Acts 21--What do you hold most dear?

Blogger: Aaron Miner

Question: What do you hold most dear?

After Paul meets with the Ephesian elders he starts off on his journey to Jerusalem. Interestingly, Luke parallels Paul’s journey with Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem. Richard Longenecker in his commentary on Acts points out that the parallels consist of plots by the Jews, a handing over to the Gentiles, a triple prediction of impending suffering, steadfast resolution, and resignation to God’s will.

As it was for Jesus, Paul’s companions and friends entreat him to not go to Jerusalem. Paul’s responds simply, I am not afraid to die. Paul has known from the beginning that he must suffer greatly for the name of his Lord (Acts 9:16). For Paul there is no other choice.

Paul does not die in Jerusalem. However, he does immediately face great and unjust persecution. While Paul purifies himself in the Temple the Jews rise up and seize him. Only because the Roman cohort watches the Temple for any disturbances are they able to rescue Paul from this angry mob. Their concern is not for Paul’s safety or justice but solely to quell the civil unrest that is forming.[1]

What does Paul hold dear? The answer is clearly not his personal safety but rather the name of the Lord Jesus. For Paul, Christ is truly the rock that he stands on, nothing else matters. To some degree you can say that Paul has no other idol controlling his life. Christ’s death on the cross has replaced everything else. This is true life, (Romans 8:10-12) because of what Christ has done. Let us then live and live to none other.

So what do we hold most dear? Is it the name of Christ, so that we may live according to the Spirit? For most of us, we may never have to suffer as Paul did, but what we must give up is far more subtle and thus far more ensnaring. Let us then hold on tightly to Jesus but loosely to everything else.

[1] One Syriac text includes the instructions, “See, therefore, that they do not make an uprising,” as the reason they allow Paul to address the crowd.