Paul went up to Jerusalem and met with James(the Lord’s half brother) and the elders. They told Paul to go with four men who’d made a vow, join in their purification at the Temple and pay the expenses, to be acceptable to the Jewish believers. Acts 21:26
While Paul was at the Temple, he was recognised by Jews from Asia and sure enough, another riot began where they tried to murder Paul but he was rescued by Roman soldiers and their commander( it wasn’t time for him to go home just yet). Our times are in His hands!
Paul spoke to the commander in Greek, V37(the language of the people and trade in the Mediterranean area) and asked to address the crowd of Jews. They listened to him as he spoke to them in Aramaic(their own language). God chose a unique man in Paul, to be His apostle, born in Tarsus, brought up a strict Jew, who spoke several languages. He could connect with Jews and Greeks.
Paul spoke of his Jewish credentials to the crowd, brought up under Gamaliel in Jerusalem, persecuted the people of the Way and then his vision on the road to Damascus. Ananias, a ‘devout observer of the law’ prayed for Paul and he received his sight. Ananias said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know as will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard’. Paul had a powerful calling on his life and yet even he had to observe God’s leading.
When Paul returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the Temple, he fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking, “Quick”! He said, “Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not(not they could not, but wouldn’t) accept your testimony about Me”. The Lord sent him far away to the Gentiles. The crowd erupted again at the thought of a Jewish God sending anyone to unclean Gentile people.
There are people and places that will not accept a testimony about the Lord, no matter if it was from Paul himself. It will become more crucial in the days ahead to be led of the Lord in what we seek to do for His Kingdom. Once again, the fastest growing church in Iran, prays to go to people and places of peace, because their lives depend on it!
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