Welcome back to another Old vs New Covenant entry. We are centering on Apostle Paul today. Throughout this series, we have shown how following the Law of Moses is a good thing, because Jesus did it, and so did His disciples. This is not to obtain salvation or to gain righteousness, but because God is Holy, and as it says in the scripture:
1Pe 1:16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Many people have requested a teaching proving that Paul did actually follow the Law. Ask and you shall receive!
Falsely Accused
The reason we know that Paul followed the Law of Moses is because of a passage in Acts 21, where he is accused by some believers of preaching against the Law. The Jerusalem council (You can read more about them in this teaching) wanted to address these accusations. It is important to read the full passage, so please read it below so we can see how this 'court case' plays out:
Act 21:18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.
Act 21:19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
Act 21:20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.
Act 21:21 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.
Act 21:22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come,
Act 21:23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.
Act 21:24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.
The main accusation thrown at Paul is in verse 21:
Act 21:21 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.
James, who is the head of the council, knows Paul very well. He knows that Paul is keeping with the Law, but he has a dilemma. How does he prove to the accusers that Paul is keeping the Law?
He comes up with a solution in Acts 23/24:
Act 21:23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.
Act 21:24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.
At first glance, 99% of Christian's would have no clue what 'purification rites' meant or entailed. Let's investigate it and show the significance of why James asked Paul to 'purify' himself with four other men.
Note - The accusation of Paul teaching people to 'turn away from Moses' (i.e., the Law) is exactly what modern churches do - They say you are covered by grace, so you don't have to worry about the Law. I wonder what the Jerusalem council would think if they saw modern doctrine!
The Nazarite Vow
Behind James' instruction to Paul was something hugely significant - The Nazarite Vow. This can be found in Numbers 6:1-21. For the sake of keeping this short, I will summarize what taking this vow entailed:
- Abstain from all grape products (E.g., wine)
- No cutting of hair
- Avoid becoming ceremonially unclean by touching the dead.
Some other aspects of the vow:
- It was voluntary
- At the end, the person was purified by bringing a sacrifice to God (A burnt, sin, and peace offering required, plus some other food items such as unleavened bread)
- After the offering, the person would shave his head and put the hair on the altar as a final peace offering.
This was for purity and showing obedience to God's Law. James knew that making Paul redo this ceremony, plus making him pay for the other four men to do it, should be enough for everyone to see that Paul is a follower of the Torah.
So, if we continue reading on in Acts, we see Paul re-does the vow:
Act 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.
So we have James, who said, "...but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.", because he knew Paul kept the Law and never taught against it. We also have Paul having no problem re-taking the Nazarite vow, and even paying for four other people to do the same. I believe it is quite clear that Paul followed the Law of Moses!
A little later in Acts, Paul is arrested and has to defend himself. He immediately declares:
Act 25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”
Here is another instance of Paul showing he followed the Law of Moses!
Jew vs Gentile
I can pre-emptively see the question, 'But Paul was raised Jewish, surely the Gentiles do not need to follow the Torah'. We answer this in the teaching of The 4 Laws Given to the Gentiles in Acts 15 - Old vs New Covenant Part IX. I would also encourage you to read Jew vs Gentile - The Ultimate Guide.
Conclusion
Many Christian's struggle to realise that Paul was a devote believer in the Torah, and upheld it well. Paul’s actions in Acts 21 speak louder than words. When accused of teaching against the Law of Moses, he did not argue or deny — he proved his obedience by taking part in the Nazarite vow, purifying himself, entering the Temple, and paying the costs for four other men to do the same. It was a full participation in the Torah’s commandments as outlined in Numbers 6.
James, the head of the Jerusalem council, publicly affirmed Paul’s obedience to the Law, and Paul himself later declared, “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple.” (Acts 25:8). These actions occurred around AD 55 — nearly 25 years after Yeshua’s resurrection — showing that Paul remained Torah-observant long after the New Covenant was in effect.
Far from rejecting the Law, Paul upheld it as holy and good (Romans 7:12), teaching that faith in Messiah Yeshua establishes, not abolishes, the Law (Romans 3:31). His life stands as a testimony that walking in the Spirit and walking in God’s commandments are not opposites, they are one and the same.
Be blessed!
