Bible Commentaries
Acts 21

Verses 1-16

Act 21:1-16

PAUL RETURNS TO JERUSALEM

Acts 21:1-16

1 And when it came to pass that we were parted—After the discourse to the elders of the church at Ephesus at Miletus, Paul dismissed them and left Miletus and sailed southward to Cos, which was a small island about forty miles from Miletus; it seems that the vessel was under the direction of Paul, as he could sail as he pleased and make such stops as he wished. They could stay at a place as long as they pleased. It seems that the wind was favorable for sailing and they made the journey in one day. The next day they sailed from Cos to Rhodes, and from Rhodes to Patara. Rhodes is fifty miles southeast of Cos, and Patara is east of Rhodes.

2 and having found a ship crossing over—Paul sailed on the Mediterranean Sea southeast to Phoenicia. They changed vessels at Patara, as they “found a ship” going to Phoenicia. It was more than four hundred miles from Patara to Jerusalem; it seems that from Patara Paul and his company took a larger vessel, one that could sail across the open sea. Phoenicia is on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and northwest of Palestine.

3 And when we had come in sight of Cyprus,—Paul’s company, now making the journey in a larger vessel than they first had, sailed a direct route to Phoenicia and left Cyprus to the left. They proceeded and landed at Tyre; the ship was to unload her burden at this place. “Syria” was the name given to the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea from Cilicia to Egypt. Paul was now on his way to Jerusalem; he could now easily find means of conveyance to that city. Tyre is the chief city of Phoenicia ; it was about three hundred fifty miles from Patara, and under favorable conditions could be reached in four or five days’ sailing. Tyre had been one of the most famous cities of the ancient world. Hiram, king of Tyre, aided Solomon in building the temple in about 1000 B.C. (1 Kings 15:18.) Many prophets prophesied about Tyre. (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26-28; Amos 1:9-10.) Christ visited Tyre and its vicinity. (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24.)

4 And having found the disciples,—“Having found” indicates that some time and trouble were had in locating the disciples; “having found” is from the Greek “aneurontes,” which means “to seek for, to find by searching.” There was a church in Tyre, but the city was large, and the number of disciples may have been small. Paul had gone through Phoenicia on his way to Jerusalem at one time. (Acts 15:3.) Paul and his companions “tarried there seven days.” Among the disciples at Tyre were some who warned Paul of the dangers that awaited him at Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit had already told Paul that bonds and affliction awaited him at Jerusalem. (Acts 20:23.) At this time Paul is warned by the disciples not to go to Jerusalem; they did not want Paul to suffer the persecutions that awaited him.

5-6 And when it came to pass that we had accomplished—When Paul and his company had remained in Tyre seven days, they made preparation to proceed on their journey to Jerusalem. The disciples at Tyre, including the wives and children of the disciples, accompanied Paul to the outskirts of the city. They remained with him as long as they could. The entire company of disciples was so interested in him that they were ready to give him any assistance that he might need. They treated him as did the disciples at Miletus. (Acts 20:37-38.) This is the first mention of children in connection with the early church. Before parting, they kneeled down “on the beach,” and prayed together; this was a fitting separation of these disciples who loved each other so much. After the prayer they “went on board the ship,” but the disciples in Tyre returned home. Some think that this was the same ship on which they had sailed from Patara; others see no reason for concluding that it was the same.

7 And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre,—They sailed from Tyre, a distance of about thirty miles south, to Ptolemais. There was a church at Ptolemais, and Paul and his company “saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day." Some think that the church here was founded by Philip, the evangelist, or some other disciples who were driven from Jerusalem by the persecution some twenty years previous to this. (Acts 11:19.)

8 And on the morrow we departed,—The company left Ptolemais and continued south to Caesarea; it is not known whether this part of the trip was made by sea or by land. It was possible to make the journey by sea; however, some think that the verb seems rather to leave us to infer that it was a land journey; there was a good road between the two places. When they arrived at Caesarea, they entered “into the house of Philip the evangelist." This distinguishes him from the apostle Philip, one of the twelve. His evangelistic work followed the death of Stephen. The word “evangelizing" is from the Greek “eueggelizeto," and was used of Philip in Acts 8:40. The earliest of the three New Testament examples of the word “evangelist" (Acts 21:8; Ephesians 4:11; 2 Timothy 4:5) is found here. This Philip was one of the seven. (Acts 6:5.) He was selected with the others at Jerusalem to help serve tables. We find him busy after he left Jerusalem. (Acts 8:5-13 Acts 8:26-40.)

