Act 21:19 | KingComments | STEP | With his arrival in Jerusalem, Paul’s third missionary journey ends, as does his public service as a free man. Until the end of the book, Luke describes in detail what happens to Paul because of his desire to win his Jewish brothers over to the gospel, or at least to remove every obstacle to win them over to the gospel. For this he is willing to submit to some Jewish customs. In order to win the Jews, he wants to become as a Jew to them, and to those who are under the law, as under the law ( ). He does it all for the sake of the gospel ( ). However, it seems that his purpose works the opposite. His desire to bring his compatriots the delivering gospel drives him into the hands of the hostile Jews and then into the hands of the Gentiles. This development ends with his imprisonment in Rome. Paul took the first steps in this development in his heart some time ago and put them into practice by his journey to Jerusalem. This has set in motion an irreversible process. The steps that follow flow from the previous ones. Paul is warmly received by the brothers in Jerusalem. That does not mean that they wholeheartedly agree with the course he is taking, but they accept him. The fact that they have their questions about Paul’s course of action is evident when he visits James the next day, where all the elders of the Jerusalem church have also come. James is the brother with the most influence in the church in Jerusalem. God has sanctioned that there is a church in Jerusalem that has remained entirely Jewish. He even inspired James by His Spirit to write a letter to that special group of Jewish Christians which we have as the letter of James in the Bible. The Jewish Christians distinguish themselves from their unbelieving Jewish companions in nothing else but the acknowledgment of the Messiah in Jesus. Furthermore, they continue to hold on to all Jewish statutes and customs. We should not condemn what God has endured for some time. Through James, these believers have freed the believers of the nations by the Spirit from putting themselves under the Jewish commandments and statutes. We have seen this in Acts 15 ( ). But when someone joins them and enters the sphere of their experience and practice of faith, we notice how great their influence is on those who join them. This will be shown by the actions of the apostle of the nations, who knows for himself that he is not under the law and can also be as a Jew to win them over to the gospel. After the usual greeting – which is more than a formality, it expresses connectedness – Paul opens things up completely. He speaks about God’s work among the Gentiles through his ministry. Undoubtedly the Lord wants to expand the hearts of Jewish believers through this. They are focused only on the development of Jewish Christendom and are hardly aware of what God works among the nations in their Gentile brethren.

‏ Acts 21:19

Paul Visits James

With his arrival in Jerusalem, Paul’s third missionary journey ends, as does his public service as a free man. Until the end of the book, Luke describes in detail what happens to Paul because of his desire to win his Jewish brothers over to the gospel, or at least to remove every obstacle to win them over to the gospel. For this he is willing to submit to some Jewish customs. In order to win the Jews, he wants to become as a Jew to them, and to those who are under the law, as under the law (1Cor 9:20). He does it all for the sake of the gospel (1Cor 9:23).

However, it seems that his purpose works the opposite. His desire to bring his compatriots the delivering gospel drives him into the hands of the hostile Jews and then into the hands of the Gentiles. This development ends with his imprisonment in Rome.

Paul took the first steps in this development in his heart some time ago and put them into practice by his journey to Jerusalem. This has set in motion an irreversible process. The steps that follow flow from the previous ones.

Paul is warmly received by the brothers in Jerusalem. That does not mean that they wholeheartedly agree with the course he is taking, but they accept him. The fact that they have their questions about Paul’s course of action is evident when he visits James the next day, where all the elders of the Jerusalem church have also come. James is the brother with the most influence in the church in Jerusalem.

God has sanctioned that there is a church in Jerusalem that has remained entirely Jewish. He even inspired James by His Spirit to write a letter to that special group of Jewish Christians which we have as the letter of James in the Bible. The Jewish Christians distinguish themselves from their unbelieving Jewish companions in nothing else but the acknowledgment of the Messiah in Jesus. Furthermore, they continue to hold on to all Jewish statutes and customs.

We should not condemn what God has endured for some time. Through James, these believers have freed the believers of the nations by the Spirit from putting themselves under the Jewish commandments and statutes. We have seen this in Acts 15 (Acts 15:1-31). But when someone joins them and enters the sphere of their experience and practice of faith, we notice how great their influence is on those who join them. This will be shown by the actions of the apostle of the nations, who knows for himself that he is not under the law and can also be as a Jew to win them over to the gospel.

After the usual greeting – which is more than a formality, it expresses connectedness – Paul opens things up completely. He speaks about God’s work among the Gentiles through his ministry. Undoubtedly the Lord wants to expand the hearts of Jewish believers through this. They are focused only on the development of Jewish Christendom and are hardly aware of what God works among the nations in their Gentile brethren.