Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 24:17

"Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:" — Acts 24:17 (ASV)

Now after many years.—Four years had passed since the previous visit of Acts 18:22. The use of “many” in this instance is noteworthy because it sheds light on Acts 24:10.

To bring alms to my nation, and offerings.—The “alms” were, of course, the large sums of money that St. Paul had been collecting since his last visit for the disciples (possibly in part, also, for those who were not disciples) in Jerusalem. It is noticeable that this is the only mention in Acts of that which occupies so prominent a place in the Epistles of this period (1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–4). This evident undesigned coincidence between Acts and the Epistles on this point has naturally often been discussed by writers on the evidences that each supplies for the other.

The “offerings” were the sacrifices that the Apostle was about to offer on the completion of the Nazarite vow with which he had associated himself. There is, perhaps, a refined courtesy in St. Paul’s use of the word “nation” (commonly used only of Gentiles) instead of the more usual “people.” He avoids the term that would have implied a certain assumption of superiority to the magistrate before whom he stood (see Notes on Matthew 25:32; Matthew 28:19).