19 After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry . 20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God ; and they said to him, "You see , brother , how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed , and they are all zealous for the Law ; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses , telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs . 22 "What , then , is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come . 23 "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under e a vow ; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads ; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly , keeping the Law . 25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed , we wrote , having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication ." 26 Then Paul took the men , and the next day , purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification , until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 21:19-26
Commentary on Acts 21:19-26
(Read Acts 21:19-26)
Paul ascribed all his success to God, and to God they gave the praise. God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did not envy him; but on the contrary, glorified the Lord. They could not do more to encourage Paul to go on cheerfully in his work. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem, asked Paul to gratify the believing Jews, by some compliance with the ceremonial law. They thought it was prudent in him to conform thus far. It was great weakness to be so fond of the shadows, when the substance was come. The religion Paul preached, tended not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. He preached Christ, the end of the law for righteousness, and repentance and faith, in which we are to make great use of the law. The weakness and evil of the human heart strongly appear, when we consider how many, even of the disciples of Christ, had not due regard to the most eminent minister that even lived. Not the excellence of his character, nor the success with which God blessed his labours, could gain their esteem and affection, seeing that he did not render the same respect as themselves to mere ceremonial observances. How watchful should we be against prejudices! The apostles were not free from blame in all they did; and it would be hard to defend Paul from the charge of giving way too much in this matter. It is vain to attempt to court the favour of zealots, or bigots to a party. This compliance of Paul did not answer, for the very thing by which he hoped to pacify the Jews, provoked them, and brought him into trouble. But the all-wise God overruled both their advice and Paul's compliance with it, to serve a better purpose than was intended. It was in vain to think of pleasing men who would be pleased with nothing but the rooting out of Christianity. Integrity and uprightness will be more likely to preserve us than insincere compliances. And it should warn us not to press men to doing what is contrary to their own judgment to oblige us.