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Scripture Reading: Acts 21:1-26
After Paul’s solemn and precious fellowship with the elders of the church in Ephesus (20:13-35), “he knelt down with them all and prayed” (20:36). Eventually, they escorted Paul to the ship. Acts 21:1 says, “Now it came about that when we parted from them and set sail, we took a straight course and came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.” The Greek word translated “parted” may also be rendered “tore ourselves.”
At Patara Paul and his company found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board, and set sail (v. 2). They sailed to Syria and came down to Tyre. “And having sought out the disciples, we remained there seven days; and they told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem” (v. 4). In 20:23 the Holy Spirit made known to Paul that bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit’s testifying concerning this was only a prophecy, a foretelling, not a charge. Therefore, Paul should have taken it not as a command but as a warning. Now in 21:4 the Spirit took a further step to tell him, through some members of the Body, not to go to Jerusalem. In practicing the Body life, Paul should have taken this word and obeyed it as a word from the Head.
Acts 21:7-8 go on to say, “And when we finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and having greeted the brothers, we remained one day with them. And on the next day we went out and came to Caesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we remained with him.” Wherever Paul went he visited the brothers and stayed with them (vv. 4-7). He was actually practicing the Body life of the church, living according to what he taught concerning the Body of Christ.
Acts 21:10-11 say, “And while we remained there many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And he came to us and took Paul’s girdle; and having bound his own feet and hands, he said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, In this way shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind the man whose girdle this is and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” Here the Holy Spirit told Paul again, not directly but through a member of the Body, what would befall him in Jerusalem. This was again a warning in the nature of a prophecy, not a charge. It was again the Head speaking through the Body, which Paul should have listened to in the practice of the Body life.
Verse 12 continues, “And when we heard these things, both we and those in that place entreated him not to go up to Jerusalem.” The “we” includes Luke the writer. Here the Body, through many members, expressed its feeling, entreating Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But due to his strong will in being ready even to sacrifice his life for the Lord, he would not be persuaded. Concerning this, verse 13 says, “Then Paul answered, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Since Paul would not be persuaded, the members of the Body were forced to leave this matter to the will of the Lord. Verse 14 says, “And when he would not be persuaded, we were silent, having said, The will of the Lord be done.”
Acts 21:15-16 say, “And after these days, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. And some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing us to a certain Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to lodge.” In verse 16 we see that they were to lodge with Mnason in Jerusalem.
Verse 17 continues, “And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.” This coming to Jerusalem was the end of Paul’s third ministry journey which began in 18:23.
According to 21:17, when Paul and his company came to Jerusalem, the brothers gladly welcomed them. Verse 18 says, “And on the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.” The word “us” in this verse indicates that Luke was present.
In 21:18 we see that Paul went in to James. James was the central figure relating to the problem in Jerusalem, for he was a leader among the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. When Paul and his co-workers went in to see James, all the elders were present. This indicates that James was the leading one among the elders.
After Paul greeted the elders, “he related one by one the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ministry” (v. 19). Paul wisely did not teach them, but instead presented the things God had done through his ministry. When they heard this, they glorified God (v. 20).
Although the elders in Jerusalem glorified God for what He had done among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry, they nevertheless went on to say to him, “You observe, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and all are zealous for the law.” The Greek word rendered “thousands” also means myriads, ten thousands. These myriads of the Jews who believed were all zealous for the law.
The word in 21:20 about thousands of believing Jews being zealous for the law indicates how the Jewish believers in Jerusalem still kept the law of Moses, still remained in the Old Testament dispensation, and still were strongly under the Judaic influence, mixing God’s New Testament economy with the out-of-date economy of the Old Testament.
