days of purification acts 21days of purification acts 21
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. We as readers of Acts already know the accusation is false. The Jerusalem saints were delighted at the success of Pauls ministry, and they kept on praising God (imperfect tense) for the salvation of lost souls. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell. McGarvey contended that the apostles understanding was limited at this point New Commentary on Acts of Apostles, 1892 Reprint, Delight, AR: Gospel Light, II, p. 208). Acts 21, Smith's Bible Commentary, One of over 125 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is written by one of the most influential men of the modern Christianity movement. 21. Paul responded by saying to the commander, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city (21:39). So they asked him to perform this ritual in a hope to appease the Jews who would come to see him. Several views have been offered relative to this matter. On the next day Paul took the four men and purified himself along with them (21:26). We have a new and better covenant that is not guided or ruled over by the traditions of man. Perhaps Paul saw the collection as a way of completing his mission to the eastern part of the Empire, before embarking on an evangelizing tour of the West. Only Jesus can make us clean of sin and the practice of unrighteousness . There may be a third reason why the elders repeated the four prohibitions stated in Acts 15. (The Acts of the Apostles,372). Acts 21:26 Act 21:26. Given Lukes tendency for trying to show that Pauls Gentile mission and the Jerusalem church marched together, it seems odd that he would not discuss the offering. Paul was at one with the rest of the Jewish Christian element of the church. If one is to err in judging this episode, it is best to err on the side of respect and love for Gods noble apostle. 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. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Pauls girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. Copyright Grace Communion International. The idea of uncleanness was not peculiar to the Jew; but with all other nations simple . Seclusion for 66 Days. But due to Lukes silence, we do not know for sure. All rights reserved. Perhaps it was Luke who was repeating the four regulations as a literary device for the benefit of his readers. Perhaps the elders had heard about what amounted to Pauls departure from the agreement. 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. 0 responses Perhaps by doing so he hoped to get at the reason why Paul had been attacked by the Jews. get to know the Bible better! /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 . in its legal and technical sense, is applied to the ritual observances whereby an Israelite was formally absolved from the taint of uncleanness. We know and understand that Yeshua wants a bride who is white as snow, spotless and without a blemish. But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Silicia, a citizen of no mean city; and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people (Acts 21:37-39). Even if the apostle did err (and we are not ready to affirm that he did), the mere recording of the transgression would not make the Bible culpable. that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Others argue that the apostle was sincere in yielding to this procedure; he simply did not fully understandat this pointthat the law had been abrogated. Lukes main concern with the Jerusalem trip was to show his readers that Paul continued to receive the blessing of the mother church in Jerusalem. Acts 21 is the twenty-first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Paul and his company tarried seven days with these disciples at Tyre, who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). Report He would be participating in a hallowed ancestral custom, and no one could claim he was teaching Jews to abandon the laws of Moses. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. (For additional comments on the Nazirite vow, see the commentary on 18:18.). 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into . He would have been directly responsible to the procurator at Caesarea. 3; Rom. The purification of the leper was a yet more formal proceeding, and indicated the highest pitch of uncleanness. James and the elders glorified the Lord. The group then made preparations for the final leg of the trip to Jerusalem. Ptolemais, called Acco in the Old Testament (Judges 1:31), had been an important Phoenician seaport. Such a procedure was allowed under the law. 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). In this study I look at the evidence for the crucifixion of Jesus and examine the arguments used by Muslims against it. The commander was surprised to be addressed in Greek. It was also the Roman provincial capital of Judea. Luke here identified Philip as one of the Seven (21:8). In Caesarea, Paul and the delegation stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist for a number of days (21:8, 10). This very clearly was not Pauls idea. The believers would be expressing natural concern about Pauls safety and would be trying to dissuade him from going. Today, we would put such information in a footnote. These words from the lips of the Spirit bound apostle seemed to settle the question which was in the minds of his co-workers and the other disciples. Salem Media Group. holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. As long as Paul was out of sight travelling through the empire, he was out of mind. Cups and pots and brazen vessels were washed as a matter of ritual observance. When the Jerusalemites heard the commotion in the temple area, they came running from every part of the city (21:30). 