Acts chapter 21

vs 21

As far as I know, this isn't true. However, it could be. I mean, when you look at the letters that Paul has wrote to the churches, they don't have "if you're a jew" and "if you're a gentile" sections. So Paul's words are fairly focused onto the gentile sections of the church, and I guess that the jews could feel as if he was telling them to get with the program and ditch the law.

vs 22

The elders seem to think that Paul's gonna be in trouble, not when the Jews find out, but when the Jewish Christians find out! It makes me wonder just how Christian as opposed to Jewish the Jerusalem church really was.

vs 23

Who knows what kind of vow? FF Bruce assumes it is the cleansing for a temporary Nazerite vow, but I don't know that this is specified in the actual text. It's as good as any - the idea is that these men are taking a vow in some sort of way that involves following ancient customs.

vs 24

Their purpose is clear - the idea is to make Paul publically noticed as one who follows the law himself and has respect for it.

vs 25

This is a repetition of the Jerusalem council letter. We see in Paul's letter to the Corinthians his attitude to eating meat sacrificed to idols, which should make it obvious to us that the position of the Jerusalem church was a temporary measure for the sake of unity, rather than for some sort of holy cleanness.

vs 26

Ahh, now, this gives us more insight into the kind of vow it was. FF Bruce is a smart cookie. It is the seven days of purification that marks it out as a Nazerite vow.

vs 27

Note that these are not the Jews that Paul was meant to be satisfying with his purification. He was doing this to satisfy Jewish Christians - these are Jewish Jews from the provinces.

vs 28

Woah, gentiles in the temple? Did they get it wrong, or did they just lie? I wouldn't put it past them - they have done all sorts of savage and terrible things to try and stop Paul. And of course, we know they are Jews, because they are trying to start another riot.

vs 29

Well, Luke doesn't assume they are lying, merely that they are making an ass out of u and umption.

vs 30

Running! This all happens so quickly that people are forced to run from the ends of the city to come and take part in seizing Paul. It is such a big deal that, to prevent his escape, they close the city gates!