. It's just God centered praise. Now, they provide a little bit of a report of their own. Now to Paul, it's been about five years since Paul has last been in Jerusalem, and they say, Well, see, Brother, how many 1000s here among the Jews? Of those who have believed? That's great news, 1000s in Jerusalem are believing too. The church is swelling and growing in Jerusalem praise the Lord.
And they are zealous, Paul, they are so zealous. That's great, nice. They are so zealous for the law.
I think you meant to say they are so zealous for the gospel, right? That's what I think.
That's what you meant to say, James, but they're zealous for the law.
You mean they're zealous for Jesus, right? James, they're so on fire for Jesus. They're zealous for the law. What does that mean?
They there? Does it mean that they're so overwhelmed by the mercy of God in Christ that they are are motivated to live holy lives?
I don't think that's it here.
Nor do I think that they are seeking to be justified by their works of the law. The Jerusalem Council dealt with that, that back in Acts chapter 15. I I think what's happening here is that there are many Jewish believers who hadn't yet fully disentangled their faith in Christ from the Old Testament, customs and ceremonies.
You know, the scriptures give us three types of laws to distinguish between. And maybe you've heard this before, but I think this is a helpful distinction. A little brief theology lesson about the types of law we have. The Moral Law, we say that the moral law is is summarily comprehended or summarized, what we call the 10 Commandments, that is permanent, that is binding. It reflects God's character. It doesn't go away. We are held now to the moral law. We read the 10 Commandments. We believe that the 10 Commandments, the moral law, is to be upheld and kept.
But there were also two other types of laws for the people of Israel, you had the civil law, which was essentially the laws that governed the State of Israel, that expired, though, as we transition from old to new covenant, and that we no longer have a particular people of Israel like we did in the Old Testament. There also were ceremonial laws, and that required that included the sacrifices, the cleansings, the temple, the priesthood, dietary laws, circumcision. We believe that all of those things were shadows that were fulfilled in Christ, all those things in the Old Testament were prefiguring, looking forward to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Now the Jews in Jerusalem, however, they are still attending celebrate, celebrating these different feast days. The Christian Jews are still observing these ceremonial practices. And I think maybe their understanding of these types of laws are are maybe not as clear as we would like them to be. But again, keep in mind, and I think this is helpful in this text. This is a transitional period in redemptive history. The temple is fulfilled. But however, the temple is still standing. It's among them. It's hasn't been destroyed yet, not till 70 ad, these customs, these ceremonies are, are what have have distinguished them for 1000s of years. Now, they understood now that circumcision isn't what saved you. But they might be asking themselves, Well, should still, shouldn't we separate ourselves as Jewish.
Somehow we believe in Jesus, but we still shouldn't eat bacon, though, right?
And the also, the challenge, I think, in this text, is the break between Christianity and Judaism is not as sharp as a break between Christianity and, let's say, the worship of Artemis in Ephesus, because Christianity emerges out of Jerusalem, and there actually still remains some continuity, as we would say, between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Right? We still believe in the authority of the Old Testament, do we not the Old Testament?
Testament is indeed God's word that we should study and know we still have elders, do we not?
And so you see, it's not as clear as a break for them, as maybe a false religion somewhere else. Now, Rumors are spreading about Paul in verse 21 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 custom.
Paul's been saved now 25 years.
It's been 25 years since his road to Damascus, and yet there is still a good amount of suspicion about Paul and what he believes and what his motives are. We don't know if we can really trust this Paul. Remember last week, we even looked at Philip and Paul and the reconciliation the gospel had brought them because Paul was responsible for the death of Stephen Philip's friend, his fellow Deacon. But yet there's not only a welcome, but the hospitality and fellowship. But not so much yet here in Jerusalem with the congregation and Paul.
And I think this might sting for Paul. I think it might sting for me, because you think about everything that Paul has risked for the gospel to be spread, even here in Jerusalem and and even now, there's still distrust, and he's coming and and risking his life to bring a gift to support the church. And there's, there's no gratitude, there's no thank you. Where's the love? Where's the affection?
