Acts 21:17-26
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
Reflection
Paul’s visit with James is another instance of the continuing struggle on the part of many Jewish Christians to grasp the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews). The gospel offends many Jews because it brings Gentiles (non-Jews) into the people of God without requiring them to abide by the law of Moses. We see Paul confronting this issue throughout his letters, especially in Galatians and Romans.
Though Paul enthusiastically spreads the gospel of God’s free grace to the Gentiles, he also does all he can to demonstrate to the Jews that he values the law. Here we see that he is even willing to undergo the Jewish rituals of purification (Acts 21:26). For the sake of spreading the message of God’s grace, Paul insists that he can become “all things to all people,” allowing remarkable flexibility in nonessentials for the sake of gospel mission (note: Paul was never willing to compromise the gospel or his identity in Christ; see 1 Cor. 9:19–23). He also encourages others to this flexibility in nonessentials for the sake of harmony and humility in the church (see Romans 14).
Revelation 13:11-18
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
Reflection
In Revelation 13:11, we learn of the rise of a second beast who looks like a lamb, that is, like Jesus (cf. 5:6), but who speaks like a dragon, that is, like Satan (12:9).
This warns believers not to be deceived by those who dress “in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15). John is warning the churches against those who come claiming to present the Christian gospel but who in fact proclaim Satan’s message. John warns that Satan’s counterfeit might even do powerful signs that look like what the two prophets did in Revelation 11:5, making fire come down from heaven (Rev. 13:13). Though Satan and his beasts deceive those who dwell on the earth (v. 14; 12:9), Christians must be wise and watchful for false gospels and the frauds who promote them (13:18). Christ’s followers must endure, even if it means they cannot buy or sell (v. 17), or must be slain (vv. 10, 15). Whatever may come, we have Christ, and he is everything.
Psalm 144:11
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
The reason false teachings deceive is that they resemble enough truth to look convincing. Pray for a watchful mind so that you can spot teachings and teachers who do not align with the truth found in Scripture.