9 Now this man had four virgin daughters,—Philip’s daughters were Christians; they were walking in their father’s steps; they “prophesied," which meant more than to predict future events. Philip had the honor of having in his home four virgin daughters with a gift of prophecy; there was a certain phase of work in the early church that was done by women. Phoebe was a servant of the church at Cenchreae (Romans 16:1), and Philip’s daughters had the gift of prophecy. These daughters of Philip had the power to interpret a divine message. God inspired women as well as men when they could be used in his service. They had a mission to proclaim the gospel in their own womanly way. (Acts 2:17 Acts 18:26; Joel 2:28-29; 1 Corinthians 11:5 1 Corinthians 14:24.) These four daughters, being virgins, unmarried, could devote their whole time to the service of the church.

10 And as we tarried there some days,—We do not know how long they remained in Caesarea, or in the house of Philip; but during their sojourn a disciple by the name of Agabus, who had prophetic gift, came from Judea. This may have been the same Agabus mentioned in Acts 11:28, who foretold the coming famine at Antioch, as the prophets mentioned on that occasion had recently come from Jerusalem; this name was somewhat unusual; hence, it is thought that this Agabus was the same. He was not prominent as was Barnabas. It seems that Paul had made the journey quicker than he had thought, and could remain in Caesarea “some days.” This was Paul’s third time to visit Caesarea. His first visit was on his journey from Jerusalem to Tarsus (Acts 9:30) ; his second visit was on his return at the close of his second missionary tour (Acts 18:22).

11 And coming to us, and taking Paul’s girdle,—Agabus very vividly impressed his prophecy or prediction by an object lesson. He took Paul’s girdle and bound “his own feet and hands” with it, and then said that the owner of this girdle should be bound and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles. He gave the Holy Spirit as authority, or rather spoke by the Holy Spirit. Old Testament prophets often employed symbolic deeds. (1 Kings 22:11; Jeremiah 13:1-7; Ezekiel 4:1-6.) Jesus used the symbolism of Peter’s girding himself to impress a lesson. (John 21:18.) Agabus was just from Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit revealed to him what would be done to Paul when he arrived in Jerusalem.

12 And when we heard these things,—Luke and the others who had traveled with Paul joined the disciples at Caesarea in attempting to persuade Paul not to “go up to Jerusalem.” This dramatic warning that Agabus gave was in addition to that which was given at Tyre. (Acts 21:4.) This was the same as Paul had confessed at Miletus. (Acts 20:23.) It seems strange that Luke and the other messengers, together with Philip and his daughters, joined in persuading Paul not to go to Jerusalem. It seems that Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, and that no one could dissuade him. This reminds one of the fixed determination of Martin Luther to go to “the Diet of Worms”; Spalatin persuaded Luther not to go, but he replied: “Though devils be as many in Worms as tiles upon the roofs, yet thither will I go.” No one could prevent Paul’s going to Jerusalem at this time.

13 Then Paul answered, What do ye,—It was hard for Paul to resist the earnest, pathetic, and forceful pleadings of his brethren and sisters; he had due respect for their judgment and their interest in him; he knew as well as they that danger and persecution awaited him at Jerusalem. However, Paul was not one who would shrink from duty because of danger, neither was he one who would change his course to avoid persecution. Their weeping and strong solicitations could not alter his determination. He was under a higher guidance than theirs, and was ready, if God willed it, to die at Jerusalem; moreover, they could add to his bur-den by their weeping over him. Paul had had abundant warnings of the dangers he must encounter as a Christian and as an apostle; he had always expected them, and had made up his mind to meet them without flinching. (Acts 9:16 Acts 20:22-23.) He was not to be turned away from the path of duty, however hazardous it might be. He would very gladly spend and be spent for the cause of Christ. (2 Corinthians 12:15.)

14 And when he would not be persuaded,—When the company of disciples saw that Paul would not yield to their persuasion, they ceased to persuade him and said: “The will of the Lord be done.” Since Paul would not let them persuade him and have their own way, they were willing for the Lord to have his way. Many times we are resigned to the Lord’s way because we cannot have our own way. They seem, finally, to understand that Paul had a higher leading than theirs in what he was doing. Painful events were seen by Paul’s friends, but these sufferings appeared to Paul so evidently to lie in his path of duty that it would be wrong in him to avoid them by failing to go forward in that path.

15 And after these days we took up our baggage—Caesarea is about sixty-four miles north of Jerusalem. Some think that Paul and his companions put their baggage on pack horses and carried it to Jerusalem. However, we do not know. The English word now used always of the vehicle that carries was in common use at the time of the Authorized Version for the things carried. It is from the Greek “episkeuasamenoi,” which originally meant the things necessary to pack up or saddle horses. They “went up to Jerusalem.” Jerusalem was situated on a higher elevation than Caesarea; hence, they would naturally go “up” to Jerusalem.

16 And there went with us also certain of the disciples—When the brethren could not persuade Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, it seems that some of them prepared to go with him. They would naturally go up to the Pentecost feast; multitudes of the Jews would go to Jerusalem the last day before the feast began. The brethren would also like to be present to assist Paul and to witness the greetings of the church at Jerusalem extended to Paul. They took with them “one Mnason of Cyprus”; he was an “early disciple,” and the company would lodge with him. There has been some difficulty in translating this verse; some think that it should be rendered that Paul and his company were brought to Mnason’s house. This Mnason was originally from Cyprus; he may have become a disciple on the day of Pentecost. Since Jerusalem would be filled with visitors, it would be difficult to find a lodging place; but as Mnason was known to some of them, they would make sure of a lodging place with him. This ends Paul’s third missionary journey. He left Philippi and came to Miletus; next he came to Cos, then to Rhodes, then to Patara, and finally came to Tyre; they spent a week at Tyre; next they came to Ptolemais, then to Caesarea, and finally to Jerusalem. The narrative of this voyage is that of an eyewitness; Luke, the writer, includes himself. It seems that the ship left Troas on the first day of the week; four days were spent in the voyage to Miletus, and probably they remained there three days; three days were occupied in sailing thence to Patara, and probably four days in sailing to Tyre; seven days were spent in Tyre, and three days in coming to Caesarea. It is thought that Paul arrived at Caesarea about ten days before Pentecost; the journey had been made very rapidly, for the wind was favorable from Troas, and as the moon was full, the voyage from Patara to Tyre was made, not by coasting, but by running across the open sea.

PAUL AT JERUSALEM

Acts 21:17 to Acts 23:35

PAUL MOBBED IN THE TEMPLE

Acts 21:17-26

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem,—Paul and his company made the journey from Caesarea to Jerusalem, sixty-four miles, in about two days. They were received by the brethren in Jerusalem, and especially those of Mnason’s household with gladness. There are three sets of Christians at Jerusalem mentioned:

“the brethren,” whom Paul met privately at the house of Mnason; (2) “the elders,” or officers of the church in Jerusalem, who were present at his official reception; (3) “the multitude,” or the entire number of Jewish Christians, both belonging to Jerusalem and those who were present at the Pentecost feast.

18 And the day following Paul went—Paul did not idle away any time; “the day following” his arrival in Jerusalem, he, with his companions in travel, went to see James; James the son of Zebedee had been killed by Herod previous to this time. (Acts 12:2.) The James mentioned here is the same who is recognized as a leader in the church at Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17 Acts 15:13.) This may have been “James the less.” (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40.) There are five James mentioned in the New Testament—James, the son of Zebedee, and brother of John; James, the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve apostles; James the less; James, the Lord’s brother (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3); and James in Luke 6:16, as the brother of Judas. “All the elders were present” at this meeting. It seems that there was a special interview which had been arranged for Paul with James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem. This was important, as many injurious reports had gained circulation respecting Paul’s course.

19 And when he had saluted them,—At this official reception, it was thought important for “all the elders” to be present, and to hear a detailed report of Paul’s work. He gave a minute account of his work among the Gentiles; he would report that many Gentiles had forsaken their idols and were living faithful to God. No doubt at this time he introduced Trophimus, with the others, who had brought the generous gifts from the Gentile churches to be distributed among the poor saints in Jerusalem and Judea. This would show that he had taught the Gentile Christians to practice charity toward those who were in need. It seems that Paul, in spite of the reports, won the favor of the church in Jerusalem.

20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God;—The Jewish Christians rejoiced in the fact that the Gentiles had been accepted by the Lord; they received with thanksgiving the offerings that Paul brought; however, they proceeded cautiously because there were “many thousands there” “among the Jews” who believed. This shows that there were many Christians among the Jews in Jerusalem and surrounding country at this time. The Greek, “posai muriades,” literally means an indefinite number, and is the old word for “ten thousand” (Acts 19:19) or “myriads” (Luke 12:1; Acts 21:20; Judges 1:14; Revelation 5:11 Revelation 9:16). It is surprising to know that there were so many Christians in Jerusalem after the persecution which had scattered the early disciples. (Acts 8:1-5.) The number mentioned here may include the Christians from neighboring towns in Palestine and some foreign countries who had come to the Feast of Pentecost. All these were “zealous for the law.” “Zealous” is from the Greek “zelotai,” and means “to burn with zeal, to boil.” There was a party of “Zealots,” a group of what would be called “extremists,” or “hotheads.” One of this party was Simon Zelotes. (Acts 1:13.) James and the elders at Jerusalem attempt now to harmonize Paul’s work among the Gentiles and the Gentile converts with this great multitude of Jewish Christians who were zealous for the law.

