266
The Acts of the Apostles
man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God.... Which things,” declared Paul, “we speak, not in
the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
1 Corinthians 2:4,
10-13
.
Throughout his ministry, Paul had looked to God for direct guid-
ance. At the same time, he had been very careful to labor in harmony
with the decisions of the general council at Jerusalem, and as a result
the churches were “established in the faith, and increased in number
daily.”
Acts 16:5
. And now, notwithstanding the lack of sympathy
shown him by some, he found comfort in the consciousness that he
had done his duty in encouraging in his converts a spirit of loyalty,
generosity, and brotherly love, as revealed on this occasion in the
liberal contributions which he was enabled to place before the Jewish
elders.
After the presentation of the gifts, Paul “declared particularly what
things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.” This
recital of facts brought to the hearts of all, even of those who had been
doubting, the conviction that the blessing of heaven had accompanied
his labors. “When they heard it, they glorified the Lord.” They felt
[403]
that the methods of labor pursued by the apostle bore the signet of
Heaven. The liberal contributions lying before them added weight
to the testimony of the apostle concerning the faithfulness of the
new churches established among the Gentiles. The men who, while
numbered among those who were in charge of the work at Jerusalem,
had urged that arbitrary measures of control be adopted, saw Paul’s
ministry in a new light and were convinced that their own course had
been wrong, that they had been held in bondage by Jewish customs and
traditions, and that the work of the gospel had been greatly hindered
by their failure to recognize that the wall of partition between Jew and
Gentile had been broken down by the death of Christ.
This was the golden opportunity for all the leading brethren to
confess frankly that God had wrought through Paul, and that at times
they had erred in permitting the reports of his enemies to arouse their
jealousy and prejudice. But instead of uniting in an effort to do justice
to the one who had been injured, they gave him counsel which showed
that they still cherished a feeling that Paul should be held largely
responsible for the existing prejudice. They did not stand nobly in