WWUTT 1133 Paul Arrested and Beaten?

It's true that scripture says of us in Romans chapter 6 that if we're in Christ we're no longer under the law but under grace.

That is true. That doesn't mean we don't follow the law though. We must when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text studying God's Word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ.

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Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you Becky. We continue our study of the book of Acts. This week we've been in chapter 21 and I'm gonna read almost to the very end of the chapter at least to the point where Paul gets arrested.

We're gonna start here in verse 17 and read through verse 36. When we had come to Jerusalem the brothers received us gladly.

On the following day Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present. After greeting them he related one by one the things that God had done among the

Gentiles through his ministry and when they heard it they glorified God.

And they said to him you see brother how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed.

They are all zealous for the law and they have been told about you that you teach all the

Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads.

Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

But as for the Gentiles who have believed we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality.

Then Paul took the men and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.

When the seven days were almost completed 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 is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place.

Moreover he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place for they had previously seen

Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Then all the city was stirred up and the people ran together they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple and at once the gates were shut and as they were seeking to kill him word came to the tribune of the cohorts that all

Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers they stopped beating

Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.

He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing some another and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar he ordered him to be brought into the barracks and when he came to the steps he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd for the mob of the people followed crying out away with him.

And that's at least as far as we're gonna get today as we finish up what we've been reading this week in Acts 21. In the next portion

Paul speaks to the people and that goes from the end of 21 into Acts 22.

I think it would be better actually to put the chapter division where Acts 21 37 is but anyway we'll get to that next week where Paul speaks to the people and all of this setting in motion him eventually getting to Rome.

That's ultimately where this goes. So we come back again to Acts 21 17 with Paul and his company arriving in Jerusalem.

The brothers there received us gladly and we know there is a huge gathering of Christians there in Jerusalem.

They're being persecuted but because of the persecution that has happened to the

Christians there there's a famine that has struck this land. You remember that? Agabus had predicted it back in Acts chapter 11 and it is understood from many historians to have lasted for about three years.

Many people in Judea died as a result of this famine. So the numbers were decimated but the

Christians who were there were taken care of. So there was this was like the judgment of God that had come upon the people of Judea because of the persecution that was coming against those

Christians. The churches even in areas throughout the

Roman Empire had supported the church there in Jerusalem because of the famine that was going on.

Paul talked about this with the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians 16 that they should gather money that it would go to help the brethren who were in Jerusalem and Paul talked about it in other epistles as well so that he would personally deliver this offering to come to the

Jews as a relief. Either he would do it or others could be appointed that would go and take the money to Jerusalem.

So the the Christians are I wouldn't say they were well taken care of I mean it's still a famine it's gonna affect people but they're taken care of better than the rest of the

Jews are. So the Christians have thrived there in Jerusalem while many of the numbers of the

Jews who have been opposed to the church have been depleted. So there is kind of a weakness among these antagonists that are going to come against Paul that we've read about here in chapter 21.

Still strength in number still Paul is not able to resist them but they have been nevertheless affected by this famine that had come upon the land.

So just to kind of let you know of some of the climate that's going on here at this particular time which we've read about previously in Acts.

The famine had happened in the 40s AD but there was still a need for aid as to recover from something like that.

This that we're reading about here in Acts chapter 21 this is happening in the late 50s and Paul actually ends up being here probably a little bit longer than you remember before he goes to Rome but we'll talk about all of that as we as we go through this you know the next couple of weeks however long it takes to get through these next few chapters.

So then once again they're received by the brothers there at Jerusalem. On the following day

Paul went in to James and all the elders were present. Now some have argued that James here is being referred to as an apostle.

I think that that argument is kind of up in the air. You can believe that James was an apostle if you want to though I still hold that it was the 12 plus Paul.

I think that's the safest estimate or you can go the 12 plus James plus Paul since it does seem like James does get referred to as an apostle on occasion but James was most certainly the half -brother of Jesus.

So there is an importance about James that is held in high esteem though he may not officially have the title of apostle and certainly not one of the twelve but nevertheless he is the pastor of the

Jerusalem Church. He would be one that would be considered to be first among equals.

James and the other elders. Just like you might think of John MacArthur being the the pastor of Grace Community Church.

It's an elder led church but he would be first among equals. Same would have been true of R .C.

Sproul when he was alive. St. Andrews is elder ruled but Sproul, Dr.

Sproul would have been first among equals. Everybody associated Sproul as being the pastor of St.

Andrews. So that's kind of James role here at the church at Jerusalem. He's he's the pastor.

