Paul had admonished Timothy to do the work of an evangelist in supervising the affairs of the growing church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). On the other hand, neither did Agabus tell Paul to continue his journey to fulfill some purpose of God. for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul and his delegation disembarked and located some disciples in the city with whom they stayed a week (21:4). The church leaders thought they had a solution to their public-relations problem. Jesus allowed himself to be baptised for the remission of sins, even though he had none and had zero need to be baptised of John, but for the sake of his mission. She must not touch any holy thing or go into the sanctuary until completing her days of purification. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, s entered the temple t to announce the 7 expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. This reference to warnings of the Spirit picked up the thought that in every city the Holy Spirit had been warning Paul of the hardships awaiting him in Jerusalem (20:23). Paul however wasnt forsaking Moses. By welcoming Paul, the leaders seemed to be aiding and abetting the apostate Paul. The city had a magnificent harbor built by Herod, and it served as the port for Jerusalem. Acts 21:28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. Surprisingly, everyone quieted down. It should be noted in passing that ceremonial purification did not necessarily involve atonement for personal sin. This very clearly was not Pauls idea. At the completion of such a vow, offer the following at the tabernacle (temple): a. . 5). After silencing them he spoke in the Hebrew tongue. He may have used this time to gather information for the writing of his Gospel and the early chapters of Acts. now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. "Entry for 'PURIFICATION'". Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. Inspiration, Authority, and Reliability of the Bib Timeless Truths in Cultural Clothing, by Michael M Is there a Best Version of the Bible? The commander was surprised to be addressed in Greek. The commander of the fortress was a Roman military officer, the chief Roman authority in Jerusalem. They became very quiet, Luke said (22:2). Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. Acts 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from thingsoffered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Join us in the auditorium for a time of praise and singing and the study of Gods Word. Perhaps the elders had heard about what amounted to Pauls departure from the agreement. This was to show (to the Jews who were accepting Christ but still devoted to the law) that Paul walked orderly and kept the law, not because he was but in order to appease the multitude. Fourth, is it possible that Paul went through this ritual as a matter of expediency in an attempt to relieve a tense situation? Luke had already told us that many thousands had responded to the gospel message in the Jerusalem area during the earliest days of the church. One of these Greek notices was found by C.S. Paul was dragged from the inner courts of the temple, and its gates were shut by the temple police. It is not altogether clear as to how and why Paul was to be purified. Technically speaking, the Jews leaders did not bind the owner of this belt, and they did not hand him overrather, the RomansrescuedPaul from a Jewish mob. Neuter of hieros; a sacred place, i.e. How was it received? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: we have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. The Image of God in the Bible, by Michael Morrison, Studies in Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians, Studies in the Pastoral Epistles and Philemon, Preaching in the Book of Acts Part 1: Peter, Preaching in the Book of Acts Part 2: Paul, A Harmony of the Conversion and Commission of Paul, Christians and the Law of Moses: A Study of Acts 15, Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) Part 1: The Literary Flow of Acts 15, Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) Part 2: The Decrees Purpose, A Harmony of the Conversion and Commission of Paul - Acts 9:1-30; 22:3-21; 26:9-20, Decree of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). Deepen your knowledge of Scripture. NET Bible copyright 1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. In conclusion it may he observed that the distinctive feature. The ship continued south, and the next day Pauls party reached Caesarea, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Ptolemais. From dia and the base of aggelos; to herald thoroughly. 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. Acts 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? How should a Christian man respond if his wife doesn't like sex? 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. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Jesus was not baptised through need but to fulfill righteousness. James was the leader and spokesperson of the Jerusalem church, just as he was during the landmark conference of A.D. 49 (15:13). He took some soldiers, and they ran into the crowd to disperse it (21:32). Until that an offering should be offered for every one of them: Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, , , , , the vowed number of the Nazarite days had quite expired, the fulfilment of the Nazarite days, until the offering for each individual was presented by them, , had to spend under the Nazarite vow which he had jointly undertaken, the well-known seven days required for this purpose, as regards the presentation of the offerings, , to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them, , Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. Paul and his company tarried seven days with these disciples at Tyre, who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). (For additional comments on the Nazirite vow, see the commentary on 18:18.). New Living Translation So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. Acts 21:26, NLT: So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. 1. James and the elders recognized that Gods direction had been present in Pauls work, and Luke wanted to point this up. sanctify. Luke now began a fateful chapter in Pauls life with the casual words, When we arrived in Jerusalem (21:17). , yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. By joining in the rites of the four men and paying for their required offerings, Paul would be making a public demonstration of his respect for Jewish tradition. As Jesus himself attested to when he said that Moses wrote of him. This was the fifth (and final) time Paul had visited the city since he left on his journey of persecution for Damascus (9:1ff). Luke repeated the thought that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar (21:31, 30). But that had become his reputation. However, its not certain just how much he had been pummelled before being rescued. And Paul had been accused of that by Diaspora Jews. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. The commander then decided to take Paul into the Antonia barracks (21:34). He correctly described the stages of a coast-hugging ships journey, as well as sea travel in general of those times. This proves that the Holy Spirit had made it plain to the heart of Paul that his last ministry in Jerusalem would be bitterly opposed by the enemy, and that the same Holy Spirit bound him to go there to suffer for Christ. is it therefore? 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). And they entered the temple to give notice when the days of purification (the ending of each vow) would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of . As Frank Goodwin observed, Pauls conduct in this transaction was perfectly consistent with his previous teaching and practices (A Harmony of the Life of St. Paul, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1951, p. 121). What did the manger for baby Jesus look like, and symbolize? The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. Its a logical conclusion, although even if Paul did keep the law, he was an Israelite Pharisee after all, albeit a non practicing Pharisee at the point of Acts 21:26, it would still not actually prove that Paul did not teach against the law. This showed that Luke knew about the offering (how could he not know about it, since he was part of the delegation?). 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. Their prayers were answered. Richard Longenecker writes, They were saying to Paul, We can accept this gift from the churches and so identify ourselves with your Gentile mission, if you will join with these men and identify yourself openly with the nation. Thus they were protecting themselves against Jewish recriminations while at the same time affirming their connection with Paul and his mission (Acts,The Expositors Bible Commentary,page 520). Who was the father of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ? In the Mosaic rites of purification is their expiatory character. Jesus cleansed himself when he had no need to do so when he was baptised by John. We have already been told in Acts that Paul does not teach against the Jewish Torah in and of itself. The ship made its way south to Ptolemais, about 25 or so miles (40 kilometers) south of Tyre, where it stopped overnight (21:7). 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. Given Lukes tendency for trying to show that Pauls Gentile mission and the Jerusalem church marched together, it seems odd that he would not discuss the offering. Luke reminded us he was traveling with Paul by inserting another we into the narration. Perhaps the commander thought Paul was an uneducated foreigner, but Paul spoke Greek like a native, without the accent common in Judea. Acts 21:3Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. This is very clear that the Jewish elders at this point did not believe that gentiles should come under the law and they didnt try to make Gentiles come under the law of Moses. Paul greeted the brethren and then, item-by-item, rehearsed (imperfect tense the narration took a while!) Its also been argued that Paul would have been in no condition to speak after receiving a thorough beating. This could be done by publicly reiterating the Jerusalem churchs commitment to the decree of Acts 15. The process was initiated, which would be culminated a few days later. It seems clear that the course of the apostle led him to a return trip to Jerusalem and then to Rome. It seems odd that the elders repeated the decrees word-for-word back to Paul. Acts 21:26. 2:11ff), one ought to be very careful in charging Paul with an overt sin in the absence of explicit testimony. We as readers of Acts already know the accusation is false. 2. The apostle had written clearly on the matter of the laws abrogation in other letters that were composed before this incident. ( 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. 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). Luke, the Gentile delegation and the Caesarean disciples pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (21:12). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. The Lord saw to it that Paul did not remain in the Jerusalem temple until an offering was offered for him. Purification. In this study I look at how Jesus could forgive sins yet not be God. The elders knew that the Jews would want to come together and see Paul. 5:2ff). He demonstrated to the thousands of Jews which believed that he himself was walking orderly and keeping the law. There is a good reason why Paul was mistrusted. Luke summarized Pauls report as being positively received, saying, When they heard this, they praised God (21:20). They said: Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. He himself would have to undergo a separate purification rite. Paul, Paulus. 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. Tools. it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Third, some respected men have argued that Paul slipped on this occasion, lapsing into weakness; his practice, therefore, was inconsistent with his preaching (cf. 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. It is not a sin to record the commission of a sin. For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13). Numbers 6:3He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. What shall we do? And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place (21:28). The Jewish antagonists were bound to hear that Paul was in Jerusalem, and there would be trouble. He was not disappointed. From para and lambano; to receive near, i.e. The great annual purification of the people was on the Day of Atonement (q.v.). 2), so could Paul. They felt constrained to explain again that no such demands would be made of Gentile believers. Associate with oneself; by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn. Perhaps, then, this was the distinction (or one of them) between evangelists and apostles. From there the party docked at the coastal city of Patara. ( Acts 21:24 Acts 21:26) we are not informed. And like the Jerusalem leaderships response to Peters defense of his Gentile initiative, we find the brothers giving glory to God, (11:18), which is Lukes signal for a recognition of Gods visitation. Why the commander allowed Paul to speak is not clear. Ahijah the Shilonite tore his cloak to demonstrate how Solomons kingdom would be broken up (1 Kings 11:29-39). Uncleanness from touching a dead body ( Numbers 19:11 ; Hosea 9:4 ; Haggai 2:13 ; Matthew 23:27 ; Luke 11:44 ). The commander tried to ascertain what Paul had done to cause such a riot. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. Emotional goodbyes were exchanged and Pauls party boarded the ship. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular. Agabus came in, 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 (Acts 21:8-11). The Greek word for evangelist occurs only twice more in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11;2 Timothy 4:5). Join us in the auditorium for a time of worship and praise to our God and Savior and hear a clear message from Gods Word. They grabbed him. This verse when context and understanding is applied does not support the notion that anyone must follow the law of Moses and it certainly doesnt teach that Gentile believers today must conform to the law of Moses in any way.
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