Acts 21
Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem
1 After we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, and sailing a straight course, we came to Cos, on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
After saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders, Paul ended his third missionary trip and headed back to Jerusalem. Since the "we" pronoun was used, Luke was also traveling with Paul. Paul wanted to deliver a donation from the Gentile churches to the Jerusalem church. He also wanted to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem.
On his first leg back to Jerusalem. Paul traveled 40 miles from Miletus to Cos. Cos was the home of the famous doctor Hyprocrates, which was the origin of the Hypocratic Oath. There was also a large medical school on this island.
Paul traveled the next day to Rhodes, which was known as the Island of the Roses. The Colossus of Rhodes was located here, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Rhodes was a university town.
The next day, Paul and Luke traveled to Patara, a city who was known for her worship of the sun god, Apollo.
2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went aboard, and put out to sea.
Paul caught a second, larger ship and headed across the Mediterranean Sea to Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were the last powerful empire to challenge Rome. Rome defeated the Phoenicians and made the Mediterranean Sea their own "private lake".
3 After we sighted Cyprus and left it behind on our port side, we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there.
Paul next bypassed Cyrus and sailed directly into Tyre, which was in Syria, on the coast of Israel. Tyre was the island that Ezekiel 26 prophesied as being torn down by Nebuchadnezzar and then conquered again by Alexander the Great.
4 After we located the disciples, we stayed there seven days. They repeatedly told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
The Greek word for "located" is ἀνευρίσκω (aneurisko), meaning to seek out and search. Paul had to seek out and search to find other believers in the city of Tyre. The believers most likely found their way to Tyre after the stoning of Stephen. After finding these believers, Paul stayed with them for seven days. Paul already knew from the Holy Spirit that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem. This same message was given to the believers in Tyre. They urged Paul not to go, but according to Acts 19:21, the Holy Spirit had already told Paul to go to Jerusalem, even though he would face trials. Therefore, Paul was not disobedient in going to Jerusalem, as so many commentators falsely claim.
5 When our time was over, we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us outside of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying,
After seven days, the entire families of the Church of Tyre escorted Paul outside of the city and prayed with him.
6 we said farewell to one another. Then we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.
Paul and Luke boarded their second ship and headed to Jerusalem.
7 We continued the voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais, and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day.
Ptolemais was a Greek city, named for Ptolemy II, a Greek who ruled Egypt from 285 B.C. until 246 B.C. Paul and Luke stayed with the Ptolemais church for one day.
8 On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
Paul and Luke traveled by land 30 miles to Caesarea. Herod the Great finished building Caesarea in 10 B.C. and named it after Caesar Augustus. It was a major harbor city and the capital of Judea. Pontius Pilate, Festus, and Felix had their headquarters in this city. They would stay in Jerusalem for the feast days to keep order, but travel back to Caesarea after the feasts were over.
Philip was one of the first seven deacons of the Jerusalem Church. Philip could have migrated here after Stephen, his fellow deacon, was martyred.
9 (He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.)
This verse shows that women can possess the same spiritual gifts as men. Charismatics like to use this verse to show that female prophets still exist in the modern church. However, once again, Luke is recording the history of the early church. The doctrine of the modern local church is found in Paul's epistles.
Women can possess the gift of teaching, but they cannot use this gift to teach men in a local congregation. They can use the gift of teaching in the mission field. There are some elders who allow women to teach "underneath the umbrella of the elders". This is unbiblical and a violation of Paul's apostolic authority on how a church is to be organized. Paul strictly forbids women to teach men in a local assembly. Paul even forbids women to speak in a local church assembly. They are to ask questions to their husbands at home. Elders who violate Paul's apostolic authority are placing their congregation in danger. God will not bless women who teach men in a local assembly. Most women who teach men in the local assembly mix doctrinal truth with error. If women possess enough bible doctrine to teach the Bible, then they would reject teaching men in a local assembly, because it is a violation of Scripture.
