How was Paul returning to Jerusalem to be good news for the rest of the world?
[Here now a few dozen years after Jesus. While Paul spent most of his life reaching out to non-Jews in the outer reaches of the Roman Empire, here he will be facing the leaders of the Jewish followers of Jesus back in Jerusalem. He knows that in going there, it will likely be at the cost of his own life. It was.]
Paul had decided to sail on by Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.
(Acts 20:16)
“[Jewish followers of Jesus] have been told that you have been teaching all the Jews who live in Gentile countries to abandon the Law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or follow the Jewish customs. They are sure to hear that you have arrived. What should be done, then? This is what we want you to do.”
(Acts 21:21-23a)
If some people came up to you and said, “This is what we want you to do.” Would you know what they’re going to say – or would you be hearing it for the first time? You’d be hearing it for the first time! Do you see what’s happening here? Paul has just raced crossed the entire known world to arrive in Jerusalem for Pentecost and he doesn’t even know what he’s going to do when he gets there! Why? How about the following (my words speaking as Paul):
“James (leader of the Jewish believers) and I (leader of the non-Jewish believers) are in agreement over a principle. People though just aren’t getting it. It doesn’t matter how many times we say it, how many different ways we say it, they’re just not getting it. The only way they’re going to get it is if we live it out in front of them. Now, how we live this principle out I’ll leave up to James as it’s his area. And of course if we’re going to live this out, we want to do so in front of the widest group possible so they see it and understand what we’ve been trying to communicate.”
Would that then explain why it was so important for Paul to arrive for Pentecost when the entire Jewish world would have been descending on Jerusalem?
“There are four men here who have taken a vow. Go along with them and join them in the ceremony of purification and pay their expenses; then they will be able to shave their heads.”
(Acts 21:23b-24a)
These events are taking place after the death of Christ where the Law of Moses has been fulfilled. Wouldn’t this then constitute “false religion”?
And what does it mean to fulfill a vow? Basically, it goes something like the following: “Lord, if you do this for me, I will climb the highest mountain, cross the widest river”… whatever – and then you go to Jerusalem and complete the transaction by performing a very specific ritual. Here there is a purification ceremony, a shaving of the hair (burned as a fellowship offering – Numbers 6:18), sacrificing an animal on the altar in the Jerusalem temple, etc. Now if you were to go through the Law of Moses and rate all of the rituals on a scale from 1 to 10 based on how religious, weird, Jewishy, kinky they are, this one would clearly come out as an 11!
And you think that’s by accident?
Paul greeted them and gave a complete report of everything that God had done among the Gentiles through his work. After hearing him, they all praised God. “Brother Paul, you can see how many thousands of Jews have become believers, and how devoted they all are to the Law.”
(Acts 21:19-20)
For once Paul and his work among the Gentiles is not the focus. This meeting might well have gone on for hours, but Scripture is focusing our attention on one thing and one thing only: Jews who came to follow Jesus were empowered to practice the Law! That distinguished them from their non-Jewish counterparts.
Now were they referring to the law in an ethereal “Love your neighbor as yourself” kind of way? Or were they talking about the kinky, religious, Jewishy stuff like we just looked at previously?
“In this way everyone will know that there is no truth in any of the things that they have been told about you…”
(Acts 21:24b)
Here the key: What were the things that have been told about Paul? Some historical context might help shed some light on this…
Some men came from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the believers, “You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised as the Law of Moses requires.” Paul and Barnabas got into a fierce argument with them about this, so it was decided that Paul and Barnabas… should go to Jerusalem and see the apostles and elders about this matter.
(Acts 15:1-2)
We have heard that some who went from our group have troubled and upset you by what they said; they had not, however, received any instruction from us…
(Acts 15:24)
To summarize, years prior some men went out from James – unbeknownst to James – to the Gentiles saying, in essence: “It’s all well and fine you’re following Jesus, but you need to become Jewish!” (be circumcised, follow the Law, etc.). At that time it was a relatively big Jewish Church and a tiny non-Jewish Church. Now years later, it’s a big non-Jewish Church and a relatively small Jewish Church. What’s happening? Certain men have gone out from Paul – unbeknownst to Paul – to the Jews, saying, “It’s all well and fine you’re following Jesus, but you need to stop being Jewish! Well, of course you’re Jewish, but this religious stuff – Christ completed the requirements of the Law! You’re practicing false religion! Stop!” It’s the same issue… come full circle!
Do you see it?
Each of you should go on living… as you were when God called you. …Each of you should remain as you were when you accepted God’s call.
(1 Corinthians 7:17-20)
What was it that made it so difficult for people to navigate on both sides: Jews to non-Jews initially, later non-Jews to Jews? “Yes, Paul and James, we don’t change our jobs, social networks and so on – that’s our identity. But when it comes to Jesus, God – religious stuff – well, that of course has to change.” Non-Jews becoming Jews on the one hand; Jews becoming non-Jews on the other? No! Religion is part of your identity – your corporate identity – that shouldn’t change. It is what binds a culture together. And how can Paul and James say this? Because, very simply, the Gospel of Jesus has nothing to do with the religion you practice!
What then is the full Good News of the Gospel? That the Messiah will empower you to worship the one true God through the religion of your people. Getting that message out was the only thing truly important enough – where the very essence of the Gospel was at stake – to warrant the apostle Paul risking and eventually losing his life.
(btw, are you noticing the distinction between religion and worship?)