Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 60, Week 28, Tuesday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE SIXTY

THE PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (26)

WEEK 28 – TUESDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 12:11; 22:17-20; 23:12-16

Read and pray: "Paul had a vision during the night in which the Lord said to him: Do not be afraid; on the contrary, speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will harm you, for I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10)

Sent to the Gentiles

In Acts 22:17-18, Paul continues: "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him speaking to me: Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not accept your testimony concerning me." The Greek word translated as trance is ekstasis, which means "to be taken out of place," referring to a state where a person is taken out of themselves and returns (12:11), like in a dream, but without sleeping. It differs from a vision in which specific objects are visible.

In Acts 22:19-20, Paul said to the Lord: "Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in the synagogues. And when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I was also present, consenting to it, and even kept the garments of those who killed him." However, the Lord said to him: "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (v. 21). It is said that the people heard him "up to that word" (v. 22). But when they heard the word Gentiles, they began to cry out: "Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" (v. 22).

In fact, the word Gentiles spoken by Paul in verse 21 is related to the issue of the transfer of dispensations. As soon as he spoke this word, it seems a storm of agitation began. The people were provoked by this word and no longer wanted to hear anything else.

In Acts 22, Paul was somewhat cautious in presenting his experience on the road to Damascus. However, he could not fail to mention a specific aspect of the truth: the Lord's word about going far away, to the Gentiles. Since the Lord had told him this, how could he not testify of it to the people? They, however, were not willing to hear such a word.

The principle is the same with many Christians today. Just as the Jews in Acts 22 did not want to hear anything about the Gentiles, these Christians do not want to hear us speak about denominations, the church, the foundation of the church, and Christ as the Spirit who gives life. From experience, we know that if we speak to certain believers about these issues, they will be offended.

BOUND BY THE ROMANS

In Acts 22:23-24, it says: "And as they were shouting and throwing off their clothes, and throwing dust into the air, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks and that he be examined by scourging to find out why they were shouting so against him." But as they were tying him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?" (v. 25). Here we see Paul's wisdom. He used his Roman citizenship to save himself from suffering persecution.

In these chapters of Acts, we see that the sovereign hand of the Lord was certainly with Paul. In His sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness, the Lord rescued and protected him. In chapter twenty-one, he was placed in a very difficult situation with no way to get out of it. However, the Lord raised up the means by which he was rescued from that situation. Yet, Paul was then at risk of being killed. But the Lord intervened through the Roman commander to protect him from the Jews who wanted to kill him.

As we will see, after being placed under Roman custody, "the Jews gathered together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this conspiracy" (Acts 23:12-13). But Paul's sister's son, having heard of the plot, went and told him (23:16). He then called one of the centurions and told him to take the young man to the commander. When the commander heard of the conspiracy, he ordered two of the centurions, "Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Governor Felix" (23:23-24).

It may surprise us that so many soldiers, cavalry, and spearmen were involved in Paul's transfer from Jerusalem to Caesarea. The commander must have ordered this due to the large number of Jews involved in the riot against Paul. What we want to highlight is that here we see the sovereignty of the Lord protecting Paul.

In Caesarea, he was kept under custody for two years. During this time, he was securely guarded, protected from the Jews in conspiracy. This became the ideal opportunity for him to consider his future. In particular, it was the occasion for him to consider the issues he would later write about in the books of Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.

Sovereignly, the Lord prepared an environment to guard him and prepare him to carry out his epistolary ministry, in order to complete his ministry and the revelation of the New Testament.

Enjoy more: Hymn 155

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 60, Week 28, Monday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE SIXTY

THE PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE

THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (26)

WEEK 28 – MONDAY

Bible Reading: Mark 4:33; Acts 7:59-60; 9:11-17; 21; 1 Corinthians 14:2

Read and Pray: "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.’" (Acts 22:10)

He Persecuted This Way

In Acts 22:3-4, Paul continued: “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 we have seen, "this Way" refers to the full salvation of the Lord in the New Testament economy of God.  

In verse 5 (VRC), he also stated that the high priest and all the council of elders could testify for him. The Greek word for "council" here is presbytérion, meaning the "presbytery" (from the Sanhedrin), thus referring to the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court, composed of the chief priests, elders, scribes, and teachers of the law.

Paul’s Experience on the Road to Damascus

In Acts 22:6-7, he says: “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?’” Literally, the Greek term for "great" in verse 6 means considerable. As emphasized, the "Me" in verse 7 refers to a corporate "Me" that includes the Lord Jesus and all believers, members of His Body. From that moment, Paul began to realize that the Lord Jesus and His followers are one great person, a marvelous "Me."  

In verse 8 we read: “So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’” Even though he did not know the Lord Jesus, Paul called Him Lord. Then the Lord indicated that, by persecuting His followers, united with Him in faith, Paul was actually persecuting Him.  

In verse 9, Paul continues: “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.” Saying that they did not understand the voice means they did not comprehend it, as in Mark 4:33 and 1 Corinthians 14:2. They heard the voice (Acts 9:7), but did not understand it, just as they saw the light but did not see anyone. In verse 10, Paul continued: “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.’” Here we see that, right after Paul’s conversion, the Lord did not directly tell him what He wanted him to do, as He needed a member of the Body to initiate him into the identification with the Body.  

Acts 22:11 says: “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.” This was the way the Lord dealt with Paul, who, before his conversion, considered himself a know-it-all about men and God.

Initiated into the Identification with the Body of Christ

In verses 12-13, we read: “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.” We know from Acts 9:11-17 that the Lord sent Ananias, a member of His Body, to introduce Paul to the identification with the Body. With this, Paul must have been impressed with the importance of the Body of Christ and helped to realize that a believer needs the members of the Body.  

According to Acts 22:14-16, Ananias told him: “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.” “Of Him” is significant here, as it denotes the name of the One whom Paul hated and persecuted (verse 8).  

The Greek word translated as “calling” is epikaléo, composed of epi (on) and kaléo (to call by name); that is, to call audibly, even loudly, as Stephen did in Acts 7:59-60. Calling on the name of the Lord in Acts 22:16 was a way for Paul to wash away the sins of imprisoning so many believers who called on the Lord’s name. All believers knew that he considered calling on the name of the Lord a sign of those whom he should imprison (9:14, 21). Now he had turned to the Lord.  

In order to wash away the sins of persecuting and imprisoning those who called on the name of the Lord, not just before God but also before all believers, Ananias ordered him to invoke the same name in his baptism that he had condemned, a public confession of the Lord whom he had persecuted.