Essentially, he shows up to Jerusalem now and they say, Well, we have a problem, and that, that problem is, you, Paul. Now, is this true? What they are saying about Paul is Paul telling them to forsake Moses? Paul did teach that ceremonial laws were indeed fulfilled in Christ. They they were not binding for one to be justified before God, to me, made right before God or that they have to be followed now in obedience to God, Galatians six, Paul would write, circumcision counts for nothing. What matters is, are you a new creation? Are you in Christ? But Paul didn't despise Moses. Jesus Himself said, If you believe Moses, you would believe me. Moses was pointing to Christ. Moses himself was prefiguring and looking forward to Christ. But Paul has never been anti law. He has been anti legalism, but not anti law. Paul never said, don't listen to Moses anymore. And so James poses a question, then, what are we to do here? Paul, what's to be done? James, I think, is trying to maintain good relations. This is the request if you're keeping track.
James is trying to keep the good relations now between the church in Jerusalem and the Gentile mission. But James doesn't say, you know, Paul, don't listen to them. Stand up for your rights.
James proposes a solution. Now, I think here's also the challenge is this. Is this a good solution? Should he had proposed this or not?
I don't know. This might be a bad a bad proposal. In verse 23 and 24 he talks about, here we have these four men. They're performing this Nazarite vow.
When it concludes, they will shave their head and present offerings in the temple. And James says, join them, purify yourself, pay their expenses.
Now, why? So we're told that all who know there's nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourselves also live in observance of the law.
And I hope maybe you're starting to feel some of the tension in this very challenging text, the Nazarite vow, it included temple participation.
The Nazarite vow included going to temple and making sacrifices.
And as we read in the author of Hebrews tells us that Christ offered himself, though once and for all, what do we need? Any more sacrifices? Of course not.
And again, here's the question, is the gospel at stake? Here is this about justification or about cultural identity? And I think that's the real tension of this passage. If James is saying something more like, you must do this in order to satisfy sin or to be righteous before God or have a better standing before God, I think the response from Paul is the emphatic no, and would rebuke James to his face, even as he will do to Peter. And that's what Galatians two I think proves that when circumcision was demanded as necessary for salvation, Paul would not yield.
Yield and have Titus circumcised for one moment. We're told he didn't yield. But I think here in Jerusalem, the elders are not saying this saves but this might help preserve unity. So in Galatians two if you look at I think that's helpful. Peter withdrew from the Gentiles out of fear, and his actions were implying that you are more acceptable to God if you live like a Jew. And Paul rebukes him publicly, but in our text, I think Paul's actions imply I am free to live like a Jew, though I don't have to. I have freedom in Christ, and I can do that, but I don't have to do that.
I think Peter's action divides Jew and Gentiles. But here I think Paul is trying to unite them. I think this is First Corinthians, nine in action to the Jews. I became a Jew in order to win Jews. The moment Titus is pressured in the circumcision for salvation, Paul says no, but also Timothy, he does circumcise for Cultural Access, not because it added to Timothy's salvation at all, but I'm going to circumcise this man, Timothy, so we can get access to the Jews to share the gospel. I think that's what's happening here, the moment the gospel is threatened or the moral law is compromised, there's resistance, and ought to be but where it's not threatened, I think we yield and he yields, there's Christian liberty. I think maybe an example today would be like, maybe a Jewish believer who attends a Passover meal with his extended family. Now he knows that that lamb doesn't atone or cover any of his sins. He believes that that lamb has been fulfilled. The Passover Lamb has come in Jesus, but he participates with it and with his extended family as a cultural bridge, and gives him opportunities to maybe even speak about Jesus to his family.
In verse 26 we see what Paul does. He he complies. See, he yields with the request. He ceremonially purifies himself.
He enters the temple, He gives notice of the days. And should he have done this?