10 While we remained there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
Paul and Luke stayed in Caesarea longer than they expected. The Prophet Agabus came down from Judea, meaning that Luke was Jewish and he knew his geography.
11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
Agabus did not tell Paul not to go. He simply told Paul what would happen. Paul had already been ordered to go to Jerusalem by the Holy Spirit in Acts 19, so he was not disobedient to the Holy Spirit.
12 When we heard this, both we and the local people begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.
It was the other believers, not the Holy Spirit, who urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Luke was included in this group.
13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
In a strong voice, Paul informed the believers that he was willing to die for Christ.
14 Because he could not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”
It was the will of God to send Paul to Jerusalem. Paul was to be arrested and to become a witness to kings.
15 After these days we got ready and started up to Jerusalem.
Notice that Paul and Luke went geographically up to Jerusalem, showing the Jewishness of Luke.
16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea came along with us too, and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, with whom we were to stay.
It was very possible that Mnason was one of the first converts at Pentecost in Acts 2. If so, then he could have been one of Luke's resources.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.
Paul's third missionary journey had now officially been completed. The Church of Jerusalem was glad to see him.
18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.
James was the half-brother of Jesus and the pastor of the Jerusalem Church. The elders were the leaders of the Jerusalem Church. The apostles were not mentioned, because they were most likely on the mission field somewhere else in Rome.
19 When Paul had greeted them, he began to explain in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
Paul explained in detail his missionary journeys, giving the glory to God.
20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law.”
The Greek word for "thousands" is μυριάδες (muriades), where we get the English word myriads, meaning tens of thousands. Although Paul was known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, his custom of going to the Jews first brought myriads of Jews into the Kingdom of God. Many of these Messianic Jews were still keeping the Law for two reasons. One possibility was that they knew the Law had ended, but they used their liberty to keep it. A second reason was that many of the Jews were spiritually immature and did not yet have enough Bible doctrine to break the custom.
21 They have been informed about you, that you teach all the Jews now living among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.
Judaizers had been spreading false rumors about Paul. Paul taught Jews that they had the freedom to follow or not follow the Mosaic Law, but Judaizers only reported the latter. Paul taught that Jews were to be circumcised (because of the Abrahamic Covenant), but Gentiles were not to be circumcised. The Judaizers falsely told the Jews that Paul taught that there was to be no circumcision for Jews or Gentiles. Paul taught that the customs of the rabbis were invalid. Judaizers falsely told the Jews that Paul taught that the Mosaic Law was ineffective. Many of the myriads believed the Judaizers, but the elders knew these were only rumors to discredit Paul.
22 “What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.”
The Jews will attempt to use the rumors to discredit and execute Paul.
23 “So do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow;”
This was the temporary Nazarite vow of Numbers 6.
24 “take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law.”
Paul was publicly showing the apostate and messianic Jews that they did have freedom to keep the Law on a voluntary basis.
25 “But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided that they should avoid meat that has been sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.”
There was already a letter circulating by the Jewish Council that Gentiles did not have to keep the Mosaic Law, except in four areas. They should not eat meat sacrificed to idols. They should not drink blood. They should not eat meat that was strangled. They should not commit sexual immorality. The purpose of these four stipulations was to ease cultural differences between the Jews and Gentile, who were now part of the one body of Christ and members of the same church.
26 Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.
Paul himself and four other men followed the Mosaic Law and took the purification vow. This showed publicly that Paul was not against the Mosaic Law. Some commentators think that Paul should not have taken this vow, since the Mosaic Law was rendered null and void at the death of Christ. However, Paul was demonstrating that Jews have the liberty to keep the Law or not keep the Law. They have the liberty to make a vow or not make a vow.
27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from the province of Asia who had seen him in the temple area stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
The Jews in Asia Minor who had given Paul trouble on his prior missionary journeys were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost. They saw Paul and they agitated the crowd against him.