Enjoy more: Hymn 183

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 60, week 28, Sunday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE SIXTY

THE SPREADING IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (26)

WEEK 28 – SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 21:27 - 22:29

Read and pray: "I asked: Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'" (Acts 22:8)

Acts 21:27 - 26:32 is a long section that records the final and greatest persecution by the Jews. In 21:27-23:15, we have the account of an uproar against Paul. In this message, we will see that he was seized by the Jews in Jerusalem (21:27-30), that the Roman commander intervened (21:31-39), and that Paul was given the opportunity to defend himself before the rebellious Jews (21:40-22:21). After making his defense, Paul was bound by the Romans (22:22-29).

SEIZED BY THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM

In Acts 21:27-28 we read: "When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing Paul 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.'" Yes, the New Testament teaching of God according to His New Testament economy is indeed against the Jews who oppose such an economy (Matt. 21:41, 43-45; 22:7; 23:32-36; Acts 7:51; 13:40-41), against the law of dead letters (Rom. 3:20, 28; 6:14; 7:4, 6; 12:19, 21; 5:4), and against the holy place, the temple (Matt. 23:38; 24:2; Acts 7:48).

Since Paul’s ministry was to carry out God’s New Testament economy, he could not please the Jews who were possessed and usurped by Satan, God’s enemy, with their distorted traditional religion, which led them to oppose God’s New Testament move and to devastate it.

Rather, Paul’s ministry offended them and stirred up their envy and hatred to the utmost, so they made a conspiracy (20:3) to kill him (21:31, 36). In 21:28, "this place" and "this holy place" refer to the temple. In verses 29 and 30, we read: "For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him 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." Literally, the Greek words translated "the people ran together" mean "a gathering of the people occurred."

THE INTERVENTION OF THE ROMAN COMMANDER

Acts 21:31-33 says: "And as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once 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 arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done."

This commander was a chiliarch, in charge of a thousand soldiers or a cohort. The cohort was one of the ten divisions of the ancient Roman legion. In His sovereignty, the Lord used the intervention of this Roman commander to rescue Paul from the Jews who sought to kill him.

PAUL DEFENDS HIMSELF BEFORE THE REBELLIOUS JEWS

The Need for Paul to Make His Defense

Paul requested permission from the Roman commander to speak to the people (v. 39). Having been granted permission, he addressed the people in the Hebrew dialect. This dialect was Aramaic, the language spoken at that time in Palestine. In 22:1 he said: "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." He faced his opponents differently from Christ. Christ was a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a sheep silent before its shearers, He opened not His mouth when He was judged by men (Isa. 53:7; Matt. 26:62-63; 27:12, 14).

But Paul, a faithful and bold apostle sent by the Lord, needed to make his defense and exercise wisdom to save his life from his persecutors in order to fulfill the course of his ministry. Although he was willing and ready to sacrifice his life for the Lord (20:24; 21:13), he still endeavored to live longer to carry out the Lord’s ministry as much as possible.

Enjoy more: Hymn S-99

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 59, week 27, Friday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-NINE

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (25)

WEEK 27 – FRIDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 11:26; 18:18; 20:24; 21:13, 27; Gal. 2:20; Heb. 8:6-13; 10:9-10, 12, 14

Read and pray: "And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians." (Acts 11:26b)

THE LORD'S INTOLERANCE, SOVEREIGNTY, AND COMPASSION

It seems that when Paul went to Jerusalem for the last time, he did not have the opportunity to help with the issues there. Instead, the door was firmly closed, and he was pressured by James and the elders to enter a very difficult situation. Having no way out, he accepted the proposal to go to the temple, join those under the Nazirite vow, and be purified with them, remaining there until the priest offered the sacrifices. The Lord tolerated Paul’s personal vow in 18:18 but did not tolerate Paul joining those under the Nazirite vow in chapter twenty-one.

In fact, Paul should not even have taken the vow in chapter eighteen. In Galatians 2:20, he declared that he had been crucified with Christ. There, he seemed to be saying, “I, the Jewish Paul, have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” But by taking a vow in the Jewish manner, he was not living as a Christian but as a Jew, following a Jewish practice rather than a Christian one.

All the Christians in Jerusalem were Jews. It was in Antioch that believers were first called Christians (11:26). Had Paul forgotten the term “Christian” when, in Acts 18, he practiced Judaism? Should a Christian take a thanksgiving vow in the Jewish manner? If not, why did Paul continue to practice something Jewish? Although the Lord tolerated that practice, He did not tolerate what occurred in Acts 21, as Paul awaited the moment for the priests to offer the sacrifices completing the days of purification.

From 21:27 onward, we see the Lord’s sovereignty in a special way. We also see His compassion. On the one hand, Paul was faithful. He was even willing to risk his life for the Lord’s name (20:24; 21:13). He was ready “to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (21:13). On the other hand, he was still human and could not escape in Acts 21. The Lord had no one better or more faithful than him. Therefore, He intervened, first to rescue Paul from the mixture in Jerusalem and then from the Jews who planned to kill him. Finally, Paul was placed under Roman custody, separated from the troubles and disturbances. In this way, the Lord gave him peace to write his final Epistles.

In particular, he was given the opportunity to write the four crucial Epistles: Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Let us now briefly consider these four Epistles, which should be grouped together.

FOUR CRUCIAL EPISTLES

Hebrews

In Hebrews, we see that Christ is far superior to everything in Judaism. In Judaism, there is God. According to Hebrews 1, Christ is God Himself. Moreover, in Hebrews 2, we see that Christ is also man. The God of Judaism is merely God, but the God of the New Testament is both God and man, the God-Man. As such, Christ is superior to the angels, another important aspect of Judaism.

Additionally, the book of Hebrews reveals that Christ is superior to Moses, Joshua, and Aaron the priest. According to Hebrews, the new covenant instituted by Christ is superior to the old covenant instituted by Moses (8:6-13), and the singular sacrifice of Christ is superior to the old sacrifices (10:9-10, 12, 14). God now only cares about Christ’s unique sacrifice, has brought all the Old Testament sacrifices to an end, and replaced them.

In Hebrews, Paul presents a clear picture, showing us that the elements of the Old Testament have passed. What now remains in God’s New Testament economy is Jesus Christ, who is all-inclusive. With this vision, Paul could not tolerate mixing this all-inclusive Christ with the inferior things of the obsolete Old Testament economy.

Enjoy more: Hymn 290

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 59, Week 27, Saturday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-NINE

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS' MINISTRY (25)

WEEK 27 – SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Eph 1:14-23; Phil 3:7-14; Col 1:25; 1 Cor 15:45; Rev 5:6

Read and Pray: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." (Phil 3:7)

Ephesians

In the book of Ephesians, Paul indicates that all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, need the spirit of wisdom and revelation to see the calling of the Lord, which results in the church, the Body of Christ, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (1:17-23). In Ephesians 2, he also shows that all the ordinances of the law of the Old Testament were abolished through Christ's death on the cross, so that in Him, from both Jews and Gentiles, a new man could be created (vs. 14-16).