I'm not entirely sure. I think he's okay, but I think I do know that there are are solid, wonderful biblical preachers, even like James Montgomery Boyce, who makes a very compelling argument that Paul compromised the gospel in doing this, John Calvin even also wrestled with this text and admitted it might have not been ideal for Paul to do this, but the ceremonies were no longer binding, but during the transitional era, they could be tolerated temporarily. That's what Calvin says. Now, I think it's also I think it's okay. I think what we see here is Paul living in Christian liberty, because we never have recorded from Luke any of rebuke given to Paul, nor is there any suggestion of Paul's fear of man. Paul, he would be arrested.
He would suffer. He came anyway for the sake of the Gospel, because Paul knows that the irony of the temple is that even though it's standing, all of it's been fulfilled in Christ, as Hebrews says, there's no longer any offering for sin.
He's not adding anything to salvation. Christ has done it now I'll end maybe with a few things. Here is one as I again, I'll say this is challenging text. I'll probably say that a few more times in the last few minutes, this is a tough text.
I think sometimes we wrestle with the difference between our doctrine and culture as well at times, maybe even as the Jews are wrestling with their own doctrine and culture at times.
And is it possible that we, too, at times, have made traditions on equal footing as the gospel?
You know, the Scripture gives us only one holy day to keep that is the Lord's Day. It's the one holy day of celebration.
All other holidays or holy days are actually additions to Scripture. We're not commanded or called to celebrate or or practice them. And I think as Christians, sometimes we have a difficult time keeping the one true Holy Day, but we can be very zealous about other holidays that we want to keep, those cultural holidays, like Christmas, we celebrate you.
It'd be hard for us to think about not celebrating Christmas or or not working on Christmas, right? I mean, isn't that wrong to have to work on Christmas?
So we live in a time and culture where Christmas is really part of our cultural reality, and maybe in order to win some we aren't going we're certainly not going to compromise our doctrine or our ethics. We're not going to change our worship of God. But maybe we'll have a Christmas Eve service, and not because we're adding any Holy Days, but because there's opportunity there for the gospel to be presented as a church that Christ might be made known.
I think I leave this text and I just I thank God for Jesus. This text ultimately is not about Paul. It's ultimately not about us. It's about Jesus. I'm thankful that Jesus is long suffering. I'm thankful that Jesus is patient, but I'm also thankful that Jesus never yielded on the truth, but he yielded himself, and he gave himself for us. He was the sufficient sacrifice. If you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can know that all of your sins are forgiven and he's patient with us even as we wrestle, or maybe even you think, and I think maybe stumbling through this text, Jesus is good, and he's merciful to us, and we can live free. We don't have to win every argument. We don't have to insist on every right that we have and freedom that we have in Christ.
We can have our eyes fixed on Jesus and love as Christ would have us love and thank God that Jesus was willing to lay down his own personal liberties that he might bring us peace, that the gospel might be brought to us. I think that's what this passage is calling us to do, that we first, we rest in Christ, we not insist on our own liberties, on our freedoms all the time in Christ, and that we as much as is able to without compromising the gospel at all, or the moral law at all, but that we seek to tear down as many walls as possible in order that the gospel might Go forth, in order that we might be a unified body of believers, may God be merciful to us? I think I'll end there. I'm not sure what else to say except rest in Christ is a tough text.
Let's pray our Heavenly Father, Lord, we know all scripture is God breathed and is useful.
But Lord, we also know that all scripture is not as clear as other scriptures. And Lord I I pray that as we come and even consider this text, that you might give us greater and better insight as we draw closer to you and as we understand the word, more give us more and more understanding of it, Lord, we thank you for Jesus, who came to us, who let go of his own liberties, that the gospel might come to us. Lord, I pray that we would not be a people who just insist on our own rights all the time, but because of our freedom in Christ, are able to let them go, that the gospel might go forth. Give us wisdom on how to engage well with our culture, that and tear down walls without any compromise, that Christ might be made known. Lord, I pray that you will bless your people and let us rest in Christ today, in Jesus's name, we pray amen. You.