121 Acts 21:20-26 PAUL WARNED BY THE BRETHREN AT JERUSALEM Introduction: In our previous text Paul and his companions finally reached Jerusalem. They were well received by James, the pastor of the Jerusalem church and by the elders of that church. However, in our text today these leaders of the Jerusalem church warn Paul of a problem that awaited him at Jerusalem. I. The warning V. 20 “And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe...” Paul had related to the Jerusalem brethren good news concerning the Gentiles. He had related to them that many Gentiles had been saved and that many churches had been established in Gentile cities. The James and the elders of the Jerusalem church rejoiced greatly. They praised the Lord for saving Gentile people and for the organization of churches among the Gentiles. Now before sounding out the warning to Paul they relate to Paul good news concerning Jews. They informed Paul that literally thousands of Jews in Jerusalem and throughout Judea had been saved. This implies that numerous churches made up of Jews had been organized throughout all Judea. Apparently even the Jerusalem church, which once had several thousand members before it was scattered by Paul, was now a large church once again. Not only had the Jerusalem church regrown, but many of the new churches in Judea had also experienced much growth. Many thousands of Jews had been saved and were members of churches made up of Jewish congregations in their respective Jewish cities. This was good news to Paul, because Paul, himself was a Jew and had a special love for the Jewish people. Paul wanted to see Jewish people be saved. He prayed earnestly that Jews would be saved. In Romans 10:1 Paul said, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” This was what Paul had longed for. This was what Paul had prayed for. He and those with him must have rejoiced greatly to hear this good news. But this was not only good news for Paul. This was also bad news for Paul. James and the elders of the Jerusalem church could foresee a problem. They said, (V. 20) “...and they are all zealous of the law.” It was good news that many unsaved Jews had believed in Jesus as the Christ and had gotten saved, but it was bad news that they were still so very zealous of the law. They were not just zealous of the law. They were overly zealous of the law. These Jewish Christians who were overly zealous of the law had heard things about the Apostle Paul regarding the law which displeased them. They had heard things about Paul concerning the law angered them. V. 21, “And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise [their] children, neither to walk after the customs.” The Judean Christian Jews had heard these things about Paul, but what they had heard was not so. Somebody had brought false reports about Paul to the Christian Jews of Jerusalem and Judea. Perhaps you will recall that when Paul had returned to his sponsoring church, the church at Antioch of Syria, following his first missionary tour that some of the Christian Jews who had come from Jerusalem had become unhappy about Paul concerning the law. They had been unhappy because Paul had baptized Gentile believers and had organized churches with Gentile people without first requiring the Gentiles to be circumcised and to come under the Mosaic law. Those Jews, whom we call Judaizers, believed that a Gentile must first come under the law of Moses and become proselyte Jews before they could get saved. The Judiazers stirred up such a fuss about it in the church at Antioch that the church had to send messengers back to the church at Jerusalem and seek their help before the matter was settled. It is likely that some of the very same people who had stirred up trouble for Paul in the church at Antioch were now guilty of stirring up trouble for him again in Jerusalem and in all Judea. They had spread false rumors about Paul and Paul’s attitude toward the Law of Moses. Then, too, there had been Jews in the Gentile out on the mission field where Paul had preached who had also become angry with Paul for the same reason. Paul preached that one gets saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and that it was not necessary for Jews to come under the Law of Moses. Circumcision was require under the law of Moses and in order for a Gentile to become a proselyte Jew he had to be circumcised. But Paul said that a Gentile did not have to become a proselyte Jew and be circumcised to be saved. This had angered a goodly number of Jews right in those Gentile cities where Paul preached and where he organized churches with uncircumcised Gentiles. Some of those Jews who were angry with Paul made trips back to Jerusalem to the Jewish annual feasts and vented their anger concerning him by spreading rumors which were not true. They said that out on the mission field, Paul had taught Jews to forsake the law. They said that he had told those Jewish parents that they ought not to circumcise their children. They said that Paul had told those Jewish families that they ought not to follow the customs that had been established under the law of Moses. This was all falsehood. Paul had never taught Jewish families not to circumsize their children. Paul was not against circumcision. He, himself, had circumcized one of his fellow helpers. But Paul did stoutly deny that circumcision was necessary for salvation. And Paul did teach that Gentiles should not be required to be circumcised in order to be saved. Neither had Paul taught Jewish families that they should not follow the customs which had been set up under the Mosiac Law. But Paul did teach that one does not get saved by keeping those customs. Paul said that if one could get saved by keeping the law customs that it would not have been necessary for Jesus to be crucified. In Galatians 2:21 Paul wrote, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” The reports that had been brought against Paul by those opposed him were false. They were all false. Now it goes without saying that James and the elders of the Jerusalem church did not believe those rumors. They knew them to be false. Therefore, they gladly received Paul and his companions and joyfully received the news about the new Gentile converts and the new Gentile churches. But they warned Paul that when all of those Jews who were against him would arrive in Jerusalem for the celebration of the annual feast that there was the danger that they would make trouble for Paul. There was a very real danger that they would make serious trouble for Paul. V. 22, “What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.” Listen, James and the elders here are not talking about the danger of trouble from Jews who had not professed Christ. He was talking about Paul facing danger because of trouble from professed Christians. He was talking about Paul facing trouble from Christian leaders --- even from some preachers. Listen, it was bad enough for Paul to face trouble from unsaved Jews. It was bad enough for him to face danger form unsaved Gentiles. But it is far worse for him to have trouble and face danger because of his own Christian brethren. But James told Paul that when all of his enemies got together in Jerusalem that they will surely hear that he has arrived in Jerusalem and that he can expect trouble from those brethren. II. A plan for heading off the trouble James and the elders of the Jerusalem church were very concerned for Paul