Times they are a changing
Acts 18:12-23
Have you ever had some event that changed your life?
When you think about it, all kinds of things can change out lives. Going from middle school to high school, getting out of school, getting a job. How about getting married? That was a biggie.
Then for many people, kids come along whoa that was a real biggie – 24 hour care for a tiny person.
I would generally categorize all of those as being good and normal life changes even with the loss of sleep and work load can comes with many changes.
However, we have the opposites like accidents, health, death, job loss, crime or war.
When you are in some kind f uncertain moment, Good or Bad, do you ever try to make a deal with God?
Lord, if you will help me get a good grade on this test, or the doctor’s report is good, or I can find a job I will be in church every Sunday, I will tithe, I will witness to everybody.
Last week we learned that Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, the author of a huge amount of material in the New Testament was actually a human.
Although he seems to have hidden it really well, he was afraid. Who could blame him after threats, beatings, a stoning not to mention spending time in jail.
He stayed in Corinth for a total of about 18 months. He had left the synagogue and started meeting next door in the home of a believer.
Then something happens, the Jews have some kind of committee meeting about Paul. His teaching has to be stopped. He has influenced lots of Jews over the last year to meet with that group at Titius Justus’s house and it is affecting attendance. Not just gentiles, but other good Jews like, Crispus the former synagogue ruler.
So the new ruler is being pushed to solve this problem. Sosthenes and his committee have an idea.
Listen to this, ya’ll know how the Romans limit what religions people can worship. How they break up any unofficial meetings. All we have to do is take Paul and the people that meet over there to court. Paul is not from around here any way so he has no standing in court. This will take care of this situation. It is going to be easy, because they are clearly not Jews and we can testify to that.
Can you imagine the tone of voice when Sosthenes or his representative steps up to make the accusation. "This man, is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."
The Jews are making a charge here that if the proconsul (Mayor) decides it is a problem can technically kill the young church. He can run Paul and other leaders out of town or the punishment can be much worse.
The accusers are suggesting that Paul’s teaching is contrary to Roman law. When in reality, it is really only contrary to Jewish Law. Judaism is an approved religion in the Roman Empire. The case that is being made before Gallio is that this is a different religion and not related to Judaism.
If the Jews win their case there is a good chance that it will mean hardship for Christians every where as they will really be a non-approved religion.
The scripture goes on:
Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things."
Here Paul is back in front of a court and accused , He is ready to speak.
I can almost see Paul as he draws in a deep breath and maybe raises his hand to offer a response.
Instead, Gallio lets the Jews know that he sees right through their made up attack.
He knows that there presence has nothing to do with the breaking of Roman Laws it is about the complex system of Jewish laws. He knows that they are attempting to manipulate the system for their own good.
Complain to the court just to get rid of something they did not like.
Paul never gets to say a word. He does not get to demonstrate or convince the Governor of anything.
Gallio has them thrown out of court. The court being the space between the gallery and Gallio himself. Sort of like in court rooms today, there is a separation between the audience and the attorneys and defendants.
When the accusers get past some point the group starts beating up Sosthenes right there inform of the court and he is not at all interested nor try to stop it.
With this simple decision, Gallio has not found any reason to think that Christianity and Judaism are separate religions. He is indifferent to the internal organization or beliefs. He just sees their conflict as an internal struggle over words and names. ( Technicalities )
What has happened is that Christianity is officially a legal religion in the Roman Empire. The churches are free to exist and worship. Technically from this point on the New Christian sect will actually be protected by the Romans
But, Paul did not even say a word. No one stood up and defended their right to exist. They didn’t have too. God was opening a door of the new church in Corinth and later other places that protected the church from Roman persecution.
Paul stays for an undetermined amount of time and then leaves for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. The go to Cenchrea to catch the right boat. Before they sail, Paul shaves his head to satisfy a vow he had made.
Paul’s life was changed several times. He had been a student of a well know Rabbi and had a great carrier ahead of him. He was on the way of doing great things for God by getting rid of the followers of the way. The a little light and a voice changes his life.
Later a man named Joseph helped him, better know as Barnabas, introduced him to the apostils. Paul started reaching out to the gentiles.
We have a lot of changed documented in the Book of ACTS for Paul. Last week it appeared that Paul was feeling like he needed to see a miracle. The vision from God was probably enough to get Paul over his fear.
