Now was the golden opportunity for these leading men to frankly confess that God had wrought through Paul, and that they were wrong in permitting the reports of his enemies to create jealousy and prejudice against him. But instead of doing justice to the one whom they had injured, they still appeared to hold him responsible for the existing prejudice, as though he had given them cause for such feelings. They did not nobly stand in his defense, and endeavor to show the disaffected party their error; but they threw the burden wholly upon Paul, counseling him to pursue a course for the removal of all misapprehension. They responded to his testimony in these words: “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law. And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together; for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 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.” {LP 211.3}

Nu var der en gylden anledning til at disse ledende mænd bekendte rent ud at Gud havde arbejdet gennem Paulus, og at de gjorde fejl ved at lade hans fjenders rapporter skabe skinsyge og fordomme imod ham. Men i stedet for at gøre ret mod den ene som de havde såret, stod de stadig til ansvar for de fordomme der var, som om han havde givet dem grund til disse følelser. De stod ikke ædelt frem i forsvar, og vovede at vise deres vildfarelse over for den utilfredse gruppe; men de kastede hele byrden over på Paulus, rådede ham til at få fjerne al misforståelser. De besvarede hans vidnesbyrd med disse ord: »Broder«! du ser, hvor mange tusind jøder der er kommet til tro, og alle er de nidkære for loven. Men nu har de hørt om dig, at du lærer alle jøder ude blandt hedningerne frafald fra Moses, idet du siger, at de ikke skal omskære børnene og ikke vandre efter vore skikke. Hvad skal vi nu gøre? Der vil sikkert komme en hel mængde mennesker sammen; de vil jo få at høre, at du er kommen. Gør derfor, som vi nu siger dig: Vi har her fire mænd, som har et løfte på sig. Tag dem med dig, og rens dig sammen med dem, og afhold udgifterne for dem, så de kan lade deres hoved rage; så vil alle forstå, at det, de har hørt om dig, ikke har noget på sig, men at du også selv vandrer således, at du holder loven. Men angående de hedninger, som er kommet til tro, har vi udsendt en skrivelse med den afgørelse, at de skal vogte sig for afgudsofferkød og for blod og for kød af kvalte dyr og for utugt."