21 and they have been informed concerning thee,—The report had reached Jerusalem that Paul had taught “all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,” and that they should not “circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.” It seems that these Judaizers had brought trouble to Peter (Acts 11:2) and also to Paul (Acts 15:1 Acts 15:5). The charge against Paul was not true; he had never taught that the Jews among the Gentiles should not circumcise their children; neither had he taught that they should not keep the ceremonial law of the Old Testament. Their charge against him was a malicious halftruth, for Paul had preached Christ, and that was more than advising the Jews to sink down to the level of Gentiles. Paul had never taught Jews that when they became Christians they were not to circumcise their children; he himself had circumcised Timothy. (Acts 16:3.) Paul was a true follower of Christ and had taught that circumcision, the seal of the covenant which was superseded in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:11), had become of no effect in the relation between man and God (1 Corinthians 7:19; Galatians 5:6 Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:11-14). These Judaizing teachers saw what the end of such teaching was sure to be. “To walk after the customs” was to follow the ceremonial law. The charge was brought against Stephen (Acts 6:14) that he would change “the customs which Moses delivered unto us.” The charge against Paul with respect to the Mosaic rites was true only in the sense of his denying their necessity to the salvation of souls.

22 What is it therefore?—The question asked here simply means: Paul, what is to be done about this? James and the elders at Jerusalem do not believe the misrepresentations against Paul; however, many of the Jewish brethren do believe them. They would hear that Paul had come to Jerusalem; there was no effort to conceal that fact; they are ready to meet the issue in as tactful a way as possible. They know that the many Jewish Christians would be anxious to see Paul and to hear the reports that he had to make. By asking this question, James and the elders are requesting Paul to cooperate with them in satisfying the Jewish Christians.

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee:—It seems that Paul would not have opportunity to meet all the Jewish Christians and explain the situation to them, but they advise Paul to do something which the whole community would observe or hear about, and which would show them and all men that Paul did reverence the Mosaic law. Paul knew that the law was fulfilled in Christ; he respected that law for that which it had done for the Jews, and because it came from God. It seems that after some deliberation the elders thought out a plan of procedure by which Paul could set the whole matter straight. They called to his attention that there were “four men that have a vow on them.” They propose to use this as a matter to clear Paul of the false charges which were made against him. This seems to be a temporary Nazirite vow. (Numbers 6:13-15.) Either Paul or Aquila had such a vow on leaving Cen- chreae. (Acts 18:18.)

24 these take, and purify thyself with them,—James and the elders suggested that Paul take the four men who had a vow upon them, and who evidently were Christians, and pay his and their expenses that they might fulfill their vow; this was to be done so that the Jewish Christians would see that Paul had proper respect for the law. James and the elders were attempting to offset the prejudice that some had against Paul. This has given commentators generally much trouble; they have attempted to harmonize Paul’s conduct here with his teachings concerning the law. Confessedly, it is a difficult task. Different comments have been offered as a solution. They are as follows: (l)That Paul at this time did not have a complete revelation of God’s will; (2) that Paul did not understand even what he had written by inspiration; (3) that Paul dissembled, acted hypocritical; (4) that Paul did not do as James and the elders suggested that he do; (5) that he compromised principle for the sake of unity; (6) that he did from policy what he would not have done by religious principle. No. 1 does not seem to satisfy the conditions, as Paul had revelation enough of God’s will to know at this time what to do. No. 2 does not eliminate the difficulty, and places Paul in a state of ignorance as to what he had formerly taught; neither can we agree to the position that Paul was hypocritical. No. 4 seems to contradict (verse 26). No. 5 makes Paul a compromiser and surrenders in part that which he knew to be the will of God; neither can we agree that Paul acted merely from policy, which would make him a hypocrite. It seems that Paul had not taught Jewish Christians to disrespect the law of Moses. In fact, Paul and other faithful Christians among the Jews were the only ones who properly respected the law. Christ fulfilled the law; ‘‘for Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4.) The law was given by Jehovah until Christ should come; Paul understood this. He never thought that Christians had to keep the law in order to be saved; neither did he at any time so act as though the keeping of the law had anything to do with his salvation. Paul said: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-23.) The above quotation describes the conduct of Paul here as elsewhere; he never acted from mere policy, but was guided by principle. We are to understand his conduct here in the light of the above. Since the law of Moses contained some ceremonial rites, these could be observed for the sake of peace and harmony without violating a principle.