In chapter three, we see that the riches of Christ must become the constituent of the church life, and that we need Christ to dwell in our hearts so that we may be filled with the fullness of the Triune God, to become His full expression (vs. 8, 17-19). In chapter four, Paul speaks of one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one God (vs. 4-6).

The Body has the Triune God constituted within it and is mingled with Him to become the new man (v. 24). After this, in chapter five, Paul indicates that the new man must be filled in spirit with the Triune God in order to live a life that is the expression of the Triune God in Christ (v. 18).

Finally, in Ephesians 6, we see that we must fight the spiritual battle for the kingdom of God (v. 11). This is a brief summary of the revelation in Ephesians.

Philippians

In Philippians 3:7, Paul says, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee as to the law (3:5). However, he considered all things Jewish, the things of the Old Testament, as refuse to gain Christ (3:8). He knew that in God's New Testament economy, Christ must be everything. Thus, he sought Christ to have a life that would be found in Christ (3:9-14).

Colossians

According to the revelation in Colossians, Christ is the reality of all positive things. He is the portion God has given to the saints (1:12), the image of God (v. 15), the Firstborn of all creation (v. 15), the Firstborn from the dead (v. 18), the mystery of God (2:2), the embodiment of the Deity (2:9), our feast, new moon, and Sabbath (2:16-17), and our life (Col 3:4). In Colossians, we see that Christ must be everything to us. This book also clearly states that in the new man, composed of all believers, there cannot be Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, but Christ is all and in all.

If we consider together Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, we will see that for someone as enlightened as Paul, in God's New Testament economy, there is nothing but Christ. However, what he saw in Jerusalem on his last visit there was a mixture. Something of Christ was mixed with the things of the Old Testament economy.

RETURN TO CHRIST AS OUR TREE OF

LIFE, MANNA, AND FEAST

Through Paul's completing ministry (Col 1:25), the all-inclusive Christ is fully revealed. In his fourteen Epistles, especially in Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, Christ is revealed as everything for the church and for the saints. But when the book of Revelation was written, this vision of the all-inclusive Christ had been lost. This loss is indicated by the seven epistles in Revelation 2 and 3. Christ, the Head of the Body, called the overcomers to overcome the degraded situation. The overcomers in Revelation not only overcome sin, the world, and the flesh; they primarily overcome the degraded situation in which the clear vision of the all-inclusive Christ was lost.

In Revelation 2:7, the Lord Jesus says, "To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." In 2:17 He also says, "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it." Additionally, in 3:20, the Lord says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

In these verses, we see the tree of life, the hidden manna, and fellowship with the Lord. Here the Lord seems to be saying, "You need to enjoy Me and forget the outward practices and forms. Return directly to Me as your tree of life, manna, and feast. Turn away from all the mixtures and things that replace Me in the degraded churches, and return to Me as your all."

The problem with today's degraded situation is that many things are replacing the all-inclusive Christ. We need to turn away from all substitutes and return directly to the all-inclusive Christ as our tree of life, hidden manna, feast, and everything to us. We need to turn to Him as enjoyment, not merely as doctrine. We need to turn to Him not just knowing Him objectively, but enjoying Him as the tree of life, hidden manna, and feast.

Overcoming the degraded situation among Christians today and returning directly to the enjoyable Christ as our tree of life, hidden manna, and feast is having the real transfer. It is a transfer from the old, degraded religion to the updated restoration—the restoration of the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. Today, this Christ is not only the Spirit who gives life (1 Cor 15:45), but the sevenfold intensified Spirit (Rev 5:6).

We need to have an overall view to see the degraded situation today and also understand that the Lord's intention is to bring us back to Himself, so that we may be fully restored to the enjoyment of Him. Every day we should know only one thing: to enjoy Christ as the tree of life, hidden manna, and feast.

We need to enjoy Him as our all, even as our white garments (Rev 3:5) and the white stone (2:17), to make us material for the building up of God's eternal habitation. Our need today is to experience the transfer from the degraded religion to the reality of the all-inclusive Christ as enjoyment.

Enjoy more: Hymn 202

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 59, Week 27, Thursday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-NINE

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (25)

WEEK 27 – THURSDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 28:19-20a; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:47; Acts 21:19-20

Read and Pray: "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'" (Mk 16:15)

THREE EMPHATIC ORDERS

In Matthew 28:19-20a, the resurrected Christ said to His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Nations refers to the Gentiles. The disciples were tasked with making Gentiles disciples, baptizing them into the Triune God. The Lord’s command in Matthew 28:19 is quite emphatic.

As Mark 16:15 states, the Lord, after the resurrection and before the ascension, commanded the eleven, saying, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” In this verse, creation mainly refers to different peoples, although it includes more than that. Like in Matthew 28:19, here the Lord orders His disciples to preach the gospel to all peoples, to all nations.

After the resurrection and before the ascension, the Lord spoke to the disciples again, implying that the gospel should be preached to all nations. In Luke 24:47, He told them that “in His name, repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” If we consider these three orders at the end of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we see how categorical, definitive, emphatic, and absolute they are.

THE MIXTURE SITUATION IN JERUSALEM

Regarding the situation of mixture in Jerusalem, Peter and John remained silent. There is no record that they did anything to diminish this mixture; rather, according to Luke’s account in Acts, only Paul took on the responsibility of addressing the issue. It seems that Peter and John were not concerned about it. If they had been, they should have spoken to James, saying categorically, “James, before you were saved, we heard a word and had a vision about the end of the Old Testament economy.”

According to the New Testament, James in Acts 21 was the Lord’s earthly brother. Along with the other brothers of the Lord, he was saved shortly after or just before His resurrection. He may have been present when one or more of these orders recorded at the end of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were given. He should have known that the Lord had commanded His disciples to preach the gospel to all nations.

Why did the disciples, including James, apparently disregard the Lord’s word about preaching the gospel to all nations and give so much regard to the Old Testament? Both the revelation given to the disciples and the Lord’s command were clear, definitive, emphatic, and absolute. Therefore, all the disciples should have had a clear understanding of God’s economy. But in the prevailing situation in Jerusalem, none of them were concerned with the Lord’s command. Instead, they were in favor of mixing the Old Testament dispensation with God’s New Testament economy.

Acts 21:19 says that Paul, after greeting James and all the elders, “reported in detail the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.” When they heard it, they glorified God (v. 20). Then James took the lead in saying to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and all are zealous for the law” (v. 20). It was shameful for James to have said this. If I were Peter, hearing this, I would have felt deeply ashamed.