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'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. An offering, sacrifice. Some so claim, but is this a necessary conclusion? Acts 21:26 NRSVUE Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them. . (ceremonial) purification. . It seems clear that the course of the apostle led him to a return trip to Jerusalem and then to Rome. The multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. The multitude followed, crying, away with him. This reminds us of the cry against Jesus Christ. Apparently, the purification time still had a week to go. Neuter of hieros; a sacred place, i.e. At the time that. Then he told Paul: The Holy Spirit says, In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles (21:11). Patara was a commercial city and possessed a fine harbor. Fervent voices cry: Absolutely not. But why not? In Acts 2:1-13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 21:27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him. He himself would have to undergo a separate purification rite. They repeated the four stipulations to emphasize that, as far as they were concerned, the stipulations were still valid. When the commander gave Paul permission to speak, he motioned to the crowd from the steps of the Antonia fortress. . Not only were the four purified, but so was Paulthough likely not for the same reason. for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul Arrested. If the apostle could circumcise Timothy as an expediency, with no design of associating the ritual with salvation (as was sometimes done Acts 15:1), why could he not have done the same with reference to a sacrifice? Paul also asked the commander for permission to speak to the people, which he received. In any case, in another situation at Lystra Paul apparently had been stoned into insensibility, but was still able to get up and go into the city (14:14). When Paul was given a license to speak, he beckoned with his hand unto the people. "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the o." . Josephus wrote that there was a stone wall separating the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts reserved for Jews alone (Josephus,Wars5:193-194). following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. He did this for the GOSPELS sake, so that he could save as many as he could from every group. Sincere Bible students have struggled with this difficulty. Clermont-Gannau in 1871 and two Greek fragments of another were found in 1935. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. The city had a magnificent harbor built by Herod, and it served as the port for Jerusalem. Since the men's purification takes seven days (Acts 21:27), some scholars think this is a resetthe difference between eight and seven days may be because Luke counts days in the Greek way and not the Hebrew way. Paul didnt keep the law, but he honoured the request so that he may be better accepted by the Jews and to bring the Jews to Christ. Paul however wasnt forsaking Moses. He knew them thoroughly, having been a major player at the conference. The following day the apostle, along with the four men, went to the temple where the sacrifices would be offered. Philip was apparently living in Caesarea, possibly throughout those two decades. Perhaps, then, this was the distinction (or one of them) between evangelists and apostles. Went to see James (Acts 21:18-19) The day after arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and the delegation had a meeting with James and the elders. Paul himself stated that he had become all things to all men. A primary word; a man. 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). He circumcised Timothy for the sake of expediency (16:3); he observed some of the Jewish pilgrim festivals (20:5, 17); he even took part in a Nazirite vow (18:18). Their testimony is as followsAnd when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done (Acts 21:14). Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? Luke was pressing the similarity and wanted readers to note it. After leaving Miletus, the ship sailed south to the island of Cos, where it anchored for the night. Uncleanness from touching a dead body ( Numbers 19:11 ; Hosea 9:4 ; Haggai 2:13 ; Matthew 23:27 ; Luke 11:44 ). seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. The church leaders thought they had a solution to their public-relations problem. Acts 21:26-28. 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. (page 379). 1915. The Jew alone was taught by the use of expiatory offerings to discern to its fullest extent the connection between the outward sign and the inward fount of impurity. It was the Diaspora Jews from Asia who started the riot. At Patara, Pauls party changed ships and boarded a large merchant vessel that would travel non-stop to Tyre, a distance of about 400 miles (644 kilometers). A look at the evidence. It was not caused by the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. Paul had just arrived in Jerusalem, against the advice of disciples in Tyre who were led by the spirit to warn Paul. Paul was dragged from the inner courts of the temple, and its gates were shut by the temple police. Pauls decision was apparently in his own hands. However, so far as we know, Paul never toldJewishconverts not to circumcise their children, nor was he opposed to its practice by Jewish believers. , 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: For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. apostasy) Moses. Now surely Paul . Fare ye well. The next day the ship sailed southwest to the island of Rhodes. New English Translation (NET). Asked April 29 2019 Does Jesus forgiving sins mean that he is God? In the same way that Paul purified himself even though he had no need to do so. They felt constrained to explain again that no such demands would be made of Gentile believers. To cleanse, purify, either ceremonially, actually, or morally. One argument used by those who try to say that the law has not passed is to show where Paul purified himself in the temple. Paul agreed to take part in this ritual purification because he knew that it was not a matter of salvation. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. How did sprinkling an unclean person with the ashes of an "heifer" provide sanctifying and purifying of the flesh? , yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. Acts 21:26, NASB: Then Paul took along the men, and the next day, after purifying himself together with them, he went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. In this study I look at how Jesus could forgive sins yet not be God. 1450 Oak Hill Rd This question being settled, Pauls company took up their luggage and went with him unto Jerusalem. He wanted reassurances that if he participated in the purification rites and vow this would not be interpreted as the churchs rejecting the prior agreement. Gently, the Jerusalem brethren explained to Paul that thousands of Jews had believed, i.e., they had been converted to Christ. We remember that the Jerusalem leaders had also given Peter a positive review when he explained how the first Gentiles had been converted (11:18).
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