25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed,—James and the elders are making further suggestions to Paul with explanations concerning the Gentile Christians. James was present in Jerusalem when the question of circumcision was discussed with Paul and Barnabas and others. (Acts 15:13.) The decision reached there with James, Peter, and the elders of the church with Paul and Barnabas was that the law of Moses should not be imposed on the Gentiles. (Acts 15:28-29.) The four things mentioned in the letter that was written at that time are mentioned here; namely (1) abstain from things sacrificed to idols; (2) from blood; (3) from what is strangled; (4) from fornication. Everything settled in Jerusalem at that time and embodied in the letter is to remain exactly as it was. The liberty of the Gentile Christians was not to be touched by the law.

26 Then Paul took the men,—It was permitted for one man to bear the expense of another in keeping the Nazirite vow. Numbers 6:9-12 recites the law governing the Nazirite vow. The “charges” involved the payment (1) for the act of shaving the head for which there was a fixed fee to priest or Levite; (2) for the sacrifices which each Nazirite had to offer; namely, two doves or pigeons, a lamb, a ram, a basket of unleavened bread, a meat offering, and a drink offering. Paul agreed to pay for the expenses of the four in their fulfilling their vow. It seems that he appeared in the temple each day for the four. He thus kept his vow in fellowship with the four men, and when the period of his vow was ended and that of the others, the proper offerings were made for each one of them.

Verses 17-40

Act 21:17-40

THE PROMISE IS FOR ALL:

LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS

Notes For Lesson Twenty:

Turmoil In Jerusalem

(Acts 21:17 to Acts 22:30)

At last Paul reaches Jerusalem and the end of his journey. But it does not take long for trouble to develop. Before Paul can even finish the traditional days of purification after arriving, his presence provokes all kinds of accusations that soon lead to an uproar. It all ends with Paul beginning what would become a lengthy period of imprisonment.

Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-36)

Jerusalem was a city very different from the Gentile cities that Paul had long been in the habit of visiting. And so Paul’s reception and his decisions reflect this. Rather than begin immediately with a preaching ministry of any kind, he goes well out of his way to assure everyone in the town that he is still a practicing Jew and that he honors the customs and practices he was brought up with. But none of this prevents Paul from soon becoming the focal point of hostility and attack.

As Paul arrives in the city for the first time in several years, he also reports on the latest news from the Gentile churches (Acts 21:17-19). He is received with joy by the Christians, and is also welcomed by James and the other elders. Paul certainly had much news to pass along, and Luke says that Paul "reported in detail" on his ministry, which must have occupied no little time.

But Paul is also made aware that he is no longer in Ephesus or Philippi or Corinth (Acts 21:20-26). He thus puts into practice a principle that he described elsewhere as ’becoming a Jew to the Jews’. The church in Jerusalem was strong and large, but their view of religion was very different from that of the Gentiles, and was even different from that of the Jewish believers in cities outside of Judea. Even the Christians in Jerusalem were still zealously following the Mosaic law insofar as it did not conflict with Christianity, and they had difficulty in trusting any other worshipper of God who did not do likewise. Accordingly, the elders appeal to Paul to do everything he can to assuage the fears of the Jerusalem Christians, by joining in the traditional purification rites. Paul thus agrees, planning to go through a complete seven-day period of purification.

But none of this prevents Paul from being arrested (Acts 21:27-36). The trouble arose not from local residents, but from a group of visitors from Asia who had heard about Paul there, and who now spread bad reports of him throughout the city. They combined their resistance to the gospel with an unwarranted assumption about Paul’s Gentile friend Trophimus. Their accusation that Paul "teaches ... against our people and our law" got everyone’s attention, and their further suggestion that Paul had taken Trophimus into the temple area was erroneous, but emotionally effective. It all resulted in a sudden disturbance that would deprive Paul of his liberty for quite some time to come. As had happened in Ephesus, a vague emotional appeal was all it took to get the whole city in an uproar that endangered not only Paul’s life but also the peace and safety of the entire city. As soon as the Roman garrison commander found out what was happening, he acted at once. To the Romans, there were few things worse than civil disorders, and as soon as they realized that Paul was the focus of the trouble, they arrested him. It is something of an irony that only their arrival as Paul was being savagely beaten prevented the hate-crazed crown from killing him on the spot.

