Now they have heard of thee that thou teachest those Jews, who are among the Gentiles to depart from Moses: saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the custom.
κατηχηθησαν δε περι σου οτι αποστασιαν διδασκεις απο μωυσεως μωυσεος τους κατα τα εθνη παντας ιουδαιους λεγων μη περιτεμνειν αυτους τα τεκνα μηδε τοις εθεσιν περιπατειν
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
They did not say, "They have heard," but, "They have been informed," that is, they have been persuaded and have believed "that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to the customs."
Having arrived in Jerusalem, Paul went the very next day with his companions to the Apostle James. The presbyters of the Church then gathered to him. All listened with great sympathy to what Paul told them about the working of the Gospel among the Gentiles.
James only observed that there were now several thousand believing Jews in Jerusalem who nevertheless strictly kept the law of Moses.
He added that certain Judaizers, who everywhere tried to present Paul’s actions in the worst light, had spread a rumor among them.
They claimed that Paul not only freed the Gentiles from observing the Mosaic law, but also forbade Jews living among the Gentiles to circumcise their children. They claimed he generally taught them apostasy from the law.
This accusation was unjust if it meant that Paul rejected the outward observance of Judaism in itself. He rejected it only as a means of man’s justification and sanctification.
His chief principle was this: no one should abandon the earthly, national, and civil relations in which he had lived before Christianity, unless there were weighty reasons for doing so.
In accordance with this principle, Paul also allowed Jews to remain with their Jewish institutions. The observance of the law of Moses belonged to these (1 Cor 7:17, 18).
Therefore, in order to refute this accusation by action itself, James proposed that Paul publicly bear witness, through respect for Jewish rites, that he was not an enemy of the Jewish law.
Paul accepted this proposal and resolved, with four brethren from among the Jews, to take upon himself a Nazirite vow for seven days.
Consequently, he subjected himself to the same renunciations required of Nazirites. He announced to the priests of the temple that he would pay for himself and his fellow participants the sum due from them for offering sacrifice to God at the release from the vow.
When the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the apostles and the other brethren who were there received him cordially. They glorified God as they listened to his accounts of what God had done through his hands among the Gentiles.
Yet all were troubled by the fear that the Apostle of the Gentiles might suffer insult and violence from the Jews. They had heard of him that he taught Jews living in the Diaspora not to circumcise their children and generally not to live according to the law of Moses.
To dispel this prejudice against Paul among the Jews, and thereby deliver him from the danger threatening him, the Jerusalem presbyters gave Paul counsel. At their head was James, the brother of the Lord according to the flesh.
They advised Paul to take part in a temporary Nazirite vow held by four Christians from among the Jews. They also advised him to take part in the public performance of the rites of this vow in the temple.
Then the assembly, having heard him, “glorified God,” but at the same time found itself compelled to warn the Apostle of the danger threatening him.
In Jerusalem there were already many Jews who had believed, whole thousands, counting those who had come from everywhere for the feast. “And they were all zealots for the law.”
They evidently belonged to that numerous party which considered the law necessary for salvation, at least specifically for Jews who had believed. Therefore they regarded the preaching of the Apostle Paul with suspicion, since he taught that the law had already lost its significance.
Popular rumor about this preaching reached them in a distorted form. Everyone in Jerusalem had heard that the Apostle “taught Jews living among the Gentiles apostasy from the law of Moses.”
They said that he told them not to circumcise their children and not to walk according to the customs of the fathers.
This rumor was supported and inflamed by the Apostle’s enemies. It made all the Palestinian, and especially the Jerusalem, Jewish Christians so hostile toward him that his very appearance in the holy city was unsafe.
“They have heard about you”: more exactly, they have been taught or prompted. This means their prejudice against Paul was not based merely on simple popular rumor.
It rested on a deliberate prompting hostile to Paul, certainly from Judaizing or Pharisaizing opponents of his teaching and activity. Such people had appeared earlier (Acts 15:1-2; Acts 15:4).
From then until now, as is evident, they acted with hostility toward Paul. These Judaizing teachers suggested to the zealots of the law, and they believed them, that Paul taught all Jews living among the Gentiles apostasy from Moses.
The Greek expression is stronger and means betrayal or treason. They said he preached that they should not circumcise their children and should not walk according to the customs, that is, should not fulfill the rites of the law of Moses.
These are evidently the same opponents of Paul, the teachers who troubled the Church of Antioch and Jerusalem. They demanded circumcision and observance of the law of Moses even for Gentiles turning to Christ (ch. 15).
After the apostolic decree that Gentiles were free from this, they settled on another claim. Jews, they said, when passing into Christianity, could not and must not be free from circumcision.
They laid against Paul the charge that he was an apostate from the law and taught apostasy from Moses.
The accusation against Paul, spread among the people in this form, was manifest slander. From all his teaching, as it is unfolded in his epistles, and from all his activity, it is clear what he taught and defended.
He taught that the salvation of those who believe in Christ is not conditioned at all by circumcision or by fulfillment of the law of Moses. It is conditioned by faith in Christ Jesus.
He taught that by the law alone, together with circumcision, man cannot be justified before God. He is justified apart from the law by faith in Christ, and so forth. See Romans, Galatians, and Corinthians.
But that he disparaged the law as God-given, or taught apostasy from it, was not the case.
The main thing is faith in Christ. The law of Moses is not essential for a Christian. Keep it if you wish; this is good, but do not hope to receive salvation through it.
If you do not wish, do not keep it. You will not be deprived of salvation if you believe in Christ and live as a Christian.
The believing Gentiles were freed by the apostolic council from the yoke of the law of Moses, and they will be saved. Therefore a Jew who has believed in Christ can also be saved apart from circumcision and observance of the law of Moses.
The law is not decisive here. One may fail to be saved while observing it, and one may be saved without observing it. Therefore, if you wish, observe it; if you wish, do not.
This is the Apostle’s teaching concerning the law. How he taught about circumcision is witnessed by his action when he took Timothy as his fellow worker and circumcised him (Acts 16:1-3 and note).
Thus the insinuation that Paul was an apostate from the law and taught others apostasy was a malicious insinuation and slander against the great Apostle.
The meeting of the Apostle Paul with James, bishop of Jerusalem, and with the presbyters was favorable. When Paul told of his preaching, the listeners glorified God.
Yet there were also some who did not fully approve of Paul’s freedom in relation to Jewish ritual practice, and even to circumcision. They condemned the fact that, by his counsel, Christians from among the Jews did not circumcise their children.
“The Judaizing teachers suggested to the zealots of the law, and they believed them, that Paul taught all Jews living among the Gentiles apostasy from Moses. The Greek expression αποστασίαν is stronger and means betrayal or treason.
They said he preached that they should not circumcise their children and should not walk according to the customs, that is, should not fulfill the rites of the law of Moses.
These are evidently the same opponents of Paul, the teachers who troubled the Church of Antioch and Jerusalem. They demanded circumcision and observance of the law of Moses even for Gentiles turning to Christ (ch. 15).
The accusation against Paul, released among the people, was slander. From all his teaching, as it is unfolded in his epistles, and from all his activity, one sees what alone he taught.
He taught that the salvation of those who believe in Christ is conditioned neither by circumcision nor by fulfillment of the law of Moses, but by faith in Christ Jesus. See the Epistles to the Romans, Galatians, and Corinthians.
This means: if you wish, keep the law of Moses; if you wish, do not. His act concerning circumcision bears witness to how he taught about it. Taking Timothy as his fellow worker, he circumcised him.
Thus the insinuation that Paul was an apostate from the law and taught others apostasy was a malicious insinuation and slander against the Apostle.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 25 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS