Diversity, Adversity, and God’s Provision
We have a lot to celebrate. God has been at work in incredible ways here through our people. Where God is at work, it is worth celebrating. In today’s passage, Paul makes his way to Jerusalem, and they, together, celebrate all that God has done. It’s not without adversity, though. And you know what? It’s the same here.
Strive for unity amidst diversity. (21:17-26)
Twenty years earlier, Paul visited the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, but he was met with a different response. They weren’t sure they could trust that he was even a follower of Christ until Barnabas persuaded them (9:26). A lot has changed in twenty years. They now “received him gladly” and rejoiced at the work God had done through him to reach the Gentiles.
You know what had also happened during those twenty years? God wasn’t only doing a work in the Gentiles through Paul’s mission, but He was doing a work in the Jews there in Jerusalem. After Paul recounted to them all that God was doing, they recounted to him that “many thousands there among the Jews” had become believers. Praise God!
But do you remember what happened twenty years prior? Not only did the Jerusalem Christians end up seeing him as a fellow brother in Christ and partner in ministry, but Acts 9:29 says, “He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.” There was animosity present from the earliest times of his ministry with the Jews in Jerusalem. Now he has come back and there are thousands of followers of Christ amongst the Jews.
Are Judaism and Christianity incompatible? No. Christianity is Judaism rightly fulfilled. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. But, amidst even their Messianic Judaism, there was careful adherence to and even a zealousness for the laws and customs of the Old Testament.
Remember, they are in Jerusalem. This is the hub of Judaism. This is where the temple is. But many are catching wind of some of Paul’s teachings. Here are some of his teachings:
Romans 6:14 – For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 7:4-6 – 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Acts 15:10-11 – 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Take what Paul is saying, and you can easily hear, “NO MORE LAW!”[1] But you had Jews here in Jerusalem…Jews who were saved by grace through faith in Jesus…who were still zealous for the Law. And they were hearing teaching from James saying things like, “Faith without works is dead.”[2] So here is Paul in their midst, a fellow follower of Jesus, a Jew himself and a former Pharisee, and a missionary to Gentiles who are not required to follow the law. Remember back to the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. They convened over this very matter and concluded with James saying, “Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God…”[3]
So now you have both here in the church. What should Paul do? Should he exercise his religious liberties? Yes! He absolutely should! He is free from the Law and bound by grace! Paul demonstrates Christian liberty beautifully here.
Tony Merida says of this, “Paul could have said, “Let the haters hate. I’m going to do what I want!” But he didn’t. He submitted to James’s proposal in hopes of unifying the church and advancing the gospel…He’s willing to do anything for the sake of the gospel—as long as he doesn’t compromise it. Paul offers a powerful picture of Christian liberty in this passage, showing us spiritual maturity. Paul wouldn’t use his liberty to show everybody all he could do because of the freedom he enjoyed in Christ. Instead, he became a “slave to everyone” (1 Cor 9:19) like Jesus, who humbled himself, looking on the interests of others in selfless, redeeming love (Phil 2:3-11).”[4]
We should do the same within the church today out of love for God and love for one another. We should love one another enough to lay aside our preferences for their sake. So, Paul went through the ritual out of love for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. But it didn’t quell the work of Satan and the lies that come from his lips to lead people away from the gospel.
Stand firm when facing false accusations and persecution. (21:27-29)
Paul was falsely accused by some Jews of teaching against the Jewish law and bringing Gentiles into the temple. Gentiles weren’t allowed beyond the wall that separated the court of the Gentiles from the inner sanctuary, which Gentiles weren’t allowed to enter.[5] If this was true, and Paul had brough this Gentile in, this offense was punishable by death.
Did Paul really do it? No. They just assumed he did. Assumptions can kill. Assumptions often lead to accusations which often leads to persecution. The same can happen in our lives, and sadly, it often happens within our churches.
We can see what false accusations can do from this text. And to be honest, the same exact thing we will see here has led to many within our church being hurt, becoming angry, and even lashing out. We’ll work our way backward through verses 27-29.
False accusations are often built on assumptions (29). It says, “they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.” This was the basis for their whole accusation. It was built on a false assumption. They didn’t seek to go to the source. They didn’t seek to diligently seek what the truth was. They believed what they believed and just took off with it.
False accusations are often exaggerated (28). Notice they say Paul is teaching “everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place.” Is he really? To everyone everywhere? No. He even had Timothy be circumcised for the sake of the Jews they were witnessing to (16:1-3).
False accusations often bring people with them (27). Mob mentality is the mindset that accompanies false accusations. Notice it says they “stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out ‘Men of Israel, help!’” It never happens alone. You see that on Twitter constantly. That’s what has led to the polarization of our two-party government. And that’s what you see within the church. A lot of people are duped into leaving the church because of mob mentality that has been built on false assumptions. And nobody ever leaves a church quietly even when they try to. It’s never alone. And it hurts people. And more importantly, it hurts the impact of the kingdom.
