Acts 21:21 kjv
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.
Acts 21:21 nkjv
but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
Acts 21:21 niv
They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.
Acts 21:21 esv
and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
Acts 21:21 nlt
But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They've heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs.
Acts 21 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 15:1-5 | "Unless you are circumcised... you cannot be saved... Pharisees... insisted on them being circumcised..." | False teaching requiring circumcision for salvation. |
| Acts 15:19-21 | "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God..." | Jerusalem Council's decision for Gentile converts, no Mosaic Law requirement. |
| Acts 15:28-29 | "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden..." | Jerusalem Council letter outlining minimum requirements for Gentiles. |
| Acts 16:3 | "Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews..." | Paul circumcised Timothy (who was half-Jew) to avoid offense, showing flexibility. |
| Acts 21:20 | "...And they said to him, 'You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all zealous for the law.'" | Context: Jewish believers in Jerusalem are fervent adherents to the Law. |
| Rom 2:25-29 | "Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law... For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly..." | Paul distinguishes between outward circumcision and inward transformation. |
| Rom 3:28-31 | "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law... Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?" | Justification by faith, not by Law; the Law is upheld, not overthrown. |
| Rom 9:4-5 | "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law..." | Paul's affirmation of the privileges and heritage of the Jewish people. |
| 1 Cor 7:18-19 | "Was anyone at the time of his call circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision... For neither circumcision counts for anything..." | Circumcision/uncircumcision are secondary in Christ. |
| Gal 2:1-5 | "...we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you." | Paul's steadfast refusal to impose circumcision on Gentile believers (Titus). |
| Gal 3:1-3 | "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" | Rejection of salvation by Law-works. |
| Gal 5:2-6 | "Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you... For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any force..." | Warning against trusting in circumcision for salvation; faith through love matters. |
| Gal 6:12-15 | "For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." | Emphasizes new creation in Christ over external religious markers. |
| 1 Thess 2:16 | "...forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved—to fill up their sins always!" | Opposition to Paul's ministry to Gentiles by some Jews. |
| Phil 3:3-9 | "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh..." | Paul counts his Jewish heritage and legal observance as loss for Christ. |
| Exod 12:48-49 | "...but if any sojourner with you would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised... there shall be one law for the native and for the sojourner who sojourns among you." | Mosaic Law's expectation for those dwelling among Israel regarding circumcision. |
| Lev 18:3-4 | "You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt... You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes..." | Warning against adopting Gentile customs over God's laws. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them..." | Command to teach God's laws to future generations. |
| Acts 6:11 | "Then they secretly instigated men who said, 'We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.'" | Similar false accusations leveled against Stephen. |
| Acts 25:8 | "Paul said in his defense, 'Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended at all.'" | Paul's consistent denial of having violated Jewish law or customs. |
| 1 Cor 9:19-23 | "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew..." | Paul's contextual adaptability, becoming like a Jew to win Jews, not abandon their identity. |
| Jas 2:10 | "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." | The strict requirement of the Law, reinforcing its difficulty to fulfill fully. |
Acts 21 verses
Acts 21 21 Meaning
Acts 21:21 describes the false accusation made against the Apostle Paul in Jerusalem by zealous Jewish believers. The elders reported to Paul that "they" (other Jewish believers) had heard a persistent rumor that Paul was teaching all Jews living among Gentiles to abandon the Mosaic Law, specifically instructing them not to circumcise their children or adhere to traditional Jewish customs. This accusation suggests Paul was promoting a total forsaking of Jewish identity for ethnic Jews, particularly in the Diaspora.
Acts 21 21 Context
Acts 21 records Paul's final journey to Jerusalem, despite prophetic warnings of danger (Acts 21:4, 11). Upon his arrival, he is welcomed by James and the elders (Acts 21:17-18). It is in this meeting that the concerns leading to the verse in question are raised. The tens of thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem are described as "all zealous for the Law" (Acts 21:20). Amidst this context of strong Jewish adherence to Mosaic traditions, a rumor has spread concerning Paul's teachings, alleging that he encourages Jews living among Gentiles to abandon these foundational aspects of their heritage, including circumcision and customs. This accusation fuels concern that Paul's ministry among Gentiles (and perceived teaching to Jews) is seen as undermining the very fabric of Jewish identity and the Law of Moses. In an attempt to address this potentially incendiary situation and demonstrate Paul's own respect for the Law, James and the elders suggest Paul undertake a purification ritual connected to a Nazirite vow, visibly participating in a Temple custom.
