However, so far as we know, Paul never toldJewishconverts not to circumcise their children, nor was he opposed to its practice by Jewish believers. Then he suffered him. 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. James and the elders recognized that Gods direction had been present in Pauls work, and Luke wanted to point this up. How did Paul get his letters out of jail? when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. The apostle himself had circumcised Timothy in order to prevent offense to the Jews (16:3). Since Paul seemed to be the focus of the disturbance, the commander arrested him, and ordered that he should be bound with two chains (21:33). It must be added that these Jerusalem leaders probably did not have a completely accurate view themselves as to what Paul was practicing and teaching. . Paul did not perform the ritual for HIS sake. Acts 21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. Arrested in the Temple. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Apostles: Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men and (Acts of the Apostles Ac). Those that say that Paul followed the law use this to show that Paul did indeed follow the law of Moses and therefore Paul did not teach that the law had passed, seeing he himself followed it. 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). In conclusion it may he observed that the distinctive feature. ( 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. Another Jew might associate himself with a Nazirite by paying for his offering, something that was regarded as a devout deed. From hagnos; to make clean, i.e. For the sake of unity and to help the Jerusalem church, Paul agreed to follow its urging and join the purification rites of the four believers. Lukes account is hazy on exactly what Paul did. He took some soldiers, and they ran into the crowd to disperse it (21:32). So it was the will of the Lord that Paul go to Jerusalem but through the holy spirit he was warned of what would happen once he got there, in order to prepare him for such consequences. James was the leader and spokesperson of the Jerusalem church, just as he was during the landmark conference of A.D. 49 (15:13). Luke chose his wording to bring out, in a literary manner, the similarity between the fate of Jesus and Paul in their final trip to Jerusalem. However, if he had just returned from residence among Gentiles (as Paul had), he would be considered as defiled. For Paul, circumcision made no difference regarding ones status before God (Galatians 5:6;6:15). It should be noted in passing that ceremonial purification did not necessarily involve atonement for personal sin. Acts 21:26. 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. It was suggested, therefore, that Paul identify with them, paying their temple fees, and, purifying himself along with them. His motto seemed to be God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Gal 6:14). This test came through a certain prophet named Agabus, who came down from Judaea. However, its not certain just how much he had been pummelled before being rescued. Acts 21:26 sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing. After a week at Tyre, the ship was ready to sail, and Paul prepared to continue his trip to Jerusalem. In the Mosaic rites of purification is their expiatory character. Only Jesus can make us clean of sin and the practice of unrighteousness . What shall we do? In Paul's day the purification process was guided by an outdated or old covenant with men's traditions mixed in. One of the most controversial contexts in the book of Acts has to do with Pauls activity in the Jerusalem temple, as recorded in Acts 21. We have already been told in Acts that Paul does not teach against the Jewish Torah in and of itself. The ship continued south, and the next day Pauls party reached Caesarea, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Ptolemais. 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. But Pauls inner conviction to go to Jerusalem was stronger. It is wholly barren of evidence. It was decided and agreed upon that they were NOT to be compelled to come under the Jewish law. The next day the ship sailed southwest to the island of Rhodes. Paul then met with James and the elders and told them of his ministry to the gentiles. As it happened, four Jewish church members were in the middle of observing a Nazirite vow. The daughters supposedly provided information on the early days of the church to a bishop of Hierapolis, Papias, for his now lost books on Jesus teachings (Ecclesiastical History3.39.9). The, the definite article. Gal. Then he suffered him. He had a large enough home, as well as the resources, to host not only Paul but also his delegation (and perhaps the disciples from Caesarea). Their prayers were answered. Share (:5) For a Female Child. He could go to Jerusalem or not. What happened to the offering? to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them ( Acts 21:25-26). Luke repeated the thought that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar (21:31, 30). The Romans even allowed the Sanhedrin to execute the death penalty for anyone who violated this regulation, something that Josephus (Antiquities15:417;Wars6:124-126) and Philo (Embassy to Gaius212) both mention. Anyway as with every verse that is taken on its own and used to prove a point we need to examine the verse in context and understanding and not simply take a verse on its own and apply our own interpretation into that said verse. The Roman garrison in Jerusalem was positioned to intervene at a moments notice