In the early chapters of Acts, Peter was bold. He and John were firm in facing the opposition of the Sanhedrin. However, in chapters 15 to 21, Peter seems to have lost his boldness. According to Paul’s words in Galatians 2, Peter even used hypocrisy regarding this mixture. How lamentable the situation in Jerusalem was in Acts 21! We all need to be impressed by the picture of this situation. But we should not blame Peter, for in principle, we are today in the same situation.

It is correct to say that since Acts 15, Paul had been deeply troubled in his spirit about the situation in Jerusalem. Because of his heavy burden regarding this, on his third missionary journey, he could not forget Jerusalem. In 19:21, he proposed in his spirit to go there. His purpose was not only to care lovingly for the needs of the poor saints in Jerusalem but also to have fellowship with James and the others regarding the mixture there.

Apparently, he wanted to go to Jerusalem to bring financial help from the Gentile believers to those in Judea. In truth, in his spirit and heart, he was concerned about the terrible situation in Jerusalem, which was the origin of the Lord’s work on earth. According to Paul’s understanding, this source had been polluted. Therefore, he had no peace to continue with the Lord’s work.

He knew that, despite how much work he was doing among the Gentiles, the polluted current from Jerusalem would flow there. Realizing this, he proposed in his spirit to return to the source, with the intention of trying to clean up the situation, to rid it of pollution. It was also his desire to proceed from there to Rome and even to Spain, for the advancement of the gospel, in order to carry out God’s New Testament economy.

Enjoy more: Hymn 173

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 59, Week 27, Wednesday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-NINE

THE PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH

THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (25)

WEEK 27 – WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 21:18-39; Matt. 17:1-8; Heb. 1:1-3; 2:14; 3:1; 8:6; 9:15; Eph. 1:17-23; 2:14-16; 3:8, 17-21; 4:4-6, 24; 5:18; 6:11; Phil. 3:4-14; Col. 1:12, 15, 18; 2:2, 9, 16-17; 3:4, 10-11; Rev. 2:7, 17; 3:5, 20

Read and pray: "When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus." (Matt. 17:8)

Before proceeding in this Life-study to another section of the book of Acts, I would like to say more about the need for the transfer of dispensation from the Old Testament economy to God’s New Testament economy.

THE PASSING OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ECONOMY

Regarding the transfer of dispensation, let us consider Peter’s case. On the mount of transfiguration, he took the lead in proposing to the Lord to build three tabernacles: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for the Lord Jesus (Matt. 17:4). “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him’” (v. 5).

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces. When they looked up, “they saw no one but Jesus only” (v. 8). Moses and Elijah had disappeared, leaving only Jesus. Peter had proposed keeping Moses and Elijah—that is, the law and the prophets—with Christ, but God removed Moses and Elijah, leaving no one “but Jesus only.” In the New Testament, no one except Jesus Himself should remain. He is today’s Moses, infusing the law of life into believers, and He is also today’s Elijah, speaking for God and infusing Him into believers. This is God’s New Testament economy.

In Matthew 17:1-8, we have a clear revelation that with Jesus’ coming, both Moses and Elijah passed away. Moses and Elijah represent the entire Old Testament: Moses represents the law, and Elijah the prophets. According to Jewish custom, the Old Testament was considered to have two main parts: the law and the prophets. Even the Psalms were regarded as part of the law. Thus, the passing of Moses and Elijah signifies that the entire Old Testament, consisting of the law and the prophets, has passed.

Peter had the vision on the mount of transfiguration, and later, in his second Epistle, he referred to what happened there (2 Pet. 1:16-18). Why, then, did he say nothing about this vision when James insisted on maintaining the Old Testament economy alongside the New Testament economy? I find this difficult to understand. Did Peter in Acts 21 have no memory of the vision he had in Matthew 17, about which he later wrote in 2 Peter 1?

Peter certainly knew about the passing of the Old Testament economy. On the mount of transfiguration, he must have been deeply impressed by this. He heard the voice from the cloud declare, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matt. 17:5). He also saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus and then saw Moses and Elijah vanish, leaving Jesus alone.

Why, after hearing this word and having this vision, did Peter remain silent in Acts 21? Why did he not rise up and say, “Brother James, let me tell you what I heard and saw on the mount of transfiguration. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, have passed. We must no longer stay in the Old Testament economy, for this is contrary to God’s move in His New Testament economy.” Yet Peter remained silent and did not speak this way to James in Acts 21. Similarly, there is no indication that John, who was with Peter on the mount of transfiguration, said anything to James about this at the time. Neither Peter nor John stood up to testify about the vision they had seen and the charge they received on the mount of transfiguration.

Enjoy more: Hymn 268

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 58, week 27, Tuesday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-EIGHT  

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (24)

WEEK 27 – TUESDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 21:23-26; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13

Read and pray: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27)

A CLEAR VISION OF THE BODY

If James' concept had been widely accepted in Asia Minor and Europe, how could there practically be a Body for Christ? Would there have been two types of churches: a Jewish one for Jewish believers and a Gentile one for Gentile believers? This is entirely impossible.

Concerning the Body, Paul had a clear vision. He spoke of a Body in Romans 12:5, and in 1 Corinthians 12:13 he said: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and all have been made to drink into one Spirit." Moreover, in Galatians 3:27-28 he said: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Although he had a clear vision, this vision had not yet been fully presented in his first six Epistles (Romans, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians). He was undoubtedly waiting for an opportunity to write about the vision he had received.

THE LORD RESCUES PAUL THROUGH HIS SOVEREIGNTY

When Paul saw the situation of mixture in Jerusalem, he must have gained a heavy burden for it. Perhaps when James made his presentation in Acts 21 regarding the tens of thousands of Jews who had believed and were zealous for the law, and concerning Paul joining those who had made the Nazarite vow, Paul hesitated, thinking about what he should do. He may have thought: "Humanly speaking, I should just do what James says. After passing through this critical moment, I may have another opportunity to adjust or clarify the situation in Jerusalem." This may have been Paul's thought when he accepted James' proposal (21:23-26).

The Lord, however, did not allow him to complete the days of purification. Paul, a chosen vessel, was a unique person used by God to carry out His New Testament economy. How could God allow such a person to complete the days of purification, which involved the temple, the priesthood, and the offering of animal sacrifices with the shedding of blood? All of that had ended with God's New Testament economy. The Lord could not tolerate this. Therefore, almost at the last minute, when Paul's vow was about to be completed, the Lord stepped in, and there was a great uproar. It was the Lord who exercised His sovereignty over Paul, in order to rescue him from this dilemma.

In Acts 21, Paul was in danger of being killed, and he must have certainly been afraid of this. If the Roman commander had not intervened at that moment, Paul would certainly have been killed. But the sovereign hand of the Lord controlled everything to rescue him from that situation and preserve his life. Later, after he defended himself before the rebellious Jews (21:40-22:21), Paul was bound by the Romans (22:22-29) and defended himself before the Sanhedrin (22:30-23:10), and he was encouraged by the Lord.

