Session Seven: Day One- Scripture's Last Glimpse

When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.  The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Acts 21:17-18

James was in Jerusalem because he was the the bishop of the Jerusalem church.  When Paul arrived James took him into a house to stay, along with up to 70 other elders who were there.  The struggle for James, given the prophetic warning that Paul received, must have been how to stay faithful as a witness to his nation while still helping Paul.

In what ways do you feel a struggle between remaining faithful while still reaching out in our society?

For me I have to constantly remember that although I am friends with the "world" and trying to reach them, if I am not careful to be in God's Word and in prayer, I can be swayed into acting and speaking like the unsaved.  I want to be the one impacting them, not the other way around.

Jill:  It is so amazing to me how on every commercial we are tempted to become friends to the world by needing to purchase this shiny thing or that cool gadget, etc.  But it is socially unacceptable to have any Christianity reminders out in public.  So it is difficult to be constantly tempted.  It is a fine line to be in the world with out becoming tempted by the world.

During this early time of Christianity, the Gentiles had nothing they needed to give up and yet the Jews held the law very dear to them.  This conflict of believing seemed to take all of that away from them.  Enter Paul, a Gentile, coming to their city and being received by James.

Jill:  I was under the impression Paul WAS a Jew, and such a jew that he had a very high position with in the Jewish Faith, even a Roman Citizen.  That was why he Hated the followers of Christ so much and persecuted them.  

What happened in Acts 21:20-25?  What did James and the elders request of Paul?

They asked him to purify himself according to the Jewish custom.
Jill:  and to pay for the 4 men to have their heads ritually shaved.

Paul did as they asked and 1 Corinthians 9:20 explains why.  What was his perspective?
Jill:  James lived under the law to bring others to Christ, it seemed  his way of appeasing people.

James then gets the news that Paul has been dragged from the temple (Acts 21:30-36).  Can you imagine if something you said or did caused such a drastic outcome?  How do you think you would have responded to this news?

I would have been devastated and wondered why I didn't trust God to take care of Paul without my intervention.

James probably hoped that God could use this incident for good.  Sometimes we mean well and things just don't turn out well.  Thank goodness God can use even our biggest blunders for His purpose and scripture is full of examples of Him doing just that.

Jill:  AMEN to that