‘To the Jews as a Jew, to win the Jews,’ Acts 21:26
“The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.”
Many students of the Bible do not know what to do with this section of Acts 21. Paul’s attitude strikes them as embarrassing, and some accuse him of hypocrisy. However, this view is mistaken for several reasons. First, it overlooks the fact that Paul was Jewish by birth and (like other first-century Jewish Christians) continued to observe certain traditions and festivals of the Law (28:17), albeit from a Christian perspective. Second, neither in this passage nor in later ones where Paul refers to his participation in offerings rituals (Acts 24:11, 17) is there any sense of guilt or embarrassment on his part. He did nothing that violated his conscience. Third, the idea of fulfilling vows (21:22-24) was the result of a consensus among the leadership of the Jerusalem church, including James, the brother of Jesus.
Paul’s decision must be understood in light of 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, where he says:
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Guided by this personal philosophy, Paul required Timothy to be circumcised before he began working among Jewish communities (Acts 16:3). Conversely, he opposed the circumcision of Titus – a Gentile – when he accompanied him to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-3). The apostle reinterpreted the law through the lens of its fulfillment by Christ, noting that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20).
Dr. Thomas Schulz, who was a missionary in Europe and later a professor at York College in Nebraska, said the following regarding Paul’s missionary approach:
Only a highly sensitive, multicultural person could operate in this way. Even the fact that he had two names was significant to the success of his work. When working in a predominantly Jewish environment, he used his original Jewish name, Saul; but when he began working more among Gentiles, he used his Roman name, Paul.
This is one of the many facets of the cultural dynamics at play in first-century evangelism.
Indeed, the Apostle Paul was mature enough to feel at ease among brothers and sisters of all races and traditions. Clearly, there were differences between the way a Jew worshipped in Jerusalem and the way a Gentile worshipped in Asia. Yet these were differences of form, not of substance. It is crucial to learn to distinguish between the two. God has called us to unity, not uniformity; understanding this is essential so that we do not judge one another.
