Ep 441 – Acts 21:27-36

Paul was back in Jerusalem, where he found himself taking part in a cleansing ceremony along with four other Jewish men. They were completing a vow they had made to God, and James had suggested that Paul join them, in order to convince the Jews that he was still a God-fearing, law-abiding Jew. In Acts 21:27-36, Luke provides us with an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the growing resentment that the Jews harbored against Paul. They saw him as a threat. Even believing Jews, who had placed their faith in Christ, found Paul to be a less-than-attractive character. To them, Paul was little more than a heretic who was out to destroy Judaism. After all, he had just returned from his latest missionary journey, where he had been, according to rumors, speaking out against Judaism. They had heard that Paul was trying to convince Jews to avoid the Mosaic Law and to stop circumcising their infant sons. None of it was true, but that didn't seem to matter. What Paul was experiencing was the pushback that comes with the faithful proclamation of the gospel. Paul had broken no laws. In fact, he was in the process of trying to prove that He had an affinity for the law of God. But the Jews were not convinced or impressed. In fact, they were so angry at Paul, that they demanded his death. He was a radical whose teachings were heretical and whose message was unacceptable.