- Acts
- <
- 21
- >

21
Paul is warned— again
1 So after disengaging ourselves from them we were able to set sail, and running a straight course we came to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 When we had sighted Cyprus we passed it on the left, sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, because it was there that the ship was to unload the cargo. 4 Upon finding disciples we stayed there seven days; these, through the Spirit, told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.*After repeated warnings, God plainly tells Paul not to go! What sort of mental block might Paul have had that would cause him to disobey a plain command? 5 But when our time was up, as we left to go on our way, they all, including women and children,†Luke makes a point of recording that even the children went along—interesting. Evidently those families actively involved their children in their practice of the Christian Faith. Now that is an excellent example! accompanied us out of the city, and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed. 6 After we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship and they returned to their homes.
7 Now upon arriving in Ptolemais, the voyage from Tyre ended; so greeting the brothers we stayed with them one day. 8 Leaving the next day, we‡AV and NKJV have ‘we who were Paul's companions’, based on some 13% of the Greek manuscripts. Some 46% have ‘those who were Paul's companions’. I follow the best line of transmission, with some 39% here, in reading “we”. came to Caesarea; and entering the house of Philip the evangelist (being of ‘the Seven’), we stayed with him. 9 (This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.)§What does this information contribute to the account? Why are we told that they were virgins? Is it risky to marry a prophetess?
Agabus, again
10 Now as we stayed there a number of days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Joining us he took Paul's belt, bound his feet and hands, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘In this way, in Jerusalem, the Jews will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 Well, when we heard these things, both we and the local residents, we pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 But Paul answered: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die*His being willing to suffer and die was totally beside the point—God told him not to go! in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we stopped, saying, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”†What else could they do, short of tying Paul up? However, they were asking the Lord to overrule.
Jerusalem
15 So after those days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing us to a certain Mnason, of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge. 17 And when we arrived in Jerusalem the brothers received us gladly. 18 The next day Paul, with us, went to see James, and all the elders were present.‡This was obviously a put up job. They were ready and waiting for him. 19 After greeting them he reported one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
Paul submits to a false agenda
20 But after listening they ‘glorified’ the Lord§Instead of ‘the Lord’, some 30% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘God’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). by saying to him:*They listened politely, but had a different agenda. What follows is an obvious ‘put down’. There probably were not ‘tens of thousands’ of believing Jews, and if they were genuine followers of Jesus Christ, they should not have been so bound to Jewish customs. Besides ‘putting Paul in his place’ they were imposing a false legalism on him, to which he should not have capitulated. But he was disobeying God anyway, just by being there. “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands are the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to our customs.†I suspect that this was a false charge. 22 What then? The assembly will certainly gather,‡Perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘the assembly will gather’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). since they will hear that you have come. 23 So do this that we say to you: There are four men with us who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that there is nothing to the things that they have been informed about you; rather that you yourself are in line, keeping the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe we have written, having judged that they need observe no such thing, except§Some 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘that they need observe no such thing except’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). that they should keep themselves from that offered to idols, from the blood, from anything strangled, and from fornication.”*What happened here was exceedingly serious: to James there were two classes of Christian, Jew and non-Jew. He still sees the Jew as superior to the Gentile, which is contrary to the doctrine of the Church as expounded in Paul's letters, that we believe to be inspired. To James it was not enough for a Jew to believe into Jesus; he still had to obey the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs. This was evidently the prevailing view in Jerusalem and environs. Such a view actually represented rebellion against God. Then came judgment: Jerusalem was destroyed, which included its church, and the Aegean area became the heartland of the Church. For centuries Judea was no more than a backwater on the fringes of the Christian river.
Paul arrested
26 Then Paul took the men and purified himself with them; the next day he entered the temple to give notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the offering would be made for each one of them. 27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, mobilized a whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting: “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Not only that, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place!” 29 (They had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)
30 The whole city was aroused and a mob of people formed. So having seized Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 As they were trying to kill him,†Why didn't they succeed? Maybe they got in each other's way. news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down among them, and when they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him,‡I like this commander; he did not hide behind his men. This was a chiliarch, who commanded up to a thousand men. commanded that he be bound with two chains, and started inquiring who he was and what he had done. 34 Well some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another; so when he could not ascertain the truth, because of the uproar, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. 35 When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the mob.§But since they had really been trying to kill him, he was doubtless wounded and weak. 36 Because the crowd kept following and shouting, “Away with him!”*But really, why should they be so stirred up? Presumably there was supernatural participation.
37 As Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” So he said: “Do you know Greek? 38 Aren't you the Egyptian who some time ago started a revolt and led the four thousand men of ‘the Assassins’ out into the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a not insignificant city; but I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people with his hand. When there was a great silence, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

- Acts
- <
- 21
- >

*21:4 After repeated warnings, God plainly tells Paul not to go! What sort of mental block might Paul have had that would cause him to disobey a plain command?

†21:5 Luke makes a point of recording that even the children went along—interesting. Evidently those families actively involved their children in their practice of the Christian Faith. Now that is an excellent example!

‡21:8 AV and NKJV have ‘we who were Paul's companions’, based on some 13% of the Greek manuscripts. Some 46% have ‘those who were Paul's companions’. I follow the best line of transmission, with some 39% here, in reading “we”.

§21:9 What does this information contribute to the account? Why are we told that they were virgins? Is it risky to marry a prophetess?

*21:13 His being willing to suffer and die was totally beside the point—God told him not to go!

†21:14 What else could they do, short of tying Paul up? However, they were asking the Lord to overrule.

‡21:18 This was obviously a put up job. They were ready and waiting for him.

§21:20 Instead of ‘the Lord’, some 30% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘God’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

*21:20 They listened politely, but had a different agenda. What follows is an obvious ‘put down’. There probably were not ‘tens of thousands’ of believing Jews, and if they were genuine followers of Jesus Christ, they should not have been so bound to Jewish customs. Besides ‘putting Paul in his place’ they were imposing a false legalism on him, to which he should not have capitulated. But he was disobeying God anyway, just by being there.

†21:21 I suspect that this was a false charge.

‡21:22 Perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘the assembly will gather’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

§21:25 Some 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘that they need observe no such thing except’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

*21:25 What happened here was exceedingly serious: to James there were two classes of Christian, Jew and non-Jew. He still sees the Jew as superior to the Gentile, which is contrary to the doctrine of the Church as expounded in Paul's letters, that we believe to be inspired. To James it was not enough for a Jew to believe into Jesus; he still had to obey the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs. This was evidently the prevailing view in Jerusalem and environs. Such a view actually represented rebellion against God. Then came judgment: Jerusalem was destroyed, which included its church, and the Aegean area became the heartland of the Church. For centuries Judea was no more than a backwater on the fringes of the Christian river.

†21:31 Why didn't they succeed? Maybe they got in each other's way.

‡21:33 I like this commander; he did not hide behind his men. This was a chiliarch, who commanded up to a thousand men.

§21:35 But since they had really been trying to kill him, he was doubtless wounded and weak.

*21:36 But really, why should they be so stirred up? Presumably there was supernatural participation.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD