Acts 21:20

"They began glorifying God" This means that the elders in Jerusalem were in full agreement with Paul and his teaching and practice among the Gentiles. This contradicts the claim made by some that there was. split in doctrine and practice between Paul and the leading Jewish Christians. In addition, they also glorified God for the collection sent by these Gentile Christians.

Acts 21:20 "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed" This indicates that. good number of Jews had been Christians. We saw the same thing in Acts 5:14. "And they are all zealous for the Law" Does this mean that Jewish Christians continued to observe the Law of Moses, some commentators say "yes". Reese argues that Jewish Christians still were observing the Law of Moses, in particular, the sacrifices, the distinctions of meats and days, the hours of prayer, and the feasts. "It does seem, as one reads the epistles of Paul and the sermons in Acts, that the people should have begun by this time to lose some of their overzealous attachment to Moses. But they have had to rely on the Old Testament for their written words from God, and so there is something more understandable in their zealousness for the Law. In addition, the people are slow to give up the old, traditional way of doing things, even when they know. better way" (Reese pp. 794-795). He also argues that some years later when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, this brought an effective end to the observance of such rites.

Observations

Yet Paul had by this time written Romans and Galatians, books that made it clear that Christians-even Christians of. Jewish background were no longer under the Law of Moses (Romans 7:1 ff; Galatians 3:25 "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under. tutor"). And equally, that continued observance of the Law in order to find favor with God (like circumcision, or observing days), would result in falling from grace (Galatians 5:1; Galatians 4:10).

One can be zealous for the Law without continuing to observe the obsolete system (as the Hebrew writer calls it, Hebrews 8:13). That is,. still view it as the word of God and learn the lessons that it teaches (Romans 15:4).

One could continue to observe certain elements in the Law merely from the standpoint of custom. That is, circumcision was still allowed. simply as. surgical practice (1 Corinthians 7:19). One could still go to Jerusalem during Passover or Pentecost and attend those feasts as one would attend any other national festival. One could go to the Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath in order to teach people, and one could still observe various food laws. simply as. matter of personal taste or conscience (Romans 14:1 ff), after all one did not have to eat pork if they did not want to.