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THE KING’S BUSINESS
frankly admitted that the Jewish ceremon ial law had no binding'force upon a Gen tile Christian. Paul, on his part, while he would have been willing to die rather than sacrifice a principle, was quite ready t 6 have regard to the feelings of others in matters that were simply questions of expediency, and readily acceded to the sug gestion that he observe this custom of the Jewish law. Wednesday, April 4 . Acts 2 1 : 27 - 29 . Paul’s attempt at conciliation resulted not in peace but in discord and grave trou ble, but that does not prove that the attempt was in itself unwise, for incalcu lable good came of it. It resulted in bring ing Paul to Rome where God wanted him and where he wished to go, and that with out any expense to himself or to the church, and under the most favorable cir cumstances to gain a hearing. It brought to Paul the opportunity to testify to the truth to. Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, and gave him access to the praetorian guard (Phil. 1:13; R. V.), and to the household of the emperor. It gave to the church some of the most precious epistles in the Bible. It did bring suffering to Paul him self, but what matter that as long as it brought glory to God. The “Jews from Asia” were badly frightened when it took the whole company of them to seize one little man and even then to feel the neces sity of calling on the whole people for help. It is a striking sight to see a crowd holding one man and calling a still larger crowd to help them. This crowd of “Jews from Asia” were not only cowards they were also liars, they grossly misrepre sented Paul. So far from teaching “all men everywhere against the people and the law,” in point of fact he was a devoted lover of his people and also an observer of the law. But every true servant of God is sure to be misrepresented, and it will not do for God’s servant to stop and try to set straight all the lies that are told about him. God will take care of the lies and of our reputation. They charged Paul with bringing Christ into the temple and pollut-
ence to the importunities' of his friends, it was devotion to the known will of God. So Paul would not allow himself to be persuaded by the tender sympathies of his friends, by their pleadings, or by their tears. Finally they came into harmony with the will of God saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” Though it means the suffering and death of our dearest friend, or of ourselves, nothing is so desirable as “the will of the Lord.” In this statement of Paul’s friends who had been seeking to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem we see how utterly unwarranted by the Word of God is the position of those who say that Paul was moved by self-will, that he ought not to have gone to Jerusalem. Even those who sought to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem admitted at last that it was the will of the Lord that he should go. Tuesday, April 3 . Acts 2 1 : 17 - 26 . Paul received a cordial welcome from the brethern in Jerusalem. There was no delay on his part .in meeting the leaders of the church. James, the Lord’s brother, seems to have been the acknowledged leader in the church at Jerusalem at that time. Paul took very little time for salu tations and congratulations, he at once “rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought.” It was through his ministry that things had been wrought, but it was God’s working them that Paul empha sized, he sought to magnify God in him self. He succeeded in his attempt for when they had heard his story they “glorified God.” How often when a professed ser vant of God tells his story it is the mis sionary or the evangelist that men pro ceed to glorify rather than God who works through him, but Paul saw to it that the story was told in such a way that God got all the glory. Lies were still being circulated about Paul among the Jewish believers and Paul was urged to concilliate those who had been prejudiced against him by himself observing one of the requirements of the Jewish ceremonial law. Those who urged him to this course
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