Caution regarding visions and conversations with the Lord

"Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' " Acts 22:17-21

As we have mentioned several times before, while Acts is generally a solid blueprint for the Church until Christ returns, not everything that happened is “normative.” Some things, though they happened in Acts, are specific to that special time when God was establishing the Church by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. This is clearly the case when speaking of visions and conversations with the Lord.

Though we would not say God cannot do those things in our day, we can safely say that He does not. The dialogue between Paul and the Lord is not normative. In fact, when believers say that have had visions and/or conversations with the Lord, we must be highly suspicious. Not that the people are trying to be deceptive but they are most likely imagining, and mistakenly thinking that their thoughts were the words of God.

• The Lord does not appear to us. We believe in and love Him though “we have not seen Him!” (1 Peter 1:8)

• God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible when it is read, and faithfully preached, and taught.

One practical and important reason to doubt reports of people’s “conversations” with the Lord is that more often than not, what people report the Lord supposedly said to them is unbiblical.

As John Owen (1616-1683) once famously said of these extra-biblical revelations: We must test such things with scripture. If it is not scriptural it is to be rejected. If it is scriptural, a special revelation was not needed—we needed only to know the Scriptures (my paraphrase of Owen’s thoughts on the matter).

Remember how often Jesus chastised the religious leaders of His day with the words, “You do not know the scriptures,” “Have you not read the scriptures?” etc.

Why have so many believers not been baptized?

For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' Acts 22:15-16

We made a passing comment on Friday’s blog post about baptism. The subject deserves more attention!

Very shortly after Paul (then Saul) was born again—hours, at most a day or two(?), when he was healed of his blindness and commissioned, he was also told, “Arise and be baptized.”

There have been times in the Church’s history when there were more people who were baptized than were saved. Face it, throughout the medieval ages (a thousand years or so), virtually every infant born in Europe was baptized shortly after birth. There was no connection in the vast majority of people’s minds between baptism and rebirth or conversion.

Now the disconnect between baptism and conversion swings the other way. There are untold numbers of people who profess faith in Christ (whether they are born again or not), of which a small percentage have been baptized in water baptism. Why? The answer is somewhat complex and beyond the scope of this blog post, so a cursory answer will have to do in this space. Many Christians do not know the Bible and if they do, they do not think they need to obey the Bible. We’ll call this “autonomous* Christianity.”

The plain biblical fact is that believers are commanded to be baptized as an outward physical symbol of the inward spiritual reality of having been born again and spiritually baptized into Christ.

Baptism is different from the Lord’s Supper in that baptism is the initiatory sacrament that is ideally administered only once to new believers soon after being born again. The Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, is a continuing sacrament that is to be administered (and received) regularly and frequently for the rest of the believer’s physical life.

We know there will always be people who are baptized and not saved. But why in the world would believers not be baptized?! If you are a believer and have not been baptized, please contact me so we can plan for your obedient baptism soon!

Footnote:
* autonomous (adjective)

1. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent.

2. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed.

3. Independent of the laws of another state or government; self-governing.

Paul's commission, and ours

For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' Acts 22:15-16

God restored Paul’s eyesight, and then through Ananias, God commissioned Paul. Here is what struck me, and I pray it strikes you as well. Nothing was said about becoming an apostle to the Gentiles, traveling the Roman Empire, or writing what would become the New Testament scriptures. Paul was simply told that he was to be Christ’s witness to all people, telling what he had experienced regarding Jesus Christ.

Sound familiar? It should, as it is what all believers are commissioned to do. Note the following:

We are Christ’s witnesses. We are to testify of Him, not of ourselves, our churches, our favorite teachers, or least of all ourselves. We are His witnesses. We are His representative ambassadors. That means we are to represent Him, as He expects to be represented. We are most certainly not to MIS-represent Him.

We are to tell all people about Christ. None of us can tell all the people in the world, but we can tell as many people as are in our little corners of the world. Let us take seriously the fact that without Christ people are doomed—but that we have the antidote for damnation: Christ and the gospel. Oh saints, let us tell as many as we can about Jesus—not being concerned about what they might think of us we are about their need to hear the gospel so that God might be pleased to save them. And by giving to and praying for missions, we can play a small but vital role in taking the gospel to the rest of the world!

We are to tell what we know about Christ. We do not know everything. We cannot answer every question, but we can tell what we know—like the man whose blind eyes Jesus graciously opened in John 9. He was asked questions he could not answer, but he told what he knew, “I was blind but now I see!” It is good to learn to be able to say more, but in the meantime, let us boldly and lovingly tell what we know!

Go and be baptized. Dear unbaptized believer, how long will you live in disobedience to this?

The heart of Paul’s commission was really no different than ours!

Paul's encounter with Jesus, and ours...

"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' Acts 22:12-16

Ananias called Paul (then Saul), brother. Ananias was a Jew, so the two had this in common. As rich as that common bond was, it was minute compared to the brotherhood these two now shared “in Christ.”

Ananias told Paul that God had chosen him for three initial and revelatory purposes:

To know God’s will. Paul thought he knew and was doing God’s will by opposing Christ, the gospel, and the Church. How wrong he was, but God had now made His will clear.

To see God’s Son. We do not know if Paul ever saw Jesus before the crucifixion and resurrection, but we do know that Paul saw Jesus while on the road to Damascus. Though none of us has seen Jesus with our eyes, all believers have seen Jesus though the eyes of faith. Remember Peter’s words:

1 Peter 1:8-9 …whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

To Hear God’s voice. Paul heard Jesus speak audibly to him. We have not, but we hear Christ’s voice every time we read the Bible. Remember Paul’s words to the Ephesians (2:17) who never saw or heard Jesus preach, yet they heard Jesus preach through the apostles:

Ephesians 2:17 And He [Jesus] came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

Let us praise God for Paul’s encounter with Jesus, and for ours, though ours was maybe less dramatic!

Next time: Paul’s commission…

Doing as God says, even when it is scary!

"Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
Acts 22:12-15

Paul (Saul at the time) went to Damascus as he was directed by Jesus Himself. There, a Christian man named Ananias came to him. Ananias laid his hands on Paul, prophesied over him, “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once;” (Acts 9:18).

Before getting into what Ananias said when laying hands on Paul, it is valuable to be reminded about Ananias’s conversation with the Lord. Read what is recorded in the initial account in Acts 9:11-16.

11 So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."

The Lord told Ananias to find Saul of Tarsus. Ananias responded:

13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."

Ananias knew about Saul the Persecutor and, for obvious reasons, was wary about going to Saul. The Lord assured Ananias with these words:

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

As we know, Ananias went and spoke to Paul as the Lord directed. How scary must that have been! May Ananias be an example to us that whatever we read in God’s Word, no matter how scary it may be, we must do, Obediently. By faith.

What were the contents of God’s message to Paul through Ananias? Next time.

Who knew?

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

Paul was headed to Damascus to find and arrest Christians and to bring them back to Jerusalem for the crime of following Jesus. “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel, that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

God’s plan was to interrupt Paul’s misguided and sinful intentions. God’s plan was for Jesus to appear to Paul in a blinding light (a literal blinding light!). God’s plan was for Paul, now humbled, blinded, and converted, to proceed to Damascus—but with an entirely different agenda—God’s agenda, not Paul’s.

Instead of going to Damascus as a terror to Christians, Paul was going to Damascus as a brand new Christian. Instead of going to arrest a Christians, Paul was going to find Christians who would tell him what what to do. Paul was going to have his sight restored (though he did not know it yet). Paul was going to be commissioned to begin an entirely new life, no longer as a persecutor of Christ and His people, but as a preacher of Christ and the gospel.

Who knew? Who could have possibly known? God.

Application: When the Lord interrupts, it is not always easy or obvious what He is up to. Let us learn to trust Him. He is in charge, and His will is always good—even when it includes difficulty along the way.

Doing "the next thing"

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

When Paul encountered Jesus while on the road to Damascus, he was converted. When he encountered Jesus, Paul asked two question. “Who are You, Lord?” and “What shall I do?” Jesus identified Himself and then proceeded to tell Paul what He wanted him to do.

Interestingly, Jesus told Paul what He wanted him to do next. Jesus told him where to go for further instructions. Obeying the Lord regarding the next thing is often required to find out what to do next after that. I don’t know about you, but as impetuous and impatient as I can be, I usually want to be given an entire itinerary at the outset. But God does not generally work that way. He wants us to walk by faith, one step at a time, trusting Him enough to do the next thing before He is pleased to reveal the subsequent next things.

Lord, teach me to have faith to do what I do know, and to trust You with the future that I do not know—and do not need to know until You are pleased to reveal it.

Paul recounts his conversion experience (pt 4)

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

Paul (Saul when the encounter with Jesus took place) asked two questions. The first was “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord’s answer was clear and concise, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus identified Himself in no uncertain terms, and He indicted Paul on the spot for the sin of persecuting the Lord’s people, which is tantamount to persecuting the Lord Himself. Remember what we said about the relationship between the Lord and His people being so intimate that to attack even the least of Jesus’ followers is to attack the Lord Himself!

Paul adds that those with him saw the blinding light but did not hear the voice. Some are bothered that in Acts 9, where Luke first tells of Paul’s conversion, he wrote that Paul’s companions “heard a voice” but saw no one, whereas in Acts 22 Paul said they saw the light but “did not hear the voice.” How do we reconcile these two different accounts? If an explanation is needed, I prefer the explanation that in Acts 9:7, they heard a voice that was indistinct, while in Acts 22 they did not hear the voice of Jesus. It kind of reminds me that when the gospel is preached, all present hear the voice of a preacher, but only the elect hear the voice of Jesus.

But I hasten to add that this difference in the two accounts does nothing to change the fact that Saul had an encounter with Jesus, regardless of what the others present heard or did not her.

Next time, what did Jesus tell Saul to do?

Paul recounts his conversion experience (pt 3)

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

The Lord Jesus asked Paul (his name was changed to Paul sometime later), “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Paul’s answer (v.8) was, “Who are You, Lord?” After a few more words were exchanged, in (v.10) Paul asked the Lord, “What shall I do, Lord?” Here are a few thoughts about Paul’s two questions.

First, it is always okay to ask God questions, as long as our questions are legitimate rather than challenges to God. For example, it is fine to ask God the purpose behind what He is doing. It is not okay to demand that God defend Himself. He may and often does tell us what He is doing, but since He owes us no explanation, we dare not demand answers from Him.

Second, in both of Saul’s questions during his encounter with Christ (which took place in Acts 9) that he is speaking about (here in Acts 22), Saul uses the word “Lord” when addressing Jesus. The word in both is “Lord” (kurios in Greek). This word is a title given to one who has supreme authority. It is different from the word, “LORD” which is God’s name YHWY, or Jehovah. It is significant that although Saul may not at that moment have known Jesus is God, he did recognize Jesus has being “Lord,” having supreme authority. Using this word to address Jesus reveals humility on Saul’s part and utmost reverence for the Lord Jesus! Let us always address and refer to the Lord Jesus with utmost humility and reverence.

Third, By way of application, may I suggest that every time we hear from the Lord, whether in our personal reading of His Word, or when His Word is being preached, Saul’s two questions are a great example of how we should respond to God’s Word.

• “Who are you, Lord?” Every times we encounter the Lord in His Word, let us ask for revelation of who He is—insights and deeper understanding of His being and character. Let us always earnestly desire to know Him more!

• “What shall I do, Lord?” As servants of God, let us always be keen to know what the Lord wants us to think, say, and/or do!

More next time…

Paul recounts his conversion experience (pt 2)

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

In Acts 22:6-11 Paul is telling a Jewish mob who was out to kill him how he came to know Christ. He began by pointing out that, like them, he was once a persecutor of Christians too. But then he had an encounter with Jesus!

We wrote last time of the Jesus’ questioning words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” We considered the words , “Me,” and “why.” This time let’s consider the word “you.” What each lost person needs to understand is that he or she is personally guilty before God and in need of forgiveness. It is simply not enough to believe that Jesus came to save sinners—you know, those other people. To be saved, I need to acknowledge that “I” have been living my life in opposition to God, His Law, and His Son. And so do you!

One of the most common dismissals/rejections of the gospel is, “That’s great for you!” Yes, the gospel IS great for me, and it is equally great and absolutely necessary for you as well!

Though I am not a big fan of the words, “Jesus is my own personal Savior” (because it makes the entire gospel seem to be about me!), it is true that each individual must come to faith in Christ, individually. Once we are saved, we are instantaneously members of Christ’s body, the Church. But to become one of Christ’s people, we must come to Christ acknowledging our personal sin and our personal need to be forgiven, personally. Have you done that?

More next time…

Paul recounts his conversion experience (pt 1)

"Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Acts 22:6-11

Paul’s words in (v.1-5), and then into (v.6-11), are in essence saying. “Listen, I was just like you! I opposed Christianity too—more vehemently than you! But then something changed everything. That something was a personal encounter with Jesus Christ!” From there Paul begins to explain his encounter with Jesus.

I was on my way to persecute Christians, traveling as far as Damascus, Syria to do so!

I was surrounded by a blinding light which knocked me to the ground. Paul pointed out that it was noon. The sun was already shining brightly, but the light that came to him was supernaturally brighter than the brightest sunlight! It was supernatural since the light was Jesus Christ, “the Light of the world!” (John 8:12).

I heard a voice, questioning me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” The voice Paul heard was, of course, the voice of Jesus (v.8). Note from Jesus’s words that to persecute Jesus’s people is to persecute Him! That is how much Jesus loves and associates Himself with those He is pleased to save. When we hurt, He hurts! This is not only a lesson for persecutors about their mistreatment of God’s people. It is a sober warning to Christians who abuse other believers, or who otherwise dishonor Christ’s Church. Think about that!

Not only should we learn from Jesus’s use of the word, ”Me,” but also from the word “why.” Why on earth do people attack Christ and His people? Why on earth would people disregard Christ and His people? The answer is simple. Sin so blinds people that in our natural (unsaved) state we (a) are ignorant of who Christ is, and/or (b) are foolish enough to oppose Him. We have more chance of extinguishing the sun by screaming at it to stop shining, than of successfully opposing the Son of Almighty God.

Though every conversion experience is not as dramatic as Paul’s, the only hope for all who are lost in sin, is an encounter with Christ. It is called being born again. Thank God that He revealed Himself to you. Never stop praying that He would reveal Himself to those you know and love who do not know Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.

More next time…

Seeking to win a hearing

"Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Acts 22:1-5

Paul was in Jerusalem. The anti-Christian Jews accused him of being anti-Jewish. A riot broke out. Paul was rescued from the mob by the Roman civil authorities, but Paul wanted to address the mob…

In verse one, Paul was gracious to the angry mob though they had been anything but gracious to him. “A soft answer turns away wrath” counsels Proverbs 15:1. This does not always “work.” Stephen addresses a similar mob with the same words (Acts 7:2) and he promptly became the first recorded martyr of the Church. Nevertheless, polite words are always a wise choice.

In verse two, speaking Hebrew to these Jewish zealots was also a wise choice. It was a demonstration that he was not anti-Jewish, and that he was also a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). It is also smart to connect with those you are speaking to, and speaking their language is a way to gain a hearing when possible. This is why missionary work is always most effective when the missionaries can speak the language of those they are seeking to win to Christ.

In verse three, Paul further seeks to connect with his audience by telling of his Jewish pedigree and training. Though not born in Jerusalem, Paul was brought up there, and was trained by Gamaliel who was the preeminent Jewish scholar of the day. Paul further claimed to be, as his accusers were, a strict law-keeper and “zealous for God.”

In verses four and five, Paul even identified himself as a (former) persecutor of Christians endorsed by the high priest himself.

Whether this autobiographical introduction would win him favor, Paul was at least doing what he could to win a hearing. Next, Paul will tell of his conversion experience.

“May I speak to you?" and then "to the people?”

Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?" He replied, "Can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?" But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people." So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
Acts 21:37-40

These few verses have quite a “back story.”  It is more historical than spiritual, but if you will indulge me, let me relay a bit of it.

Paul was being led into the jail, not merely for his incarceration but for his protection from the mob.  Paul asked the commander, “May I speak to you?”  Paul, a highly educated man, was speaking excellent Greek, which surprised the man in charge.  He thought Paul may have been a Jewish Egyptian, and a criminal who had led a revolt some time earlier.

Who was this rebel that the commander supposed Paul may have been?  According to the historian Josephus, there had been a Jewish Egyptian who claimed to be a prophet and led a band of 30,000 people from the desert to the Mount of Olives.  He claimed that at his word the walls of Jerusalem would fall and the Roman forces occupying Israel would be overthrown.  Using military force, the Roman governor at that time squashed the ill-fated uprising, killing many Jews and arresting many others. The Egyptian leader of the rebellion, along with some of his devotees, escaped.

The commander mistakenly thought Paul may have been that man.  Once the commander realized Paul was not that man, he was curious to learn who Paul was and where he was from.  Paul’s proper Greek fueled  the commander’s curiosity.