But do you think that he could have been praying that God let him off the hook. God, I don’t know if I have been doing this right. All I do is get into trouble and I really don’t like how my ministry has been going over all.
God, If I am on the right track show me a sign. I promise I will be faithful if you just show me a sign.
Do you think that Gallio’s interruption and ultimate ruling was a miracle to Paul?
When we live through uncertain life changes, painful life changes in the past did we made a deal with God?
Did we make vow to do something for God?
Did we do the best we could to keep our word to God?
The scripture tells us that before Paul boards the ship he has his head shaved in order to satisfy a vow.
We don’t know what his vow was; all we know is that part of it was to shave his head. In the day unkempt hair was considered to be sinful, but I doubt that this was just a hair cut.
Many commentators believe that Paul was keeping a nazarite vow.
A vow to set oneself apart for God.
Life long Nazirites were dedicated by their parents to God, Samuel and John the Baptist would be two examples.
Within the Jewish culture of the day a person could choose to set himself apart for God for a time. The time period was 30 days or longer.
During that time the person.
Male or female were to avoid any contact with wine or grapes,
they were not to be in the presence of a dead body.
And they had to let their hair grow.
When the time of their separation had passed they were to present themselves at the temple with offerings.
The first is a ewe for a chatat (sin offering), the second is lamb for an olah (elevation offering), and finally a ram as a shelamim (peace offering) along with a basket of matzah and their grain and drink offerings
The nazarite was to cut their hair in the outer courts and it was to be burned with the Peace offering. The is the last step in the vow and the person could go back to a normal life.
So in our reading today Priscilla, Aquila and Paul arrive in Ephesus and Paul stays only long enough to speak at the synagogue on one occasion.
The odd thing is that the synagogue community ask him to stay on.
And Paul says NO!
Ok, this feels just a bit confusing.
In most places he has mixed reviews and generally stays until his life is threatened before he moves on.
No problem there, but here he has some good stuff happening and he says Sorry, I gotta go. Maybe I can come back some day God willing.
How does Paul know that it is not God’s will for him to stay awhile?
The environment seems good. Why not stay?
One potential idea is that he had to complete his vow. He had to present himself at the temple and offer sacrifices to complete his obligation.
In some way and for some reason Paul has name a vow to God and he thinks that it is important to do everything in his power to keep it.
But this vow seems like one of the old traditional Jewish things that were no longer valid?
Gallieo saw no significant difference between Judaism and Christianity.
Paul keeping of a traditional vow indicates that he is able to participate in the Jewish system without damaging his standing as a Christian.
For Paul the sacrifices did not carry the same meaning has in the past; however, he could still participate in worship in the temple.
He could offer the symbols of forgiveness and atonement knowing that it was not the offering itself but the intent and the feeling on the inside.
So the Roman government sees Christians and Jews as part of the same religion and it seem that Paul does as well.
And because he does, he feel the need to fulfill the rituals and to renew his relationship. In this case to rededicated himself to his work. Perhaps to atone for his doubts and fears to maybe just as a response for the things that God has done in his life.
So while the scripture does not say that Paul went to Jerusalem most commentators believe that he arrived in Caesarea and went the 90 miles up to Jerusalem to complete his vow. And then returns to Antioch and later goes out for additional visits to Phrygia and Galatia.
This morning the thing that is on y heart, how have we responded to the presence of God in our lives?
Have we noticed how God has been with us in the changing moments and responded. Or did we just take it for granted the he was supposed to be there.
If we made promises to God in our hopes or pains did we keep them in our joy or comfort?
Pray with me –
Oh God, hear our prayers this morning.
When I consider all the times you were with me and I failed to notice, I feel so ashamed.
When the crisis passed I moved on and I forgot that you were helping me. When the good things happened I went forward with joy and happiness to enjoy my good favor.
Or when the suffering was over and the peace came I forgot that It was you that kept me sane and you that eased my pain.
Father help me to remember my offering to you. Help me to go out of my way to respond to your grace and love. Help me to do what I promised not because you need it but, because I need to.
Heavenly father we know that we are unable to be perfect children we ask for you to accepts us in our imperfections. We call on the grace offered through Jesus Christ.
In his Holy name, AMEN