According to Acts 23:11, "The Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer! For as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.'" This was a great encouragement for him and assured him that he would not be killed by the Jews. We all need to have a clear vision of Paul's situation in this passage of Acts.

THE NEED TO SEE GOD'S ECONOMY
AND HAVE A DISPENSATIONAL TRANSFER

At this point, we need to proceed and consider the current situation. As a whole, Christianity is not a testimony of the incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ, for there is much mixture in it, not only from Judaism but also from many other elements. The mixture has reached such a point that among the millions of Christians, few know what God's economy is. Most fundamentalist Christians know Christ's redemption in a very superficial way.

Moreover, they teach ethics and morality in order to glorify God. Who among their Christian friends knows God's economy of propagating the resurrected Christ and infusing Him into the believers, so that they become living members who form the Body of Christ in this age, in order to express the Triune God? Where can one find believers who know this?

As most Christians today have not had the vision of God's New Testament economy in the Word, I have a burden in this Life-Study of Acts to emphasize it. It is not my burden to touch on the many secondary points in this book. For example, someone asked me why in Acts 18:18 and 26 Priscilla is mentioned before Aquila, but in 1 Corinthians 16:19, Aquila is mentioned first and then Priscilla. I simply have no motivation to address these minor topics. In my heart, there is concern for the issue of the transfer of dispensation. As we study the book of Acts, we need to learn to say, "Lord, we need a great transfer, a transfer of dispensation. We need to be transferred from the degraded Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism to God's New Testament economy. We need a transfer of all religious things to the pure revelation of God's economy."

We need to see that God's intention is to propagate the resurrected Christ by infusing Him into us, so that we become His living members saturated with Him and constituted with Him, so that Christ may have a Body on the earth that expresses Him. Then He will bring in His kingdom, and after that, there will be the final and ultimate consummation of God's New Testament economy. Our need is to see this and have a dispensational transfer, so that we may be in it practically.

In these messages, my burden is not just to teach the Bible, but to present what the Lord, in His mercy, has shown us in the Word concerning God's New Testament economy. If we have this vision, we will not be concerned with opposition or attack. Those who oppose the Lord's restoration do not have the vision of God's New Testament economy. We cannot deny that we have it, and our testimony in this respect is becoming stronger and stronger. May in our reading of Acts we dedicate all our attention and focus all our being on the vision of God's New Testament economy.

Enjoy more: Hymn 155

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 58, Week 27, Monday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-EIGHT

PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (24)

WEEK 27 – MONDAY

Bible Reading: John 20:22; Acts 1:8; 2:36; 15:19-21; 21:18-39; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Galatians 4:4

Read and pray: "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law," (Galatians 4:4)

A SUMMARY OF REVELATION IN THE BIBLE

The Bible reveals that God had an eternal plan, and this plan eventually became His economy. God's plan is to have a group of regenerated human beings with divine life, becoming His children and members of Christ, so that the Triune God in Christ would have a Body through which He could express Himself.

God's plan is carried out through the incarnation, human living, and all-inclusive death of Christ to put an end to the old creation, in order to cause His chosen ones to germinate in resurrection. In His resurrection, Christ became the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45) to propagate Himself as the processed Triune God in order to produce the Body. After His resurrection, Christ ascended to the heavens and there was made Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

In resurrection, He had already breathed Himself into His chosen ones essentially as the Spirit (John 20:22). Then in ascension, He poured Himself out economically upon them as the consummated all-inclusive Spirit. Thus, everything was fulfilled and accomplished: incarnation, human living, all-inclusive death, resurrection that gives life and propagates, the essential breath of the Spirit that gives life, ascension, and the economic outpouring of the consummated Spirit. As all of this was accomplished, the church was produced.

Before Christ passed through these processes to fulfill God's plan, the items related to it were placed in the Old Testament in the form of promises, prophecies, types, figures, and shadows. Then, in the fullness of time, the Triune God in the Son became a man (Galatians 4:4). In His humanity, He passed through the processes of human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, accomplishing everything for the fulfillment of God's plan. Having become the all-inclusive Spirit, He now enters God's chosen ones to apply to them everything the Triune God accomplished in the Son. In this way, God's people become living witnesses of the incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ (Acts 1:8).

As people who have the all-inclusive Spirit within us, what should we do? We should simply be living witnesses, containing, carrying, and transmitting the incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ, so that He may propagate throughout the earth for the fulfillment of the divine economy. This is a brief summary of the entire revelation of the New Testament.

THE MIXTURE SITUATION IN JERUSALEM

Since Christ came and went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, breathing the Spirit into God's chosen ones essentially and pouring out the Spirit economically upon them, many promises, prophecies, types, figures, and shadows from the Old Testament related to this are now obsolete. God's people should not cling to them.

However, degraded Judaism, as a religion, continues to cling to these things that have become obsolete. Among the members of degraded Judaism and the believers, there was the situation of mixture in Jerusalem. There was the first group of vessels chosen by God to contain Christ. This group included the apostles, with Peter as the leader and James as the most influential.

According to Acts 21, there were tens of thousands of Jews among these apostles who believed in Christ (v. 20). Although they had become believers in Christ, they were still greatly influenced by their Jewish background. Due to this influence, it was impossible for them to abandon their background and give up the atmosphere prevailing in Jerusalem.

The Jewish believers in Jerusalem insisted on having both faith in Christ and the old things of the Old Testament. They wanted to reconcile these two things. According to my study of the New Testament, I would say that James was the leader of this tendency. He seems to have been the first to say, “There’s no need to fight. We can keep our faith in Christ and also keep the laws, customs, and practices of the Old Testament. We can continue practicing circumcision.” Not wanting to fight or offend others, James may have had good intentions. Perhaps he had a good heart in wanting to blend the Old Testament dispensation with faith in Christ. We also need to realize that he had a large heart. This is indicated by the fact that he did not propose that the Gentile believers be circumcised.

Consider the solution he proposed to the problems concerning circumcision in the communion recorded in Acts 15: "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath" (Acts 15:19-21).

He made it clear that there was no need for the Gentiles to be circumcised or keep the law. He only required that they abstain from idol worship, fornication, things strangled, and blood. James, however, continued to think that it would be better if the Jewish believers practiced the things of the Old Testament and kept the law. He seemed to be saying, “The Gentiles don’t need to keep the law or be circumcised, but the Jews must do both. We need to practice living just like our ancestors in the Old Testament. Naturally, now we have faith in Christ, so let’s keep both the things of the Old Testament and our faith in Christ.” I believe this was James’ concept.

