When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 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, 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. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 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.
Comment: This was a difficult time for the young church – a mixture of Jews who believed in and trusted Jesus, Proselytes to Judaism who had become Christians and Gentiles who without becoming Jews became Christians. The man Jesus was a Jew, He was the promised Messiah to the Jews. To the Gentiles He exploded onto the scene of their lives as the Answer to separation from and enmity with God. He dealt with the problem of sin and restored a right relationship between God and the believer in Him. It is not difficult to see that their different backgrounds led to the need to sort things out. The Jewish leaders seem to have…
- Accepted Paul’s story and rejoiced in the reality of God accepting Gentiles as equals in His family with Jews.
- Noted the complaint that many Jews had against Paul. The church leaders statement was ‘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 was not what Paul had been teaching. He had been teaching that Gentiles did not need circumcision (or to follow the Jewish laws) to be saved.
- They encouraged Paul, in unison with four faithful Jews, to perform an act which would show his continuing personal faithfulness to the Mosaic Law (he was still a Jew).
Prayer: Help me not to jump to wrong conclusions because I fail to truly listen to what You are saying to me, Father.
As I read it! 