Acts 21 21 Word analysis
- and: Connects this statement to the preceding discussion where James and the elders affirm God's work among the Gentiles through Paul (Acts 21:19) but immediately pivot to a critical issue concerning Jewish believers.
- they have been told: Greek: parengeilēsan (παρηγγέλθησαν) - passive voice, meaning "it has been reported to them," or "they were informed." This implies that the information is hearsay or rumor, not direct observation or verified fact by the accusers. It highlights the persistent nature of the report, suggesting an ongoing campaign against Paul's reputation.
- about you: Refers directly to Paul, who is the subject of these widespread accusations.
- that you teach: Greek: didaskein (διδάσκειν) - to instruct, impart knowledge. This is the core of the accusation, suggesting Paul's active promotion of this doctrine.
- all the Jews: Emphasizes the wide scope of Paul's alleged teaching, making the accusation particularly grave. It suggests a total, systematic abandonment for all Jews.
- who are among the Gentiles: Specifies the context where this alleged teaching takes place, indicating Jews in the Diaspora. This implies a perception that Paul's outreach to Gentiles somehow necessitates or encourages Jewish apostasy when living among them.
- to forsake: Greek: apostasía (ἀποστασία) - apostasy, desertion, rebellion, a falling away from faith or allegiance. This is a very strong term, carrying a severe implication of abandoning one's religious heritage. It implies more than merely not observing; it suggests active repudiation.
- Moses: Refers to the Law of Moses (Torah), which embodies the entire covenant relationship, commands, customs, and identity of the Jewish people given through Moses. This represents the bedrock of Jewish religious and national identity.
- telling them not to circumcise their children: Circumcision (peritemnein περιτέμνειν) was the outward sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17). It was a foundational practice signifying Jewish identity and commitment. To tell Jews not to circumcise their children was tantamount to telling them to renounce their covenantal heritage and disassociate from the Jewish people.
- or walk according to our customs: Greek: ēthoús (ἔθους) - customs, traditions, habitual practices, legal ordinances. This refers broadly to the established practices of Jewish life beyond just circumcision, encompassing dietary laws, Sabbath observance, festival participation, ritual purity laws, etc. To "walk according to our customs" signifies living in conformity with the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition.
Acts 21 21 Bonus section
The core issue in Acts 21:21 is not whether Paul believed the Mosaic Law was necessary for salvation (he vehemently taught it was not, for either Jew or Gentile, cf. Gal 2-3; Rom 3). Rather, the accusation posits that Paul was actively encouraging Jews themselves to abandon their cultural and religious identity. This reveals a misunderstanding or deliberate distortion by some in Jerusalem regarding Paul's teaching on Christian liberty versus license, and how the New Covenant related to the Old. Paul did not see faith in Christ as dissolving Jewish identity or prohibiting continued Law-observance for ethnic Jews, but rather as freeing both Jews and Gentiles from Law-observance as a means of justification. His primary concern was preventing the imposition of the Law on Gentiles for salvation and ensuring that Jews understood that their salvation was through Christ alone, not their adherence to the Law.
Acts 21 21 Commentary
Acts 21:21 details a serious misrepresentation of Paul's ministry. Paul indeed taught that Gentiles were saved by faith in Christ, not by Mosaic Law, and were therefore not required to be circumcised or adopt Jewish customs. However, he did not teach Jews to forsake the Law or their Jewish heritage. Paul himself, a Jew, often participated in Jewish customs when in Jerusalem or among Jews (e.g., Acts 16:3, circumcising Timothy; Acts 18:18, taking a vow). His approach was to become "all things to all people" (1 Cor 9:22), including living "as a Jew to the Jews" while upholding the core gospel of Christ crucified. The accusation of teaching apostasia from Moses for all Jews was likely a malicious exaggeration or a misunderstanding by Jewish believers who felt their traditions were being threatened by the inclusion of uncircumcised Gentiles. This verse underscores the deep tension within the early church regarding the relationship between Christian faith and adherence to Jewish Law, a central theme in Acts and Paul's epistles.