ACTS  21

1 After we had torn ourselves away from the, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.

2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.

3 After sighting Crypus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.

4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit, they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

5 but when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.

6 After saying good by to each other, we went aboard the ship and they returned home.

7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.

8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven.

9  He had four nmarried daughters who prophesied.

10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11 Coming over to us, he took Pauls belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, This The Holy Spirit says, In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.

12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

13 then Paul answered, Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?  I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, The Lords will be done.

 15 After this , we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Crypus and one of the early disciples.

17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers recieved us warmly.

18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.

19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.

22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come

23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.

24 Take these men, and join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.

25 as for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.

 26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of asia saw Paul at the temple. they stirred up the whole crowd and they seized him,

28 shouting,  Men of Israel help us! This is the man who teaches  all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.

29 They had previously seen Tropimus the Ephesian in the city  with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into  the temple area.

 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions, Seizeing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.

31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in a uproar.

32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33  The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.Then he asked who he was and what what he had done.

34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken to the barracks.

35 When Paul reached the steps the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.

36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, Away with him.

37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into  barracks he asked  the commander   May I say something to you. Do you speak Greek, He replied.

 38 Are not you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?

39 Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.

40 Having recieved the commanders permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic.

Then Paul answered, Whay mean you to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 21:13

But they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their own lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

NO RESCUE NO RETREAT

Thomas J. Grace

1 We boarded the ship at Miletus and left the elders of Ephesus after  a long tearful seperation and many prayers, they were now well aware of their duties as the leaders of the church and their work in the city of Ephesus.  They also knew of the dangers they would face in the city and in the church also. The ship will stop at Cos, Rhodes and Patara. 2 They found a second ship went aboard and set sail, later we will read the entire story of one of Pauls boat trips that lands at Malta. Paul speaks of several shipwrecks that almost takes his life during storms. 2 Corinthians 11: 24,25 Five times I recieved from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I  was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea.  These ships would also be a place of ministry as Paul and the others would testify and pray with many of the men and travelers on each ship.

     The ship passed Crypus and went on to Syria and stoped at Tyre where the ship will unload its cargo for seven days.  Jesus had visited Tyre Mark 7:24-30 where a Greek woman came to him because her daughter had a demon that Jesus would cast out. This was a a act done for a Greek person and like for the centurion who had his servant healed Jesus never met either person he helped and commented on their great faith in both instances. 

      4 Paul found disciples in Tyre and spent seven days with them, Pentecost was coming soon and Paul was determined to be in Jerusalem for the feast. He was aware that the city would be full of visitors from many cities he had started churches in. Some would be Christians he would enjoy visiting with and others would be Jews who would complain to the Sanhedrin about him. Through the Spirit the people in Tyre urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul was being told what will happen in Jerusalem and people urged him not to go because of the danger but Paul Acts 20:22 is compelled by the Spirit to go. 5 All the disciples with their wives and children went with Paul down to the beach where they will kneel and pray together for the last time. 6 After they say goodbye the group will get on  the ship once again while the disciples returned home. There was no group gathered to travel and protect Paul from attacks that they know will happen in Jerusalem.

      7 The ship stops in Ptolemais  where they are greeted by the brothers and spend one day with them. 8 The next and final stop on this ship will be Caesarea where they will stay in the home of Philip the evangelist who was one of the seven deacons choosen in Acts 6 along with Stephen. 9 Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.  Philip seems to have spent most of his life in Caesarea Acts 8:40 Philip however appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. 

      Philip is the first person with the title evangelist. Paul had been to Caesarea several times and it is not mentioned but these two men may have met before, because Philip is willing to accept him into his home.  When Philip was choosen as a deacon in Jerusalem we read then about Stephen Acts 6:8 Now stephen a man full of Gods grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. We do not read of any of the service of Philip in Jerusalem, but in Samaria Acts 8:6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. Philip may have been the very next man that Saul was looking to arrest and execute and now he welcomed him into his home, and would be willing to protect him from those who were ready to kill him in Jerusalem. The four daughters who were prophets may have been able to encourage Paul we are not told what they say about his trip to Jerusalem. In Exodus 15:20 we learn that Aarons sister Miriam was a Prophetess also  2 Kings 22:14 Huldah the wife of Shallum was a prophetess.

     10 Still at Philips home they are joined by Agabus who comes from Judea, He is the first man we meet in Antioch who is called the first Christian prophet he had met with Paul and Barnabas and prophesied about the famine Acts 11:27 One of them, Agabus stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread through the entire Roman world. He must have heard that Paul was at Philips home and may have already had news of the Jews in Jerusalem making a plot against Paul if he arrived in Jerusalem.  11 Agabus takes Pauls belt and ties his own hands and feet, and states.The Holy Spirit tells me that this is how the Jews in Jerusalem will tie Paul and hand him over to the Gentiles.  Agabus is a man that predicted worldwide famine that did take place while some of the others who were correct and did recieve true words from God through the Holy Spirit, they may have not had a proven record of prophecy that has come true and complete. Now Agabus prophecy confirms what everyone has been warning Paul about that he is facing serious danger in Jerusalem. But why must everyone know this is going to happen it is not to warn or stop Paul who will not heed these warnings. James and Stephen who were both murdered in Jerusalem they were not warned every day of the danger they faced and were not told they would soon die in Jerusalem.

