Monday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 21
17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
Commentary:
21:17–26 Paul Participates in a Nazirite Ceremony. When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the Christians rejoiced over the success of his Gentile mission but expressed concern over rumors that he was teaching Jews to abandon their ancestral laws and customs. To disprove the rumors, they asked Paul to participate publicly in a Nazirite vow, as specified in OT law (Num. 6:1–21). (See also note on Acts 21:23.)
21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently leadership of the church at Jerusalem now rested primarily with these “elders.” It seems that James himself was counted as an apostle (see 15:13–21; 1 Cor. 15:7–9; Gal. 1:19; 2:9), but the text does not say whether other apostles still remained in Jerusalem or if they had departed on other missionary activities (see note on Acts 12:17). In light of 1:8, the latter is likely.
21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the badge of God’s covenant with the Jews. The rumor was false; Paul did not object to Jewish believers voluntarily following OT ceremonial laws (see 16:3; 1 Cor. 7:18–19).
21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently leadership of the church at Jerusalem now rested primarily with these “elders.” It seems that James himself was counted as an apostle (see 15:13–21; 1 Cor. 15:7–9; Gal. 1:19; 2:9), but the text does not say whether other apostles still remained in Jerusalem or if they had departed on other missionary activities (see note on Acts 12:17). In light of 1:8, the latter is likely.
21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the badge of God’s covenant with the Jews. The rumor was false; Paul did not object to Jewish believers voluntarily following OT ceremonial laws (see 16:3; 1 Cor. 7:18–19).
Questions:
- In Acts 21, Paul and his companions are finally in Jerusalem where they are filling in James and the other church leaders about all God had done among the Gentiles. They responded with praise, but quickly warned Paul of a false rumor that was upsetting to the Jewish believers. There was a growing divide in the church between Jew and Gentile. One thing is certain: Anytime God moves, Satan gets to work trying to disrupt it. Satan will always seek to destroy the good that God does. When God is moving in your life or family, you can expect a significant response from the enemy. Talk about a time in your own life when Satan attacked to try to thwart what God was doing.
- One of Satan's most effective tactics is to cause division. This is what he was trying to do in the Jerusalem church, and it's what he still attempts today. Are there any relationships in your life where you feel like the enemy has sowed seeds of division? What might you need to do about it?
Prayer Topics:
- That God would help you be more aware of Satan's attacks.
- That you would not stand for division and disunity.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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