Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Acts 21:17-26

Paul's Arrival at Jerusalem

17When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Paul returns to Jerusalem

v. 18 James, was Jesus' brother and leader of the Jerusalem church. He was called an apostle even though he wasn't one of the original 12 who followed Jesus.

v. 21 Remember in Acts 15 when the Jerusalem council settled the issue of circumcision? Evidently there was a rumor that Paul had gone far beyond their decision, even forbidding Jews to circumcise their children. This of course was not true. So Paul willingly submitted to Jewish custom to show that he was not working against the council's decision and that he was still Jewish in his life-style.

A great lesson. . . sometimes we must go the second mile to avoid offending others, especially when doing so would hinder God's work.

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