Why the Apostles Still Practiced Old Covenant Observances After the Cross: Understanding the Transition Period

Why the Apostles Still Practiced Old Covenant Observances After the Cross:

Understanding the Transition Period 

Many are surprised to learn that long after Jesus’ crucifixion, His followers—including the Apostle Paul—were still participating in old covenant rituals: going to the temple, observing Jewish festivals, taking Nazarite vows, and even circumcising converts. At first glance, this seems contradictory. Wasn’t the old covenant fulfilled at the cross? Why were they still participating in it?

The answer lies in the transitional period between the cross (c. 30 AD) and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.

The Age of Overlap: Two Covenants in Tension

From the resurrection to the destruction of Jerusalem, two ages were overlapping: the old covenant age, which was fading away (Hebrews 8:13), and the new covenant age, which was breaking in with power (2 Corinthians 3). The apostles, especially Paul, lived in that unique window of time—what we might call the “overlap of the ages.”

The cross secured the New Covenant, but the visible dismantling of the old came only with the judgment on Jerusalem in 70 AD. Until then, the temple stood, sacrifices were made, and the Law of Moses continued as a functioning system—though it was spiritually obsolete.

So, what did the apostles do during this overlap? They walked a tightrope—proclaiming the New Covenant while still operating within the shell of the old, for the sake of the people they were trying to reach.

1. Acts 2:46 – "Daily in the Temple"

“Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple…” (Acts 2:46)

Even after Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the early believers didn’t abandon the temple. Why? Because many of them were still devout Jews, and the temple remained the central place of worship. They understood that while the substance had come (Christ), the structure of the old system had not yet passed away. Their presence in the temple was not a return to bondage but a strategic move. They were witnessing within the system that was about to be judged. They weren’t validating the old—they were infiltrating it with the light of the New.

2. Acts 3:1 – Peter and John Go to the Temple at the Hour of Prayer

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.” (Acts 3:1)

Even after the resurrection, Peter and John continued the rhythms of Jewish prayer times. Again, this shows that the apostles didn’t instantly sever themselves from Jewish life and worship. They were proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment from within the old framework. Their mission was not revolution against Judaism—it was revelation to Israel that the promises had been fulfilled in Christ.

3. Acts 21:26 & the Nazarite Vow

In Acts 21:26, Paul participates in a purification ritual alongside men taking a Nazarite vow—a very old covenant practice (Numbers 6).

“Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple…” (Acts 21:26)

Why would Paul do such a thing? Because:

He was in Jerusalem. The believing Jews there were “zealous for the Law” (Acts 21:20). He was demonstrating that he wasn’t anti-Jewish, but that he honored the Law for the sake of the people—even while preaching its fulfillment in Christ. This was a strategic act of peace and witness during a time when tensions between the “Jesus movement” and traditional Judaism were boiling.

4. Timothy’s Circumcision (Acts 16:3)

Paul circumcised Timothy—not because it was necessary for salvation (he adamantly denied that in Galatians)—but because of the Jews who lived in that area.

“Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him... and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places...” (Acts 16:3)

This was a missionary move, not a theological compromise. Paul became “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22) to win some. Timothy’s circumcision was not a return to Law, but a tactical choice to remove offense so the message of Christ could be heard.

Conclusion 

The Law wasn’t fully removed until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, which marked the visible and irreversible end of the old covenant system. Until then, believers navigated a delicate and divinely appointed transition. Paul's epistles show he understood the old covenant was “obsolete and growing old” (Hebrews 8:13), but he lived in that final generation where the overlap still required wisdom, sensitivity, and the Spirit’s guidance.