Actions and Words
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
Acts 21:17-26

Paul confused people. He was raised a Jew and had been a devoted follower of Jewish law, but now he had changed. What were the Jews and Jewish Christians to think about the former Pharisee who now argued that gentile Christians did not need to follow Jewish law? No wonder people were confused.

In 1 Corinthians 9: 19-21 Paul tries to explain his position. “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”

But sometimes words are not enough. Sometimes what we are must be seen in our actions. So Paul was advised to show that he was not trying to destroy Jewish law. He did not show this just for himself, but for others as well. In Acts 17:24 we read “Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.” Why should he do this? Because actions speak louder than words, and sometimes words are not enough.

For what things in our lives are words not enough? What do we need to be doing to show that our lives have been transformed and we now belong to God?

Prayer:
• For what things are words not enough in your life? What should you be doing to show love, care, forgiveness, …?
Pray that God will open your heart so that not just your words, but also your actions, show that you belong to God.