Enjoy more: Hymn 20

Study of Acts, Chapter 21, Message 57, Week 27, Sunday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-SEVEN

THE PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS' MINISTRY (23)

WEEK 27 – SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Matthew 21:33-46; 22:1-14; 22:7; 23:37-39; Acts 21:27 to 23:15

Read and pray: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' ” (Matt. 23:37-39)

THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM

We have already highlighted that Paul went to Jerusalem for the last time, not only to fulfill his loving concern for the poor saints there but also to have fellowship with James and the other apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding the Jewish influence on the church there.

The decision made by the conference of apostles and elders in Acts 15 to resolve the circumcision issue was not fully satisfactory to him. Thus, when he went to Jerusalem, he may have intended to cleanse the Jewish influence on the church in that city. However, God had His own way of dealing with the situation. In His sovereignty, He allowed Paul to be seized by the Jews and imprisoned by the Romans. He then allowed the terrible mixture of grace with the law in Jerusalem to remain until the city was destroyed by Titus with the Roman army in 70 A.D.

This mixture was extinguished approximately ten years after the events recorded in Acts 21. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed. For example, in the parable of Matthew 21:33-46 regarding the transfer of the kingdom of God, the Lord portrayed the leaders of the Israelites as wicked tenants (vs. 33-35, 38-41), indicating that God would terribly destroy these evil ones and lease the vineyard to other tenants who would give Him the fruit at its proper time.

This word concerning destruction was fulfilled when Titus destroyed Jerusalem. The Lord also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in the parable of Matthew 22:1-14. In Matthew 22:7 He says, “But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” These “armies” were the Roman soldiers under the command of Titus who destroyed Jerusalem.

In Matthew 23:37-39, we see the Lord abandoning Jerusalem with the temple. Regarding the coming destruction of the temple, the Lord said to His disciples: “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2). This was also fulfilled when Titus destroyed the city.

According to Josephus' description, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was complete and absolute. Thousands of Jews were killed, perhaps many Jewish believers as well. In His anger, God not only destroyed the rebellious nation of Israel but also put an end to Judaism and the mixture of Judaism and Christianity. When Jerusalem was destroyed, the source of the “poison” flowing from it also came to an end. Thus, the Lord had His wonderful way of dealing with the situation in Jerusalem.

THE LORD SOVEREIGNLY DELIVERS

PAUL AND TRANSFERS HIM

The Lord knew what was in Paul’s heart. He also knew that Paul was faithful but incapable of changing the situation. Instead of changing it, Paul fell into the trap by being compromising. But the Lord used the turmoil described in 21:27 to 23:15 to rescue Paul.

The Jews seized him and sought to kill him (21:30-31). But the commander of the Roman guard intervened, took him, ordered him to be bound with chains, and inquired about the situation (21:31-33). The commander’s intention was not to protect Paul; he was simply fulfilling his duty to maintain order in the city. He could not allow the turmoil to continue.

Thus, he intervened, and through his intervention, Paul was rescued. In fact, the commander’s intervention was a protection for Paul from the Jewish conspiracy. Through the commander’s intervention, Paul had the opportunity to defend himself before the frenzied Jews (21:40-22:21). After that, he was bound by the Romans (22:22-29) and defended himself before the Sanhedrin (22:30 to 23:10).

Due to the conspiracy of the Jews (23:12-15), he was transferred to the Roman governor in Caesarea (23:16-24:27), where he remained in custody for a long time. Had it not been for God’s sovereignty in using the Roman commander to protect him, he would have been killed. God sovereignly delivered him from that threatening situation. In His sovereignty, the Lord orchestrated Paul’s dispensational transfer. Paul wanted this transfer. He had come to Jerusalem with the positive intention and firm purpose of helping the believers there experience this dispensational transfer. But instead of helping them, he himself ended up falling into a trap, into a situation of mixture and compromise.

Paul must have been unhappy while he was in the temple with the four Nazarites, as there was no way out of the situation. He must have been deeply sorrowful for joining those who had made the Nazarite vow. He must have regretted going to the temple instead of staying in the house of Mnason with his coworkers, keeping out of the Jews' attention.

However, he joined the Nazarites and went with them to the temple, where he was seen by the Jews from Asia and seized by them. Their intention was to kill him. Who but the Lord could intervene in the situation? The Lord was sovereign and helped him have a complete transfer from the Jewish mixture in Jerusalem. As a result of what happened in Jerusalem, Paul was taken to Caesarea and probably kept there for two years. We can infer that these two years were a productive and excellent time for him. What do you think he did during those years in Caesarea? What did he do away from his work and the problem caused by the conspiracy of the Jews? Perhaps he prepared to write the crucial books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews.

While in custody in Caesarea, he may have considered how to write this material that would complete his ministry. Up to this point, he had only written six of his fourteen Epistles: Romans, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Though foundational, these books are not as crucial as Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews. These four crucial books were written before 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, and after his custody in Caesarea. Just as Paul’s time in Arabia was closely related to the first part of his ministry, his two years in Caesarea had much to do with his subsequent writings that completed his ministry.

We need to be impressed with the Lord’s sovereignty in completing Paul’s transfer from the old dispensation to the new one. Praise the Lord that this happened! In His sovereignty and wisdom, the Lord completed this transfer in Paul, which is fully recorded in the Bible. Having this record in our hands, we can now see a complete model regarding the full transfer from the Old Testament economy to the New Testament economy of God.

Enjoy more: Hymn 409

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 57, week 26, Saturday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-SEVEN

THE SPREADING IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (23)

WEEK 26 – SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 16:23-25; 21:27-23:15

Read and pray: "About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25)

PAUL'S CONCESSION AND HIS LIBERATION

It is very difficult to believe that Paul purified himself, entered the temple, and waited for the priest to make the offerings. He did this after writing the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, books written shortly before he went to Jerusalem.

Although it is hard to believe that he followed the words of James and the elders, it is a fact that he joined the Nazarenes and entered the temple with them. As we will see in a later message, there was an uproar against Paul (21:27-23:15), and he was seized by the Jews in Jerusalem (21:27-30). Regarding this, we read in Acts 21:27-28: "When the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing Paul in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, crying out: 'Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against the people, against the law, and against this place; and besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.'" This uproar happened "when the seven days were almost ended," that is, on the seventh day.

Humanly speaking, Paul's intention in going to the temple was to avoid problems. In fact, his going to the temple with the four Nazarenes caused him many problems. Suppose he had decided not to go to the temple, but simply stay with the brothers in the house of Mnason, where he and his companions were supposed to stay in Jerusalem. Suppose he had also said to the brothers: "I don't care about the temple, because God no longer cares about it. Brothers, didn’t the Lord Jesus tell us that God has abandoned the temple? I am practicing the word of the Lord in our case. The priesthood and all sacrifices have also passed. Therefore, I cannot go back to the temple to participate in the offerings and the priesthood. Brothers, I would like to stay here and have fellowship with you." Wouldn't the situation have been very different if he had decided not to go to the temple and instead spent the time in fellowship with the brothers? Surely, the situation would have been very different.

