To Jerusalem

Acts 21:15-16 After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
 
WE covered Acts 21:10-14 a few lessons back as it pointed to a powerful prophecy of Paul’s bondage in Jerusalem and his determination to continue. The rest of Acts 21 begins the account of Paul’s time in Jerusalem that led to several years under Roman guard. Paul’s desire to go to Rome would eventually happen under Rome’s authority to stand trial before Ceasar as a Roman citizen. Here’s how that came to be.
 
Multitudes Saved
 
Acts 21:17-20 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.
 
PAUL was a humble servant to the church. He began well in Jerusalem, reporting to the apostle James, who was Jesus’ half-brother and author of the epistle James. Because James met the criteria that an apostle had to have been with Jesus, his authority as an apostle remains unquestioned.
   James and other elders of the Jerusalem church were very pleased at Paul’s report. The phrase many thousands of Jews have believed means “many times 10,000.” Jesus’ church was growing! The church leaders were pleased that many Gentiles had become believers. Years before this, Peter had been called to Jerusalem to defend his work in the Roman Centurion Cornelius’  home (Acts 10). The apostle and convinced them the Gentiles were God’s people, too. The church’s primary authority of the day was very happy to hear of Gentiles’ conversions.
   Then Luke wrote all of the Jews are zealous for the law. Paul had been passionately preaching the gospel of grace. Were the Jews still following all the Law of Moses?
   We’ll continue in the next lesson to explain the Jews’ response to their salvation in Jesus.