Acts 21:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

NIV: As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.'

NASB: But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.'

CSB: With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality."

NLT: As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Paul is speaking with James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem. He intends to update them on what he has been doing the last four years or so. His work included planting a church in Ephesus and building up mostly-Gentile churches all over the coast of the Aegean Sea. But a rumor has been floating around Jerusalem that Paul is teaching Jewish Christians they should not observe the Mosaic law. This is false, and Paul is willing to take the elders' suggestion—help four men complete a Jewish vow—to debunk the unhelpful gossip (Acts 21:18–24).

It's not clear why the elders tell him this. These regulations came about because the apostles and elders had to consider if Gentile believers had to become practicing Jews to follow Jesus. Paul was there. In fact, Paul brought them the issue from Syrian Antioch. And Paul was responsible to take their letter to the Gentiles in Syria and modern-day Turkey (Acts 15). Perhaps they're reassuring him that their initial request to the Gentiles stands.

"What has been sacrificed to idols" refers to the communal meals people have in pagan temples. To refrain means more than just not going out to dinner; during those meals people make business connections and show their fealty to their city. A person who doesn't sacrifice to the local god or goddess is seen as someone who doesn't care about their community. Without business contacts, a craftsman can suffer financially and find it difficult to provide for his family. It's a big sacrifice, but Paul supports it; false gods are demons, and Jesus-followers should have no part (1 Corinthians 10:14–22).

The council forbids animals that have been strangled because such animals are not butchered correctly to ensure their blood is properly drained. There is debate today about whether Christians are still prohibited from eating blood because the law pre-dates the Mosaic law (Genesis 9:4) or if the restriction was lifted the same time other foods were (Acts 10:9–16). Either way, the council asks the Gentiles to refrain so the Jewish Christians will feel free to share meals.

"Sexual immorality" means any sex not between a husband and wife. There is no caveat for couples who are engaged, couples who "love each other very much," or pornographic situations. Such restrictions have always been in place, and remain; that they need to be repeated so often speaks to the powerful temptation of sex.

Acts 21:17–26 is an account of Paul reporting to the "upper management" of the early church. He has spent the last several years along the coastline of the Aegean Sea, establishing the church in Ephesus and building up the congregations in Troas, Macedonia, and Corinth. Now he returns to Jerusalem to give an account of his ministry. James and the elders of the Jerusalem church also have news: a rumor is going around claiming Paul teaches that Jews who worship with Gentiles should entirely forsake the Mosaic law. Ironically, when he cooperates with the elders' recommendation to prove his respect for Old Testament truth, Paul is again falsely accused and arrested.

In Acts 21, Paul returns to Judea from his third missionary journey and promptly gets arrested. He begins by visiting Philip in Caesarea Maritima. Church elders in Jerusalem ask Paul to help men fulfill a Nazirite vow, to dispel rumors he has apostatized his Jewishness. While doing so, Ephesian Jews accuse Paul of bringing one of his Gentile Ephesian companions into the temple. The Roman military tribune keeps the enraged crowd from tearing Paul limb from limb by arresting him.

Acts 21 fulfills the fears of many of Paul's friends. Throughout the last part of his third missionary journey the Holy Spirit has been telling him he will be arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23–25). When Paul reacts to dire personal prophecy, the Jesus-followers in Caesarea Maritima try to stop him from going on (Acts 21:8–14). Through a complicated trail of rumors, lies, and wrong assumptions, things go according to the Holy Spirit's foreknowledge and Roman soldiers arrest Paul. He will face the next 5 years in custody in Caesarea and Rome, but he will spread Jesus' story the entire time (Acts 22—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.