Acts 21- 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. New Testament Baptism: In Water or the Spirit? Luke affirms that when the company arrived at the sacred city, the brethren received us gladly (Acts 21:17). Several views have been offered relative to this matter. Perhaps Paul saw the collection as a way of completing his mission to the eastern part of the Empire, before embarking on an evangelizing tour of the West. There is no evidence that the apostle was under a vow. Here is the problem: Why would Paul, knowing that the Mosaic regime was obsolete, submit to a purification ritual, that would appear to convey the impression that Christs blood was insufficient as a medium of cleansing? Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. Neuter of hieros; a sacred place, i.e. There are probably logical explanations for both situations, but Luke chose not to discuss these things in order to keep his account brief and moving along. But Luke is not troubled by such discrepancies; he does not see prophecy as being an exact picture, but as a general prediction of the outcome: Paul ends up being imprisoned by the Gentiles. Mnason must have been a well-to-do member of the church. For Paul, circumcision made no difference regarding ones status before God (Galatians 5:6;6:15). . Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural. He was already clean through Christ. However, when Paul said he was a citizen of Tarsus, he wasnt appealing to his Roman citizenship. Perhaps the commander thought Paul was an uneducated foreigner, but Paul spoke Greek like a native, without the accent common in Judea. The Gospel According to Jesus: A Faith that Restores All Things, The Voice Bible: Step Into the Story of Scripture, The Voice Bible, New Testament: Step Into the Story of Scripture, The Voice, The Voice of Mark, Paperback: Let Them Listen. And when the days of purification were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. The missionary group was there and so were the Jerusalem elders, together with James, Jesus half-brother (cf. The commander then decided to take Paul into the Antonia barracks (21:34). Acts 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; James and the elders were concerned regarding the acceptance of Paul by the multitude seeing it was known that Paul was teaching against the law. He thought that if Paul had entertained a clearer perception of the abolition of the law, he would not have done what he did here especially later on, after writing the books of Ephesians and Hebrews (he assumes Paul wrote the latter). The purification of the leper was a yet more formal proceeding, and indicated the highest pitch of uncleanness. Earlier, when Paul penned his letter to the saints in Rome, he asked for their prayers to the end that upon his arrival in Jerusalem, the ministration, i.e., gifts of benevolence, might be acceptable to the saints (Rom. We would offer, however, the following observations. The phrase many thousands translates the Greek wording that is often used for a very large number, or myriads. For less than $5/mo. 21. This reference to a vast harvest from among the Jews reveals how abbreviated the record in Acts has been. Paul quickly identified himself as a Jew. It does not appear, therefore, that this episode can be explained upon the basis of the apostles limited knowledge. The fact that he had the name Claudius probably means that he received his citizenship under the reign of this emperor, and took his name as a token of honor. Although it is often stated that Paul offered a sacrifice after the sacrifice of Jesus, a nazarite vow did NOT necessarily involve a sacrifice for sin at all. is it therefore? Bibliography Information Associate with oneself; by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn. To signify the accomplishment of the days of purification . The apostle had written clearly on the matter of the laws abrogation in other letters that were composed before this incident. This was a Nazarite vow, This wasnt a requirement for all Jews to perform only those wishing to become a Nazarite (which could be from 30 days-to a lifetime). Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: So this is the elders speaking to Paul. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.. English Standard Version. This showed that Luke knew about the offering (how could he not know about it, since he was part of the delegation?). ( Mark 7:4 ) The washing of the hands before meals was conducted in a formal manner. Join us for a time of Bible study; we have Sunday school classes for all age groups. However, since he recently had been in Gentile territory, he would be viewed as ceremonially unclean, hence would need to purify himself in order to partake with the others (Simon Kistemaker, Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990, p. 760). We are one of the few churches who still have a Sunday evening service. 4And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. Acts 21:26 Act 21:26. According to Luke, they were trying to kill him on the spot, without even a trial (21:31). NET Bible copyright 1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. 2), so could Paul. After leaving Miletus, the ship sailed south to the island of Cos, where it anchored for the night. An offering, sacrifice. Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer. 1915. Luke wanted his readers to know that Pauls work, no less than Peters, had been accepted by the mother church as divinely inspired. Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. He must have also been aware that the relief fund was a major reason for Paul coming to Jerusalem. The elders had asked Paul to show everyone that he still lived as a Jew. Paul had earlier stated that the Holy Spirit had warned him that he faced prisons and hardships in Jerusalem (20:23; 21:4). So they, the elders, asked Paul to join with the four men in their vow. They also told him of the many thousands of Jews in Jerusalem that believed, yet they remained zealous (devoted) to the law. So they asked him to perform this ritual in a hope to appease the Jews who would come to see him. What shall we do? They would distrust to anyone who insulted the Torah. The following day the apostle, along with the four men, went to the temple where the sacrifices would be offered. The research was done in the mid 1990s, but all articles were edited in 2012 by Michael Morrison, PhD, professor of Biblical Studies at Grace Communion Seminary. One argument used by those who try to say that the law has not passed is to show where Paul purified himself in the temple. Many students of the Word are quick to criticize Paul for making his last visit to Jerusalem. Verse Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purified himself and went with them into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.- World English Bible - American English Edition - without Strong's Numbers "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them" (Acts 21:26). . This move on his part was in perfect harmony with his testimony found inI Corinthians 9:19-22For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. Then Paul took the men Agreeably to the advice which he had received from James and the elders. The commander of the fortress was a Roman military officer, the chief Roman authority in Jerusalem. "and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.". The apostle himself had circumcised Timothy in order to prevent offense to the Jews (16:3). 