Let me interject at this point of the story that people claiming to be political “deliverers” were not uncommon.  Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 about “wars and rumors of wars… many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” 

Paul identified himself simply saying, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city [in that day Tarsus was considered as important as Athens]; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people."  Why did Paul want to speak to the mob that moments earlier wanted to kill him?  Because like his Savior, Paul was concerned for the lost—especially lost Jews!  This causes me to wonder if it had been me, would I be more interested in saving myself, or for the salvation of the lost who want to kill me?  Something to consider.

The commander gave Paul permission to speak.  Switching from Greek to Hebrew Paul addressed the mob.  We’ll consider what he said to them in chapter 22, next time.

Beware of Mobs!

And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!" Acts 21:34-36

Beware of Mobs! They are almost always wrong. In fact, as in most cases, both then and now, the individuals in the mob attacking Paul didn’t really know what the uproar was all about. Small minded people follow a crowd. Why? They do not know why. They just get excited and want to join in—especially when the mob is rowdy. Why? Because there is a thirst for lawlessness in many people.

I vacillated between being amused and horrified when people in the BLM riots were interviewed and asked what the protests were about. “Some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.” Clearly there was no specific purpose. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there ever a time to take a stand for something? Yes. But if and when that is true, (a) know what the protest is about (and before joining in, be sure the matter is something the Lord would approve of), and (b) violence is never appropriate.

One of the first Bible verses I taught my daughter was Exodus 23:2. “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”

Beware of Mobs! They are almost always wrong. And indeed, there is nothing new under the sun.

Lessons about the role of civil authorities

Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done.
Acts 21:31-33

We saw last time (v.30) that the religionists who hated Jesus, and therefore Paul who was an ambassador of Jesus, used force, dragging him out of the temple. Now in (v.31) we see just how forceful they intended to be. They were preparing to kill Paul! The Baker New Testament Commentary explains it this way:

Paul was in danger of losing his life, for he had no recourse to legal action. Anyone accused of defiling the temple could be killed instantly, without benefit of trial. The mob could have dragged Paul outside the city and stoned him to death, as they did Stephen (Acts 7:58). But they had no patience and, as Luke reports, already were trying to kill Paul.

God used the Roman soldiers who were present to restore order. Don’t miss that it is the responsibility of civil authorities to maintain law and order—something about which our deteriorating society could use a refresher course!

It is also interesting to note that the leader of these Roman soldiers (the Chief Captain) demanded to know who Paul was and what he had done to rile the crowd. Like Sgt. Joe Gannon in “Dragnet,” he wanted “just the facts”!

Once again, a lesson on how civil authorities are to handle civil unrest. Stop the chaos and get the facts. Sadly in our day, rioting is seldom stopped and facts are replaced with political narratives, usually defending the law breakers and blaming the police. As godless as Rome and Roman authorities were, to our shame, we could learn from them.

Praise God that the authorities were there to rescue Paul from the blood-thirsty mob!

One last irony. Though the Roman authorities rescued Paul this time, he was eventually executed—by Roman civil authorities. Proof that all civil authorities get it wrong at times.

Drawn or dragged?

And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Acts 21:30

This verse begs for a word study. The word of interest is the word translated “dragged (helko in Greek). The people “dragged” him out of the temple. How many of you imagine the angry mob “inviting,” “encouraging,” much less “wooing” Paul to leave the temple? Me neither. The word “dragged” does not describe a passive action, but an active action. Why does this matter?

Because of Jesus’ words in John 6:44: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The word translated “draws” is the same Greek word as “dragged” in Acts 21:30. And the significance? In John 6:44 Jesus makes two important points. First, the inability of any of us to come on our own to Him, unless second, the Father “draws” us.

Most people think that God draws people to faith by passively inviting, encouraging, or wooing us. But that is not what it says. (By the way, look at that same word in John 18:10, John 21:6 & 11.) In the same way active action is needed to “draw” a sword from its sheath, God must actively draw the people He intends to save. But note: God does not save anyone against our wills. Rather, He ever so graciously changes our wills when He regenerates us. He actively, not passively, draws us or else no one would ever come to Christ.

We must be people of the truth!

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.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Acts 21:27-30

As we pointed out previously, making judgments based on hearsay is dangerous. We need to learn the truth about what we “hear” before we believe and/or act. This passage points out how rumors in small circles grow into much larger circles. Note how a “whole crowd” was now involved and the rumor expanded to charge Paul with “teaching all men everywhere against the people [the Jews], the [Jewish] law, and this place [the temple].” None of that was true. James was right. A tiny spark really can start a forest fire! (James 3:5-6).

