Strong-Headed Insistence and Soft-Hearted Responses

Acts 21:17-31

Sometimes there are things Christians hold very dear. They could be traditions from our culture - perhaps things we did when we were unbelievers. Sometimes these things are anti-biblical. If they are, we should abandon them. Some of you were pagans before your conversion. As pagans, we had superstitions about luck, numbers, and even spirits. But as Christians, we know God’s in control of all things. Living in block 58 or 114, or cutting your nails at night is not going to give you bad luck. God’s in control. No spirit can harm us. No Christian should ever hold any of these superstitions. Then there are things that Christians hold on to that are unbiblical, but accepted as biblical. The concept of filial piety is very strong among Asian Christians. But filial piety is not biblical. The fifth commandment commands us to honor father and mother. But the fifth commandment is not filial piety. Filial piety requires one to honor mother more than wife. But the Bible teaches us to leave father and mother and to cleave to our wives. But Christians can be slow to learn - we can still hold onto superstition and unbiblical culture very strongly. Then there are traditions that are neutral - they can be rightly celebrated. They are in the end not vital - we can do and also don’t do. Like Chinese New Year or even Deepavali without the religious undertones - like meeting family and friends. So I didn’t grow up celebrating Chinese New Year - being overseas for most of my childhood. I don’t have that attachment. I’d rather be traveling. But I celebrate it because my extended family would be disappointed if I was absent. Do I insist on traveling or yield to please them?

We know that under Christ, his laws are supreme. There are things we can’t do. How do we face the strong-headed insistence of those who want us to sin against God? And there are things we’d rather not do, but we do for the sake of others, because they’re not wrong. How can we be soft-hearted in responding to things not wrong but things we’d rather not do? How do we navigate through this? We see in 2 lessons how Christians often have to navigate through these things and to know how to please the Lord - firstly, there can be a soft-hearted response in the midst of strong-headed insistence, but secondly, there can be a hot-headed response in the midst of wicked-hearted opposition.

Firstly, a soft-hearted response in the midst of strong-headed insistence. When Paul made his way to Jerusalem, he was well-received by the churches. The church of Tyre sent him off, praying and weeping with him. The Ephesian elders also wept. They kissed him. This showed their affection for him. When he went through Ptolemais and Caesarea, he received the hospitality of the saints. Then when he got to Jerusalem, he stayed with Mnason, an older wealthy saint. Then here in verse 17, he was received by the brethren in Jerusalem with gladness. There was joy in Jerusalem when they received him. We learn in verse 18 how he met with the elders of the church, moderated by James, and they welcomed him. So he gave his ministry report because he hadn’t been in Jerusalem for several years. Verse 19 says that they greeted him formally in the Lord, and he told them specifically what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And verse 20 tells us that they glorified God when they heard it. There was joy. These Gentiles - once pagan - who were outside the commonwealth of Israel, who had not received mercy and grace - had now been brought in, shown mercy and grace, and saved.

But what happened next was a bit sad. There was suspicion. Even though they rejoiced at the great things God had done through Paul, yet there was a reaction to him that was cautious at best and suspicious at worst. Verses 20-21 say, “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 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.”

Meaning, it’s great that the Gentiles are saved. But there’s a problem here in Jerusalem. And it’s not a minor problem. There are thousands of Jewish believers here - they’re all zealous about their Jewish law - meaning the ceremonial law. And they’ve heard that Paul had taught the Jews who lived in those Gentile cities to forsake Moses - in other words, that they shouldn’t circumcise their children or keep the Jewish traditions. In other words, there’s talk. Now, I think the elders were for Paul. They knew Paul. But they also knew there was talk and they anticipated friction. In verse 22, they said, “What should we do? These people will certainly hear that you have come.” They will ask if you’re for or against the law. Now, James and the other elders had their right priorities. They knew their theology. In Acts 15, they had already said that circumcision and the dietary laws were not necessary for salvation. We are saved by grace through faith alone. So that’s why the Gentiles weren’t required to keep them. They only had to stay away from pagan worship which involved sacrifice, blood, and sex. Similarly, Paul also brought this teaching wherever he went. He was armed with the letters from the Jerusalem synod. And wherever he went, he preached that it’s not necessary for anyone to keep the Mosaic laws. Now, conversely, Paul also never prohibited anyone from keeping the laws either. He allowed the weaker brethren to keep it, those who still had such scruples - who by reason of immaturity and lack of full knowledge. And there was that time, for the sake of the Gospel, that Paul had Timothy circumcised. He did it so that the Gospel would have free course among the Jews. Similarly, Paul also made a Nazarite vow in Acts 18. In response to the news he wouldn’t be harmed, he vowed to serve God. This very Jewish custom was kept by Paul. It wasn’t necessary, but he did these things. And so he’d know that for those who valued these things, like Chinese New Year, these things were important if they were downplayed.