28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this sanctuary! Furthermore he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple and made this holy place ritually unclean!”
The Judaizers were mixing truth with error. Paul taught that both Jews and Gentiles could worship God anywhere at any time, not just in the Jewish Temple. He also taught that Jews had freedom to keep or not keep the Law. Gentiles did not have to keep the Law. Gentiles were not allowed to enter certain areas of the temple under the threat of death. Paul never taught that Gentiles should enter this area. He simply taught that Gentiles can worship God anywhere at any time.
29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.)
Many of the Ephesian Jews knew that Trophimus was an Ephesian Gentile. Since they saw Trophimus and Paul together in the city of Jerusalem, they assumed that Paul had brought him into the Jewish courts of the temple.
30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.
No man's blood was to be shed in the inner courts, so they dragged Paul into the outer courta so that they could quickly execute him.
31 While they were trying to kill him, a report was sent up to the commanding officer of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
The cohort was a 600 man Roman Legion who was stationed outside of Jerusalem during feast days. Since there were so many Jews visiting Jerusalem during the feast days, Rome feared a rebellion, so they transported a Roman cohort to the city in order to keep peace. The soldiers patrolling the walls could see what was happening in the courts of the temple.
32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When they saw the commanding officer and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
Two hundred Roman soldiers ran down to the inner courts in order to rescue Paul.
33 Then the commanding officer came up and arrested him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; he then asked who he was and what he had done.
Paul was chained and questioned, but saved from the mob.
34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, and when the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth because of the disturbance, he ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks.
Paul was taken into the council of the Antonia Fortress. The Antonia fortress was built by King Herod and named after his friend Anthony. The purpose of the fortress was to protect the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 600 soldiers were stationed there during feast days. The Romans knew the power of the High Priest attire, so they kept the High Priestly robes locked up in a room at this fortress. The Romans would only check it out to high priests who were favorable to Rome.
35 When he came to the steps, Paul had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob,
The mob would have killed Paul if the Roman cohort would not have responded in Paul's favor. Paul was taken into imprisonment, which will last for five years. This incident seems like a victory for Satan, but God will use Paul mightily during his five year prison sentence.
36 for a crowd of people followed them, screaming, “Away with him!”
This is the same cry that the mob made about Jesus.
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commanding officer, “May I say something to you?” The officer replied, “Do you know Greek?"
Paul was speaking in Greek, showing that he was very educated.
38 "Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness some time ago?”
There was an Egyptian who led a group of 4000 men called the Assassins. They would migrate in crowds with daggers and kill the Jewish leaders. They were enemies of Rome, as well of pro-Roman Jews. Jonathan, the son of the High Priest Annas, was killed by the Assassins.
Josephus made reference to this event. He wrote that an Egyptian imposter claimed to be a prophet. He gathered together thirty thousand followers and came to the Mount of Olives, promising that the walls of Jerusalem would collapse at his command. Felix sent his troops on them, killing some, and the remainder scattered, but the Egyptian escaped.”
When Paul spoke in Greek, the Roman Legion centurion knew that Paul was not this Egyptian.
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Please allow me to speak to the people.”
Tarsus was one of the great learning centers of Rome. Paul revealed that he was a citizen of Tarsus, but he had not yet revealed that he was a citizen of Rome. This was his Ace-in-the-hole card. He very politely asked the centurion for permission to speak to the crowd. This was a brave request, because the crowd was willing to kill him.
40 When the commanding officer had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and gestured to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, he addressed them in Aramaic:
The commander gave permission for Paul to speak, most likely because he was impressed by Paul's courage. The centurion was curious as to what Paul had to say that would make these Jews want to kill him. The gesture given by Paul was an ancient method of gaining a hearing.
The Greek word for "Aramaic" is Ἑβραΐς (hernias), meaning Hebrew. Paul actually spoke to them in the Hebrew language, not the Aramaic language, as many assume.
