Acts 21:18-27

To see James. This James was not one of the Twelve, but is the human brother of Jesus (see note on 1 Corinthians 15:7; Acts 15:6). He seemed to be a man of great influence in the Jerusalem church (Galatians 1:19). And gave a complete report. McGarvey says Paul also brought "money to God's people in Judea," the contribution to help the poor (compare 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; Acts 24:17). They all praised God. James and the church elders approved of what Paul was doing (Acts 15:12-22). And they are all very devoted to the Law. Many thousands of Jewish Christians had come to Jerusalem to take part in the Feast of Pentecost. This proves that in Christianity there is room to do the "same thing in different ways." Jewish Christians could practice Jewish customs and traditions without disturbing their relationship to Christ. Gentile Christians could practice their own special customs, etc. Compare what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. However, to force Gentile Christians to obey the Law of Moses as a RELIGIOUS RITE, would have been a sin (Galatians 5:4). Jewish pride was the real source of the problem. It took a direct act of the Holy Spirit to prove to them that God would accept the Gentiles (Acts 10). They have been told. Certain Jewish leaders were telling the people a distorted version of what Paul taught. They did this to try to destroy Paul's influence. What should be done, then? To prove that this distorted version of Paul's message was not what he really taught. Do what we tell you. A "ceremony of purification" seems to have grown out of the "Nazarite vow" Numbers 6:1-18). Any Jew, like Paul, who had been living with Gentiles, and who had not kept the "ritual law of cleanness," would be excluded from the Temple until he had been purified. The hair was shaved off the head, and burnt as an offering to God, and sacrifices were also offered on the altar. Evidently Paul's action in Cenchreae (Acts 18:18) was to prepare him for this. He would have saved the hair and brought it along. So Paul-took the men. They performed the ceremony together, then Paul went into the temple and notified the priest when the sacrifice would be offered (so that all necessary things would be there).