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by Sandy Shaw
In Acts 21 we have been studying this very difficult situation from verse 20 onwards, where Paul was being falsely accused regarding what he was teaching. That remains something which we continue to face and carry today. There will always be those who will try to put words in your mouth. That is why we must be careful as to what we say and how we conduct our lives.
If you do what is right in the sight of God, that does not mean you can avoid trouble. If you do what people ask you to do, even in a situation like this, there can still be gossip, anger, rage, uproar, riot.
But we see the pattern about when to say "NO" and when to say "YES". We are not to be too concerned about ourselves - our own personal safety and well-being - but we are to be concerned about the welfare and unity of the Church. We have to have the courage to say "NO", and the strength to say "YES", and never do anything which might divide the Church.
Your decision, action and behaviour may divide something, but make sure it does not divide the Church.
In verse 27, we read of how some respectable religious people caused trouble for Paul.
They saw him in the temple in Jerusalem. They too are in the House of God, but look at what is in their hearts. They stirred up the people saying, "This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place." They accused him of bringing Greeks - Gentiles - outsiders - into the Temple - and thereby polluting it.
Now, Paul had been seen in the street, with Trophimus the Ephesian - a Gentile - and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the Jewish area of the Temple.
They had been misled, again, by people jumping to wrong conclusions. This is why it is so important to check the facts - what actually happened - what was actually said.
We have duty in Christ to receive the truth - to arrive at the truth, even though it means digging away at times at things which people may just blurt out.
We have a duty in Christ to believe only the truth - to hold to the truth - to share the truth - to speak the truth - to be witnesses to the truth. It is the truth which sets us free and makes us strong - and that truth is Christ Jesus.
The only exercise some people get is jumping to wrong conclusions. Do not be one of them.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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