For Discussion or Study: What reasons did Paul have for agreeing to try so hard to please the Jews in Jerusalem? Why did it not work anyway? Did the fact that he was arrested anyway mean that he should not have tried to ’become like a Jew’?

Address to the Crowd (Acts 21:37 to Acts 22:21)

In the hope of quieting the tumult, and perhaps opening a door to ministry, Paul takes the chance of speaking himself to the angry and unstable crowd. In his well-known speech, he recounts his conversion and also tries to set forth some of the reasons why he follows Jesus. In reading it, we know that there is not much chance of this working, but to Paul there was never a bad opportunity to explain about faith in Jesus.

Being now a prisoner, Paul must first ask for permission to speak (Acts 21:37-40) . The Roman commander had little familiarity with Paul or with Christianity or any of the details of the controversy, and thus a question of identity arose. To the commander, Paul sounded suspiciously like a certain Egyptian rebel who had, shortly before this, led a revolt in the desert. Paul has to assure him that he is someone else, but then is allowed to speak.

Paul first tells the crowd of his past life (Acts 22:1-5). He speaks in Aramaic*, as a sign of his heritage, and recounts how he himself was thoroughly trained in the law. In the hope of emphasizing even further his Jewish credentials, he talks about his former attitude towards Jesus, and his rampant persecutions of those who had believed in Jesus. Although the crowd chooses not to accept this, Paul’s change of heart from his previous position is quite remarkable, and was an event that should have caused them to reflect. Only something remarkable could have produced such a change.

* A sister language to Hebrew. In the 1st century AD, it was more universally understood than was Hebrew itself.

In fact, it was something remarkable that turned Paul around, as he indicates when he recounts his conversion (Acts 22:6-21). He tells of meeting Jesus even as he was on the way to Damascus, intending to persecute the believers there. As a result of Jesus’ appearance to him, he learned God’s real purpose for his life, which was not to persecute Christians but rather to be one, and indeed to persuade the Gentiles also to accept Christ. Paul’s mission in life, then, contained an inherent conflict between old and new. Not only did he have to accept the limitations of the old law, to which he had devoted so much of his life, but he also had to adjust his thinking to take the good news to the Gentiles, most of whom did not even know the law. Paul does, then, understand the reasons for the violent opposition to his message from those who were devoted to traditional Judaism. But he also knew that they, no less than anyone else, needed to hear the truth, and he knew that he was God’s chosen instrument to teach them the truth, whether they chose to listen to it or not.

For Discussion or Study: So far, Paul’s ministry in Jerusalem has produced little of a positive nature. Are there any reasons we can see yet why God may have sent him there? How does Paul seem to feel about his experiences in Jerusalem?

Deciding What To Do With Paul (Acts 22:22-30)

When Paul’s speech succeeded only in making the situation more volatile, the Roman commander was faced with the difficult decision of how best to handle this controversial man. He has even fewer choices when he discovers that Paul is a Roman citizen. This assured Paul of his legal rights, and led to the first step in a chain of events that would eventually take him all the way to Rome.

The reaction to Paul’s speech was, unfortunately, entirely negative (Acts 22:22-29). The frenzied crowd screamed for his death and, unable to vent all of their hatred for him through shouts alone, flung dust in the air and performed other rather bizarre actions in a desperate attempt to convey the depth of their emotions. Now from a Roman perspective, it was not very important whether Paul himself was actually guilty of anything. What mattered was that he was responsible for a civil disturbance, which was something that Rome did not tolerate. Accordingly, the commander decided to flog Paul in order to force him to talk. Yet this plan is suddenly thwarted when Paul reveals his Roman citizenship to the centurion who was preparing to supervise the flogging. Not only did Paul’s rights as a citizen prevent them from flogging him until found guilty of a crime, they also forced the Romans to deal with the problem exclusively through the court system.

Thus began the long legal process in the case of Paul the apostle, which would eventually take him all the way to Rome. As the first step (Acts 22:27-30), the Roman commander ordered the Jewish Sanhedrin to assemble, giving them the responsibility to formulate some specific charges against Paul. So, for the first of what would be many times over the next couple of years, Paul prepared to defend himself and to proclaim Christ at the same time.

