Book of Acts - Ch. 21, Vs. 5-40 (06/15/2003)

Departure From Tyre and the Prayer on the Shore

On those days we departed and went our way, and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city, and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed. This teaches us to go as far as possible with departing friends.

Six, and when we had taken our leave, one of another, we took ship, and they returned home again. And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Pelotimus and saluted the brethren and abode with them one day.

Philip the Evangelist and the Gift of Prophecy

And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the Evangelist, which was one of the seven, and abode with him. One of the seven deacons, you remember, who seems to have settled in this part of the world after he had baptized the eunuch, you all remember that story, I'm sure, and the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy, four daughters.

The word prophesy is not to be understood here as implying the knowledge and discovery of future events. The word prophesy can mean teaching, but signifies to teach and proclaim the great truths of God, especially those which concerned redemption by Jesus Christ.

Probably, these were no more than teachers of women in the church, and this is undoubtedly one thing intended by the prophecy of Joel. So, if Philip's daughters might be prophetess, why not teachers, and the word lends itself to teachers.

Always had a trouble with these women prophesying. Ten, and as we tarried there many days, they came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus. Who knows about Agabus? Birds, do you? Joy, do you?

Dennis, do you? He was a prophet. All right, he always foretold the evil side of events, or the downside, we would say. And when he was coming to us, he took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet and said, thus saith the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

Agabus's Warning and Paul's Resolve to Go to Jerusalem

What's going on, David? Paul knows he's got to go to Jerusalem. He's being told not to go in the spirit. This flesh out of the goat, this is going to happen to the others. Probably saw the same thing, and then because they loved Paul so much, they said don't go.

That's right. This prediction and that attire were intended not to prohibit him from going, but to put his courage to the test, and when he stood the test, to deepen and mature it. No place did Agabus say, don't go.

Twelve, and when we heard these things, both we and they of that place, besought him to not go up to Jerusalem. Virg, this seems like a normal reaction to me, just don't go. Is that what you get out of it?

On the human side, brother, I'm sure that's what they were saying. That's right. Don't go. Then Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and to break my heart? I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus, and to him that is ready for it, the burden is light.

And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased saying, the will of the Lord be done. Notice the we. We ceased. So Luke was trying to persuade him also. But they could see that he was determined that nothing they would say would deter him from that.

There's times when duty calls the man of God to face dangers. So went the Lord to Jerusalem in spite of the protest of his disciples. So went Luther to Worms, though warned of his danger, so went Paul to Jerusalem.

And after those days, yes. His disciples wouldn't accept what he was doing. That's right. Because he walked on the face of the earth, so basically he just followed what his disciples were doing. Exactly.

Obedience. Right down to obedience. That's absolutely right. The disciples didn't want him to go. Peter says, not so. Not you. You won't be crucified. They won't kill you. And the Lord's face was set to Jerusalem.

Arrival in Jerusalem and Fellowship With James and the Elders

And after those days, we took up our carriage and went up to Jerusalem. Joy, has the word carriage ever bothered you in that verse? That's what I had meant at the time of this translating was baggage or suitcases or whatever.

Furniture. There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea and brought with them one Madison of Cyprus, an old disciple with whom we should lodge. And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

Now, this time has been looked forward to by Paul for months. I can imagine that he was anxious about it, to know if they would receive him, receive his gift. Remember, he's taking, I suppose it was money, I don't know.

Well, Paul is about to find out. And the day following, the next day, Paul went up with us unto James and all the elders were present. David, Paul went in with us unto James. Where did they go? To his house?

And when they had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, Thou seest, brethren, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law.

Now, what does the word zealot mean? All right. They believed upon Christ as the Messiah, but did not understand that the old covenant had passed away to give place for the new. What if, and this has not happened, never will happen, but what if there came today a Messiah, he was teaching something different than what we've learned.

How quickly would we turn to follow him? Not very quickly, because we know we were right. And that's the Jew. It's not unlike today, there are those that believe in Christ, but still think they must do something.

