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| Chapter 21 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ And it came to pass that after we had parted from them and had launched, we came on a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara. 2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard and set forth. 3 Now when we had sighted Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her burden. 4 And having found disciples, we tarried there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 5 And when those days there had been accomplished, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, until we were out of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore and prayed. 6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we boarded ship, and they returned home again. 7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais and saluted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. 8 ¶ The next day, we who were in Paul’s company departed and came unto Caesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and lodged with him. 9 And this man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied. 10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus. 11 And when he had come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle and bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus saith the Holy Spirit, ’So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’" 12 And when we heard these things, both we and those at that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am not only ready to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14 And when he would not be dissuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." 15 ¶ And after those days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem. 16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, who brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we were to lodge. 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following, Paul went with us unto James, and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous for the law. 21 And they are informed about thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the customs. 22 What is therefore to be done? The multitude must surely come together, for they will hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore this which we say to thee: We have four men who have taken a vow upon themselves. 24 Take them and purify thyself with them, and bear their charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and all may know that those things of which they have been informed concerning thee are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest orderly and keepest the law. 25 And as to the Gentiles who 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 things strangled, and from fornication." 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself with them, he entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them. 27 ¶ And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teacheth all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and furthermore brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place." 29 (For they had seen previously with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved and the people ran together, and they took Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar, 32 who immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down unto them; and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him and commanded that he be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. And when he could learn nothing with certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when Paul came upon the stairs, so it was that he had to be borne by the soldiers because of the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, "Away with him!" 37 And as Paul was about to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, "May I speak unto thee?" And he said, "Canst thou speak Greek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian who prior to these days madest an uproar and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men who were murderers?" 39 But Paul said, "I am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." 40 And when he had given him leave, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with his hand unto the people. And when there fell a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying: |
Paul and his party now set sail, Miletus to Cos, then onto Rhodes, finally arriving at Patara after leaving the Ephesian leaders three days earlier. This ship was obviously stopping at every port and this was too slow for Paul. He finds a boat sailing for Phoenicia, a 400 mile journey, where the boat was to unload its cargo. v4 Paul had never visited Tyre but they found believers, probably due to the persecution by Paul before he became a believer. v5-6 The party remained here for a week, during which time the Holy Spirit reveals to these believers of the danger in Jerusalem. Considering the Tyre believers had only met Paul a week before he had obviously become a very loved brother to them when he left. v8 The ship travels via Ptolemais to Caeserea where their boat journey is to end. The party stay with Philip, one of the original deacons. Acts 6:1-6 twenty years before. v10-12 While they stayed there a man called Agabus, a prophet, comes to Paul with a second warning. Agabus was not a stranger to Paul, they had worked together in famine relief. Acts 11:27-30. Agabus gives his message in a very easily understood way, he ties Paul’s hands and feet using Paul’s girdle, telling him that the Holy Spirit had told him that this is what will happen to Paul in Jerusalem. v13,14 Paul responded that he was prepared to be bond for the Lord. Was Paul right or wrong to make this trip to Jerusalem? The warnings were coming from the Holy Spirit, Paul understood the danger for him, Romans 15:30-31; Acts 20:22-23. It is possible to take these warnings as "get ready" warnings instead of "must not go" instructions, Agabus did not tell Paul "he must not go," just "this is what will happen" if you go. The message from the Lord Acts 23:11 confirms this meaning. Knowing what was about to happen to him, Paul was very brave and had great trust in the Lord to still continue. v15-17 The party arrives at Jerusalem. The original party plus some from Caesarea head for Jerusalem. Caesarea to Jerusalem is about sixty five miles and would have been a two to three day journey. v18-20 The first meeting of Paul and the Jerusalem leaders is full of praise for God but it is obvious that the legalist Jews were very much at work. The legalists were saying that Paul was teaching the Jews to leave the laws and customs given by Moses. They were not concerned with the gentiles, that had been agreed at the Jerusalem meeting previously Act 15:1-31. Why were the Jews still following these rules? Paul had warned the Gentiles not to get involved with the old Jewish customs, but no one has told the Jews not to follow the customs unless they thought it was part of their salvation. Jews were free to follow special customs or ceremonies. v23-27 The leaders suggested that Paul demonstrated his attitude and reverence to the Law ceremonies by taking part in a Nazirite ceremony with four men and pay for their costs. Paul agrees to this as it did not involve a persons salvation through faith. v27ff The misunderstood missionary. The temple was only open to the Jews, but there was a small area, the Court of Gentiles, where gentiles were allowed. However Paul is in the Jewish area when a group of Asian Jews see him and immediately say he has brought a Gentile into the temple area. They had seen him earlier with Trophimus an Ephesian outside the temple. They dragged Paul outside the temple, the crowd joins in probably not knowing what it was about. These would have killed Paul if the Roman soldiers had not come to his rescue. The soldiers arrested Paul. Claudius Lysias Acts 23:26 is unable to find out why the Jews were attacking this man, so, take him into the Roman Antonia Fortress for questioning. The captain of the Roman guards, Claudius, thought that Paul is an Egyptian who had been causing problems earlier and was surprised when Paul speaks to him in Greek. v36 reminds us of the time when Jesus was arrested. Luke 23:18; John 19:15. Paul asks to speak to the Jews, Claudius is happy to allow this as it will supply the evidence of what was going on. Paul speaks to the silent crowd in their own language Hebrew. 21:37 - 22:24 Be ready to explain. Paul now speaks to the Jews in their own language v40, he used the right method to allow the message to reach them. Remember Pentecost how God sent His message in the languages of the people Acts 2:1-11. The events are now continued in Chapter 22. |
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