I grew up hearing the idiom (axiom?) “one more time around the mountain” used often by the adults in my life. Similar idioms like “same old, same old” and “more the same” were often interchanged. I knew they meant the same thing – that nothing’s changed.
As I continue reading through the book of Acts, the idioms keep coming to mind as I follow the Apostle Paul and his entourage’s footsteps (Luke, Timothy, Silas, et al). It seems like no matter where they landed, neither jealous Jews nor irate idol-makers were too eager to roll out the red carpet for them.
In Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten because Paul had freed a young slave woman of her sorcery powers, depriving her owners of their fortune-telling income. In Thessalonica, jealous Jews formed a mob and started a riot against them. Paul and Silas escaped by the cover of darkness and went off to Berea. The Bereans were receptive to the gospel. However, once the jealous Thessalonian Jews discovered that Paul was preaching about Jesus in Berea a contingency arrived, “agitating the crowds and stirring them up” (Acts 17:13). Paul was put on a ship for Athens. Similar stories in other communities throughout his ministry.
One more time around the mountain!
In Acts 21, we find Paul and company arriving in Jerusalem. He delivered a collection of monies from the various churches of Asia and Greece as famine relief for the Jerusalem Christians. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, he was welcomed by James (Jesus’ brother) and the other elders of the Jerusalem Church. They were excited to hear about the propagation of the gospel through Paul’s travels. And then, “one more time”…
“You see, brother,” they said, “that there are many thousands of Jews who have believed. They are all of them fiercely enthusiastic for the law. But what they have heard about you is that you teach all the Jews who live among the nations to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to keep the customs. Where does this leave us? They will certainly hear that you have come.” (Acts 21:20-22, KNT)
So a plan was devised: Paul was to act like a full-fledged Jew and undergo the accepted ritual of purification. Paul was apparently not opposed to the plan – it fit his philosophy of ministry: “I became like a Jew to the Jews, to win Jews. I became like someone under the law to the people who are under the law, even though I’m not myself under the law, so that I could win those under the law” (1 Corinthians 9:20). However, in this case, he was in need of winning over the many Jewish Christians.
The plan failed. Paul was spotted in the Temple. James and the elders were right – the zealous Christian Jews immediately went after Paul. Accompanied by non-Christian Jews, they dragged him out of the Temple and shut the gates to him, inciting a riot. They beat Paul with the intent to kill him, thwarted only by the intervention of the Roman tribune.
One more time around the mountain!
By now one would suspect Paul was getting used to this “one more time around the mountain” routine. But this was different. His past experiences were with jealous Jews. This time zealous Christians joined in. What does that do to one’s faith? How does one keep on keeping on? Did Paul waver in his faith? Would I waver in similar circumstances? Would you?
We aren’t privy to whether he wavered or not. What we are privy to is his theology and worldview which is evident in his writings. Paul desired to live a life of contentment, regardless of circumstances deriving strength from Jesus (see Philippians 4:11-13). But deeper than a sense of contentment was a deep understanding of the love of God…
For I have come through a process of persuasion to the settled conclusion that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things about to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, Wuest)
“I have come through a process of persuasion…” What was the process? Turns out the process was those many times around the mountain as Paul described in his letter to the Corinthian Christians…
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)
Maybe “one more time around the mountain” isn’t such a bad thing. After all, each time around can result in one step closer to the summit.
Practical Theology Today 