Have You Heard of the Four Crimes of Apostle Paul?
You may or you may not have heard of the four crimes of Apostle Paul! But, one of his biggest enemies was the religious, unbelieving Jews of his days. They would pursue him mercilessly and relentlessly through Asia to Jerusalem to kill him and all this time accusing him of committing four crimes.
First, they alleged that he teaches everybody everywhere against the Jews; the Law of Moses; the Temple, and finally that he corrupts the temple.
However, before we investigate these four crimes of Apostle Paul, ask yourself this question, are they true?
Additionally, today are contemporary Christians behaving as did those Jews then, in the days of Paul?
These Jews Didn’t Want to Violate the Law
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“And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him” (Acts 21:27).
Note how the Jews waited until “the seven days were almost ended” before they made their move? Being Jews, they didn’t want to violate the Law.
Paul’s First Offense
“Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men [everywhere] against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place” (Acts 21:28).
What did Paul teach against the People of Israel?
The unbelieving Jews of Asia informed the Jews in Jerusalem that Paul taught the Jews in Asia to abandon the Law of Moses and its rituals.
Thus, the Church in Jerusalem informed Paul:
“And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs” (Acts 21:21).
But there was no truth in that report. Paul was not discriminatory in his teachings. Not only that but he taught them publicly and not in secret for they all heard him.
Let’s recall his conversation with the Church Leaders of Ephesus.
Folks, don’t forget that Aposte Paul was also a Jew himself. Thus, he would have bee practising all these Jewish customs and traditions of Moses.
We Know Where, What, and Who?
He reminded them, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you [publicly], and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).
He didn’t preach one doctrine to the Jews and another to the Greeks. Everybody got the identical Word of God.
“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
So, we are informed of what he preached, to whom and where he did it.
Paul’s Second Crime
What did Apostle Paul teach against the Law of Moses? Well, concerning the Law, his teachings were consistent and clear!
Seeing that he was a Jew, on the Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and debated the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
Therefore, in Corinth, Paul “reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks
” (Acts 18:4).What did he teach them? The identical doctrine that offends contemporary so-called Christians.
To become righteous in this day and age Jesus Christ is the answer not the Law of Moses.
So, when the Jews in Corinth heard this, they didn’t understand it because of their unbelieving hearts.
Similarly, the religious zealots of today are ignorant of it and they are doing everything in their power to stop the dissemination of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Consequently, they acted in concert to stop the preaching of Paul.
“And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, (Acts 18:12).
Some Christians Today Are Guilty of The Four Crimes of Paul
“Saying, This, fellow [persuades] men to worship God contrary to the law” (Acts 18:12-13).
They didn’t understand that Jesus Christ “is the end of the law for righteousness” and the denominational Christians of today don’t comprehend it either.
And in this regard, if Paul were here today many who go to church on Saturday would persecute him as did those Jews.
They would commit the four crimes of Apostle Paul and they wouldn’t even be aware of it. They are blind to the truth of God’s Word.
These Christians would view him as a threat to their rituals, a seducer, and a spreader of evil doctrine. A man who preachs things contrary to the Law.
“And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut” (Acts 21:30).
The preaching of Paul was never contrary to the preaching of the Law of Jesus Christ. He upheld its teaching!
“And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar” (Acts 21:31).
“Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul” (Acts 21:32).
Apostle Paul’s Third Crime
What was Paul’s third crime? These vicious unbelieving Jews declared that he taught against “this place” or the Temple.
In other words, he was teaching against the Church! They must have lost a screw or more! They were mad!
As a Pharisee, he was always attending the sanctuary on the Sabbath, for that was his way of life. He was a Christian but first, he was a Jew.
What was one of the first things Paul did when he visited any city? He would identify the location of the local church and visit them.
Those are not the actions of someone who is preaching or teaching against the church or sanctuary.
“Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done” (Acts 21:33).
“And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle” (Acts 21:34).
“And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people” (Acts 21:35).
“For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him” (Acts 21:36).
“And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?” (Acts 21:37).
The Identical Gospel of Jesus Christ For All
“Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?” (Acts 21:38).
“But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people” (Acts 21:39).
“And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying” (Acts 21:40).
In conclusion, Apostle was not teaching against the Jews but establishing God’s plan for them and the remainder of the world through believing in Jesus Christ.
Consequently, he taught the same gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Greeks that if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God you can be saved. The Jews rejected this. And today, many continue to reject it!
One of Apostle Paul’s Crime Was This!
Similarly, today some religious bodies reject this also. They feel that attending church on Saturdays and doing the deeds of the Law will save them.
But that’s exactly what Paul was attempting to instruct was not the case.
Paul, being a Jew, never taught again the Jewish people. Instead, he constantly reminds us that he too is a Jew.
Additionally, he never taught against the Law. Instead, he being a Jew shows that he keeps the Law by attending the Sanctuary on the Sabbath day.
Consequently, to appease the Jews at Jerusalem the elders there proposed that he further demonstrates that he keeps the law.
This is their proposal:
“Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them” (Acts 21:23).
Was The Church Aware of the Four Offences of Paul?
Observe that their inclusion of Paul in this Jewish ritual was not for his cleansing but to show that he keeps the Law.
“Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law” (Acts 21:24).
Thus, he desired to demonstrate to the Jewish people that the Law is good and righteous but Jesus Christ is greater. He represents the choice of the Lord God to save humanity from sin at this time.
And for him to do that he had to visit the Sanctuary where the Jewish people were.
These Were Not the Four Crimes of Apostle Paul But Of The People
Finally, these unbelieving Jews are so caught up with the rituals of the Law that they become ignorant of the power of God.
How could the entrance of an unholy person into a holy place renders that place unholy?
“(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)” (Acts 21:29).
If such is the case, then there is no power of God present in such a place. For if the unholy enters and God is present, then he should exit a new person having experienced the almighty power of God through faith.
Else how then could the Church grows? Or is the unholy more powerful than God? For then, God would be powerless.
In closing, whenever you hear the true Word of God believe it for it is the power of God to save you.
Paul was innocent of those crimes. Instead, he did the opposite. He preached and taught that in these last days God speaks to us through his Son Jesus Christ and not through the Law and the Prophets, for to be righteous we must believe in Jesus Christ not keep the Law.
You must believe that Paul hijacked Christianity. Jesus travelled with women and treated them as equals. If we had followed that we would not have killed millions of women and we would have been equal. We could have led the church as co- equals. There are no Christians, only Paulineans.