Paul visits Jerusalem (the fifth time); Acts 21:17 – 26 Part 2

Church History: Date: A.D.57 - 59

Paul and his contingent went to see James - This was James the Less, son of Mary; and cousin to our Lord. He appears to have been bishop of the Church in Jerusalem, and perhaps the only apostle who continued in that city. We have already seen what a very important character he sustained in the council. See (Acts 15:13). It appears that all the elders had been convened to discuss the matters of this serious and important moment; and some think it was relative to Paul himself, of whose arrival they had heard, and well knew how many of those that believed were disaffected towards him. Paul had no doubt heard that the Elders were prejudiced against him; and, by declaring what God had done, thru him among the Gentiles, showed how groundless this prejudice was: for, were he a bad man, or doing anything that he should not do, God would not have made him such a singular instrument of so much good.1

They gave praise to the Lord for what he had done. They saw new proofs of his goodness and mercy, and they gave to him thanks for all that had been accomplished. There was no jealousy that it had been done by the instrumentality of Paul. True piety will rejoice in the spread of the gospel, and in the conversion of sinners, by whatever instrumentality it may be effected.
The language of tenderness in this address, recognizing Paul as a fellow-laborer and fellow Christian, implies a wish that Paul would do all that could be done to avoid giving offence, and to regain the favor of his country-men. The number of converts at this time must have been very great. Twenty-five years before this, three thousand had been converted at one time, (Acts 2:1-47), and afterwards the number had swelled to several more thousand, (Acts 4:4), The assertion, that there were then "many thousands," implies that the work, so signally begun on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, had not ceased, and that many more had been converted to the Christian faith. Christians. They are spoken of as believers, or as having faith in Christ, in contrast to those who rejected him, and whose characteristic trait it were that they were unbelievers.