He's the overseer. Verse 19 after greeting them after Paul greeted them he related one by one the things that God had done among the

Gentiles through his ministry. So again reminding them you know they're in Judea they don't see many

Gentiles but reminding them of the work of the gospel is not been just among the

Jews but it is even been to the Gentiles all throughout the Roman Empire. Paul hasn't yet made it to Rome but in all of these

Roman cities that he's been in they've seen many many thousands of Gentile converts come to the faith and when they heard it they glorified

God. But now they have a very serious matter they need to talk about with Paul especially concerning his presence there in Jerusalem which if it's not handled carefully could actually hinder the ministry that they're doing for the sake of the gospel they're among the

Jews. So here's what they said to him you see brother how many thousands there are among the

Jews of those who have believed and we saw this at the beginning of the book of Acts in the first third of Acts that regularly thousands of Christians are being added to them on a consistent basis.

So you had a mega church that was gathering there in the temple in Jerusalem.

I put this to the Sunday school class at our church recently just this past Sunday and I said to them where was it that the

Christians at Jerusalem met. It's true that many early churches met in homes but how about that first church right there in Jerusalem where did they meet.

I think some knew the answers you're just kind of hesitant to speak up and eventually we came to the temple that was where they were gathered.

The church would go to the temple to gather and that's where the gospel was preached and then as other

Jews came in to be in the temple for any other reasons they would hear the Apostles that were preaching the gospel.

So many thousands of the Jews have come to belief there in Jerusalem into the surrounding area of Judea.

They are all zealous for the law. So they've gone from being Orthodox Jews to now

Jewish converts to Christianity still with zeal for the law of God and they have been told about you that you teach all the

Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses. Paul has been primarily a missionary to the

Gentiles. Jesus even told Ananias who was the guy who baptized

Paul he told Ananias that he was going to be my witness to Jews and Gentiles and before kings and governors.

This was what Paul's assignment was his commissioning was by Christ to do this.

So he's been going about the Gentiles spreading the gospel. What the

Jewish leaders are telling the Jewish believers is that Paul is telling Jews among the

Gentiles to forsake Moses. Telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

That's the end of verse 21. Here's 22. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Do they do therefore what we tell you. So this is this is wise advice that they're gonna give to Paul here.

We have four men who are under a vow a Nazarite vow. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads.

Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

Is this making sense? So these four men who have been committed to this Nazarite vow.

Paul is gonna go with them into the temple and partake in the vow with them. The purification ceremony of that vow.

So that the people will see Paul is not usurping the law. He's not dismissing the law.

Nor is Paul giving a demonstration of the power of the law to save. That that's not what

Paul is doing. That's not what he's submitting to. Which is most certainly what the Pharisees and other teachers have been telling the people.

If you want to be saved you have to observe the law. But remember what Paul told the Corinthians. I became all things to all people so that I might save Jews and I might save Gentiles by the preaching of the gospel.

Putting a stumbling block in front of no one. So even though this ritual that this this purification ritual that Paul is going to partake in according to the law of God.

Even though it really does nothing for his salvation. He doesn't want to give credibility to those who are raising the argument.

Who are lying about Paul and saying of him that he's telling people you don't have to pay attention to the law of Moses anymore.

So doing this in such a public place like the temple is a demonstration to the people.

I am not guilty of what these men are saying that I'm guilty of. I am not telling people not to obey the law anymore.

Look at how I am partaking in this ritual and paying for the other men to do it.

Demonstrates that he's not trying to get anyone else not to follow the law. So he himself is partaking and he is even covering the the offering cost for those men who are partaking likewise.

And this to be a demonstration of the people so not to put a stumbling block in front of anyone.

Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself also live in observance to the law.

My brothers and sisters do you and I live in observance to the law? Do we?

Do you live in observance to the law of God? Yes. Yes you do.

I hope you do because otherwise by breaking the law you stand before God as a lawbreaker.

Do you not? We as Christians follow and keep the Ten Commandments though we keep them in a different way.

For if we are obeying the two tables of the law that to love the

Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength that's the basis of the first four commandments and to love your neighbor as yourself which is the basis of the next six in doing those things we are keeping the law.

And Paul has even said in Romans to the Christians love is the keeping of the law.

To the Gentiles he said it love is the keeping of the law. If you and I are loving

God and we are loving others then we are keeping the law. Jesus said to his disciples you will show me that you love me when you obey my commandments and we have it even said to us in a 1st

John chapter 2 whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word in him truly the love of God is perfected by this we may know that we are in him whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which

Jesus walked by the way that was reading to you from 1st John 2 verses 3 through 6 actually

I think I started in verse 4 verse 3 says by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments we come to know that we love

God because we keep his commandments what do we read in Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 27

God saying I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules becoming a

Christian is not a lawless conversion we have been changed from lawbreakers to law keepers we have been changed from those who were in rebellion against God to now those who desire to serve and please

God and serving God as our King means we will obey the laws of his kingdom and they are the commandments of our