- Mark W. Garner, July 2002

Verses 27-40

Act 21:27-40

THE RIOT AND PAUL’S APPREHENSION

Acts 21:27-40

27 And when the seven days were almost completed,—There is some discussion as to “the seven days” mentioned here; it is not known whether this has reference to the week of the Pentecost feast or the seven days required for keeping the vow and purification as required by law. Near the close of the seven days “Jews from Asia” caused trouble; in fact, there was an outburst of wild fury instigated by these Jews from Asia. Perhaps these were some of the Jews who had come “from Asia” to the Feast of Pentecost and who had heard Paul preach at Ephesus or in some other place of Asia; they had persecuted him in their own district and had stirred up the people in Jerusalem against him before he arrived. They saw Paul “in the temple”; he was probably in the court, along the inner wall of which there were small chambers in which the Nazirites used to live while fulfilling the last seven days of their vow. This court was separated with a wall from the court of the Gentiles. These infuriated Jews laid hands on Paul while he was there in the court of the temple.

28 crying out, Men of Israel, help:—They made an attack on Paul as though he had committed some crime; they called upon their fellow Jews to help them. Paul was seized with the marks of his Nazirite vow upon him. (Acts 24:18.) They shouted their accusation against him which they had already spread among the people. (Acts 21:21.) They had accused him of attempting to make Jews become as uncircumcised Gentiles, and that he had spoken against the law of Moses and had blasphemed the temple. They brought this same charge against Christ. (Mark 14:58.) Also this charge was brought against Stephen where Paul was one of the number. (Acts 6:13-14.) They added to this charge that he had brought Gentiles “into the temple,” and had “defiled this holy place.” Their accusation was that he had defiled it by making it common. The Jews hated Paul for his work, and were not careful about the charges which they brought against him.

29 For they had before seen with him—These “Jews from Asia” had seen Trophimus, a Gentile Ephesian, with Paul in the city, and they now saw some strange Jews with Paul in the court of the temple, and they hastily assumed that Paul had taken Trophimus into the temple with him. They were in error; they did not take time to investigate; they were so eager to prefer charges against Paul, and more anxious to find some cause for accusing him, that they did not take sufficient time. Perhaps they were honest, but honestly mistaken. They based their charges against Paul on a mere supposition, but their supposition was false; they did not care whether it was false or true, it served them well to make charges against Paul.

30 And all the city was moved,—These “Jews from Asia” were successful in stirring up a riot against Paul. The city was “moved”; that is, stirred with violent emotion. The same word is used by Tertullus in stirring up a riot against Paul later. (Acts 24:5.) “The people ran together” in their excitement; they came from all quarters of the city when they heard the noise; the cry spread like wildfire over the city, and the people rushed pell-mell into the court of the temple. They laid hands on Paul, and “dragged him out of the temple.” They were saving the temple by dragging Paul out of it. It seems clear that the ceremonies of Paul’s vow were not yet accomplished, and if they did not violently lay hands on him he could flee to the altar for protection. The keepers of the temple closed the gates to prevent anyone disturbing further the worship in the temple.

31 And as they were seeking to kill him,—It seems that the intention of the mob was to kill Paul; that is, beat him to death in the crowd and no one could be charged with his murder; they could accomplish their aim in killing Paul and avoid any individual responsibility for it. When the “chief captain” heard what was going on, he rushed to Paul’s rescue. Herod the Great had built a strong fortress, the castle of Antonia, on a rock on the northwest corner of the temple area; it overlooked the temple, and was connected by two flights of stairs with the outermost courts of the temple on the northern and western sides. The Romans always kept this castle strongly garrisoned with troops to overawe Jerusalem. At festivals, when Jerusalem was filled with excitable crowds, the garrison consisted of a cohort or “band” of one thousand men. The “chief captain” of this number was called “Chiliarch.” When the chief captain heard that all Jerusalem was in confusion, he hastened with his men to the scene of action.

32 And forthwith he took soldiers—The “chief captain” “took soldiers and centurions” and hastened “down upon them.” The chief captain did not go with the view of protecting Paul, but to find out what was the matter, and seeing Paul in the hands of the mob, he arrested him, supposing that he had done something worthy of arrest. The mob “left off beating Paul” when the “chief captain and the soldiers” appeared on the scene. The mob probably thought that the Roman law would do justice, and if Paul were found by the chief captain to have been wrongfully treated they would be brought to an account. Furthermore, the chief captain with his soldiers could overpower the mob and make them let Paul go free.

33 Then the chief captain came near,—The Roman official came and formally arrested Paul, “laid hold on him,” and commanded him to be “bound with two chains.” Paul was bound with chains as though he were a violent and seditious person; probably they thought that he was the leader of a band of assassins. (Acts 21:38.) Inquiry was made as to who Paul was, and what he had done. He had been arrested, and the one making the arrest did not know who he was or what accusation was brought against him. It seems that the chief captain asked Paul his name, and asked the crowd what he had done; naturally they were the ones to prefer the charges; he did not know Paul, and thinking him to be a criminal, he would not believe what Paul stated. Not many criminals will state accurately their own crimes.

