Acts 22:17-30

Us and Them

Now here is a thing. I would say it is a pretty safe bet that most of the people in this mob that had taken Paul were not followers of the Way. I doubt that any of them believed that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. So, they don’t have a problem with Paul saying that Jesus appeared to him neither on the road to Damascus nor in Jerusalem. That in itself is curious. But when Paul says that he has been commissioned to take the Gospel to the Gentiles they go crazy! They don’t even believe the Gospel. Why do they care if Paul takes something they don’t believe in to the Gentiles?

There is an “us” and “them” mentality that we are all subject to in the natural. You could say that the Jews had this mentality imposed on them from God Himself, and to a certain extent you would be right. God had to have a people through whom He could reveal Himself and bring forth Messiah. To do this there was a definite need to maintain Israel’s nation and cultural identity, and more importantly its religious identity. However, the Scriptures are clear that while God intended to bring salvation from the Jews He never intended that salvation would be for the Jews only. Most of the Jews simply couldn’t make this distinction.

How about us Christians? We know that the Gospel is for all people, all nations, and all cultures. If it weren’t we would never have been included. But are we guilty at times of also being unable to distinguish between what is culture and what is faith? The Jews felt that those who accepted the Way had to also come under the Law of Moses. Do we sometimes feel that those who accept the Gospel need to also come under our cultural umbrella? Bear in mind that much of our cultural umbrella is just facade. Behind the mask we often have the same issues, and sometimes worse, than the “others”.

Let us go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and only the Gospel. Let us not fall into the trap many of the early Jewish believers feel into. Remember the Words of James at the Council at Jerusalem: “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”