     Peter who will die in Rome was told by Christ how he would die John 21:18,19  I tell you the truth when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, Follow Me.  Many years later Peter who still remembered the words of the Lord wrote. 2 Peter 1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as the Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Paul was told by Ananias the words that Christ had told him about Paul Acts 9:16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name. When Paul heard this at first he understood he would suffer as he did many times and did not have any reason to think that the suffering would end anytime in this world until his death. 

      People need to understand that Pauls arrest will be Gods will and Pauls choice that this is a mission for Paul and not a punishment from God.  The words of Agabus still did not promise any safety from death for Paul who might think being handed over to the Gentiles would be safer than being kept and killed by the Jews. As we remember another man who was thrown in prison for two years before he became a ruler of Egypt. Genesis 39:20,21 Josephs master took him and put him in prison, the place where the kings prisoners were confined.  But while Joseph was there in the prison, The Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. We learn that being in prison can be a part of Gods plan when Joseph is released two years later to rule in Egypt. The Lord was with Joseph and he must have been aware of this, Paul will later be assured that God will not leave him in prison to die. This will not be Gods punishment but Gods plan for a new work Paul will do in Rome.

     12 All the people pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem would he be allowed to escape freely or would the Jews in Jerusalem come and hunt for him which would deny Paul the free choice of time and location of his capture and the protection of the Lord he might not have if he disobeys the direction of the Holy Spirit. as he stated Acts 20:22 And now compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 13 Paul responds to their pleas Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

     Perhaps some of them there will make the same sacrifice of their own lives but they were not yet ready to believe and understand such a statement at this time. Just as The apostles did not understand when Jesus spoke of His own death. Mark 9:31,32 because He was teaching His disciples, He said to them, The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.   The apostles did not know the plan of God or the will of Christ to be come a sacrifice for all the world. Likewise the men with Paul could not understand how Paul would be willing to go and die in Jerusalem. Paul decision would not be understood unless someone had already made such a choice for their own life to be a sacrifice if that was to become the will of God. 14 Even after such a statement they continue to plead with Paul not to go forward with his plan to enter Jerusalem. They gave up the debate which almost no one could win against Paul and stated, The Lords will be done. 

     15 They begin their journey to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea travel with them and a man named Mnason from Crypus  is to be their host and they will stay in his home in Jerusalem. He may have been one of the one hundred and twenty on the day of Pentecost as we are told he was a early disciple, and could have been present during some of the ministry of Jesus Christ. He was choosen to be Pauls host in his home for the last week Paul would spend in Jerusalem. 17  When they arrived in Jerusalem the brothers and the church welcomed them.  Paul  who began his career in Jerusalem thirty five years ago was  then a hero to the Sanhedrin for his persecution of Christians. Now some of the very same people who assisted him years ago will soon be coming after him to arrest and murder him  if possible.

     18 We went to visit James and all the elders of the church. 19 Paul told the story of all the Lord had done in the many cities they had ministered to both Jews and Greeks. He would tell of the new churches and the many people who were now spreading the gospel in Asia. He talked about the miracles in Ephesus and Corinth and how the Holy Spirit compelled him to return to Jerusalem. 20 They all praised God. They told Paul how many thousands of Jews are believers in Christ here in Jerusalem and they are zealous for the law of Moses.  21 So you see that both Christians and Jews will be upset with you  as they believe  you tell other Jews not to obey the law or live according to the customs they still follow as Christians here in Jerusalem. James does not mention any Greeks or Gentiles in his church at Jerusalem while the other apostles were bringing the gospel to the whole world Jerusalem is still a church that is very much like the temple in the law and customs of the Jewish people.  Where are the Greek Christians that Stephen and Philip and the other five deacons had to serve.

     22 All of Jerusalem will soon know that Paul is here and there will be many questions and problems. James is still unaware of the prophesies  that Paul will be arrested and handed over to the Gentiles. He has a plan to quiet the crowd that will be upset by some things they heard Paul had done. 23 James instructs Paul there are four men who have made a vow, this is not a problem as we know Paul had recently completed a vow he had made himself. 24 Take these men join in their purification rites pay their expenses to have their heads shaved. By doing this everyone will know  that you live and obey the law just as they do. 1 Corinthians 9: 20,22  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became  like one under the law though I myself am not under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law though I am not free from Gods law but am under Christ law. so as to win those not having the law.To the weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous, in the sight of observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  We learn that temple laws are still enforced while belief in Christ by the Sanhedrin does not exist. The Christians that go to the temple to make their vow and pay a fee also to have their heads shaved, these Christian men are still welcome in the temple and are free to act in their services.  We should now look at two verses that James wrote concerning the law.James 4:11 Brothers do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement of it. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  Also Paul and James make different statements about how we are Justified. Paul states Romans 3:22-24 This righteousness  from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1 Therefore since we have been justified  through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  James states  James 2:24 You can see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.  