In Acts 21, Paul was making compromises. He was the author of the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans; however, shortly after they were written, he took the step described in this chapter. Taking this step was a great concession on his part.

According to Acts 21:26-27, Paul was in the temple waiting for the days of purification to be fulfilled. He had to remain in the temple until the priest came to offer sacrifices for him and the other four. How did he manage to stay in the temple all that time? Do you think he was happy? Do you think he was full of joy praising the Lord? He was able to praise the Lord in prison in Philippi (16:23-25). But do you think he could praise the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem? Apparently, the temple was a much better place than prison. However, that prison in Philippi had actually become a holy place, even heaven, for him, while the temple in Jerusalem was a prison.

Indeed, he had been imprisoned there in the temple, unable to free himself. In this situation, he had fallen into a trap. Although Paul had been imprisoned in the temple, the Lord had a way to free him from this prison. The Lord used the Jews to carry out this liberation. Specifically, He used the riot caused by the Jews to take Paul out of the temple. On one hand, Paul was now in greater difficulty; on the other, he was liberated—not only from the temple but also from the mixture in Jerusalem, which was condemned by God: the mixture of the grace of the New Testament with the law of the Old Testament. In His sovereignty, the Lord protected His faithful servant from this terrible mixture.

Enjoy more: Hymn 267

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 57, week 26, Friday

 DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-SEVEN

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH

THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (23)

WEEK 26 – FRIDAY

Bible Reading: Num. 6:2-5; Acts 21:18-26

Read and Pray: "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Gal. 5:4)

PURIFIED WITH THE NAZIRITES

We saw that, on one hand, James and all the elders glorified God when they heard the things God had done among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry (Acts 21:20a). On the other hand, they told Paul that in Jerusalem, thousands of Jews believed and were zealous for the law (v. 20). Moreover, these Jewish believers had been informed about Paul, claiming he taught “to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs of the law” (v. 21).

James and the elders then made the following demand of Paul: “We have four men who have taken a vow; take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is no truth in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself are also walking orderly and keeping the law” (vs. 23-24).

As we saw, the vow mentioned here is the Nazirite vow (Num. 6:2-5). Being purified with the Nazirites meant becoming a Nazirite with them, joining them in their vow.

According to verse 24, Paul was told to purify himself with the four men who had taken the vow and to pay their expenses. The first thing a Nazirite was required to do was purify themselves in the presence of God. According to the custom of the time, the wealthy often paid the expenses of the offerings needed for a Nazirite to complete their purification. Sometimes poor Nazirites could not afford all the required offerings and needed help. Those who helped them in this way joined them in their vow.

In Acts 21, Paul being purified alongside the Nazirites and paying their expenses meant he joined them, making the four into five. According to the words of James and the elders in Jerusalem, if Paul purified himself with the Nazirites and paid their expenses, all Jewish believers would know that he also observed the law.

But was Paul keeping the law? Certainly not. Nevertheless, James and the elders told him to join the four Nazirites so that the Jewish believers would see he observed it. This was a serious, terrible, and wrong demand made by James and the elders.

In 21:25, James and the elders said to Paul: “As for the Gentiles who have believed, we have written and concluded that they should abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” Their statement here has the same old tone as in chapter fifteen. Acts 21:26 says: “Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the completion of the days of purification, until an offering should be made for each one of them.” The completion mentioned here refers to the Nazirite vow (Num. 6:13).

I would like to draw your attention to the words “having been purified.” Here we see that Paul had already purified himself with the four Nazirites. He then took them and, entering the temple, waited with them for the offering to be made for each of them. This waiting is indicated by the word "until." Having purified himself with the four, Paul waited in the temple with them for the priest to come at the end of the seventh day to offer sacrifices for all of them, including Paul.

Enjoy More: Hymn 19

Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 56, week 26, Thursday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-SIX

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH

PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS' MINISTRY (22)

WEEK 26 – THURSDAY

Biblical Reading: Num 6:2-5; 13-17; Acts 18:18; 21:22-24; 1 Cor 9:20; Eph 3:2, 7-8

Read and pray: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for His body’s sake, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the dispensation from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God" (Col 1:24-25)

The Demand for Paul's Purification
with Those Who Took the Vow

In Acts 21:22-23a, James and the elders said to Paul: "What then, shall be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore, do what we tell you." Literally, the Greek word translated as "what" means "this which." In verse 23, James and the elders did not suggest something to Paul; they demanded that he do what they told him.

James and the elders continued: "We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them, purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and all will know that the things they have been told about you are not true, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law" (v. 23b-24). The vow mentioned in verse 23 was the Nazarite vow (Num 6:2-5). For Paul, to be purified with the Nazarites meant to become a Nazarite with them, joining them in the fulfillment of their vow.

The word "purely" is used in the Septuagint¹ in Numbers 6:3 to describe the obligations of a Nazarite. Taking the Nazarite vow was a purification before God. In addition to telling Paul to purify himself with the four men who had taken the vow, they told him to pay the expenses for them to shave their heads. Paying their expenses referred to the cost of the offerings that a Nazarite had to pay to complete their purification (Num 6:13-17). This was quite expensive for poor Nazarites. It was customary among the Jews and considered a great act of piety for a rich person to pay the expenses of the offerings for the poor.

Shaving the head had to be done at the completion of the Nazarite vow (Num 6:18). This shaving is different from the shaving in Acts 18:18, which referred to a private vow. We have emphasized that the vow in Acts 18:18 was a personal vow made anywhere by the Jews in thanksgiving, by shaving their heads. It was different from the Nazarite vow, which had to be done in Jerusalem with the head being shaved. In Acts 18, Paul made a private vow, and it seems that God tolerated it, probably because, being personal, it did not need to be done in Jerusalem and would not have had much impact on the believers.

Acts 21:26 says: "Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple, to announce the completion of the days of purification, until an offering could be made for each one of them." Here we see that he participated in their Nazarite vow. To do this, he had to enter the temple and remain there with the Nazarites until the completion of the seven days of the vow; then the priest would make the offerings for each one of them, including for Paul.

Surely, Paul had clarity that this practice belonged to a past dispensation, which, according to the principle of his teaching in the New Testament ministry, should be repudiated in God's New Testament economy. However, he went through with it, probably because of his Jewish background, which had also manifested earlier in the personal vow he made in Acts 18:18, and likely because he was practicing what he said in 1 Corinthians 9:20.

However, his tolerance put God's New Testament economy at risk; this God would not tolerate. As we will see, right when his vow was about to be completed, God allowed a tumult to arise against him, and what they intended to accomplish failed (v. 27).

