• “Hear My Defense”
    “Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom

    • 5 At some point, Paul likely mentioned the contributions he had brought from Europe. The concern manifested by the brothers in far-flung places must have warmed the hearts of Paul’s listeners. Why, in response to Paul’s report, the record says: “They [the elders] began to glorify God”! (Acts 21:20a) Similarly, the hearts of many today who endure disasters or grievous sicknesses are deeply moved when fellow believers offer timely help and words of encouragement.

      Many Still “Zealous for the Law” (Acts 21:20b, 21)

      6. What problem did Paul learn about?

      6 The elders then revealed to Paul that there was a problem in Judea that involved him personally. They said: “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the Law.

  • “Hear My Defense”
    “Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom

    • 7, 8. (a) What mistaken view did many Christians in Judea have? (b) Why did the mistaken thinking of some Jewish Christians not amount to apostasy?

      7 Why were so many Christians still zealous for the Mosaic Law, well over 20 years after it had been abolished? (Col. 2:14) In 49 C.E. the apostles and elders meeting in Jerusalem had sent a letter to the congregations explaining that believers from among the nations did not need to submit to circumcision and come under the Mosaic Law. (Acts 15:23-29) However, that letter had not mentioned Jewish believers, many of whom did not understand that the Mosaic Law no longer applied.

      8 Did that mistaken thinking disqualify such Jewish believers from being Christians? No. It was not as if they had once been worshippers of pagan gods and were now continuing to follow the religious customs of their former faith. The Law that was so important to those Jewish believers had originally been given by Jehovah. Nothing in it was demonic or wrong in itself. But that Law had to do with the old covenant, whereas Christians were now under the new covenant. The observances of the Law covenant were now obsolete as far as pure worship was concerned. Hebrew Christians who were zealous for the Law lacked understanding and confidence in the Christian congregation. They needed to bring their thinking into line with the progressive revelation of truth.b​—Jer. 31:31-34; Luke 22:20.