Despite these false accusations and the resulting persecution, Paul remained courageous and didn’t retaliate. He trusted in God’s protection and continued to stand firm in his faith.
Trust in God’s sovereignty during adversity. (21:30-36)
Paul is now caught in a violent uproar as the entire city of Jerusalem is stirred against him. The people seized him, dragged him out of the temple, and sought to kill him. Amidst this chaos, the Roman commander intervened, rescuing Paul from the mob and placing him under arrest. When it rains, it pours. Right? Well, even amidst all of this adversity, God was still at work. When it seems like everything is out of control, God is still on His throne.
In verse 34 we see the word “uproar.” Extreme confusion and commotion surrounded Paul. It can even be translated as riot. Chaos abounded. Do you ever feel that way in your life? Like chaos abounds? Well, let me tell you something about our God. He brings order out of chaos. He’s been doing it since the creation of the world.
It is amidst the chaos that God’s sovereign hand is at work. The Roman soldiers, unknowing agents of God’s will and unlikely agents of God’s protection, are used by God to preserve Paul’s life. God can use unexpected means to fulfill His good purposes.
God’s sovereignty transcends human plans and actions. Despite the hostility he faced, Paul remained under the watchful care of God. You can trust in God’s goodness and sovereign control, even when your circumstances seem overwhelming. When the problems you are facing lead you to feel chaotic and out of control, like Paul, you are called to trust that God is sovereign, orchestrating events for His glory and our good. Not only is Paul’s life spared from the mob, but he is now given an audience to proclaim the gospel to.
What do you do when you are given such an audience? Even if it’s just one person, God places people in your path for you to share the good news with. Maybe you feel ill equipped to share your faith. Let me tell you something. If you have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus, then your life is changed. And a changed life preaches! It doesn’t preach on its own though. You have to tell people what has led to your changed life. That’s what Paul does here.
The world needs to hear your story. (21:37-22:21)
When Paul was given the chance to speak to the hostile crowd, he used the opportunity to share his personal testimony. Your testimony is one of the greatest apologetics and tools for evangelism. Nobody can refute a changed life.
When Paul is taken into custody, he requests permission to speak to the people. He then shares his WHOLE testimony, recounting his zealous persecution of Christians, his dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, and his dramatic conversion to follow Jesus. Paul’s story is powerful because it is a firsthand account of God’s transformative work in his life.
The Greek word for “testimony” is where we get our word for martyr. Paul gave approval to kill the first Christian martyr. He now is willing to give his own life for the same message. For Jesus. And to that he is testifying.
Paul’s testimony isn’t just about his past; it is a proclamation of God’s grace and power to save. By sharing his story, Paul bridges cultural and religious divides, speaking directly to the hearts of his listeners. Everybody has a life that can and should be transformed by Jesus.
There is power in sharing your stories. You have a story, and the world needs to hear it. I want to encourage you to share your testimony to someone this week. If not in person, I want to encourage you to do it on social media. Film yourself telling your testimony of what Jesus has done in your life. Write it out and share it. However it may be told, the world needs to hear your story, because Jesus transforms lives.
Recognize God’s provision in your life. (22:22-29)
The crowd reacts violently to Paul’s mention of his mission to the Gentiles, and the Roman commander orders him to be flogged. However, Paul reveals his Roman citizenship, which immediately halts the proceedings. This legal status would protect from unlawful punishment and grant certain rights. It was a highly prized status bestowing privileges such as fair trials, protection from certain punishments, and the right to appeal to the emperor.
This shows us that God even strategically used Paul’s citizenship to further the Gospel. Paul’s citizenship wasn’t coincidental; it was a divinely ordained aspect of his life to be leveraged for the spread of the gospel.
In our lives, God’s provisions are too many to count when we stop and think about them—our background, education, skills, relationships, jobs, even legal protections like we see with Paul. Recognizing these provisions is crucial for fulfilling our God-given mission. Just as Paul used his citizenship, we are called to leverage our resources for God’s purposes.
But even outside of that, when you stop and think about all that God has done in your life, even amidst your difficulties, it becomes overwhelming. Because God has been overwhelmingly good to you. Stop and thank Him. Thank Him for the cross. Thank Him for the empty tomb. Thank Him for giving you hope and peace and love and life. It not only will change your outlook, but it can change the world.
[1] Antinomianism is to be rejected. Read up on it here: https://www.gotquestions.org/antinomianism.html
[2] Read his full context in James 2:14-26
[4] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2017), 338.
[5] Ephesians 2:14 – “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”
