In 21:23b-24 we have the requirement James and the other elders made of Paul. “Four men are with us who have a vow on themselves; take these and be purified with them, and pay their expenses that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things of which they have been instructed concerning you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law.” The vow mentioned in verse 23 was the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:2-5). For Paul to be purified with the Nazarites was to become a Nazarite with them, joining them in their vow. To take the Nazarite vow is a purification before God.
In addition to telling Paul to be purified with the four who had a vow on themselves, they told him to pay their expenses so that they might shave their heads. Paying their expenses refers to the cost of the offerings which a Nazarite had to pay for the completion of his purification (Num. 6:13-17).
Acts 21:26 says, “Then Paul took the men on the following day, and having been purified with them entered into the temple, giving notice of the completion of the days of the purification, until the offering was offered for each one of them.” Here we see that Paul participated in their Nazarite vow. In order to do this, Paul had to enter into the temple and remain there with the Nazarites until the completion of the seven days of the vow. Then the priest would offer the offerings for each one of them, including him. Paul surely was clear that such a practice was of the out-of-date dispensation, which, according to the principle of his teaching in the New Testament ministry, should be repudiated in God’s New Testament economy. Yet he went through with it, probably because of his Jewish background and because he was practicing his word in 1 Corinthians 9:20. However, his toleration jeopardized God’s New Testament economy, and this God would not tolerate.
The compromise with Judaism brought in the mixture of Judaism with God’s pure grace. In chapter twenty-one of Acts we see that James and the elders in Jerusalem had formed a mixture of God’s New Testament economy with the Old Testament dispensation. Actually James and the elders were even promoting this mixture. Of course, they did not neglect faith in Christ, but they were still zealous for the Old Testament. As a result, there was a religious mixture in Jerusalem.
This mixture spoiled the purity of the church life. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem had two practices: the old Judaic practice of Judaism and the practice of the semi-church life. Because of the compromise with Judaism, the purity of the church life was spoiled.
The compromise with Judaism damaged the pure testimony of Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God’s pure grace (John 1:17). The Lord Jesus came as the embodiment of the Triune God for men to receive Him as the all-inclusive grace which is sufficient to meet man’s need in every way. To compromise God’s grace of God’s New Testament economy with the keeping of any ordinance of the law of the Old Testament dispensation is a mixture of God’s grace with man’s work that nullifies the effect of all the Lord Jesus is and does for us. This was a trouble that transpired in the church at Jerusalem under James’ leadership.
The mixture of Judaic practices with God’s New Testament economy was not only erroneous in God’s dispensation but also abominable in the eyes of God. This gross mixture was terminated by God a mere ten years or so later in A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the center of Judaism, through Titus and his Roman army. This rescued the church and absolutely separated it from the devastation of Judaism.
Paul was God’s chosen vessel not only for the completion of His New Testament revelation (Col. 1:25) but also for the carrying out of His New Testament economy (Eph. 3:2, 7-8). God would not allow such a vessel to participate in the Nazarite vow, a serious Judaic practice. Paul might have intended in going to Jerusalem to clear up the Judaic influence on the church there, but God knew that it was incurable. Hence, in His sovereignty He allowed Paul to be arrested by the Jews and imprisoned by the Romans so that he might write his last eight Epistles, which completed the divine revelation and gave the church a clearer and deeper view concerning God’s New Testament economy (Eph. 3:3-4). Thus, God left the Judaic-influenced church in Jerusalem to remain as it was until the devastating mixture was terminated with the destruction of Jerusalem.
Because of the compromise with Judaism, the church in Jerusalem was polluted with a satanic mixture. Because this was intolerable, the church there was terminated by the judgment of God through the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army under Titus in A.D. 70. That destruction was a fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy in Matthew 24. Along with the temple, the entire city of Jerusalem was leveled. That was the judgment God exercised upon rebellious Israel and also upon the compromising church. This judgment indicates that God will not allow His church to have any compromise. The church must be a pure golden lampstand without any dross or mixture. Once the church has mixture because of compromise, the church is polluted. God will terminate such a church. The church in Jerusalem was terminated so that its satanic mixture would no longer have any influence upon the believers.
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