Acts 21:17-19 – When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters 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.
“When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly.” Oh how Paul had longed to be back in Jerusalem. He had been raised in Judaism and though he know walked in the freedom of the Gospel, he was well aware of the beauty and power of the ancient scriptures contained in the Old Testament. Indeed, the story of Jesus is only partially told without the Old Testament and the beforehand testimony of God concerning Him is lost if the Old Testament is discarded. The story of God’s love and promises is told in two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. He loved the rituals that told of the coming of Christ. He loved the Jewish culture, traditions, holy days and celebrations. He loved the beauty they told of God and how He would redeem the world. He loved how the celebrations pointed were symbols of deep truths, they were clues, they were loving encouragement from God giving hope of a coming Messiah, who had then came. Paul loved the religion he had been raised in and though most of the teachers of it were missing what they most looked forward to, that is the coming of the Messiah, Paul knew the truth and beauty and power of the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament.
Though he was well aware of the troubles that awaited him, he was overjoyed to be there. He was lovingly welcomed by the Jewish Believers. They were happy to see him. They had heard reports of how the Lord was using him and they were anxious to hear of what the Lord had done.
“The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.” The next day Paul went to see the leaders and elders of the church. It is clearly established that James, the physical brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Galatians 1:19) was now the leader of the Church is Jerusalem. Though Paul was, as far as is noted in scripture, was the man most used in the New Testament, he remained humble and led by the Spirit of God to submit himself before the authority of those in Jerusalem. Of course the elders also lovingly greeted Paul.
“Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.” The most important part of this sentence was and is the most important detail that any missionary or minister of God must always continuously profess and that is that it is God who has done the work and gets full credit for it. When a carpenter builds a beautiful house does the hammer speak up and say look what a great house I have built. No, the hammer without the carpenter is nothing but unused potential and could easily be replaced by another hammer. Unused potential is like fruit that rots on the ground after falling from a tree. All of us, without the hand of God can do nothing. It is God who ordains and enables. God uses men to fulfill His will but the man is nothing, the work is done by the One who has crafted us to be used. God also empowers us. Without God none are saved. None receive the truths of God, if His Spirit does not bring it all about. So yes, let us all look and admire what God has done! Even in creation when we see a beautiful sunrise let us praise the Son and not the sun. When we see the beauty of a waterfall and hear its thunderous roar, let us not praise creation but praise the Creator who is God. When we consider the wonders of the universe and are awed and humbled by a dark night filled such a vast amounts of shining stars, let’s not discount the Creator but praise Him and not the night sky. When a surgeon masterfully performs a surgery that saves a life, let us know that his patient only lives because the Creator and Sustainer of Life has so ordained it. So all that Paul did was to glorify God and it is God whom we ultimately give our gratitude to. All that Paul did he did not because he was great but because God is. The one who claims to bring people to God without giving full credit to God is a false teacher. To God belongs all the glory, and all the thankfulness. As it was then so it is now. Be thankful to each other without forgetting to thank God for using them to bless us. Praise God! Thank God! Hallelujah!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”