You see, this was a transition time between Old and New Covenants. It was a delicate time. The Jews never expected God would have a relationship with the Gentiles, or that the Mosaic laws would be abolished. It was no small matter to them. They would be strong-headed in insisting that these things be kept - all the feasts, sacrifices, ceremonies, washings, etc. For many of them, these laws were still important. And when they heard that Paul was saying it was unnecessary to keep these laws, it translated in their minds to Paul forbidding people from doing this - that they should forsake Moses; that he commanded people not to circumcise their children. Now, this is sad for several reasons - they didn’t know that Paul still valued his Jewishness and that he had made provisions for the Jewish feelings of others.

But how did Paul react? Was he outraged? How would we react? How can they ever think this of me? When I have sought to mediate peace and help the Gentiles with the Jews, and Jews with the Gentiles! Instead, Paul reacted with humility and unity by submitting to the wise counsel of the elders. In verses 23-24, they told him to follow their instructions. They wanted him to purify himself together with 4 Jewish believers who had taken the Nazarite vow. Why? In order to quell all rumors. Paul, they said you have a problem with the Jewish laws - so show them that you don’t. The elders had to think about the church. They wanted to preserve the unity of the church. So in order not to stumble the brethren, they asked Paul to purify himself - after all, he had come into contact with the Gentiles. He was also to pay for these Jewish brothers to shave their head - to show he didn’t have an issue with the law. And we learn in verse 26 that he took the men the next day. He didn’t delay. He purified himself. Then he payed for their hair to be shorn and offered. And this took 7 days, according to verse 27. Now, we can look at this and be disappointed with the elders. Why did they treat Paul like this? It was Paul! What they had larger things to think about besides Paul. And what’s wonderful was this - Paul was willing to do this. He didn’t compromise. It was not the moral law, it was ceremonial law. And so he was conciliatory. He acquiesced. It was for the greater unity of the church - he wouldn’t hold onto his guns. The gospel is a gospel of grace and unity. He didn’t make a mountain out of a molehill. There was strong-headed insistence, but he responded soft-heartedly. And there’s reason for this. It also vindicated him.

Secondly, we see there can be a hot-headed response in the midst of wicked-hearted opposition. Paul was not against the law, he kept the traditions. But he was charged by haters of being against it. Remember that Paul and all the churches knew that he would be imprisoned and suffer. These expected persecutions would come from the unbelieving Jewish leaders who felt threatened. Verse 27 says that at the end of the purification, the Jews of Asia saw him and stirred up the people and laid hands on them. They hated Paul and they stirred up suspicion against him. Now, who were these Jews of Asia? These were the very ones who had witnessed Paul in various cities in Asia. In Acts 19, Paul preached in Ephesus for 2 years. From there, the whole of Asia heard about Christ - both Jews and Gentiles - so much so that many became believers. But those that didn’t become believers were angry with him. There were many people who were angry with Paul - there was Demetrius and his guild of silversmiths - they lost their business because of the Gospel. But this could be Alexander and his gang, who tried to defend themselves and got beat up in the end. So the hatred was palpable. And here, when they saw him, they stirred up all the people at the temple mount, and caught and detained him. The Greek word for “stir” literally means to pour together and to mix - it is used to speak about poisoning the well. And so figuratively, it has to do with disturbing the minds of others. And we see in verse 28 what they did. They cried out - “Men of Israel, help!” How ironic. Help is a phrase used by those who are weaker and who are attacked. But this phrase was used by people who were wanting to attack. This was a phrase that was used by those who already laid hands. They made themselves out to be the victims.

And this is how they seduced the people - they convinced them by their wicked counsel. In verse 28, they used a combination of truth and error. “This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” Their accusation was that Paul spoke out against the Jewish people. Now, how can this be true? Paul himself was a Jew. He loved his people so much that he wished he could be accursed for their sake. Maybe they thought he spoke against the Jews because he preached the gospel also to the Gentiles. So it wasn’t true that he was against the Jewish people; perhaps they thought so because he wasn’t only for the Jewish people.

