Q: acts 18:18

[OpenDoor]

Acts 18:18
Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

why did Paul cut his hair off, what vow did he take?

thank you

 

[cyberlizard]

Acts 18:18
Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

why did Paul cut his hair off, what vow did he take?

thank you

that would be a nazarite vow as per numbers 6. Cutting off the hair prior to completion of the vow was mostly a result of coming into contact with a dead body.

the mind boggling thing about this incident is the belief that Paul taught the law was no longer worth following. In fact we know that the vow taken required blood sacrifices be brought at its completion. We see the outworking of the Acts 18 passage coming to a head a few chapters down the road.

It is worth remembering that for the church of the temple period, the temple sacrifces and jesus' death were not mutually exclusive, but rather complimentary.



Steve