Acts 21:17-26--Paul Visits James

Acts 21:17-26
English Standard Version
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Paul Visits James
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 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.

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Paul finally makes it to Jerusalem, though it seems like he didn't make it for Pentecost as he had wanted.  When he got there, all the brothers (those would be fellow Jews that were Christians as well as the Gentile believers that were Christians) welcomed him.  His first order of business on the following day was to see James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was one of the elders in charge of the church in Jerusalem.  In fact, all the elders of the church in Jerusalem were present at this meeting, and at this meeting, Paul gave them a report of all the work that God had been doing among the Gentiles since the last time that they had met.

Some of the same objections that came up during the Jerusalem Council are still coming up again during this meeting.  While the objections are coming from outside the church this time as it no longer appears that they are being raised by those that call themselves "brothers," the church in Jerusalem is surrounded by Pharisees and Judaizers who imagine themselves saved by their works even though it was made clear at the Jerusalem Council that they are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.

The elders reiterate some of the same old talking points that are floating around just to say that the Jerusalem Council didn't satisfy them--it only made them quiet for a minute.  Paul of course knows this because these Judaizers have been following him from town to town and causing trouble for him, especially in the province of Galatia.  The elders fear that these Jews will start a riot when they see that Paul is there, for he is public enemy number one to them, and the Jews are good at rioting and starting wars, especially around their holy days as they become even more zealous around these times.

The elders have an idea that perhaps if Paul was seen supporting four men that were about to go to the Temple for purification after they finished a period of a vow that they had made, and he paid all their expenses related to this and could be seen supporting/sponsoring them in this process, then it might go some way in convincing the Jews that had heard these rumors about him to see that the rumors were not true.

This plan is going to backfire though, as the Jews are going to see Paul hanging out in public with some of the Gentiles that he brought with him and the Jews assumed without actual facts but on the hearsay of others that Paul allowed these uncircumcised Gentiles into the Temple with him and allowed them to approach the altar of the LORD with him.  Paul never did this, but this is one of the evidences I think that we have that Luke who was travelling with Paul and it seems did go into the Temple with him was Jewish, for they were not upset about the presence of Luke, but of another named Trophimus the Ephesian.  We'll talk about this part of the story next time though.

Today's passage ends with the elders in Jerusalem affirming the words that were sent to the Gentile believers in the letter from the Jerusalem Council, and Paul agrees with them that it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Jews to see Paul worshiping in the Temple and he agreed to do all that was asked of him in going to the Temple with these four men and paying the price for their purification.

Just a side thought--does this not sound like what Jesus does for us, paying the price required for our purification and being the one who is completely obedient to the Law?  Clearly the Jews don't see that connection and they are going to treat Paul much the same way they treated Jesus--they want him dead and they will make up charges and be willing to turn him over to Roman authorities to try to accomplish these purposes.  Much of the next few chapters is how God is going to save Paul from assassination attempts by the Jews and He is going to use the Romans at times to save Paul's life from these Jews that are bent on killing Paul, because they hate him and the gospel of Jesus Christ that he preached because they hated Jesus, the Son of God, who is at the center of everything in the gospel.