Section 97 of 13021:15–21:26Acts

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King James VersionActs 21:15–21:26

And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.

There went with us also certain of the disciples of Cæsarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

And when they heard it, 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:

And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.

Scripture text: King James Version, Standardized 1769 text. Public domain in the United States.About this Bible text

Acts 21:15–21:26

Paul joins a public act of Jewish observance

Jerusalem believers keep Torah, and Paul joins a public purification

In Jerusalem the brothers receive Paul gladly. He reports to James and the elders what God has done among the Gentiles; they glorify God. They also say that many thousands of Jews have believed and are all zealous for the law. A rumor claims Paul teaches Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, not to circumcise children, and not to walk in the customs. Because the multitude will hear he has come, the elders propose that he join four men under a vow, purify himself with them, and pay their expenses so all may see he himself walks orderly and keeps the law. As for believing Gentiles, they recall the four written requirements already sent.

Paul does as they ask and enters the temple to complete the days of purification. The plan shows Jewish Jesus-followers maintaining Torah observance while Gentile requirements remain distinct. Acts does not portray Paul as abandoning Jewish identity. The public act is not proof the rumor was true, and it is not a strategy for emptying Judaism.

How this should shape us

Honor Jewish believers who keep the law, and keep Gentile freedom from being rewritten as contempt for Moses. Do not treat a peacemaking ritual as empty theater, forced assimilation, or a universal tactic for every rumor.

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Research trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and unit coverage.

Acts 21:15–21:26, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control, without pretending one edition is a complete apparatus.

SBLGNT official text, Acts 21:15-21:26

STEP Bible Data

Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for words explicitly discussed in this unit.

STEP Bible Data, TAGNT rows for Acts 21:15-21:26

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Acts

Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, geography, chronology, and historical notes actually printed for the unit.

NET Bible First Edition Acts PDF, printed pp. 2104-2205, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 21:15–21:26

Acts of the Apostles Course and Study Guides

Supports: Introductory critical orientation to the unit's place in Luke-Acts, with contested judgments retained as interpretations.

Yale Bible Study Acts course, course unit 'The Defense of the Gospel,' Acts 21-23 study guide

The Acts of the Apostles

Supports: One complete confessional commentary reading, independently checked against the text and critical controls.

Thompson, online Acts commentary, heading and paragraphs explicitly covering Acts 21:15–21:26

The Jewishness of Luke-Acts: How Recent Scholarship Has Challenged the View that Luke-Acts Is Pro-Gentile and Anti-Jewish

Supports: Abstract-supported control for Jewish continuity and Gentile inclusion in Acts 21:15–21:26, not a settlement of every conflict scene.

Smith, JTS 72.2 (2021), pp. 738-765, official abstract and bibliographic record

Sources for This Section

These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and unit coverage.

Exact location: Acts 21:15–21:26, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control, without pretending one edition is a complete apparatus.

Exact location: SBLGNT official text, Acts 21:15-21:26

Open the Acts Greek text file ↗

Lexical and grammatical evidence

STEP Bible Data

Tyndale House Cambridge

Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026

Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for words explicitly discussed in this unit.

Exact location: STEP Bible Data, TAGNT rows for Acts 21:15-21:26

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open translation and translator notes

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Acts

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2006

Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, geography, chronology, and historical notes actually printed for the unit.

Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Acts PDF, printed pp. 2104-2205, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 21:15–21:26

Open source ↗

open university bible study course

Acts of the Apostles Course and Study Guides

Yale Divinity School faculty

Yale Bible Study, 2019

Supports: Introductory critical orientation to the unit's place in Luke-Acts, with contested judgments retained as interpretations.

Exact location: Yale Bible Study Acts course, course unit 'The Defense of the Gospel,' Acts 21-23 study guide

Open source ↗

open confessional commentary

The Acts of the Apostles

Alan J. Thompson

The Gospel Coalition, 2023

Supports: One complete confessional commentary reading, independently checked against the text and critical controls.

Exact location: Thompson, online Acts commentary, heading and paragraphs explicitly covering Acts 21:15–21:26

Open source ↗

peer reviewed article abstract and metadata

The Jewishness of Luke-Acts: How Recent Scholarship Has Challenged the View that Luke-Acts Is Pro-Gentile and Anti-Jewish

Joshua Paul Smith

The Journal of Theological Studies 72.2, 2021

Supports: Abstract-supported control for Jewish continuity and Gentile inclusion in Acts 21:15–21:26, not a settlement of every conflict scene.

Exact location: Smith, JTS 72.2 (2021), pp. 738-765, official abstract and bibliographic record

Open source ↗

Acts 21:15–21:26, King James Version

Jerusalem believers keep Torah, and Paul joins a public purification

How this should shape us

Teach it back

Go deeper

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

STEP Bible Data

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Acts

Acts of the Apostles Course and Study Guides

The Acts of the Apostles

The Jewishness of Luke-Acts: How Recent Scholarship Has Challenged the View that Luke-Acts Is Pro-Gentile and Anti-Jewish