A visit to the Temple (Acts 21:17-32)

A VISIT TO THE TEMPLE (John 21:17-32)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

There is nothing like actually going to a place to appreciate fully what it has to offer.

Two brothers, George and Carl, grew up in a small town in rural Vermont. George, however, decided to leave the area, and settled in Texas. For years he tried to get his brother to visit him. He constantly extolled the virtues of Texas, particularly noting how big everything was there. Finally, thirty years later, Carl decided it was time to take the plunge, so he bought a ticket and flew to Houston. George picked him up at the airport in a car that was bigger than any Carl had ever seen. As they drove silently out toward George's ranch, Carl remarked to himself that his brother was right; everything in Texas is huge! Finally, as they drove up a very long driveway, the large ranch house came into view. As they went up the walk, Carl was nearly overwhelmed by the size of this house. Inside, the living room seemed to be 40 feet long. Carl asked if he could use the bathroom, so his brother showed him down a long hallway. "Go to the end of this hail, turn left, and the bathroom door will be the first on your right." George went back to the living room to wait when he heard a frightening scream coming from down the hall. He ran to find out what the problem was, and discovered that Carl had turned right instead of left, had fallen into the swimming pool, and was yelling, "Help, don't flush it!"

There is nothing like actually going to a place to appreciate fully what it has to offer. Even if you have been there before, it is often good to see it again, as Paul did with "A Visit to the Temple."

 

After an extensive tour of Asia Minor, the Apostle Paul returns to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. It has been a while since he was in the temple, and he needed to fulfill a vow he made earlier. Besides it will be good to see some old friends. So he goes, and...

 

I. Paul receives a warm welcome from believers in Jerusalem (vv. 17-25).

A. They commend him.

Acts 21:17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

On Paul's last trip to the capital, he met with the elders of the church and gave a similar report about his ministry: "The whole assembly...listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them" (Acts 15:12). At that time, the controversy was within the believing Jewish community, which had to decide if uncircumcised gentiles could be part of the faith. The answer they proposed and Peter articulated was 'yes':

God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God...showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:7-9)

This was a decision that echoed the apostle's visit with Cornelius.

 

What distinguishes these newest disciples of Jesus is their zeal for the law, which corresponds with the savior's attitude:

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19).

B. They caution him.

Acts 21:21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.

These new recruits have been told falsely that Paul's work among gentiles has had a bad influence on him, causing him to renege on or at least reduce his observance of the law. To be sure, there is a certain flexibility that Paul exhibits:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. (1 Cor 9:20-21)

But this flexibility is always within the confines of what God dictates. In other words, even when Paul does not adhere to the strictures that other Pharisees hold, such as those that prohibit fraternizing with gentiles because their idolatry risks the possibility of ceremonial contamination, he does not violate what the law clearly forbids.

C. They commit him.

Acts 21:22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

To counter this rumor, the church proposes a demonstration, something that will showcase clearly Paul's devotion to the law. One reason he has come to Jerusalem is to complete a Nazirite vow: "He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken" (Acts 18:18) . There are four others in the congregation also ready to mark completion of the vow. This is no small fee, and to sponsor their combined expenses is a considerable financial commitment:

This is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over. He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There he is to present his offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. (Num 6:13-15)

Paul is prepared to make these offerings for each one completing the vow. Unfortunately, others are intent on disrupting the proceedings.

 

Application: Although it is not possible in the absence of the temple to make a Nazirite vow today, it is possible to make a commitment to the Lord. If and when you do, be sure to keep that commitment. As Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62) God makes many commitments to you, all of which He will fulfill, so be sure to keep the few commitments you make to Him.

 

The apostle goes to the temple to complete his vow as well as pay for the vows of others in the church. What he encounters, though, is opposition, violent opposition from those who view his ministry as contrary to their understanding of Judaism.

 

II. Paul receives a harsh welcome from unbelievers in Jerusalem (vv. 26-32).

A. They accuse him.

Acts 21:27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.)

At first, things go smoothly. Then others also visiting from Asia Minor recognize Paul and object to his presence in the temple. They have heard rumors about him, that he teaches things contrary to the law of Moses. Moreover, there is a (false) charge that Paul brought an uncircumcised gentile into the sanctuary (i.e., beyond the court of the gentiles). That this man may be a God-fearer is irrelevant. Any uncircumcised male is strictly forbidden. It is a prohibition that will remain in affect through the Messianic Age. Paul's detractors are angry, and...

B. They assault him.

Acts 21:30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

As the situation grows increasingly tense, temple personnel manage to move the disturbance outside. At this point heavily armed Roman troops, prohibited from entering the temple, can intervene, which they do. Despite the bad rap that Roman soldiers get, they manage to keep the peace during potentially volatile situations like this. Their presence along with the immediate threat of force brings calm, and Paul is safe.

 

The trouble does not end there but continues as Paul addresses first the crowd then the Sanhedrin, both times causing more heat than light. In the end, after enduring an assassination attempt and a shipwreck, he arrives in Rome by armed escort, where he remains under house arrest. It is not an auspicious end to a life in service to the kingdom, yet God evaluates life according to His own values, which are different from man's.

 

Application: Just as things did not go according to Paul's plan, things may not go according to your plan. What is most important, however, is that things go according to God's plan.

He says through Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (55:8).

He says through Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to give you hope and a future" (29:11).

Because God has your best interests at heart, He will (as only He can) ensure the best outcome and, despite your best efforts, you will never get anything better or even close.

 

Paul planned a trip to Jerusalem, including "A Visit to the Temple," with some specific things on the itinerary. He may have accomplished some of those things, but one thing, perhaps the most important thing, went unfulfilled. Yet from that unfulfilled event God brought several other events, as well as an entirely different outcome, one Paul did not expect at all. Paul had hoped to accomplish certain things, but God had other things in mind. You can probably point to some things in your life that turned out differently from what you planned. If God was the reason for the difference then you can be sure it was also for the better.

For the Footnotes and Bibliography see the pdf here.