Today as I read I am noticing some contrasts, which make me smile and nod my head in recognition. Paul and company had the same issues to deal with that we do. How they dealt with them remain a good example today.
Isn’t it incredible how we see different things every time we read the Bible? There are certainly bigger things going on than what I am writing about today, but that’s okay…this is what I see today. Maybe God has a reason or purpose for that, maybe it’s just part of my ongoing spiritual education.
Anyway, the first thing I noticed was Paul and Barnabas arguing “vehemently” against the idea that you have to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul wasn’t budging on the issue because (as we find out later) he believed that Jesus’ sacrifice was enough and anything else we did simply made it seem like Jesus alone was insufficient. Besides, the Holy Spirit had filled the Gentile believers. Why would the Spirit honor the believers by filling them with His presence if they were being disobedient? And once filled with the Spirit, no one felt a prompting by the Spirit to be circumcised. So, Paul stood his ground both in Antioch and in Jerusalem against circumcision.
Now skip down to where Paul encounters Timothy, and you will see that he insists that Timothy be circumcised. What!? He argued so hard against it, but now he’s insisting on it? Here’s what I think: Paul isn’t asking Timothy to be circumcised because it has anything to do with salvation. Both he and Timothy know that it isn’t necessary to salvation. He’s asking because he doesn’t want to put a stumbling block in the way of anyone who might want to be a Christian. I think Timothy might have had a harder time ministering to the Jews if he weren’t circumcised. The Greeks probably didn’t care so much, it wasn’t a tradition for them. This tells me that Paul would do whatever he could to make the messenger of the Gospel easy to receive. He could have taken a stand and said “the Greeks will accept us if the Jews don’t….we’ll just spend our time with them” but in humility he doesn’t do that. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul says that he has “become all things to all men so that by all possible means he might win some”. I think on the issue of circumcision we are seeing that lived out in his life.
What’s the “take away” for us? Well, there are certainly things in the modern church that people insist on that aren’t necessary for salvation. We have preferences in music, surroundings, Bible translations, dress, what day to worship, you name it. I think that we need to recognize that there are some things that we should do simply because it makes the messenger easier to accept. In some cases that might mean wearing a tie, in other cases in might mean blue jeans. Who cares…as long as the message is presented clearly. I’m sure there are greater applications, but that one about how we dress just popped into my mind. You could use the same principle for the reciting of the Lords Prayer, communion, baptism, etc.
On a different note: I recognize today that there are always disagreements within the church. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with the Judean believers who preached circumcision. Paul later disagreed with Barnabas, and the believers disagreed with each other when they all met in Jerusalem. Disagreement isn’t sin, it’s normal….and it can be very healthy if we disagree in a godly way. In a godly disagreement neither party is shamed because of the way that they see the issue. No one is made to feel small or ignorant, and guidance from the Bible is what tips the decision one way or another. If the Bible isn’t specific enough, then praying together until the Spirit provides insight is what’s required. I notice that James knew his Bible and was able to quote a passage from Amos and Isaiah. Unless we are familiar with our Bibles we won’t be able to use them in this way. I just read through the Bible this year, and I couldn’t have quoted that passage….so James was far more familiar with it that I am. That’s the goal, right? Be familiar enough with your Bible that the Holy Spirit can remind you of passages that will direct your path.
We rejoice at the salvation of the Jailer and his family, but it came at a cost that we often overlook. Paul and Silas were beaten illegally, only because they cast a demon out of a young girl. Her masters are the ones that should have been beaten, making a profit off a demon possessed person, and then getting two innocent men in trouble because they helped. I am reminded today that when we live out our faith it will cut against the sinful culture, and that will undoubtedly get us into trouble…but that’s no reason to shy away from being bold, because Jesus can use the circumstance that our boldness and faith put us into to spread the knowledge of himself. The jailer had the opportunity to be saved because Paul and Silas: 1. witnessed boldly 2. performed a miracle 3. were beaten illegally and imprisoned 4. sang songs and rejoiced while suffering 5. witnessed a miracle 6. resisted the urge to flee when they were freed. They had compassion on the man who had locked them up. Probably several hours earlier this same guy was chaining them to the floor. God wants to rescue people, that’s for certain. I wonder how far we are willing to go, what are we willing to sacrifice in order to be part of it with Him?
Faithfully,
PR