Lord Jesus Christ yes it's true that Romans chapter 6 says you are no longer under the law but under grace meaning you are not going to be judged by the law because by faith in Jesus Christ we have been justified we've been forgiven our sins our transgressions against the law and we live in the grace of Christ but living in Christ's grace means you demonstrate that not that you go sin and then believe well

God's just gonna forgive me of my sin anyway no because as Paul says in Romans chapter 6 if that's the way you live you're still enslaved to sin and you are not under grace if we are in the grace of God then we are going to live according to Jesus according to the way

Jesus walked we walk in his grace therefore we show our affections to him when we obey what it is that he has said to us so you and I most definitely are law keepers we are not lawbreakers we're law keepers we keep the law of God and it is our delight to keep his law because we want to serve our

King we're convicted over sin we don't want the sin we hate the sin God hates in so we hate sin desiring godliness and to be made more like Christ so therefore we desire to keep the law and Paul is demonstrating that to the

Jews also that he is not a lawbreaker and he's not been telling people he's not been spreading antinomianism he's not been spreading this greasy grace sort of a thing like yeah you can just dismiss the law of Moses now it's not important anymore it's absolutely important because Jesus is the fulfillment of that Mosaic law the fulfillment of the law and the prophets now there are ritual things that we do not have to follow anymore including this

Nazarite vow that Paul is fulfilling with these men but he's doing it so that he's not putting a stumbling block in front of any

Jew that they may not believe the lies of these Pharisees and what they've said about Paul this is for their sake that they may come to know the gospel they will listen to Paul the gospel that has been preached by him and the church there at Jerusalem but as for the

Gentiles who have believed or I'm going on here verse 25 we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols from blood what has been strangled and from sexual immorality so they're reminding

Paul of the letter that's been sent out to the Gentiles from the Jerusalem Church which we read back in Acts chapter 15 this is the church telling

Paul we've still been upholding this we've been telling this to the Gentiles what we agreed upon in Acts 15 what we read in Acts 15 well we agreed upon those several years ago we've still been teaching that but this is so we would not lose any of the

Jews that we are preaching the gospel to so verse 26 when Paul took the men and the next day he purified himself along with them he went into the temple giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them when the seven days were almost completed that's the amount of time for the completion of this vow 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 is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place moreover he even brought

Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place and it explains that that particular charge here in verse 29 for they had previously seen trophimus the

Ephesian with him in the city and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple what they're accusing him of he hasn't done but they're just trying to do anything they can to stir up the crowd against him even to put

Paul to death because they don't want to lose the people to Christianity they want to continue to maintain their control and their power in the illusion of hey you do these laws and that's what it is that it's gonna save you but we know that we are not justified by the law we keep the law to demonstrate that we have been saved by grace through faith our keeping the law doesn't sanctify us either

Christ sanctifies us but our keeping the law is a demonstration of the righteousness of God that has been poured into our hearts through the

Holy Spirit so the law doesn't save the law doesn't sanctify but our keeping of the law shows that we are servants of the

King Most High the one who has written the law these men are trying to say that Paul is a lawbreaker and they are slandering this man for he is not guilty of any of the things that have been said of him verse 30 all the city was stirred up and the people together they seized

Paul they dragged him out of the temple and the gates were shut and as they were seeking to kill him word came to the tribune of the cohort that all

Jerusalem was in confusion the tribune was the Roman leader that was there in that particular region so he at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them hearing about this mob that was going on and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers they stopped beating

Paul then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains he inquired who he was and what he had done some in the crowd were shouting one thing some another and he could not learn the facts because of the uproar so he ordered him to be brought into the barracks and when he came to the steps he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd for the mob of the people followed crying out away with him now here's an interesting thing being done here

God is actually using the Roman soldiers to protect Paul from the Jews and this is to the

Jews condemnation that Gentiles have to be protecting a man of God rather than the

Jews who should be protecting this man and eventually the Romans are going to come against the

Jews full force and they're going to destroy Jerusalem and the temple which is something that's just about half a generation away from the events that we're reading about right here so we're gonna bring it's not even that far

I think it's a little over a decade but anyway we're gonna bring this to a close for today and then when we pick up our study in Acts starting in verse 37 we'll read it through into chapter 22 with Paul's address to the people after this arrest here let's conclude with prayer our

Heavenly Father we thank you for your goodness and though we had broken your law and what we deserved was death and the judgment of God you did not leave us dead in our sins which you sent your son to die for us fulfilling the law dying on the cross for our sins and now all who believe in him are no longer under the law but under the grace of God and we praise you for that but I pray that we would be those who love the law of God we understand the words of David in Psalm 119

Lord how I love your law it is my meditation all the day for it is in your law that it is demonstrated for us the righteousness of God and we want to walk in your righteousness so give us a heart for this and may we in love likewise be keepers of the laws serving our

King with all our heart mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourself lead us in these things today we pray in Jesus name

Amen for more about our ministry visit us online at www .tt