May 12th | Acts 21
Are You A Maker Or A Breaker?
Before we were married, my wife and I went to pre-marital counseling. We talked with our pastor about different aspects of marriage and how to handle different situations in a Christlike manner. Our pastor told us that inevitably we would get into a fight. There are always disagreements or tiffs in a relationship. But when we get into a fight, we must fight for each other in our minds. This means that instead of assuming the worst intentions of your significant other, seek to defend their actions and offer them grace. In most marital disputes, resolution can be reached quickly if the two parties are willing to seek understanding and grace rather than assuming the other person had evil intentions.
We should seek to apply this thought process in our marriages and also within the church. The church is a place where God’s people should encourage, love, and fight for one another, not fight against each other. However, many churches do not show love for one another but seek to destroy and divide the church instead of unifying it. Paul experienced this in Acts 21.
Paul had been ministering to the Gentiles, and God was working. However, upon his return to the Jerusalem church, the Jewish Christians were spreading rumors and lies about Paul. Before Paul showed up, James met with him, told him that the rumors and slander had already been flying, and asked what they should do (Acts 21:20-22).
Paul’s response is incredible. He says that he will go through Jewish purification rituals and make sacrifices to appease the Jewish believers. He shows great humility before these people! He fights for them in his mind, which might have sounded like this:
“A lot of things have changed since the Holy Spirit was given and the church was birthed. Therefore, I’ll sacrifice my rights and do these rituals to help them see I am for them.”
What was the response? The Jewish Christians didn’t fight for Paul in their minds. They assumed the worst and began to slander him. Acts 21:28-29 says,
“This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
They supposed. Paul had done nothing wrong, but they were not concerned with understanding, love, or unity. Their only concern was their personal preferences and comforts. The Gospel going to the Gentiles challenged the comfortable life they had made. They were unwilling to change, and instead of loving Paul and asking questions, they despised and mobbed him.
In the church, we must be marked by love. Paul demonstrated love, grace, and unity in his actions. Unfortunately, not all church members do this. Today, ask God where you might be making assumptions about different people in the church. Ask God to help you pursue unity and love first and foremost in the church.