if any disturbance occurred in the temple. After silencing them he spoke in the Hebrew tongue. The commanders conclusion that Paul was that Egyptian is perhaps not too unreasonable, given the circumstances. A crowd followed the soldiers, shouting, Get rid of him! (21:36). In the same way that Paul purified himself even though he had no need to do so. At the completion of such a vow, offer the following at the tabernacle (temple): a. . Acts 21:26 chapter context similar meaning "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." Acts 21:26 KJV copy save /Cleanliness in the Bible and see if we can date set by Days of Purification between point A to point Z by looping Days of Purification to our time line . Moses stands for the Old Testament economy. From Pauls epistles, it seems that presenting the offering personally was the chief reason for his going to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-4;Romans 15:25-27, with 2 Corinthians 8-9). For less than $5/mo. But because Pauls activities became such a focus of Lukes narrative, he may have chosen to speak of him as though he were alone. . He did this for the GOSPELS sake, so that he could save as many as he could from every group. Perhaps that is framing the question in the wrong terms. Surprisingly, everyone quieted down. Pauls appearance in the temple provoked the very situation among unconverted Jews that the elders hoped to avoid within the church. Is it wrong to use our own supplies or money to advance Jesus mission? We as readers of Acts already know the accusation is false. What then [is . Paul appeared to have a choice about the matter. Paul had earlier stated that the Holy Spirit had warned him that he faced prisons and hardships in Jerusalem (20:23; 21:4). At once they turned the place upside-down. The day after arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and the delegation had a meeting with James and the elders. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into . 1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. "and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.". sanctify. We never find Paul submitting himself to the practices of shadow day forms and ceremonies after the turning point referred to inActs 28:28. Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? The commander was surprised to be addressed in Greek. As I was reading in Acts, I came across Paul and Day of Purification (Acts 21:26). (He will be with Paul on his sea voyage to Rome.) From eis and eimi; to enter. Rather, the Holy Spirit seemed only to be giving Paul some advance warning about what to expect when he got to Jerusalem, so that he would not be taken off his guard. As a commander (Greek,chiliarchos), Lysias was the leader of a thousand or the head of a cohort. At full strength, the cohort would have consisted of a thousand troops, including foot soldiers and horsemen. 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. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. Samson was a Nazarite for a lifetime, not just for seven days like Paul (Acts 21:27). To those under the law he came under the law. Something had to be done to put the evil rumors to rest. Though these multitudes had become Christians, they had not arrived at the full realization that the introduction of Christianity made the law of Moses inoperative as a redemptive system. We are one of the few churches who still have a Sunday evening service. When the commander gave Paul permission to speak, he motioned to the crowd from the steps of the Antonia fortress. 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). Fourth, is it possible that Paul went through this ritual as a matter of expediency in an attempt to relieve a tense situation? 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 church leaders thought they had a solution to their public-relations problem. Seclusion for 66 Days. It was the Diaspora Jews from Asia who started the riot. Allusions to this rite are found in Psalms 26:6 ; 51:7 ; Ezekiel 36:25 ; Hebrews 10:22 . To go in, enter (originally: I shall go in). What could be done to defuse this volatile situation? All rights reserved. We respectfully offer the following general observations on this position. The commander of the fortress was a Roman military officer, the chief Roman authority in Jerusalem. 2019 Grace Bible Church of Fort Worth, Inc. When after this an offering should be offered for every one of them. The Tarsus of Pauls day was an important center of Hellenistic culture. If Paul is indicted of sin, so are James and the Jerusalem elders, for they asked him to do what he did. It was a time of wonderful rejoicing. But in the details of daily life there were special causes of cermonial uncleanness which were severally provided for by ceremonial laws enacted for each separate case. When the Jerusalemites heard the commotion in the temple area, they came running from every part of the city (21:30). 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. Note his frank replyThen Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? Many allege that Paul, in a moment of weakness, knowingly sinned, yielding to the pressure. Luke now gave his readers an example of how the Spirit warned him. Clarke's Commentary. Acts 21:26 Context . Acts 21:26 NKJV Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. 9:19-23). Jesus was not baptised through need but to fulfill righteousness. 27 The seven days of purification were almost completed when some Jews from Asia recognized . 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. 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