On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (Acts 21:18-19)
During this four year period that Paul was in Jerusalem, he wrote the letters to the churches in Corinth, Galatia and Rome. He also gave a report to the elders of the church about all the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. The elders were pleased, but there were still issues with the Jewish converts.
During this four year period that Paul was in Jerusalem, he wrote the letters to the churches in Corinth, Galatia and Rome. He also gave a report to the elders of the church about all the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. The elders were pleased, but there were still issues with the Jewish converts.
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. (Acts 21:20-22)
Remember, the church began in Jerusalem, after the day of Pentecost, And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47) Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7) Many of these Jewish converts were Jewish religious leaders. Then a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1)
These newly converted Jews believed in Christ Jesus, but they also were zealous for the law. As they went into regions of Judea and Samaria, and beyond among Gentiles, certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1-2)
This lead to the apostles writing a letter to the Gentile believers stating, For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 1:28-29) But obviously this did not satisfy the Jewish converts, and they misinterpreted the instruction. The instruction was given to Gentiles, not Jews, they [the Jews in Jerusalem] have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses.
Remember, the church began in Jerusalem, after the day of Pentecost, And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47) Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7) Many of these Jewish converts were Jewish religious leaders. Then a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1)
These newly converted Jews believed in Christ Jesus, but they also were zealous for the law. As they went into regions of Judea and Samaria, and beyond among Gentiles, certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. (Acts 15:1-2)
This lead to the apostles writing a letter to the Gentile believers stating, For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 1:28-29) But obviously this did not satisfy the Jewish converts, and they misinterpreted the instruction. The instruction was given to Gentiles, not Jews, they [the Jews in Jerusalem] have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses.
Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 21:23-25)
Basically, the apostles confirmed that the instructions given to the Gentiles were for the Gentiles, but that the Jewish converts could continue being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of [their] fathers. (Galatians 1:14) As proof, four men who have taken a vow is mentioned. This is in keeping with the commandment God gave regarding anyone who makes the vow of a Nazarite: Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink;... ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. ... (Numbers 6:1-11)
" ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. And he shall present his offering to the Lord:... Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;... Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. ... “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.” (Acts 6:12-21)
The apostles thought that by sending Paul with these four men to the temple and having him pay their expenses for the sacrifice, along with him being purified with them, that all [the Jews] may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. While Paul was among the Gentiles, he continued to keep the law. So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquilawere with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. (Acts 18:18)
We must understand that the Jews were steeped in traditions and customs, mainly because God had commanded them saying, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ... “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known." (Deuteronomy 18-28)
What they refused to understand was that the law, [was] a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things,...(Hebrews 10:1) That's why God sent John the Baptist before Christ came, For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4) After he had baptized Jesus, there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” (John 3:25-26)
John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:27-36)
Christ Jesus said, "I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11-15)
Continue obeying over 600 commandments and making sacrifices which can't save us? Or put our faith in Christ Jesus, Who is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) Well, the Jewish converts and the Jews as a whole still had more to learn and accept. But just as Paul explained to the church in Rome, I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! (Romans 11:11-12)
However, the Jews day of acceptance hadn't come by this time. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) (Acts 21:26-29)
How sad! Paul told the church in Rome, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. (Romans 15:24-25) Well this event will lead to the fulfillment of his desire to go to Rome, but not in the way he had hoped...
Basically, the apostles confirmed that the instructions given to the Gentiles were for the Gentiles, but that the Jewish converts could continue being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of [their] fathers. (Galatians 1:14) As proof, four men who have taken a vow is mentioned. This is in keeping with the commandment God gave regarding anyone who makes the vow of a Nazarite: Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink;... ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. ... (Numbers 6:1-11)
" ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. And he shall present his offering to the Lord:... Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;... Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. ... “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.” (Acts 6:12-21)
The apostles thought that by sending Paul with these four men to the temple and having him pay their expenses for the sacrifice, along with him being purified with them, that all [the Jews] may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. While Paul was among the Gentiles, he continued to keep the law. So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquilawere with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. (Acts 18:18)
We must understand that the Jews were steeped in traditions and customs, mainly because God had commanded them saying, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ... “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known." (Deuteronomy 18-28)
What they refused to understand was that the law, [was] a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things,...(Hebrews 10:1) That's why God sent John the Baptist before Christ came, For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4) After he had baptized Jesus, there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” (John 3:25-26)
John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:27-36)
Christ Jesus said, "I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11-15)
Continue obeying over 600 commandments and making sacrifices which can't save us? Or put our faith in Christ Jesus, Who is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) Well, the Jewish converts and the Jews as a whole still had more to learn and accept. But just as Paul explained to the church in Rome, I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! (Romans 11:11-12)
However, the Jews day of acceptance hadn't come by this time. Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) (Acts 21:26-29)
How sad! Paul told the church in Rome, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. (Romans 15:24-25) Well this event will lead to the fulfillment of his desire to go to Rome, but not in the way he had hoped...
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