Misunderstandings about Paul (v 20-22)

“And when they heard about them, 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.’” (1) The leaders of the Jerusalem church glorified God, expressing their joy and approval of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. This also implies that they gladly accepted the offering from the Gentile churches. (2) Next, the leaders suggested that it was necessary to address the misunderstandings Jewish believers had about Paul. (a) There were many thousands of Jewish believers. The term translated as “many thousands” indicates there were at least 20,000, most of whom lived in Jerusalem. (b) They were all zealous for the Law. The mindset of first-century Jewish believers can be summarized as follows: Observing the Law is not a condition for salvation. However, as Jews, they chose to live in accordance with the Law. (c) The Torah was closely tied to Jewish identity. Observance of the Torah was not only a theological issue but also a cultural one. Rejecting the Torah was effectively seen as abandoning one’s Jewish identity. “And they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.” (1) There were two misunderstandings about Paul: (a) The misunderstanding that Paul was teaching Jews in the diaspora not to circumcise their children. (b) The misunderstanding that Paul was teaching them not to follow Jewish customs. (2) However, it is clear that Paul valued the Law. (a) Paul had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3). (b) He became “like a Jew” to win the Jews (1 Cor. 9:20). (c) What Paul denied was that observing the Law could be a condition for salvation. (3) There were those who spread malicious rumors about Paul. A group of Jews from Ephesus was responsible for this (they would later instigate unrest, in Acts 21:27 and beyond). News of Paul’s presence in Jerusalem was bound to reach their ears. So, the elders advised Paul not to hide but to demonstrate publicly that he was zealous for the Law. There will come a time for us as well when we must publicly confess our faith instead of hiding. Let us seek a faith that fears God alone.