Furthermore, they accused Paul of teaching against the law. Well, yes if you consider how he taught as the Jerusalem council taught - that the ceremonial laws were unnecessary anymore. But Paul himself, kept these laws. They accused him of speaking against the temple. Yes, Paul had said that the church is the holy temple of God, and therefore, no more sacrifice was needed because Christ had fulfilled the temple. But where was he when they captured him? He was in the temple to perform ceremonial rites! He had just demonstrated his respect for the ceremonial law by going to the temple to purify himself, and to offer the hair of these 4 Jewish believers who had undergone the Nazarite vow. Paul had previously done this - he paid his vow after his second missionary journey.

But the Jews from Asia weren’t only prepared to stir up the people by putting a spin on the truths, they were willing to lie. This was their wicked counsel - they hoped to seduce people to be on their side. They accused him of bringing Gentiles into the Temple - which was prohibited. In verse 29, they had seen him in the city with Trophimus - who was an Ephesian - and they assumed he brought him into the Temple also. It says, “(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)” When you assume, you make an ass, a donkey, out of you and me. Paul would never have brought Trophimus into the temple. He had just worked so hard to preserve unity. Why would risk it all by bringing a Gentile inside?

But unfortunately, people are not always level headed. They are hot-headed when they are seduced by lies. They believed. Their minds were poisoned. And this led to a violent response. Verse 30 records that all the city - not just those around the temple - but all the city was moved, and the people ran together, captured Paul, dragged him out of the temple, shut the gates behind him, and they tried to kill him, verse 31. We’re told that the whole city was in an uproar. Had the news not reached the captain of the Roman army, Paul would have been beaten to death then and there.

Dearly beloved, the church of God is not immune to these things. There can be hot-headed opposition and strong-headed conviction. Lies can be spread. People can be seduced. People cry for help in order to destroy. The unity of the church is always under attack. The devil is always looking for ways to destroy the church. Yes, all of this was expected from unbelievers - that they would have their minds poisoned, that they would rise up in mob-like style, that they would hurt Paul. The law, temple, and people - were so important to the unbelieving Jews, that they would kill. There was great anger. But believers whose traditions and customs are violated, can unfortunately behave like this. Yes, they were a bit calmer - but they were also bothered. They believed hearsay.

I think there are several lessons for us today. Knowing that wicked counsel, admixing truth and lies to try to seduce others onto our side, are characteristics of unbelievers, we must not give ourselves to such behavior. No tradition and custom is worth it. Remember the context. At the same time, we see the wonderful characteristic of Paul. Of all people, he was accused of hating the customs of his people. And the elders in Jerusalem didn’t seem to stand up for him! It seems as if they gave into the growing unrest of the Jewish Christians! And Paul, why did you go ahead with purification? Just to please these people? Yes. You see, that’s the wonderful characteristic of Paul. He gave into the wise counsel of his elders. Paul the Apostle was not above the rest. “Do therefore this that we say to thee.” And he did. It was for the unity of the church. Paul was not going to be insistent on his ways. But for the sake of the church, he did what was needful. He had a soft-hearted response.

These customs of the Old Covenant people - were marks of unity among the Jews. But in Acts, they had become marks of disunity. These things also happen today. The Lord’s Supper is meant to proclaim our unity - but people argue over leavened or unleavened bread; to be sure, there’s significance - the leaven of sin has been removed by Christ. People also argue about wine or juice. To be sure, fermented juice - being wine - has significance. New wine bursts old wine skins. The leaven of Christ, is meant to permeate our lives. But in the end, why kick up a fuss if it splits the church. Same thing with baptism which symbolizes our ingrafting into Christ as one covenant people - but it divides. Worship, meant to be an expression of God’s covenant people in praise of God, can often divide his people. While we learn not to make mountains of molehills, we also learn that while we are yet here, there will be contentions in the church over many things. Therefore, considering all of these things, let us preserve unity as much as we can because there are greater problems to worry about - there’s enough to deal with from the world and from Satan - we all need the church beside us. And the only way for that to happen is if the gospel of grace works in us.

1. A Soft-Hearted Response in the Midst of Wise-Headed Insistence

A. Joy and sad suspicion in the church

B. Submitted to wise counsel

2. A Hot-Headed Response in the Midst of Wicked-Hearted Opposition

A. Hatred and stirred suspicion by the world

B. Seduced by wicked counsel