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The church leadership admits Paul is right, but they are faced with many Jews who have
received Jesus and are still clinging to the law of Moses. James is simply saying they are afraid
of the Jews. They do not want to lose people from the church or lose their offerings. They have
become the very people they broke away from.

They should have stood for the Word and not allowed these Jews to have influence over the
beliefs and government of the church.

They call Paul “brother.” They begin with religious talk, but Paul is wiser than this. He
recognizes manipulation, but he so wants to speak to his own people, he tolerates their
religious talk. They tell Paul the Jewish converts want the law. “What can we do when so many
thousands want to keep the law of Moses?” Weak leadership produces a weak congregation.
These converts are zealous for the law because the leaders are. The leaders have given up on
the good fight of faith. They have yielded to the pressure, and so will Paul. The church has
become legalistic, and the city will soon go under.

Act 21:21 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.
And they are informed of (concerning) thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among
the Gentiles to forsake (apostasia: falling away) Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise
their children, neither to walk after the customs.

These Jewish leaders had been running Paul down from the pulpits. Paul has a bad reputation
in Jerusalem. He cannot be argued with face to face, so they have chosen to run him down
when he is not present. Paul is too brilliant with the Word to be challenged publicly.

They have done this before and lost. Paul has Jewish converts in each city of his missionary
journeys. He usually preaches to the Jews in the synagogues first. Those who did not receive
his message sent warnings back to Jerusalem, distorting his message. Paul has not taught the
Jews not to circumcise their young boys; he has taught them to not circumcise them for
spiritual reasons. He has truly taught them to forsake the law of Moses because it has been
fulfilled in Jesus. He has taught them to turn from the shadows to the substance (Colossians
2:17).

Act 21:22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have
come.

Paul is a very controversial figure. They will not come together to reason but to argue and
malign Paul. They will want to kill him (verses 27-31). Paul is now beginning to understand
how far this city has fallen into legalism and how liberal the leadership has become toward
them. James and the church leaders are more concerned about not offending people than
standing up for the truth. Paul is now slipping into their way of thinking. “Let’s do anything
that allows us to preach to them.”