17-19In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open arms. The first thing next morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders were there. After a time of greeting and small talk, Paul told the story, detail by detail, of what God had done among the non-Jewish people through his ministry. They listened with delight and gave God the glory.
20-21They had a story to tell, too: "And just look at what's been happening here—thousands upon thousands of God-fearing Jews have become believers in Jesus! But there's also a problem because they are more zealous than ever in observing the laws of Moses. They've been told that you advise believing Jews who live surrounded by unbelieving outsiders to go light on Moses, telling them that they don't need to circumcise their children or keep up the old traditions. This isn't sitting at all well with them.
22-24"We're worried about what will happen when they discover you're in town. There's bound to be trouble. So here is what we want you to do: There are four men from our company who have taken a vow involving ritual purification, but have no money to pay the expenses. Join these men in their vows and pay their expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there is nothing to the rumors going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your reverence for the laws of Moses.
25"In asking you to do this, we're not going back on our agreement regarding non-Jews who have become believers. We continue to hold fast to what we wrote in that letter, namely, to be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; to avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians; to guard the morality of sex and marriage."
26So Paul did it—took the men, joined them in their vows, and paid their way. The next day he went to the Temple to make it official and stay there until the proper sacrifices had been offered and completed for each of them. ( The Message)Here we have an example of personal sacrifice for the benefit of the whole community. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were very zealous about keeping the law of Moses, and they heard a rumor that Paul was encouraging the gentiles to turn away from it.
James was concerned about how they would receive, he ask Paul to join 4 men who were taken a vow involving ritual purification and pay their expanses. Because it would show that the rumor wasn't true.
Even though it must have been frustrating for him, he recognized that for the sake of the unity it would be best for him do what James was asking.
This is a great encouragement. We need to think what is the best not only for us, but for the whole body.
2 comments:
Fabiana, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Trying to live as a Christian that does not offend or stumble other Christians or anyone else has been an uneasy subject for me. I guess I understand the concept but that's as far as I want to go. I guess I lack compassion to stop and think on behalf of someone else' inner thoughts. I want people to be responsible for their own thoughts and I really could care less about what they think of me. Though I would abstain from directly hurting or offending anyone, I really have a hard time catering to the opinions of another person. In other words, I don't care enough to change someone's opinion of me even if it's negative- unless I cared about them. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time with my mother in law...
I do realize how selfish this perspective is. I'd care about people's thoughts about me and my actions if I cared about them and our relationship.
When I read this passage, I see Paul is in the right and any disapproval towards him is a misunderstanding. However, instead
of setting the misunderstanding straight through an open discussion, Paul is advised to show them through and act of great sacrifice. It was a 'show'. Paul didn't need this ritual for himself but he did it to appease the disapproval from the masses. When someone puts on a 'show', it's looked down upon because it implies pretense but I realized today that there are certain 'shows' you put on to prove who you really are. And, if you cared enough about the relationship in peril, you'd do what it takes to dislodge any misunderstandings. And words- at times can only go so far and can even do more harm than good.
I personally hate doing things just to appease someone or some standard. But I am being convicted to consider which of my actions that might trigger someone else to sin and what I can do to make my actions speak louder than words alone.
thanks fabiana for your reflection today. paul's burden for the lost and commitment to Christ was such that "he became all things to all people" that he might win some to Jesus Christ. again the passage shows that paul was "dead to himself" in his service for Christ Jesus, willingly undergoing the rituals of purification to make himself acceptable to the jews. we need to be more like this in our christian witness--being willing to establish a point of contact with anyone and everyone, that some might be won to the faith.
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