Acts 21:23-25

There are the Jewish believers who believed that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for all of their lives and then there were the Gentile believers. Catholics came into the fold of the Jewish believers as converts to Jewish Christianity. Catholics still follow the principle guidelines of one infallible leader, like Peter, who is visible in the form of the Pope. They still practice circumcision. They have many man made traditions that if not followed result in spiritual death. The teachings of Christ in his mercy and grace are limited by the rules of the Church.They firmly hold to the belief that peter was the rock upon which the church was built.

The Christian leaders were not asking Gentiles to live like Jews; neither did they want to compel Jews to live like Gentiles. The spiritual unity of the body of believers is realized in its diversity, not in its conformity. From our diverse backgrounds and cultures we honor the same Lord. NKJ Bible.

By doing this, Paul will show that he is still sensitive to Jewish culture, which James believes will overturn their fellow Jews’ concerns about Paul. This action demonstrates that Paul is not encouraging Jews to abandon their traditions, cultural identity, or religious identity. Faithlife Bible.

For the sake of showing his Jewish brethren that he had not forsaken the laws of Moses, Paul did what they asked. Reputation was an issue for the apostle, as it is for all believers.

Acts 21:23–25 (NKJV)

²³ Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. ²⁴ Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. ²⁵ But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Acts 15:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,