Acts 21 – 22
Today’s reading seems to lack significant theological points, but has some significant historical ones. Many tend to run towards safety, in this instance Paul is running into the burning building. Verse 21:11 is one of the many warnings he received:
And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
Even with many saying don’t go, with many prophesying the dangers, he still goes. Now that’s faith, when God is telling you through prophets to not go, and you still feel it’s what God wants you to do. I sometimes question if Paul should have gone, but his points for going were sound. He had two problems, the Jews felt he turned on them while the messianic Jews were concerned he was preaching a false Gospel. Verse 21:21 is James’ concern with Paul’s teaching:
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.
This is a sticky point with many, are we “Gentiles” not bound at all by the Law or should we follow it? Jesus “fulfills” the Law, but what exactly does that mean? You read the concerns of James and it seems like the game of telephone, where you tell someone something and see how it changes as it passes through many people. What was innocent discussion of Gentiles and the Law, became a major offense by the time it got to James.
Now per the question of Gentiles either obeying or not the Laws and customs of Moses, we need to explore the truth. Before we go on, “truth” something I am developing and often my beliefs go against traditional church dogmas. My personal opinion is that messianic Jews are bound by the Law but Gentiles are not. Now Jesus’ sacrifice fulfills the sacrifice portions of the Law and messianic Jews are no longer required to sacrifice, but they are still bound to the other Laws. Gentiles on the other hand are not bound by the Law, but we should honor it just the same.
By the end of chapter 21, Paul is already in custody with angry Jews and Christians. He is brought before the Roman’s to be flogged and wiggles out of this beating. Verse 23:25 has him getting legal on the centurion:
But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
Interesting how God uses the most unlikely people to further his message. Paul was a man who was Roman and persecuted the Christians, yet wrote most of the Bible. Think about Moses, he was raised in Egyptian royalty and left a murderer before God used him. So NEVER say “God cannot use me” because he can and will!!