Acts 21:17-36 When Others are Offended
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them.
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Troph′imus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying, “Away with him!”
Paul was the subject of quickly-spreading false rumors that he was undermining and defiling the Jewish tradition. Plenty of people were convinced and incensed enough that this was true that they were ready to kill him. James the Brother of the Lord (the first bishop of Jerusalem) and the elders sought a wise way to put the rumors to rest, but this failed, and Paul’s conciliatory actions were drowned by public hysteria and violence.
What is the correct balance between paying attention to rumors, the feelings of the offended and doing the right thing anyway? Saint John Chrysostom was very interested in this practical question which he faced daily in 4th century Constantinople as much as we face it in the internet age of the 21st century. He was at pains to give no unnecessary offense, but in the end, like Paul, our aim he says is to serve God and not public opinion. He might well have agreed with what Archbishop Robert Runcie once said, “you have to risk being misunderstood.”
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Let not us greatly care for the estimation of the many, nor mind it more than necessary. To God we live, not to human beings: in heaven we have our conversation, not on earth: there lie the awards and the prizes of our labors, there is where we look for our praises and our crowns. Thus far let us trouble ourselves about people—that we do not give them a handle against us. But if, though we give no offense, they choose to accuse us thoughtlessly and without discrimination, let us laugh, not weep…
You have your patterns in the Scriptures. For, says Paul, “do I now persuade men or God?” (Gal 1:10) and again, “We persuade men, but what we are is known to God.” (2 Cor 5:11) And Christ spoke thus of them that take offence: “Let them alone, they are blind guides of the blind” (Matt 14:14); and again, “Woe unto you, when all men speak well of you” (Luke 6:26). And again, “Let your works shine, that men may see, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16). And, “Whoso shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matt 18:6) These sayings are not contrary. No, they are exceedingly in accord. For when the offence is with us, then woe unto us, but when not with us, not so…
For when anything of what is pleasing to God is hindered by another’s taking offence, it is right to take no notice….For, say, if, while we are discoursing and putting drunkards to shame, any one take offence—am I to give up speaking? Hear Christ say, “Will you also go away?” (John 6:67).So then, the right thing is, neither to take no notice, nor to take too much, of the weakness of the many. For let us not look to this only, whether some be offended, but whether they are justly offended, in which case it is no hurt to ourselves to give way. “If meat,” says Paul, “offend my brother, I will eat no meat as long as the world lasts.” (1 Cor 8:13) He said this with reason, for the not eating did him no harm. If however it offends him that I wish to renounce the world, it is not right to mind him. (And whom, you will ask, does this offend? Many, to my knowledge.) When therefore the hindrance is a matter of indifference, let it be done. …
On all occasions it behooves us in following the laws of God to take great pains that we give no matter of offence; that both ourselves may not have to answer for it, and may have mercy granted us from God, by the grace and loving-kindness of His Only-begotten Son, with Whom to the Father and Holy Spirit together be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Saint John Chrysostom, On Acts, Homily 46)
Archives Summer Intern
Yesterday Archivist Alexis Liberovsky welcomed a summer intern, Rebecca Gotterbarn, from Adelphi University. The internship is funded by the university and was organized with the assistance of Father Jonathan Ivanoff, Associate Director of Internships at Adelphi University (Father Jonathan is also pastor of Saint John the Theologian Church in Shirley, NY.)
Rebecca is majoring in history and was selected by the university to be part of the Adelphi Community Fellows Program, which provides students with summer internship positions at nonprofit organizations. Students who apply are matched to appropriate employers by the university.