9:19-23). The fact that the four men were to have their heads shaved at the end of their vow period indicates they were undertaking a Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1-21). B. In Acts 2:1-13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Salem Media Group. . It was the Diaspora Jews from Asia who started the riot. The Roman garrison in Jerusalem was positioned to intervene at a moments notice if any disturbance occurred in the temple. Luke continued to reflect the emotional scene surrounding Pauls departure by saying the travelers had to tear themselves away from the elders (21:1). The mob apparently began beating Paul, probably in the outer court of the temple. The us referred to Luke and the delegates from the Gentile churches who had brought the relief fund to the mother church. Join us in the auditorium for a time of praise and singing and the study of Gods Word. It is not altogether clear as to how and why Paul was to be purified. It was not caused by the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. Acts 21:26 tn Grk "until" (BDAG 423 s.v. ( Mark 7:3 ) What play have been the specific causes of uncleanness in those who came up to purify themselves before the Passover, ( John 11:55 ) or in those who had taken upon themselves the Nazarites vow, ( Acts 21:24 Acts 21:26 ) we are not informed. Luke here identified Philip as one of the Seven (21:8). James was the leader and spokesperson of the Jerusalem church, just as he was during the landmark conference of A.D. 49 (15:13). the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation, the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put. . Note his frank replyThen Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For example, individuals journeying by sea would have to find available ships and accept delays caused by loading and unloading cargo. They became very quiet, Luke said (22:2). Paul chose to go to Jerusalem, and was willing to suffer the consequences of his actionwhich he did. A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Its also been argued that Paul would have been in no condition to speak after receiving a thorough beating. Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular. The commander was surprised to be addressed in Greek. He wrote in his letter to the church in Corinth that there was nothing wrong in eating food sold in the meat market, although most such meat had previously been sacrificed to an idol (1 Corinthians 8:4). His hair would be cut and sacrificially burned, also at the temple. Fervent voices cry: Absolutely not. But why not? . They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their . that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Other Translations of Acts 21:26 King James Version. It was suggested, therefore, that Paul identify with them, paying their temple fees, and, purifying himself along with them. When the rioters saw the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. They had no intention of going back on their previous ruling. In other words, is one logically, If Paul erred in this episode, why did he later, in an. This probably meant that Paul was handcuffed to a soldier on either side of him, much in the manner of Peter (12:6). Agabus had appeared in Lukes account when he prophesied of a severe famine that would eventually touch much of the Roman world (11:27-28). Perhaps it was Luke who was repeating the four regulations as a literary device for the benefit of his readers. Sincere Bible students have struggled with this difficulty. Acts 21:26 (ESV) Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. A day, the period from sunrise to sunset. Perhaps no suggestion is entirely free from difficulty, in view of the brevity of the record. Either of those who had accepted Christ as their Messiah or those that had not. Seeing Pauls determination, Luke said everyone gave up and said, The Lords will be done (21:14). He remained close to Paul. In order to put this matter into proper focus, some background relative to the passage needs to be considered. Acts 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave theirheads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but thatthou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. Acts (1) Related Phrases. Skin parameters were measured before and 30 days after the series of treatment. sanctify. If one is to err in judging this episode, it is best to err on the side of respect and love for Gods noble apostle. Ptolemais, called Acco in the Old Testament (Judges 1:31), had been an important Phoenician seaport. (Matthew 10:910). He did this for the GOSPELS sake, so that he could save as many as he could from every group. 19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven: 20And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. But Luke referred to the offering only once, in an aside in Pauls speech before Felix (24:17). religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. From para and lambano; to receive near, i.e. Clermont-Gannau in 1871 and two Greek fragments of another were found in 1935. But due to Lukes silence, we do not know for sure. . He circumcised Timothy for the sake of expediency (16:3); he observed some of the Jewish pilgrim festivals (20:5, 17); he even took part in a Nazirite vow (18:18). After Paul had gotten from, or torn himself from, the disciples of Ephesus, he moved on toward Jerusalem, stopping at Tyre, where he sought and found disciples (Acts 20:37-21:4). The church leaders thought they had a solution to their public-relations problem. Study Materials to help with your Bible study, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7zBKawK9iRYdUgxIiIbZJg. Moses stands for the Old Testament economy. We respectfully offer the following general observations on this position. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. There is a good reason why Paul was mistrusted. Though James and the brethren did not agree with the assessment that Paul radically opposed the law, they felt the matter needed remedy in some fashion. The suggested strategy by the church elders to have Paul take part in the purification rites had backfired. Asked April 29 2019 All rights reserved. McGarvey contended that the apostles understanding was limited at this point New Commentary on Acts of Apostles, 1892 Reprint, Delight, AR: Gospel Light, II, p. 208). The entire precincts of the Temple. Rather, Pauls teaching on the abolition of the law had been clear and definitive (cf. Eventually, though, they got around to telling the great apostle about a problem they felt was serious. Some suggest the event never happened; it is alleged that Luke fabricated the incident in order to show that Paul was a law-abiding Jew. A much stronger test, along this same line, came to the apostle when he and his company came unto Caesarea where they tarried for many days in the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven mentioned inActs 6. James had recognized that Pauls work had been guided by God. The elders explained the problem to Paul: You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. James and the elders glorified the Lord. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Pauls girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. It is even more difficult to understand how Paul, the writer of the book of Galatians, could go so far as to take the vow referred to in this 21st chapter of Acts. To have, hold, possess. 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