Acts 21:17-40

Email

Did you know that you have a friend right now stranded in a foreign country who was mugged. That friend desperately needs you to send him some money. He is counting on you. There is also a Nigerian oil sheik who needs to transfer millions of dollars to the USA but needs your help. He just happened to get your email address and if you will just send a few hundred dollars to facilitate the transfer he will allow you to keep a couple of the million he is going to transfer because he has heard about your good works. Oh, yes, and Barak Obama wasn’t born in the United States. And talking on your cell phone while you fill up with gas could cause your car to blow up. And Proctor and Gamble uses all of their profits to support the church of Satan.

How do I know all of this stuff? Someone sent me an email about each one of these things. They must be true! (Sarcasm alert.)

Things have changed, but people haven’t. We have more sophisticated means of communication these days but like the people of Jerusalem in Paul’s day we are ready to believe (and spread) most anything we hear.

Paul had not taught the Jews to turn from the Law. He did claim that the gospel trumps the Law, and he didn’t require the Gentiles to keep the Law, but he did not teach the Jews to abandon the Law. Some self appointed Law Police twisted the things Paul said to stir people up. (Imagine what they could have done if they had had their own radio show!)

Paul did not bring Gentiles into the holy areas of the temple. Since we already heard that he taught Jews to turn from the Law, and he had been seem with a Gentile in the city, then obviously he must have defiled the temple by bringing in Gentiles. Perhaps he was giving Israeli Tours on the side?

We can see how ridiculous these stories are and how silly it was of the people to believe them. Can’t we? Remember that the next time you open your email.