If a person adds anything to grace, then David is not grace. And they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

What is it therefore? Now, a question that was asked, what is it therefore? Meaning, what shall we do? The multitudes must needs come together, for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee.

Paul's Temporary Compliance With the Nazarite Vow

Now, they're going to give Paul instructions. We have four men which have a vow on them. Doubtless they meant this advice well, but could Paul follow it in all good sincerity? Was not the yielding so far to the judgment of others too great a defense difference to be paid to any mere man?

Think about it. Then take and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads, and all may know that those things which may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing.

But that thou thyself also walketh orderly, and keepeth the law, as touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written thee, and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and fornication.

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Now the sum total of that is that when the observance of the Jewish ceremonial law was urged as necessary to justification and acceptance with God, Paul resisted it. When it was demanded that its observance should be enjoined on the Gentiles, he opposed it.

In all other cases, he made no opposition to it, and was ready himself to comply with it, and willingly that others should also. Understand that with it as far as his conscience would allow him, but not to say that it was mandatory.

The Riot in the Temple and the Accusation Against Paul

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, now comes a new bunch of Jews. When they saw him in the temple, stirred up all of the people and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help!

This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place, and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. Isn't that just like a bunch of people?

They assume they don't know the Jews of Asia from the Roman province called Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital. As Paul had spent three years in that city, they knew him well. These Jews were watching Paul, had seen him in company with Trophonius, an Egyptian Greek, and when they saw Paul in the temple keeping the Nazarite vow, they assumed that this Gentile Greek had been in the temple.

So they seized on Paul. For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the city was moved, and the people ran together, and they took Paul, drew him out of the temple, and forthwith the doors were shut.

David, tell us, is this shut the doors to the temple, or what? The court of the Israelites is what they closed, and that's where he was worshiping him, in that court, and the doors were shut. The door of the court of the Gentiles, probably to prevent Paul from getting away, or to get help from his friends, old proceedings shows that the purpose to murder him, can you imagine?

Name of religion. They brought him out of the court, out of the court of the Israelites, that court being peculiar and holy, that it might not be defiled by blood, and they shut the court of the Gentiles, that they might have the opportunity, unmolested, of killing him in that place.

For the court of the Gentiles was reckoned to be less holy than that of the Israelites. How can you have something less holy? David, can you have something holy, and then something less holy? If you'll permit a personal thing, I was attending, we were attending a church in Ames, Oklahoma, service.

I perceived that you knew something about the Bible. I told him I had taught it for many years. You received a call to preach. You haven't received a higher calling. I shook my head and walked off. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar, 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.

Paul Before the Roman Commander and the Crowd on the Stairs

Then the chief captain came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with two chains and demanded who he was and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another among the multitude, and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

Now, Josephus describes this, quote, castle. It consisted of four towers, one of which overlooked the temple and which he says was 70 cubits high. Seventy cubits would be 105 feet high. That's quite high for that.

And when he came upon the stairs, it was so that he was born of the soldiers born for the violence of the people, for the multitude of people followed after crying away with him. They said the same thing about Jesus, didn't they?

If there were no receiver of tales, there would be no bearer of tales. And tales run throughout this city, no resemblance to truth. And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, may I speak unto thee who said canst thou speak Greek?

Are not thou that Egyptian which before these days madest an uproar and leadest out into the wilderness 4 ,000 men that were murderers? But Paul said I am a man which is a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, and I besought thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

He had given him license. Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with his hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue. A little more about the castle.

It surrounded the temple. From these high positions they could see everything that was going on. The stairs were wide enough for four soldiers to march. There was a landing. It is on this landing that we leave Paul.

He has just spoken to the woman soldier, the officer. And the officer is surprised that he can speak his language. So we'll leave him right there and take it up next week. Is there anything now you would like to add or say or disagree with?

We'll be persecuted. That's right. You don't need to go looking for persecution. But everything is under the guidance of God. Each step has already been programmed. Let us dismiss this, please.