     25 Concerning the Gentiles James states they still only must obey the council decisions  to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from animals strangled and from sexual immorality. Although they by their own choice have decided they will obey all the law while they say it is not necessary for Gentiles to do so. 26 The next day Paul took the four men and purified them and himself. Then Paul went to the temple a place he may not have gone if not for this plan. He notified them when the purification would end and pledged to make the correct offering for each man.  James plan to help quiet the rumors and disputes between Paul and the Jews will not prevent what God has already planned.  During the week Paul may have spent a day with his sister and his nephew Acts 23:16. He should have met with some others who came to Jerusalem for Pentecost from Corinth or Ephesus and other cities he had began churches. During the week it must have become known to James and the others that Paul was in danger. In the past on Paul first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian when they heard of a plan to kill Paul they helped him escape.  Acts 9:29,30 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.  Perhaps James began to make the same plans for Pauls escape that Paul would reject this time.

     The difference this time was that during the first visit to Jerusalem Paul was willing to escape because the Lord had told him then. Acts 22:17,18 When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. Leave Jerusalem immediately because they will not accept your testimony about me. This visit the holy Spirit compelled him to come to Jerusalem Acts 20:22 and so far has not told him to leave. 

     27 Because it was the feast of Pentecost many Jews from other countries had traveled to Jerusalem to worship and celebrate some Jews from Asia saw Paul at the temple. They had recognized him and may have been looking for him as they would be aware of him being in Jerusalem. They could have discussed Pauls teaching with the Sanhedrin who told them to sieze him if possible. They did stir up the crowd at the temple and siezed Paul. 28 The crowd shouts,  Help us!  We have found Paul the man who speaks against the temple the law and all our customs. Now we see him and he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place. The crowd had heard the story of Paul all week  and were ready to strike and nothing  was better or quicker than false charges to cause action. The Jews of Jerusalem must show the Jews that have come to visit that they were willing to act to protect the temple and the law.

     29 Paul was in the city with a Greek man Trophimus  and the Jews shouted out that he was in the Temple area which was a violation of temple law regardless of what they may have known of Pauls teaching this charge alone would incite the crowd. 30 The whole city ran through the streets to the temple where they siezed him and dragged him from the temple and the temple gates were shut. This would make sure that Paul could not appeal for justice and allow the crowd to do whatever they choose to do with Paul, many of the crowd leaders were already given instructions for the time they siezed Paul. 31 While they tried to kill Paul he would be dragged on the ground  they punched and kicked him while they decided the best way to kill him.

      The Roman commander heard the whole city was in a uproar and a riot was going on. 32 The commander took some soldiers and officers and went to the crowd, when the rioters saw the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. 33 The Roman commander ordered that Paul be arrested and was bound with two chains. He asked the crowd what he had done to cause such a large riot and upset so many people. 34 The crowd shouted many charges all would be false and may not have been crimes that a Roman commander would arrest someone for even if they were all true. He had Paul ordered to the barracks because he could not discover anything correct about him while the crowd continued to shout many things at him. Paul needed to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd they would try to reach in and grab Paul to beat him and defy the soldiers who protected Paul. There could have been two hundred soldiers armed and ready to prevent a citywide riot but the thousands of angry Jews still made a effort to capture Paul from them.

     36 The crowd followed the soldiers and shouted Away with him. John 19:15 But they shouted Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him. The same words as they shouted to Pilate when they wanted him to Crucify Jesus. They did not shout crucify him but wanted Paul dead and wanted him released to the crowd that would kill him. There was no plan for a trial or even a moment for  Paul to defend himself or declare what he believed. 37 Just before Paul enters the barracks he speaks to the commander in Greek. 38 The commander thinks Paul was a terrorist who was a Egyptian who led four thousand men away into the desert. This man had led a revolt against the Romans and was never captured the Roman commander would hope he could capture him it would mean a promotion for him if he had. Paul answers I am a Jew from Tarcus. He does not state here that he is also a Roman citizen but ask may I speak to the people This was not a crowd that wanted to hear him speak and listening to him may cause even a greater riot in the city. Paul is given permission to speak. If Paul had identified himself as a Roman he might have told the commander he was attacked by this crowd. He could have asked the commander to punish these people and have the soldiers attack them.  Paul motions to the crowd to be quiet and begins to speak to them in Hebrew. This may have been the largest crowd any Christian has spoken to in the city of Jerusalem . They would all be Jews but by this time many of the Christian church must have come to observe what will happen. Some of the Christians may have helped calm the crowd. Paul is about to testify about Christ before the people he has been praying for now for thirty five years. He will not plead for his life or ask for his freedom but ask the people he has always loved to believe in their own Savior Jesus Christ.

CHRIST LOVES YOU. AMEN. COME LORD JESUS