Sometimes in the Bible events are simply recorded without much commentary on their significance, but if we look hard enough, there’s often context somewhere else in the book. An example of this is Acts 21:8, which says:
“On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.”
Here Acts is telling us about one of Paul’s last missionary journeys, and the “we” included a few people, including Luke, the author of the gospel by his name and of Acts, and Paul, who we know as the author of much of the New Testament and as founder of many of Christianity’s first churches. Luke doesn’t seem to think of the verse above as very significant since he spends so few words on it. There’s really no further comment on this living arrangement. However, there’s more to it.
The apostle Paul didn’t always go by that name and if we investigate his past, we uncover more of the meaning in Acts 21:8. The first time he appears in Acts is as Saul, who presided over the death by stoning of Stephen, a prominent Christian disciple. After Stephen gave a public sermon to a Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, the crowd took what he said as blasphemy, and then Luke wrote this: “Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.”[1]
While we don’t read of Saul actually casting stones, he approved of Stephen’s death and likely saw it as a great victory because at this time, Saul was a zealous Pharisee and persecutor of the young church. Just a bit later in Acts (and right before his conversion) we read of Saul “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”[2] Saul certainly would have loved to get his hands on one of the 12 apostles, but others close to them would be fine as well. Killing Stephen, as one of the 7 original deacons of the church, would have pleased Saul.
Who were these deacons? We learn, also in Acts, that the widows of Greek-speaking Jews (Hellenists) “were being neglected in the daily distribution.”[3] The apostles had stretched themselves too thin, so distribution of food and other aid was being neglected. The solution was to name “seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”[4] as deacons to better handle the distributions, allowing the apostles to focus on their preaching ministry. These seven men were “Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.”[5] [bold mine]
So, Stephen, who Saul/Paul was pleased to see martyred, and Philip served together as deacons in the Jerusalem church. We don’t know if they knew each other before this or how long they served together, but there must have been some kinship there. Serving together creates bonds of fellowship. And this brings us back to Acts 21:8.
“On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.”
Luke doesn’t describe what was going on in Philip’s head, but from the rest of Acts above we know that Philip was welcoming a murderer into his house who oversaw his associate’s death. Luke records no tension, no confrontation, no hard feelings. Just that Paul (no longer Saul) was able to stay with Philip for some time. What he doesn’t explain is that these two evangelists love Jesus and are able to forgive each other any sin because of the forgiveness Jesus gave to them. Instead of bitterness, Philip may have instead felt joy that God was able to work so powerfully in Paul’s life. The former murderer of Christians was now a Christian missionary.
This reminds me of a saying I found online (unsourced):
“The apostle Paul entered heaven to the cheers of those he martyred.
That’s how the gospel works”
In the gospel, all sins others commit against us are forgivable, just as Jesus can forgive us any of our sin because He paid the price for all of them. In Philip’s case, even though Paul murdered his friend, God gave enough grace that Philip could forgive, and Luke can record Paul moving in without any additional comment. Also, even Stephen is able to forgive Paul.
It’s hard to love someone if you can’t first forgive them, and we’re commanded to love everyone. So, is our ability to forgive as radical and complete as Philip’s? Are we willing to welcome into the church, and into heaven, our worst enemies? Maybe we have someone specific in mind as we read this who drives us nuts. Can we forgive them? For most of us, these are very hard questions, therefore, pray that God can show us more of His grace and enable it to share it with others. Whoever they are.
We know it’s possible with God’s help.
[1] Acts 7:58
[2] Acts 9:1
[3] Acts 6:1
[4] Acts 6:3
[5] Acts 6:5
Driving Toward the Morning Sun 