Sermon Tone Analysis

A faithful compromise

A faithful compromise part 1

When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

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, 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.

What then is to be done?

They will certainly hear that you have come.

Do therefore what we tell you.

We have four men who are under a vow; 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.

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.”

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.

What is compromise?

To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a predominant set of standards or rules.

The Bible makes it clear that God does not condone compromising His standards: “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD.

Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.

They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths.

“You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully” (, NLT).

This word joyful describes people of righteousness, those who are totally subservient to God’s will and wholeheartedly devoted in their relationship to Him.

As Christians we do not compromise or deviate from God’s standards but “walk only in His path.”

We always listen and we always resolve to hear only God’s voice.

, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

And we do not yield to or permit any deviation from His Word.

, ‘Therefore, I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.’

Not compromising requires our unswerving submission to Him and to Him only, regardless of the world’s concession to godlessness.

, ‘I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.’

As believers, we must “see to it that no one takes us captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” As Christians we are also commanded to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you …” ().

In other words, we are commanded not only to remain faithful to the Word but to defend it and correct those who are in opposition to it.

, And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to knowledge of the truth.

God is serious about our not compromising His Word with the values of the world—the reason being that those outside of Christ may then “come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil …” ().

Then there are those who profess to being Christians, yet live lives not in keeping with the precepts of the Scripture, i.e., compromising their biblical beliefs by living like the world.

For them, the things of the world and its sensual allurements take precedence over the Word of God , , Do not love the world or the things of the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life- is not from the Father but is from the world.

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Jesus referred to these people as “those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” ().

These are the ones who, though professing to follow Christ, compromise their faith by craving worldly success and accolades from their fellow man.

Jesus chastised such people who rationalized their questionable behavior: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” ().

In other words, to compromise in one’s total allegiance and devotion to God is to allow the allurements of this world, with its accompanying worries, to take precedence over Christ ().

How do we compromise the Word of God?

• When we fail to accept the Word: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” ().

• When we place our desires, and that of others, ahead of the Word of God: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?

And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?

Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?

You have not lied to men but to God” ().

As true believers in Christ, we must accept God’s Word as absolute, inerrant truth ().

We must be fully obedient to His Word (; ; ).

And we must recognize that His Word is not to be compromised for any reason or for anyone.

In today’s passage some have claimed that Paul made a faulty compromise here, but under a detail look at the text we see that Paul has indeed made a faithful compromise.

He did not violate God’s word, God’s will or God’s purposes by adhering to a tradition that we purely cultural and yet without denying Christ.

Let us pray...

Paul is received warmly by the Jerusalem Christians.

James and the elders openly praise God for what he has done through Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles (vv.

17–20a), but affirm that God has also been bringing many Jews in Jerusalem to faith in Christ, whom they describe as being ‘zealous for the law’ (v.

20b).

This moves the Jerusalem leaders to express their concern about Paul’s reputation for teaching Jews in the Dispersion to ‘turn away from Moses’ and to suggest how Paul might prove his orthodoxy as a Jew (vv.

21–24).

A brief recollection of the decision of the Jerusalem Council (v.

25; cf.

15:23–29) provides reassurance that the Jerusalem leaders are not reopening the question of Gentiles and the Law of Moses.

‘The new issue is distinct: is Paul leading Jewish Christians to abandon their Jewish way of life?’

Unfortunately, Paul’s compliance with their well-meaning suggestion (v.

26) exposes him to misrepresentation and the riot that causes him to be arrested.

But yet, Paul was faithful to the end to the true gospel and did do damage to it through this compromise of culture.

A faithful compromise, which brought many Jews to Christ

21:17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

Luke starts with loving reception so that we might understand that these brothers did not give any credit to the rumors or out right false reports spread about Paul.

They understood the wicked people constantly spread wickedness concerning anyone who was pursuing the deeper and deliberate walk with God.

James and his fellow brothers were well persuaded of Paul’s faithfulness and sincerity.

The brothers mentioned were associates of Mnason or a wider group of Jerusalem Christians.

Luke shows us here a practice that we must adopt as well, we must be too hasty to believe wicked reports about those whom we have seen the very testimony of their lives before out very eyes.

Those we know to have served God faithfully and fiercely in the times of great trials.

Satan will always launch an attack on those who are making a difference in this world for Christ.

Satan will always sow discord and disagreement among the faithful so that the attack seems to be coming from within.

Satan always does this that we might begin to suspect one another and to create disunity among us.

Therefore, we Christians must shut our ears against false reports, that we may believe nothing concerning the authentic agents of God that He sends to do His will.

21:18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

The rather official language used here in v. 18 (‘went in with us’) suggests a more formal scene, where these visitors were appearing before the Jerusalem authorities to present their case.

So, often when the weightier business of the church was to be handled, the elders were the ones who came together.

This was done to correctly and consciously focuses on the problem at hand in a more concise considerate way without the multitude.

After the elders had met among these selves the people were informed of the decision.

19After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

This is reminiscent of Paul’s previous visit to the Jerusalem Council where the focus was also on what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

, ‘When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elder, and they declared all that God have done with them.’

, And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”On

that occasion, his law-free offer of the gospel to Gentiles was clearly endorsed.

Look at the fact that Paul gives all the glory here to God, he shows that God is the author of those great things that have happen in the ministry.

Paul shown that at best God had only used him for His glory!

Paul wants his brothers to know that …whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you ().

20a And when they heard it, they glorified God...

Here we see that the Jerusalem leaders once more ‘gave glory to God’ for the amazing growth of the Gentile churches, as in it was said, When they heard these things they fell silent.

And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Something else we should notice here, these elders were not envious of how God had used Paul but they gave praise to God for the things He had done.

Glorifying God saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” However, on this occasion they also took the opportunity to tell Paul: 20b “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed.

They are all zealous for the law.”

Here we see two things emerged, first the elders said, that many Jews were converted, seeing that they were earnest followers of the law.