Not stopping there, they saw Paul, who consorted with Gentiles, going into the temple, so they “supposed” Paul brought Gentiles “into the temple.” Also untrue. Do we see that assumptions are dangerous and need to be verified before being considered factual? The rumors grew, were assumed to be true, and turned to violence as the people “seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple.”

Besides the important lessons for us all regarding hearing and speaking rumors, what about what we hear and read on the internet and in the media? May we be wise enough not to believe everything we hear. In our day there is as much, and in some cases more, disinformation than facts. Lies motivated mobs to destroy cities during the BLM riots—and the attack on our nation’s capitol.

Our Savior and Lord is “the truth” (John 14:6). God’s “Word is truth” (John 17:17). We must be people of the truth!

Allowing others the freedom to follow traditions that are not inherently wrong

What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 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." 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. Acts 21:22-26

Paul had been accused of forbidding Jewish Christians to observe Jewish customs, which was not true. In the last two blog posts we warned about (a) elevating discretionary cultural customs to such a level of importance that they can become idols (which is a big mistake), and (b) of imposing the observance of such customs on others (also a big mistake). (Of course, many cultural traditions and holidays are inherently wrong, like Pride Month for example.)

In the five verses above, we need to consider the opposite: forbidding cultural traditions that are not inherently wrong. That is a big mistake as well.

I love celebrating Christmas (not a biblical holiday). I really do not care for Halloween (also not a biblical holiday). While many (most?) believers celebrate one or both of these holidays, there are some well-meaning Christians who crusade against Christians observing them. Granted, if a person makes either holiday an idol, or if his celebration includes clearly unbiblical practices, he is in error. If he tries to insist others observe those holidays, he is again in error.

But so is the one who condemns others for what is not inherently wrong—or any of his business!

What has this to do with the text? Paul was not banning Jewish customs that were not sinful. To prove it, he received and followed some advice about joining some Jewish men in a particular tradition (probably a Nazarite vow).

BTW: I pray no one misses the point, thinking this post is about Christmas and Halloween!

How culture & traditions can become the chief of sins

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. 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. Acts 21:18-21

While some cultural traditions are innocuous, and therefore fine for Christians to celebrate, some are clearly in opposition to Christ and must not be celebrated by Christians. But there is a third category. What about traditions that may be okay, but become so important in people’s minds that they take on a spiritual/religious significance? And worse, what if believers revere these traditions so highly that they impose them on others?

First, anything that gains this much of a priority in our lives, though not sinful in and of itself, is dangerous! To quote the Apostle John, “Keep yourselves from idols!” (1 John 5:21) In addition…

I am guessing that the answer is clearly in the question. We must always be on guard about allowing anything to become so important in our lives. When we do, those things have become idols in our lives. Idolatry of any kind is among the chief of sins! If and when we impose our idolatry on others, it becomes doubly bad.

So be careful about otherwise innocent matters than can become idols, and for sure, do not impose such things on others!

Hooray for piñatas!

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. 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. Acts 21:18-21

Last time we pointed out that the accusation against Paul’s teachings about Jewish traditions was based on hearsay. Hearsay is not sufficient to make a judgment. We must give the person in question the benefit of the doubt and seek clarification.

Beyond that most important technicality, what about the Jewish/Gentile question? And what about whether Christians (whether Jewish or Gentile) should, or even may, observe them?

Cultural customs that do not violate scripture are essentially harmless. As one married into a Mexican family, the food, the music, and piñatas at birthday parties (for example) are great! Being a Christian does not disallow people to celebrate their cultural customs.

The same is true for many Jewish customs. Where it gets sticky is when the customs are somehow (whether formally or informally) associated with being a Christian. Points of Jewish law (or custom) that are religious in nature may be wrong. For instance, it is not only wrong but blasphemous to offer sacrifices. Why? Because they are spiritual in nature and since Jesus offered the last sacrifice for sin, to offer other sacrifices is to question the sufficiency of Christ.

So while some Jewish law and traditions may be strictly cultural and therefore benign, others should not be practiced by Christians, because they oppose Christ and the gospel.

There is a third category. What about cultural traditions that could be fine, but may also be dangerous? Next time…