One thing that is both biblically factual and admittedly difficult to reconcile is that Paul participated in Temple sacrifices decades after his conversion.

In Acts 21, Paul returns from a missionary journey and meets with James and the elders in Jerusalem. James tells Paul that many thousands of Jews have believed in Yeshua, and that they are all zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20).

At the same time, rumors had spread that Paul was teaching Jews to forsake Moses, avoid circumcision, and abandon the customs (Acts 21:21).

To publicly refute those accusations, James tells Paul to join four men who are under a vow (Acts 21:23). These men would have been Jewish Christians. Otherwise, why would they be traveling with James?

The vow was certainly a Nazirite vow, because the men shaved their heads at the completion of the vow, in accordance with the Torah.

Acts 21:24:

Take them along and purify yourself together with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads.

Numbers 6:18:

The Nazirite shall then shave his consecrated head of hair at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and take the consecrated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.

Acts 21:26 says:

“Then Paul took the men, and the next day, after purifying himself together with them, he went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”

This demonstrates several important points:

1.  Paul purified himself before entering the Temple and participating in the offering process. Ritual purification was required for approaching the Temple in a state of cleanness, which involved immersion in water (this is where baptism comes from).

2.  These Jewish Christians completed their Nazirite vow with the required sacrifices, in accordance with Book of Numbers 6.

In addition, Acts 18:18 indicates that Paul himself had previously taken a Nazarite vow, which would have required a sacrifice at its conclusion:

“At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.”

This very well could have been the same vow that he concluded with the four men in Acts 21.

I am not unaware that this creates tension. Hebrews firmly teaches that Yeshua’s sacrifice was final and sufficient, offered once for all.

Yet the plain reading of Acts shows that while the Temple was still standing, Paul and others continued to participate in Temple practices, including the offering associated with the completion of a Nazirite vow.

Scripture must be allowed to speak for itself, even when the full implications are difficult to reconcile.

And Scripture explicitly states that Paul continued to keep the whole of Torah throughout his life.

Acts 21:24:

“...but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Torah.”

-Rabbi Brian Samuel