Acts 21:25
As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
Believing Gentiles were exempt from observing the Jewish ceremonial law and customs, being required only to keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. This restated the earlier decision made for Gentile converts, which remained in force. That exemption was affirmed at the same time Paul was urged to join four men under a vow, purify himself with them and pay their expenses, in order to show the thousands of Jewish believers zealous for the law that he himself lived orderly and kept the law. That counsel to Paul was inconsistent with that decision.
The counsel involved four believers in Jerusalem under the Nazarite vow whose term had nearly expired, with costly purification sacrifices still to be offered that a very poor man could not afford. Paul carried out that counsel on the following day. Though poor and working with his own hands for his daily bread, he willingly paid the expenses for the four Christian Nazarites and accompanied them to the temple to unite with them in the ceremonies of the seven days of purification. Helping poorer brethren complete their vow was counted a pious act.