Paul and the Law
Acts 21:15-26
15 And
after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. 16 There went with us also certain of the
disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old
disciple, with whom we should lodge. 17 And when we were come to
Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following
Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And
when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought
among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they
glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands
of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And
they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the
Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their
children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it
therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou
art come. 23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men
which have a vow on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with
them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may
know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are
nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 25
As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded
that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from
things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from
fornication. 26 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.
Outline:
I. The Arrival of Paul at Jerusalem and His Report to the
Elders (21:15-19)
II. The Response of the Elders and Their Recommendation
to Paul (21:20-25)
III. The Action of
Paul According to the Elders’ Recommendation (21:26)
I. The Arrival of Paul at Jerusalem and His Report to
the Elders (21:15-19)
15 And
after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. 16 There went with us also certain of the
disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old
disciple, with whom we should lodge. 17 And when we were come to
Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following
Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And
when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought
among the Gentiles by his ministry.
1. A Warm Reception (21:15-17)
the brethren received us gladly
2. A Wonderful Report (21:18-19)
he declared particularly what things
God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry
II. The Response of the Elders and Their
Recommendation to Paul (21:20-25)
20 And
when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest,
brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all
zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou
teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying
that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the
customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come
together: for they will hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore
this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24 Them
take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may
shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were
informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest
orderly, and keepest the law. 25 As touching the Gentiles which
believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save
only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood,
and from strangled, and from fornication.
1. Rumor Control (21:20-22) [1]
20 And
when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest,
brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all
zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou
teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying
that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the
customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come
together: for they will hear that thou art come.
2. Constructive Alternative (21:23-24)
23 Do
therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24
Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them,
that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof
they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also
walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Nazirite vow - Num. 6:1-21
3. Jerusalem Council (21:25)
25 As
touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they
observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered
to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
III. The Action
of Paul According to the Elders’ Recommendation (21:26)
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.
1 Cor. 9:19-23 - 19 For
though I be free from all men, yet
have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew,
that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law,
that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To
them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but
under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I
might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel's sake,
that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Complete outline:
I. The Arrival of Paul at Jerusalem and His Report to the
Elders (21:15-19)
II. The Response of the Elders and Their Recommendation
to Paul (21:20-25)
III. The Action of
Paul According to the Elders’ Recommendation (21:26)
[Sermon preached 11
JAN 2015 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
Appendix 1 - Resources
on Acts:
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of
the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.
Paul Barnett, The
Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 2005).
Darrell L. Bock, Acts,
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, eds. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids:
Baker Academic, 2007).
F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
Dennis E. Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of
Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997).
I. Howard Marshall, Acts:
An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John B. Polhill, Acts,
Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary,
gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers,
1992).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts,
Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical
Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2012).
W. C. van Unnik, “The ‘Book of Acts’ the Confirmation of
the Gospel,” in Novum Testamentum 4:1
(OCT 1960), pp. 26-59; reprinted in The
Composition of Luke’s Gospel: Selected Studies from Novum Testamentum,
compiled by David E. Orton, Vol. 1 of Brill’s
Readers in Biblical Studies (Leiden: Brill, 1999), pp. 184-218.
William H. Willimon, Acts,
in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching, series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed.
Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).
Appendix 2 - Resources on Paul:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural
Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011).
F. F. Bruce, Paul:
Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1977).
D. A. Carson, The
Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1996), pp. 496-501.
W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged
American ed. (New York: E. B. Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Adolf Deissmann, Paul:
A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson
(New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).
F. W. Farrar, The Life
and Work of St. Paul (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and
Letters”, in The Face of New Testament
Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R.
Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.
Richard B.Gaffin, Jr.,
"Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center
on Westminster Theological Seminary
at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].
Frank J. Goodwin, A
Harmony of the Life of the St. Paul According to the Acts of the Apostles and
the Pauline Epistles (New York: American Tract Society, 1895); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Richard N. Longenecker, The
Ministry And Message Of Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).
Richard N. Longenecker, Paul,
Apostle Of Liberty (New York: Harper & Row, 1964).
Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus : The Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life,
Thought, And Ministry (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
Richard N. Longenecker, Studies
In Paul, Exegetical And Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press,
2004).
J. Gresham Machen, The
Origin of Paul's Religion: The James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological
Seminary in Virginia (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925).
Leon Morris, The
Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1955).
John Pollock, The
Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969,
2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York:
Doubleday, 1969).
Stanley E. Porter, Paul
in Acts, in Library of Pauline
Studies, gen. ed. Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,
Inc., 1999; 2001 reprint of The Paul of
Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and Theology, in Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen
Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).
W. M. Ramsay, The
Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on his Life and Thought (New York: A.
C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, Pauline
and Other Studies in Early Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and
Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul
the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton,
1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal
Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, The
Teaching of Paul in terms of The Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York
University (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
A. T. Robertson, Epochs
in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The Missionary: Realities, Strategies
And Methods (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic,
2008).
Udo Schnelle, Apostle
Paul: His Life and Theology, trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben
und Denken, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).
Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul,
Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL:
IVP Academic, 2001).
James Stalker, The
Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by
Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 7 FEB 2013].
James Ironside Still, St.
Paul on Trial (London: Student Christian Movement, 1923).
End note:
[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law (Grand Rapids:
Kregel Academic & Professional, 2010), pp. 175-184, s.v. “Question 30: How Should We Understand the Role of the Law in
Luke-Acts?” and “Question 31: What is the Apostolic Decree of Acts 15 and What
Does It Contribute to Luke’s Theology of Law?”:
“The picture of Paul in Acts is quite
striking, for his observance of the Old Testament law is often noted.”
“The Paul of Acts is a
law-abiding Paul.” (pg. 173)
“Here it should be said
only that the apostolic decree and Timothy’s circumcision, rightly interpreted,
do not teach that the law is still required. They represent theologically
legitimate accomodation for pragmatic reasons and therefore should not be
adduced as evidence for the continued normativity of the law.
Paul’s taking of a vow in which he offered sacrifice
in the temple and paid for the sacrifices of others should be intepreted
similarly…” (pg. 178)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Brian S. Rosner, Paul and the Law: Keeping the Commandments
of God, Vol. 31 in New Studies in Biblical Theology, series ed. D. A.
Carson (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013), pp. 33, 35, 46, 50, 216:
On “Gk. ouden estin: “means nothing, is unimportant’
(BDAG 735c). Cf. Matt. 23:16, 18; Jn. 8:54; Acts 21:24.” (pg. 33, note 41; on 1
Cor. 7:19)
“…refusing circumcision is
equated with ‘apostasy [apostasia]
from the teaching of Moses’ (my tr.).” (pg. 35, cp. also pg. 46)
“…suggestive of Luke’s
understanding of how Paul would become like a Jew for the sake of the Jews….For
Paul there is nothing inappropriate about keeping the law as a matter of
tradition or preference, as long as such law-keeping is not imposed on Gentiles
and does not undermine the fellowship of
brothers and sisters in Christ…” (pg. 50)
“The career of the Apostle
Paul, reminiscent of Samson with his hair cut, shook the three pillars of
ancient Judaism: election, Torah and the temple. And the biggest and most
weight-bearing was the law.” (pg 216)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Mark Jones, Antinomianism:
Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest? (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing,
2013), pg. 121, and pg. 121, note 22:
“Paul could hardly be accused of antinomianism
in his writing and preaching, based on what we read in Romans 6 (see also 1
Cor. 7:19).22”
“22. There are other
places in the Scriptures where Paul is accused of turning people away from
Moses (Acts 21:21). His response to the charge of “antinomianism” in the
following verses is interesting (vv. 22-26).”
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