Study #66: Paul demonstrated his faithfulness to the Law, but was attacked by unbelieving Jews in the Temple (Acts 21:15

Study #66: Paul demonstrated his faithfulness to the Law, but was attacked by unbelieving Jews in the Temple (Acts 21:15 - 22:21)

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The Golden Ratio outline of Acts Chapter 2.4:

Acts, Chapter 2.4: Paul the free man traveled to Jerusalem to witness to the Jews (21:1 - 23:11)

§Unique Introduction: Paul continued traveling to Jerusalem, in spite of opposition from the Holy Spirit through other believers (21:1 - 14)

¶Opposite Paul and his missionary band sailed from Asia Minor to Tyre, where they stayed with a church for a week (21:1 - 6)

¶Opposite Paul refused to listen to the urgings of other Christians not to go up to Jerusalem (21:7 - 14)

§Complement Body: Paul demonstrated his faithfulness to the Law, but was attacked by unbelieving Jews in the Temple (21:15 - 22:21)

¶Unique Paul declared to the other Apostles at Jerusalem what God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry (21:15 - 19)

¶Complement The Apostles told Paul to demonstrate his fidelity to the Law of Moses before the zealous Jews in the church (21:20 - 26)

¶Complement The Roman Centurion rescued Paul from being killed by the zealous Jews in the Temple (21:27 - 39)

¶Opposite Paul testified that he was a zealous persecutor of Christians before he was met Jesus Christ (21:40 - 22:10)

¶Opposite Paul testified that the Lord Jesus sent Paul away from Jerusalem to preach to the Gentiles (22:11 - 21)

§Complement Conclusion: Paul used his citizenship against the Romans and his heritage as a Pharisee against the Sanhedrin (22:22 - 23:11)

¶Complement Paul frightened the Romans soldiers with the news that he was a natural-born Roman citizen (22:22 - 29)

¶Complement Paul caused great division among the Sanhedrin Council by identifying as a Pharisee (22:30 - 23:11)

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Comments: There is a lot of action in the first three paragraphs of the Body Section, so I will only make a few comments about each one; and summarize at the end.

Paragraph 1:

¶Unique Paul declared to the other Apostles at Jerusalem what God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry (Acts 21:15 - 19)

Opposite And after those days, we packed our belongings, and went up to Jerusalem.

Opposite Also there went with us some of the disciples of Caesarea; and they brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we would lodge. --

Complement And when we came to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

Complement And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Unique And when he had greeted them, he declared particularly what things God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry.

Comments: Notice the Golden Ratio design of “OO-CCU” or, two opposites, two complements/complementary, and one unique. This design is the reverse of the next two paragraphs, because the first paragraph is unique in this group of five paragraphs in the Body Section.

¶Unique Paul declared to the other Apostles at Jerusalem what God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry (21:15 - 19)

¶Complement The Apostles told Paul to demonstrate his fidelity to the Law of Moses before the zealous Jews in the church (21:20 - 26)

¶Complement The Roman Centurion rescued Paul from being killed by the zealous Jews in the Temple (21:27 - 39)

¶Opposite Paul testified that he was a zealous persecutor of Christians before he was met Jesus Christ (21:40 - 22:10)

¶Opposite Paul testified that the Lord Jesus sent Paul away from Jerusalem to preach to the Gentiles (22:11 - 21)

You may remember the previous study, where I showed that Paul was going up to Jerusalem against the will of God.

Acts 21:4 “And, finding disciples, we waited there seven days, who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”

As we shall see, the disobedience of Paul, while he meant to do good, could not end well, and this Chapter ends with Paul in a Roman prison.

Paragraph 2:

¶Complement The Apostles told Paul to demonstrate his fidelity to the Law of Moses before the zealous Jews in the church (Acts 21:20 - 26)

Unique And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe in Christ. And they are all zealous of the Law; and they are informed of you, that you teach all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses: saying that they should not circumcise their children; neither walk after the customs.

Complement What is it therefore? The multitude must necessarily come together: for they will hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we say to you: we have four men who have a Nazarite vow on them; take them, and consecrate yourself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their head. And all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning you, are nothing; but that you yourself also walk orderly, and observe the Law.

Complement As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled things, and from fornication.”

Opposite Then Paul took the men.

Opposite And the next day, purifying himself with them, he entered into the Temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering would be offered for every one of them.

Comments: Notice the Golden Ratio design of “UCC-OO”, or “one unique, two complements, and two opposites.”

You might say, why were the Apostles forcing Paul to demostrate his fidelity to the Law of Moses? Didn’t the Apostles believe that the Finished Work of Christ eliminated the sacrifices in the Temple of Jehovah? The answer is yes, they did believe that; however, it appears that they had made compromises with the Pharisees or the Jewish extremists in the church in Jerusalem; and they kept up an appearance of following the Law of Moses, even though they knew that the sacrifices in the Temple were invalid after Jesus had ended the sacrifice of animals to God with his once for all time sacrifice on the cross for our sins on Calvary, never to be repeated.

We have to remember that even though the Apostles were men of God, and were greatly used of God, they were still only human; and they made mistakes like everyone else. Their teaching letters that God has preserved for us in the Holy Bible are inspired, infallible, and preserved from all error by the Holy Spirit of God.

2 Peter 1:20-21: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture comes of one’s own interpretation: for the prophecy came at no time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed; and is beneficial for doctrine, for rebuke, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, and thoroughly equipped for all good work.”

