Gentile Sought Unity With The Jew

➡ Paul, the voiceover for a ministry called Your Daily Bread, shares spiritual teachings to help people grow their connection with Christ. The discussion today is about Paul’s journey to Jerusalem with money collected from Gentile believers to help poor Christians there, aiming to reduce hostility between Gentiles and Jews. Despite a prophet’s warning that he would be arrested by Jews in Jerusalem, Paul decides to continue his journey, showing his commitment to his mission.

Hello, my name is Paul, and I am the voiceover for a ministry provided to you by Jim Pugh at God Is Government called Your Daily Bread, taken from Christ’s teaching of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6.11. This is a daily devotion ministry focused not only on uplifting Scripture, but Scripture that will grow your spiritual connection with Christ. We hope that you receive these devotions to uplift you, encourage you, but most importantly, advance your knowledge base of the Holy Scriptures. Today’s focus discussion will be on the Gentile seeking unity with the Jew. While Paul was on his tours, he collected money from Gentile believers, where he was preaching the Gospel and planting churches, and he got all the money together, according to Romans 15, and he headed back to Jerusalem with this money.

Why is he doing that? There are poor Christians in Jerusalem, and these Gentile believers wanted to show their love to the Jewish believers by giving sacrificially to help them. So Paul comes back, hoping that he can mitigate some of the hostility by this offering from the Gentiles. The trip back is chronicled in Acts 21, and I want you to turn to it. This is where you’re going to have to follow me carefully through the text, Acts 21. So he’s got, however much money, the bags of money to take back to Jewish believers from Gentile believers, to help tear down the wall a little bit, and they head toward Jerusalem in Acts 21.

Along the way, you see in verse 8, they came to Caesarea, which is on the coast of Israel, so they’re getting close to Jerusalem. And they entered the house of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven deacons, mentioned back in chapter 6, and stayed with him. He had four virgin daughters, whom the Lord used in some fashion to speak the truth. So while they were at this house in Caesarea for a few days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. A prophet shows up, and coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands.

This is an object lesson. And he said, this is what the Holy Spirit says. In this way, the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Well, somehow, the Lord gave this information to this prophet Agabus, and puts on a demonstration as if to say, you’d better not go there. You’re going to get arrested. You’re going to get arrested by the Jews. Even though you’re coming to bring money from the Gentiles to reconcile, you’re going to get arrested by the Jews.

So verse 12 says, when we heard this, we all, as local residents, began begging him not to go to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, what are you doing? Weeping and breaking my heart. I mean, they were really worked up. They didn’t want to lose him. But he said, I’m ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And since he wouldn’t be persuaded, we fell silent remarking, the will of the Lord be done. He says, look, I’m going. I have been called. I have been called as an apostle to the Gentiles to proclaim one new man, one body of Christ.

And I’m not sure what the price is, but I’m willing to pay it. I’m willing to pay it. So he proceeds to Jerusalem. When he gets there, verse 17 of Acts 21, the brethren received us gladly. This is referencing the leaders and the following day, Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one. This is not a general report. This is specifics. The things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. So he gives the report on the salvation of Gentiles and the establishing of churches.

And when they heard it, they began glorifying God. And they said to him, you see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they’re all zealous for the law. This is a problem. Jewish believers holding on to the Mosaic law. In verse 21, they’ve been told about you. The word is out that you’ve been preaching to the Gentiles, that you’ve been preaching that Jew and Gentile are one, and they say, verse 21, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs lies.

He never ever did that, but they accused him of it. Verse 22, what then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. You’re in trouble. These are believing Jews. I mean, obviously, the non-believing Jews were hostile toward him, trying to make Jew and Gentile one in the kingdom of God. But even the believing Jews were in on this. We’ve got to do something to save you from this false accusation that you have no place for the customs of Moses. We’re going to help you. We have four men, verse 23, who are under a vow.

Four men want to take a Nazirite vow from number six. This was a most severe vow you could take. You shaved your head, and you didn’t drink any wine or strong drink. And you were saying, I’m going to take the highest level of dedication to God. And there was a certain routine and sacrifices that were to be offered when you made this vow. Thank you for joining us in this exploration of the Gentiles seeking unity with the Jew. Until next time, remember to keep the faith. Stay strong and continue to shine your light in the world.

To hear these daily devotions of your daily bread, please log on to goddessgovernment.com. Goodbye, and may your faith always lead the way. [tr:trw].