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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
21:17-23:35 The Arrest in Jerusalem. While participating in a Nazirite vow at the temple, Paul was attacked by a Jewish mob and rescued by the Romans. After he defended himself before the Jewish crowd and the Sanhedrin, a plot against his life prompted the Roman tribune to send him to the governor in Caesarea.
21:17-26 Paul Participates in a Nazirite Ceremony. When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the Christians rejoiced over the success of his Gentile mission but expressed concern over rumors that he was teaching Jews to abandon their ancestral laws and customs. To disprove the rumors, they asked Paul to participate publicly in a Nazirite vow, as specified in OT law (Num. 6:1-21). (See also note on Acts 21:23.)
21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently leadership of the church at Jerusalem now rested primarily with these "elders." It seems that James himself was counted as an apostle (see 15:13-21; 1 Cor. 15:7-9; Gal. 1:19; 2:9), but the text does not say whether other apostles still remained in Jerusalem or if they had departed on other missionary activities (see note on Acts 12:17). In light of 1:8, the latter is likely.
21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the badge of God's covenant with the Jews. The rumor was false; Paul did not object to Jewish believers voluntarily following OT ceremonial laws (see 16:3; 1 Cor. 7:18-19).
21:23 under a vow. Those under a Nazirite vow would abstain from wine, strong drink, grape juice, grapes, or raisins; would avoid any contact that would defile them (such as contact with a dead body); and would not cut their hair (cf. Num. 6:1-21). When the time of the vow was over (often ), they would cut their hair and present an offering in the temple (cf. Mishnah, Nazir 6.3). If Paul went with them and personally paid for the cost of their offering, it would show that he did not object to Jewish converts following OT customs voluntarily, so long as those same customs were not required of Gentile believers (see note on Acts 18:18).
21:25 as for the Gentiles. The Jerusalem elders reminded Paul of the requirements for Gentile Christians agreed upon in the Jerusalem council (15:28-29). This was to assure Paul that they wanted to avoid giving unnecessary offense to either believers or unbelievers among the Jews. They were not asking Paul's Gentile converts to embrace the Jewish laws beyond those minimal requirements, nor were they requiring Jewish believers to observe OT ceremonial laws (see Gal. 2:11-12; 4:10).
21:26 he purified himself. See note on v. 27. Paul voluntarily went along with the suggestion from James and the elders. There is no basis in the text for the suggestion of some that the Jerusalem leaders were reluctant to accept the gift Paul brought, or that participating in this vow was a "condition" of accepting the gift from the Gentile churches, or anything suggesting reluctance or hostility toward Paul. The text says that the Jerusalem church received Paul and his companions "gladly" (v. 17) and "they glorified God" as a result of all that they heard from Paul (v. 20). Paul's willingness to join with the four men under a Nazirite vow is an example of his willingness to become "all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22, cf. vv. 19-23) for the sake of advancing the gospel.