James addressed his Epistle to “the twelve tribes in the dispersion” (James 1:1), indicating that it was written to Christian Jews. However, to call these believers in Christ “the twelve tribes,” as God’s chosen people in His Old Testament economy, may indicate the lack of a clear view concerning the distinction between Christians and Jews, between God’s New Testament economy and the Old Testament dispensation. It may also indicate that James did not realize that God in the New Testament had delivered and separated the Jewish believers in Christ from the Jewish nation, which was then considered by God as a “crooked generation” (Acts 2:40). In His New Testament economy God no longer regards the Jewish believers as Jews for Judaism but as Christians for the church. Therefore, the Jewish believers, as the church of God, should be as distinct and separate from the Jews as from the Gentiles (1 Cor. 10:32). Nevertheless, James, as a pillar of the church (Gal. 2:9), in his Epistle to the Christian brothers, still called them “the twelve tribes.” This was contrary to God’s New Testament economy.
In his Epistle James also uses the word “synagogue” (James 2:2). The use of this word by James may indicate that the Jewish believers considered their assembly and assembling place as one of the synagogues among the Jews. James’ use of this word in his Epistle may indicate that the Jewish Christians regarded themselves as still a part of the Jewish nation, as the chosen people of God according to the Old Testament, and that they lacked a clear vision concerning the distinction between God’s chosen people of the Old Testament and the believers in Christ of the New Testament.
James 2:8-11 indicates that the Jewish believers at James’ time were still practicing the keeping of the Old Testament law. These verses correspond to the word in Acts 21:20 spoken to Paul by James and the elders in Jerusalem concerning the zeal of the thousands among the Jews who believed for the law. James, the elders in Jerusalem, and many thousands of Jewish believers still remained in a mixture of the Christian faith and the Mosaic law. They even advised Paul to practice such a semi-Judaic mixture (21:20-26). They were not aware that the dispensation of law was altogether over and that the dispensation of grace should be fully honored, and that any disregard of the distinction between these two dispensations would be contrary to God’s economical plan for the building up of the church as the expression of Christ.
In chapter twenty-one of Acts we see that James and the elders in Jerusalem had formed a mixture of God’s New Testament economy with the Old Testament dispensation. Actually James and the elders were even promoting this mixture. Of course, they did not neglect faith in Christ, but they were still zealous for the Old Testament. As a result, there was a religious mixture in Jerusalem. We all need to have a clear understanding of this.
Referring to the thousands of Jews who believed and were zealous for the law, James went on to say to Paul, “And they have been instructed concerning you that you are teaching all the Jews throughout the nations apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk according to the customs” (v. 21). To leave the law of Moses, not to circumcise, and not to walk according to the customs of dead letters are really according to God’s New Testament economy. But these were considered by the unbelieving Jews and even by the Jewish believers in Christ to be apostasy from God’s Old Testament dispensation. It certainly is not apostasy to put aside the Old Testament economy. Rather, that is part of the carrying out of the truth. Nevertheless, James and the other elders used the situation among the thousands of believing Jews in Jerusalem in order to persuade Paul.
Those believing Jews who had been instructed concerning Paul were correct as to the facts, but they were mistaken in accusing Paul of apostasy. In the Epistle to the Galatians Paul clearly says that the law has been put aside, and that he is dead to the law: “I through law have died to law that I might live to God” (Gal. 2:19). This means that Paul no longer had anything to do with the law. For him to have died to the law means that the obligation under the law, the relationship to the law, was terminated. Hence, before Paul came to Jerusalem the last time in Acts 21, he had clearly written to the Galatians that he was dead to the law and had nothing to do with it.
The Jews were right regarding the facts, but they twisted the facts by accusing Paul of teaching apostasy. Apostasy is a matter of heresy. Paul’s departure from the law was neither apostasy nor heresy; it was the practice of the truth of God’s New Testament economy. However, the opposers took the facts and twisted them. Our opposers do the same thing today.
According to 21:21, Paul taught apostasy from Moses, telling the Jews not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. I believe that Paul did teach that it was no longer necessary to practice circumcision. Yet, as we have pointed out, he had Timothy circumcised (16:1-3). The criticism of his opposers, therefore, was not fair.
