Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way… The people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” (Acts 21.4-5, 12-14) What do you do when godly people disagree? When both sides have prayed and still there is no consensus? When all parties concerned are convinced – through the Holy Spirit – that they are right? That dilemma is present in Acts 21, our chapter for today. Paul was making his way to Jerusalem through the leadership of the Spirit. (See Acts 20.22: “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”) Along the way, he made several stops and at two of them he was encouraged to reconsider his destination. In Tyre a group of disciples urged him – “through the Spirit” – not to go. In Caesarea, a prophet – presumably inspired by the Holy Spirit – warned that Paul would be bound and handed over to the courts. But Paul – “compelled by the Spirit” – insisted on going. How could this be? Why was the Holy Spirit giving different messages to different people? How should we understand this dilemma? What did they do to move beyond impasse? We may never completely answer these and similar questions, but let’s look briefly at some lessons we can take from this passage. 1) The first thing I notice is that neither side tried to discredit or “de-Christianize” the other. They all maintained a high regard for the spiritual integrity of one another. Just because we disagree does not mean that one or the other of us has somehow rejected God! 2) Another thing that jumps out at me is that they did not feel the need to come to consensus on this issue. They were somehow able to live with the creative tension that was present in their diverging views, even when they believed that their views were Spirit-inspired! They did not get angry or clam up or avoid talking about it. They just lived with it. But, they lived with it in love. 3) Something else that I see is openness to being wrong or to having misunderstood or misinterpreted what the Spirit said. Yes, it is true that the Spirit spoke a message to each person involved in this difference. And, the Spirit spoke the same message. But the reason for their different conclusions was there different assumptions. Paul assumed that the warning was simply a foreshadowing of what was going to happen. Those urging him not to go assumed that God was warning them in order to prevent their friend from going. 4) This brings me to the final thing I learn from this incident. In the end, they gave Paul the freedom to choose his course himself. They could not force Paul to conform to their interpretation. They were able to allow God to work it all out. If God did not want Paul to go, then God would somehow stop him. They had done their part, and it was time to leave it in God’s hands. We must avoid forcing others into our molds. In the final analysis what is important? That God’s will be done. And that is where they arrived: “The Lord’s will be done” (v. 14). So, if there is not agreement, don’t panic! Believe in one another, live with the paradox, leave room for interpretation, and trust God to work it out in the end! Pastor Scott
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 11:40:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015