Sabbath: Arrest in Jerusalem
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 21; Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 5:6; Acts 22; Acts 23:1-30; Matt. 22:23-32.
Memory Text: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ ” (Acts 23:11, NIV).
Soon after Paul’s first missionary journey, it became clear that there was a fundamental disagreement in the church on how the Gentiles were to be admitted into the faith (Acts 15:1-5). Perhaps sensing a growing conflict, Paul conceived a plan to promote unity in the church. Because at the council he was asked to remember the poor (Gal. 2:10), he decided to invite the Gentile churches to provide financial aid to the brethren in Judea, the “collection for the saints” (1 Cor. 16:1), perhaps hoping that it could help build bridges between the two groups.
This could explain his determination to go to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey, despite the risks. On one hand, he had a genuine love for his fellow Jews (Rom. 9:1-5); on the other, he longed for a united church (Gal. 3:28, Gal. 5:6). As Jews and Gentiles were equally saved through faith, not through the works of the law (Rom. 3:28-30), any social alienation between them based on the ceremonial requirements of the law was against the inclusive nature of the gospel (Eph. 2:11-22).
Let’s follow Paul as he enters this new phase of his life and mission.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 15.
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The Lord encourages His servants
The Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
Leave at once - In His time - Stay bound (arrested) - In His time
“The following night the Lord stood NEAR Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ ”
"Some, even of the apostles and elders, had received these reports as truth, making no attempt to contradict them, and manifesting no desire to harmonize with him.”—Page 398
Stood near Paul
When no one stood with Paul, God stood NEAR Paul.
Are you alone in your Christian walk? Take courage God of the universe is standing with you.
Have you felt lonely? He who have trodden the winepress alone says, I am with you.
As I have mentioned in other threads, I am currently travelling in outback Australia and opportunities to post to SSNET are few and far between. But this Sabbath afternoon I have found a little patch of connectivity (Undarra Lavatubes for those who want to know)
I am going to brave and say that Paul made a series of bad decisions about going to Jerusalem and taking part in a Jewish purification ceremony. What is abundantly clear from the following narrative and subsequent events is that God over-ruled and used Paul's decisions for the ultimate good of the Gospel.
That should encourage us because I am sure that some of us make bad decisions as well and our faith in God should be strong enough to know that he can make good out of our decisions.
Amen, Maurice. To me, it is very clear that God's Holy Spirit, via several believers, was giving Paul, not only a choice but a directive to not go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4.) Even Moses made bad choices in his serving God: He struck the Rock when God told him to speak to it. Yet, God has already given Moses His eternal reward of everlasting life with Him. And Paul will receive that reward too at the resurrection of the righteous. But I do believe that Paul cut his ministry for Jesus here on this earth short by not heeding His directive in Acts 21:4.
The lesson of this week shows us how much Paul suffered for the gospel. Also, how long weak people under the influnece of evil can go in their opposition against the true.Its very clear that more we work for God more persecution and fights will appear in ouro way, but as the very Paul says in Romana 8:18, our short tribulation here is nothing to be compared with the glory that is prepared to us.