Salvation by whose works.

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 21:17-26

 

Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(ESV)

 

In the United States this past Monday, the country observed Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms of citizens of the United States.  To the displeasure of his followers, the Apostle Paul is going to Jerusalem with words of prophecy saying he will be bound and imprisoned by the Gentiles there (Acts 21:10-11).  Eventually, Paul would be martyred for his faith due to his desire to share salvation from sin through Christ with the religious leaders in Jerusalem and the Roman occupiers of the land.  Paul, like those memorialized on Memorial Day, did not consider his life more valuable than the opportunity to share the life-transforming message of God’s grace with those needing to hear it. 

 

When Paul arrives in Jerusalem, the brothers gladly receive him and on the following day, he visits James, and all the elders present at the time (Acts 21:17-18).  Paul shares with James and the elders the work God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry to which they rejoice and give glory to God (Acts 21:19-20).  However, they also inform Paul of a group of Jewish believers who are zealous for the law (Acts 21:20).  James and the elders continue and inform Paul that these Jewish believers have heard that Paul teaches the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to Jewish customs (Acts 19:21). 

 

Perhaps this refers to the teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 where he says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything with what counts keeping the commandments of God.  While one could interpret this teaching to mean Paul telling the Gentiles not to be circumcised (1 Corinthians 7:18), Paul is not telling the Gentiles to forsake Moses.  Instead, we must view the text of 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 in the context of Paul teaching the Gentiles to serve God in whatever condition they were in when called and to remain with God (1 Corinthians 7:24). 

 

There could also be lingering disputes between some men from Judea teaching gentile believers that they cannot be saved unless they are circumcised and follow the customs of Moses when Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch (Acts 15:1).  During the dispute in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem and secured a letter for the Gentile believers, letting them know that no further burdens would be placed upon them other than to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, blood, what has been strangled, and sexual immorality (Acts 15:29).  James as an Apostle was present at the Jerusalem council and reminds Paul of the letter (Acts 21:25).

 

James is concerned for Paul’s safety and fears the believing Jewish zealots will hear Paul is now in Jerusalem and cause trouble (Acts 21:22).  His recommendation is for Paul to join four men presently under a vow and purify himself and pay for the other four men’s expenses as a way of showing the zealot Jewish believers that he observes the law and that there is no truth in what they were told (Acts 21:23-24).  James then reassures Paul by reminding him that James and the elders intend to abide by the letter of the Jerusalem council to the Gentile believers (Acts 21:25).  Paul agrees and goes into the Temple, giving notice as to when the days of purification will end, and pays the offering for himself and the other four men (Acts 21:26). 

 

Paul has encountered opposition to his teaching before with it usually coming from Jews in the communities he visited opposing his belief in Jesus Christ (Acts 9:22-23; Acts 13:44-45; Acts 14:2; Acts 17:5; Acts 18:6).  The difference in the opposition in Jerusalem is it is coming from Jewish believers in Christ who have fallen for a false report that Paul teaches the Gentiles not to observe the law or Jewish customs.  However, Paul has had encounters with legalistic Jewish believers before, resulting in him coming to Jerusalem for guidance in the matter from the Apostles and elders.   At that time, the elders sent a letter advising Gentiles to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.  While Paul has taught that salvation is due to the grace of God and the work of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8), he never condemned those that observe Jewish customs out of love for the Lord, only believing they are not necessary for salvation for that is the work of Christ, not men.   

 

Opposition to one’s belief in Jesus Christ is something expected from non-believers.  However, opposition to one’s belief from other believers is surprising and unexpected but can occur due to fake news about one’s theology.  Christianity has two theological extremes, legalism, or a belief one must follow a set of rules based on scripture to achieve salvation or works-based salvation.  The other theological extreme involves liberal Christians who believe one receives salvation by grace and after that need not concern themselves with continuing to live in sin.  The middle ground is one accepting God’s gift of salvation by grace and working out their salvation through becoming less conformed to the world through the transformation of their minds by the Word of God (Romans 12:2).  Paul sought this middle ground and took a vow to illustrate he was not liberal in his beliefs.  The challenge for Christians is knowing they have salvation by the grace of God but also working out their salvation by losing conformity to the world through transformation by the Word of God.  I challenge everyone reading this to be students of the Word and allow it to transform their minds, so they lose conformity to the world.