But in their personal lives, the Apostles and others in the early church were not preserved from all error. Paul rebuked Peter for being a hypocrite in Galatians 2:11-14; Paul himself disobeyed the warning of the Holy Spirit in Acts 21:4; Mark refused to continue with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, and returned to Jerusalem. I’m sure that if we knew the personal lives of all of the Apostles, we would find many other instances where mistakes were made.

The important thing is that God still used them! I’m glad that God uses sinful men in spite of their weaknesses, because I’m one of them too, and you are also. This should give us great hope, because God can use you and I to do great things for God, even though we are weak, because Jesus is strong, and He is good.

Jesus said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” Amen.

Luke 5:8-11: “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me: for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” ... Then Jesus said to Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth you shall catch men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook everything, and followed him.”

The writings of the Apostles in the Holy Bible are our guide and our authority for all behavior and doctrine. But the Apostles themselves were only men; we must never elevate any man above the Word of God, because this will lead us into error every time.

Let this also be a warning to you: if you see a preacher exalting himself as someone who is important or powerful, you know that he is not a man of God, but a servant of the devil; or at the very least, he is not right with God. This is a work of the flesh, and not of the Holy Spirit. Pride is the mark of Satan. Avoid him!

1 Timothy 3:6 “But he [a pastor] must not be a new believer, lest being lifted up with pride, he falls into the condemnation of the devil.”

Matthew 20:25-28: “But Jesus called them to himself, and said, “You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be this way among you; but whosoever wishes to have great authority among you must be your servant; and whosoever wishes to be first among you must be your bondslave. Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Paragraph 3:

¶Complement The Roman Centurion rescued Paul from being killed by the zealous Jews in the Temple (Acts 21:27 - 39)

Unique And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the Temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man, that teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place. And furthermore he brought Greeks also into the Temple, and has polluted this holy place.” (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Temple.) And the entire city was agitated; and the people ran together, and they took Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple; and at once the doors were shut.

Complement And as they prepared to kill him, news came to the tribune of the Roman garrison, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar; who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Complement Then the tribune came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he demanded to know who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, and some another, among the multitude; and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, it was so, that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the people: for the multitude of the people followed after them, crying, “Away with him!” --

Opposite And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said to the tribune, “May I speak to you?” Who said, “Can you speak Greek? Are you not that Egyptian, which before these days made an uproar, and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?” But Paul said, “I am a man who is a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city.

Opposite Now, I ask you, allow me to speak to the people.”

Comments: Again, notice the Golden Ratio design of “UCC-OO”, or “one unique, two complements, and two opposites.”

Paul almost lost his life at the hands of the vengeful Jews in the Temple, who falsely believed that he was an apostate from God.

Jesus said in John 16:2, “They shall expel you from the synagogues; moreover, the time is coming, that whosoever kills you will imagine that he is serving God. And they will do these things to you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”

Zeal is a good thing, if it is biblical zeal. But true zeal for God will never lead a Christian to kill anyone, because murder is a wicked thing.

“You shall not murder” Exodus 20:13.

Many muslims believe that “allah” wants them to kill anyone who opposes Islam: Jews, Christians, and even other muslims; but this is not the will of God!

In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus said, “You heard that it was said, ‘‘Love your neighbor’, and ‘hate your enemy’’; but I say to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

This is a difficult thing for anyone to do, when somone is persecuting you; but we must do this, if we are true followers of God.

This does not mean, I believe, that we must allow others to kill us. If a burglar enters your home and tries to kill you and rape your family, the only correct course of action is to get your gun and shoot him to defend yourself.

Luke 22:36b “Then [Jesus] said to them, “And he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”

Jesus was speaking of religious persecution for your faith in Him, not criminals who break into your home. If you are persecuted for your faith in Jesus Christ, then you must not respond with violence, but love. Remember that your persecutor is blinded by Satan and cannot see the truth; but perhaps if they see Jesus in your life, then your testimony could possibly result in their repentance and faith in Christ later in life. This is the will of Jesus Christ for all of his children.

I Peter 3:1, “Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that, if any do not obey the Word of God, they may also without the Word be won to Christ by the conduct of the wives, while they observe your pure conduct in fear.”

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. If you want to go to Heaven when you di, you must go through Jesus Christ, or you won’t make it!

The Quran denies that Jesus is the Son of the one true God Jehovah, so you cannot go to Heaven through Islam.

Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Taoism and all of the religions of the world deny that Jesus is the Son of the one true God Jehovah and the only Way to God, so you cannot go to Heaven through these religions.

Liberal churches deny that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, so if you believe them, you cannot go to Heaven.

The Bible alone has the true message of Salvation through the Finished Work of Jesus Christ on the cross 2,000 years ago:

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.”

You cannot be a child of God until you have been born again; and you cannot be born again until you have repented of your sins and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life to become your Savior. This is done by your prayer of faith in the Finished Work of Christ on the cross, and not by the water of baptism or by church membership or by your good works.

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been permanently saved through faith; and that faith is not out of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of our own works, lest any man should boast”

Romans 10:8-13: “But what does it say? “The Word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart”; that is to say, the Word of faith (which we preach), that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved: for with the heart man believes into righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made into salvation: for the Scripture says, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for [it is written], “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you want to be saved, and become free sin and Satan; and have a future in Heaven, here is how you do it: if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, you may pray this prayer to receive Him as your Savior and be saved:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! You are my only hope for salvation! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, you were buried, and you rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”

If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook or by email at editor@phibible.org and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.