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