When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
From wedding vows to ordination vows, promises made before God are resolute. Sadly, however, they are not inviolate. Marriages fail. Ordination vows are abandoned. But more often than not, these vows hold people together. They can bring back a wandering husband, and restore an unfaithful wife. Pastors can be reminded of their vows of faithfulness and care for God’s people and return to their calling.
All this is by the grace of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people. For it requires not only the repentance of the wayward one, but the gracious welcome of the harmed.
In the case of Paul, vows were made, and purifications were needed so that Paul could be seen to have been faithful to his Jewish heritage and roots. At the end of it all an offering was made to God to show the earnestness of their actions.
Years later the Roman Church would require people to pay an offering to redeem a loved one from purgatory. These indulgences were little better than an abusive fund-raising program. And even worse, an attack on the gospel. We do not earn our way to God by any means. It can’t be done.
Here, however, these vows, purifications, and offerings were made not for the sake of God, but for the sake of the other believers. They were being done to quell misunderstanding, confusion, and wrong ideas about Paul and his working and his teachings.
I sense a hint of the need to convince Paul of the need for this. They not only told him of the 1000s of Jewish believers who had their concerns. They also reminded Paul that the Gentile believers had been accommodated by the simple requirements: “that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
Paul’s work among the Gentiles was being validated and honored. His care for fellow Jewish believers was also urged. And he, man of God that he was, agreed. His vows, purifications, and offerings were a blessing to the Jewish believers and evidence of his desire not to offend.
These offerings, vows, and purifications were done because of God’s favor and work in his heart, not as a means of gaining God’s favor. His whole message stressed this vital truth – one we must keep in mind whenever we seek to honor God by any means – while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, forgave our sins, and offers us eternal salvation by his grace through faith.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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