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"James and all the elders were present" (Acts 21: 18).
There is something about this statement that calls up the words of Gal. 2: 6: "These
who seemed to be somewhat."
"It must have been with an almost painful shyness--that `timid provincial neophytes'
like Timothy and Trophimus (the latter especially, an uncircumcised Gentile, whom his
teacher had encouraged to regard himself as entirely emancipated from the Jewish law)--
found themselves in the awful presence of James, the Lord's brother--James, the stern,
white-robed, mysterious prophet, and the conclave of his but half-conciliated Judaic
presbyters" (Farrar).
The apostle Paul, however, who had witnessed Peter to the face, and had yielded by
subjection no, not for an hour, went forward without hesitation to meet this council and
"saluted them". He then "declared particularly", that is, gave a fairly detailed account, of
"what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry". Paul had been
absent about four years (Acts 18: 21); he referred to "the space of three years" as the
duration of his ministry in Asia, and he would have much to tell concerning Ephesus,
Philippi, Galatia and elsewhere. We cannot tell whether Paul alluded to the antagonism,
not only of the unbelieving Jews, but of the believing Jews, which had attempted to
wreck his work at Corinth and Galatia, but in either case the freedom and grace enjoyed
by the Gentile churches would have been made very manifest by his report, and the
disclosure would act like breath on glowing tinder. Ever since James, Cephas and John
had asked Paul to "remember the poor" (Gal. 2: 10), it had been his intense desire that he
should be able to bring an offering from the Gentile churches to Jerusalem as evidence of
their recognition of indebtedness and a manifest token of their fellowship and goodwill.
In pursuit of his desire he had arranged that each church should select their own
representative and personally deliver the love gift of the churches to the leaders at
Jerusalem.
That Paul entertained very serious doubts concerning his reception at Jerusalem, is
made clear in his epistle to the Romans. The full structure of Rom. 15: 8 - 16: 23 will
be found in Volume XXX, page 81. From it we lift those members that reveal the fears
entertained by the Apostle in connection with this visit to Jerusalem.
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy (Rom. 15: 9).
Might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost (Rom. 15: 16).
May be accepted of the Saints (Rom. 15: 31).
The offering up of the Gentiles to God, was acceptable, for they were sanctified by the
Holy Ghost. But of the offering sent by the Gentiles to Jerusalem, Paul can only
earnestly express the hope, may it be accepted by those who are saints, not by nature, but
by grace. O the tragedy of the sectarian spirit! No doubts were entertained as to the
acceptableness of the poor Gentile converts by a holy God, but grave doubts were
entertained as to whether those self-same converts would be acceptable to certain other
sinners saved by grace! Paul's fears seem to have been only too well founded. The
offerings had been in his charge throughout the journey. Had they been lost, stolen or left
behind, Luke would have recorded the fact.