and for his safety. Therefore, they had already given much thought to the problem before Paul arrived and they had a plan which they thought could head off a confrontation with the opposing brethren. V. 23. “Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them.” The plan involved four of the brethren in the Jerusalem church. These four brethren had a made a vow under the Jewish law which obligated them to do certain things for a specified number of days. At the close of the specified number of days the Law of Moses required of them to shave their heads and to go through certain washings for purification and to offer certain sacrifices at the brazen alter of the Jewish temple. V. 24, “Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave [their] heads...” The plan which James and the elders offered was that Paul would join those four brethren in the cerimonial purification at the Jewish temple. Now they were not suggesting that Paul make the same vow with them. It was too late for that. What they were suggesting was that he join in the ceremonial washing and in the ceremonial sacrifices which were required by the Law of Moses. Some think that James and the brethren may have also been suggesting that Paul sponsor these brethren in this cleansing by furnishing the animals which were required in the sacrifice. (V. 24), “...and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but [that] thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.” They said that the reason they were suggesting that Paul do this was so that those who oppose him could see for themselves that the things they had heard about Paul were not true. They could see for themselves that Paul respected the law of Moses and that he, himself, sought to walk according to its requirements. V. 25, “As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written [and] concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from [things] offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.” James and the elders with him sought to reassure Paul that they were not opposed to him on this matter concerning the law. They had already gone on record concering this very same matter and they were still of that same conviction. They said in effect, “We still believe that it is not necessary for Gentiles to come under the law of Moses in order to be saved. We do think that Gentiles should change their way of living after they are saved and that they should live godly lives in keeping with God’s will, but we do not believe that they must come under the law to be saved.” III. Paul following the plan Apparently James and the elders had already talked with four men involved in the vow and had their consent for Paul to join them in the ceremonial cleansing and in the making of the required sacrifices. It just remained for Paul to decide whether he would take the advice of James and the elders or whether he would decline their suggestion and take his chances with the opposing brethren. V. 26, “Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.” Paul evidently had no difficulty in seeing the wisdom of their suggestion. So the very next day he and the four brethren under the vow went together to the temple. Together they went through all the ceremonial washing. Together they made the required sacrifices. Luke does not say whether or not the plan worked. Since the Christian Jews numbered into the thousands and since they were in Jerusalem to observe the feast days it is almost certain that he was observed by some of them that all who were upset about Paul would soon learn that Paul still honored and respected the Law of Moses and that, therefore, the rumors were false. We will see in the verses that follow that Paul’s real danger was not that which he faced from his Christian brethren. It was trouble that he faced from unsaved Jews who were opponents of all Christians. There was nothing that Paul could do to prevent trouble with them. IV. Some lessons Let me first point out to you that it is the responsibility of each Christian to seek to head off trouble with others. Paul was right to try to head off trouble with his Christian brethren, the Christian Jews who had misunderstood his teachings concerning the Mosiac law. Later he wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and advised, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,” Rom. 12.18. We, too, should seek to head off trouble with our Christian brethren. First of all, we should seek to be careful not to stir up trouble with another Christian brother. If trouble does come with a Christian brother we should seek to settle the matter peaceably. Yet we are not only to seek to live peaceably with our fellow Christians, but we should seek to live peaceably with all men, even the unsaved. They are the ones to whom we are to witness. Secondly, let me point out that we are to seek to live before all men in such a way that they can see that we are trying to do the will of the Lord. Paul followed the counsel of James and the elders and joined the four brethren in the ceremonial cleansing at the temple so that all could see that he was trying to live his life in keeping with the will of God. As Christians, we are to let our light shine before men so that they may see our good works and glorify God in heaven. We are most definitely not to live in such a way that they will say, “If that is Christianity I do not want any part if it.” Let me further point out to you that we should be willing to listen to good counsel. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem had some good advice for Paul. They were not trying to hurt him. Neither were they trying to boss him. They were just trying to help him. There are others about us who are trying to help us. We ought to listen to them and with the advice which they offer. If it is good advice we can take it and profit from it. If it is poor advice we can bypass it and do something else. But at least we ought to listen to it and consider it. Let me speak to those who are unsaved and say to you that those who speak to you about being saved are interested in your eternal well being. They do not want you to spend eternity in the everlasting fires of hell. They want you to go to heaven and to enjoy all of its beauty and splendor. Let me speak to the older Christians. I believe the old saying that we never get too old to learn. We can get too stubborn to learn. We may even loose our mental capability to learn, but as long as we have our mental faculties, we should continue to learn. Particularly, we should continue to learn the word of God and the will of God for our lives. What you learn today can be of benefit to you for the rest of your life. So let us be eager to learn. Let us be aware that trouble will come to our lives. In the book of Job it is said that man is of few days and full of trouble. It should be no surprise to you to know that trouble comes to those who are out of the will of God. We bring a lot of trouble on ourselves by the things that we do and sometimes by failing to do the things that we should do. But what may come as a surprise to you is that trouble comes to those who are doing the will of God. The most faithful people that I know still have their troubles. But the most important thing that we should know about trouble is that God is able to help us in our troubles. Let us learn to call upon God and seek His will and to trust Him to help us with our troubles.