How God Solved the Problem of Mixture in Jerusalem

The mixture of Jewish practices with God's New Testament economy was not only erroneous in relation to God's dispensation but also abominable in His sight. He put an end to this gross mixture about ten years later with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the center of Judaism, by Titus and the Roman army. This rescued and completely separated the church from the devastation of Judaism.

God could have tolerated Paul's private vow in Acts 18:18, but He would not allow him, a chosen vessel not only for the completion of His New Testament revelation (Col 1:25) but also to carry out His New Testament economy (Eph 3:2, 7-8), to participate in the Nazarite vow, a very serious Jewish practice. When Paul went to Jerusalem, his intention may have been to clarify the Jewish influence in the church there, but God knew that the situation was incurable. Therefore, in His sovereignty, He allowed Paul to be seized by the Jews and imprisoned by the Romans, so that he would write his last eight epistles, which completed the divine revelation (Col 1:25) and gave the church a clearer and deeper understanding of God's New Testament economy (Eph 3:3-4).

Thus, God allowed the church in Jerusalem, influenced by Judaism, to remain as it was until the devastating mixture ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. It was far more important and necessary for Paul to write his eight epistles to complete the New Testament revelation of God than to perform some outward works for the church.

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¹ Septuagint: Greek version of the Old Testament. (N.T.)

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Study of Acts, chapter 21, message 56, week 26, Wednesday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE FIFTY-FIVE

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE
THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (22)

WEEK 26 – WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 2:40; 16:1-3; 21:17-26; 1 Cor. 10:32; Gal. 2:9, 19; James 1:1; 2:2

Read and pray: "For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ." (Gal. 2:19)

THE INFLUENCE OF JUDAISM

A mixture of God's New Testament economy with the Old Testament dispensation

According to Acts 21:17, when Paul and his companions arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers received them gladly. Verse 18 says, "On the next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present." The term "with us" in this verse indicates that Luke was present.

In Acts 21:18, Paul went to meet with James, the central figure regarding the problem in Jerusalem, as he was the leader of the apostles and elders there. When Paul and his coworkers went to meet James, all the elders were present. This indicates that James was the leader of the elders.

After greeting the elders, Paul "related in detail the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry" (v. 19). He wisely did not teach them; instead, he shared the things God had done through his ministry. When they heard it, they glorified God (v. 20). But although they glorified God for what He had done among the Gentiles through Paul's ministry, 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." The word translated as "myriads" in Greek is "myrias." These myriads of Jewish believers were all zealous for the law.

The fact that these myriads of Jewish believers were zealous for the law (21:20) shows how deeply the Jewish believers in Jerusalem still observed the law of Moses. They remained in the dispensation of the Old Testament and were still under a strong Jewish influence, mixing God's New Testament economy with the outdated economy of the Old Testament.

James addressed his epistle "to the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (James 1:1), which indicates that it was written to Jewish Christians. However, calling these believers in Christ "the twelve tribes," as the chosen people of God in His Old Testament economy, may indicate a lack of clarity regarding the distinction between Christians and Jews, between God's New Testament economy and the Old Testament dispensation. This may also indicate that James did not realize that in the New Testament, God had freed and separated Jewish believers in Christ from the Jewish nation, which was now considered by God to be a "perverse generation" (Acts 2:40).

In His New Testament economy, God no longer considers Jewish believers as Jews for Judaism, but as Christians for the church. Thus, Jewish believers, as the church of God, must be as distinct and separated from the Jews as from the Gentiles (1 Cor. 10:32). However, James, as a pillar of the church (Gal. 2:9), still referred to them as "the twelve tribes" in his epistle to the Christians. This was contrary to God's New Testament economy.

In his epistle, James also uses the term "synagogue" (James 2:2). The use of this term may indicate that Jewish believers considered their assembly and meeting place as a synagogue among the Jews. This shows that they still considered themselves part of the Jewish nation, as the chosen people of God according to the Old Testament. They lacked clarity regarding the distinction between the chosen people of God in the Old Testament and the believers in Christ in the New Testament.

James 2:8-11 shows that the Jewish believers of his time still observed the Old Testament law. These verses reflect what James and the elders of Jerusalem told Paul in Acts 21:20 regarding the zeal that the thousands of Jewish believers had for the law. James, the elders of Jerusalem, and many Jewish believers remained in a mixture between Christian faith and Mosaic law. They even advised Paul to practice this semi-Judaic mixture (21:20-26). They were unaware that the dispensation of the law had completely passed, and the dispensation of grace should be fully honored. Failing to recognize the distinction between these two dispensations was contrary to God's economic plan to build the church as the expression of Christ.

In Acts 21, we see that James and the elders of Jerusalem had formed a mixture of God's New Testament economy with the old dispensation. In fact, he and the elders even promoted this mixture. They did not neglect the faith in Christ, but they were still zealous for the Old Testament. As a result, there was a religious mixture in Jerusalem. It is important for us to understand this well.

Paul Accused of Apostasy

Referring to the myriads of Jewish believers who were zealous for the law, James further said to Paul: "But they have been informed about you, that you teach 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" (v. 21). Forsaking the law of Moses, not circumcising, and not walking according to the customs of dead letters is actually in line with God's New Testament economy. But these things were viewed by the unbelieving Jews, and even by some Jewish believers, as apostasy from God's Old Testament dispensation.

Setting aside God's economy of the Old Testament is certainly not apostasy; rather, it is part of the realization of the truth. However, James and the other elders used the situation among the thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem to persuade Paul.

These Jewish believers were correctly informed about the facts regarding Paul, but they were wrong to accuse him of apostasy. In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul clearly states that the law has been set aside and that he has died to the law: "For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:19). This means that he had nothing more to do with the law.

To die to the law means that the obligation to the law, the relationship with it, has ended. Thus, before coming to Jerusalem for the last time in Acts 21, he had already written clearly to the Galatians that he was dead to the law and had no more relationship with it.

The Jews were right about the facts, but they distorted the facts by accusing Paul of teaching apostasy. Apostasy is heresy. The fact that Paul abandoned the law was neither apostasy nor heresy, but the practice of the truth of God's New Testament economy. However, his opposers took the facts and distorted them. Our opposers do the same today.

As Acts 21:21 indicates, Paul taught that they should forsake Moses, telling the Jews not to circumcise their children nor follow the customs. I believe he indeed taught that circumcision was no longer necessary. However, as we have shown, he circumcised Timothy (16:1-3). So, the criticism from his opposers was not fair.

The Jews also complained that Paul taught people not to walk according to the customs. In this respect, they were correct. However, the news that reached Jerusalem regarding Paul's ministry was only partially true. The situation is the same for us today.

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