The Jews also claimed that Paul taught the people not to walk according to the customs. In this matter they were accurate. Nevertheless, the report that went to Jerusalem concerning Paul’s ministry was only partially true. The situation is the same with us today.
In 21:22 and 23a James and the elders said to Paul, “What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do what we tell you.” Literally, the Greek word translated “what” mean “this that.” In verse 23 James and the elders did not propose something to Paul; rather, they required it of him, telling him to do what they said to him.
James and the elders went on to say, “Four men are with us who have a vow on themselves; take these and be purified with them, and pay their expenses that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things of which they have been instructed concerning you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law” (vv. 23b-24). The vow mentioned in verse 23 was the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:2-5). For Paul to be purified with the Nazarites was to become a Nazarite with them, joining them in their vow. The word “purely” is used in the Septuagint in Numbers 6:3, in describing the Nazarite’s duties. To take the Nazarite vow is a purification before God.
In addition to telling Paul to be purified with the four who had a vow on themselves, they told him to pay their expenses so that they might shave their heads. Paying their expenses refers to the cost of the offerings which a Nazarite had to pay for the completion of his purification (Num. 6:13-17). This was very expensive for the poor Nazarites. It was a custom among the Jews, and was considered a proof of great piety, that a rich person would pay the expenses of the offerings for the poor.
The shaving of the head was to be done at the completion of the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:18). This shaving differed from the shearing in Acts 18:18, which was for a private vow. We have emphasized the fact that the vow in 18:18 was a private vow in any place by the Jews for thanksgiving, with the shearing of hair. It differed from the Nazarite vow, which had to be carried out in Jerusalem with the shaving of the head. In Acts 18 Paul had a private vow, and it seems that God tolerated it, probably because it, being a private vow accomplished in a place other than Jerusalem, would not have had much effect on the believers.
Acts 21:26 says, “Then Paul took the men on the following day, and having been purified with them entered into the temple, giving notice of the completion of the days of the purification, until the offering was offered for each one of them.” Here we see that Paul participated in their Nazarite vow. In order to do this, Paul had to enter into the temple and remain there with the Nazarites until the completion of the seven days of the vow. Then the priests would offer the offerings for each one of them, including him. Paul surely was clear that such a practice was of the out-of-date dispensation, which, according to the principle of his teaching in the New Testament ministry, should be repudiated in God’s New Testament economy. Yet he went through with it, probably because of his Jewish background, which was also manifested in his earlier private vow in 18:18, and because he was practicing his word in 1 Corinthians 9:20. However, his toleration jeopardized God’s New Testament economy, which God would not tolerate. As we shall see, just at the time when their vow was to be concluded, God allowed an uproar to rise up (v. 27).
The mixture of Judaic practices with God’s New Testament economy was not only erroneous in God’s dispensation, but also abominable in the eyes of God. This gross mixture was terminated by Him a mere ten years or so later with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the center of Judaism, through Titus and his Roman army. This rescued the church and absolutely separated it from the devastation of Judaism.
God might have tolerated the private vow Paul had in 18:18, but He would not allow Paul, His chosen vessel not only for the completion of His New Testament revelation (Col. 1:25) but also for the carrying out of His New Testament economy (Eph. 3:2, 7-8), to participate in the Nazarite vow, a serious Judaic practice. Paul might have intended in going to Jerusalem to clear up the Judaic influence on the church there, but God knew that it was incurable. Hence, in His sovereignty He allowed Paul to be arrested by the Jews and imprisoned by the Romans so that he might write his last eight Epistles, which completed the divine revelation (Col. 1:25) and gave the church a clearer and deeper view concerning God’s New Testament economy (Eph. 3:3-4). Thus, God left the Judaic-influenced church in Jerusalem to remain as it was until the devastating mixture was terminated with the destruction of Jerusalem. For Paul to write his last eight Epistles to complete God’s New Testament revelation was far more important and necessary than for him to accomplish some outward works for the church.