34 And some shouted one thing, some another,—When inquiry was made as to the charges against Paul, no unanimous charge could be made; some preferred one charge and some another. Many of the mob knew neither Paul’s name nor what he had done; hence, they could give no clear answer to the inquiry. The verb used here by Luke is the one he uses to express the confusion of the multitude which shouted against Jesus. (Luke 23:21.) Luke is the only writer of the New Testament that uses this verb. The chief captain had made an honest effort to learn what charges were made against Paul, but could not learn from the mob; they did not know themselves; hence, he had Paul brought into the castle. “The castle” here signifies the barracks which the Romans had in the tower of Antonia; this was near the scene of action.

35-36 And when he came upon the stairs,—Mob violence and uproar were common in Jerusalem during the feasts, and the Roman authorities attempted to keep order; the officers were severe on those who raised an insurrection or incited trouble. The castle in which the “chief captain” resided was near the temple; he rescued Paul from the mob, and when he could not learn from the mob, neither could he ascertain from Paul in the midst of such confusion, he sought to take him as a prisoner into his castle where he could make an investigation and ascertain the cause of the trouble. As the soldiers took Paul, the mob sought to take him away from the soldiers; they followed after Paul and shouted: “Away with him.” It seems that the crowd pressed with more fury upon Paul when they saw that he was now to be taken out of their hands. Some of the soldiers had to lift Paul from his feet and carry him up the stairs till he was out of reach of the mob.

37 And as Paul was about to be brought—As Paul was about to be brought into the castle he asked the “chief captain” if he might say something to the infuriated mob. The chief captain had not yet learned anything about the character of the man that he had suddenly rescued from death; his first supposition was entirely erroneous. When Paul asked if he might speak to the mob, he used the Greek language. This caused the chief captain to ask: “Dost thou know Greek ?” The officer had seized Paul as the best means of quieting the riot; he thought his prisoner a Jewish desperado, and was greatly surprised to find him a cultured man who could speak the Greek language.

38 Art thou not then the Egyptian,—The chief captain expected an affirmative answer; this Egyptian had given the Romans much trouble; he had “stirred up to sedition” the people and had “led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins.” It seems that the first thing which began to correct the false impression of the chief captain was that Paul was a cultured man, able to speak the cultural language, Greek. Then he inquired further if he were not the leader of that band who had caused so much trouble to the Roman government. From this time the Roman official seems to change his attitude toward Paul; he now accepts what Paul states as the truth. The desperado that the chief captain had in mind had led out “into the wilderness the four thousand men” who were styled “the Assassins.” He was a man of much influence since he could lead out “four thousand men.” Josephus tells how this one was one of the many impostors of the time. “Assassins” is from the Greek “sikarion,” and is the same as the Latin “sicarius,” and means “one who carried a short sword”; he carried this under his cloak and was a cutthroat. These “Assassins” killed men by daylight in the midst of the city of Jerusalem. They did not form a band of soldiers, but secretly worked with their short daggers by going into the crowd at the feasts and wounding their adversaries, and when they had fallen the murderers mixed with the crowd and joined in the outcry against crime. They passed unsuspected for a long time.

39 But Paul said, I am a Jew,—Paul answered the chief captain and made his denial by stating simply who he was. He declared himself to be a Jew “of Tarsus in Cilicia.” Tarsus was the metropolis of Cilicia, and a city remarkable for its culture and the zeal of its inhabitants for philosophic studies. It was “no mean city”; that is, it was a city of prominence. Tarsus was one of the great cities of the empire, and had a great university there. Paul was a citizen of this city, which was an honorable distinction. After briefly telling the chief captain who he was and that he was a citizen of the proud city of Tarsus, he asked the privilege “to speak unto the people.” Paul desired to speak to his people, and in Jerusalem. That infuriated mob was as ignorant of the gospel as though the Christ had never come, suffered and died in that city. Surely, if anyone could, Paul could get them to see the truth by telling them how Jesus had revealed himself to him. He now had a chance. It seems that the chains were taken off of Paul and he was permitted to stand there and speak to his Jewish brethren.

40 And when he had given him leave,—They were still on the stairs; Paul was above them and out of their reach; they were beneath Paul and from his elevated position he could speak to them with ease if they would hear him. The chief captain promptly gave Paul permission to speak to the people. He “beckoned with the hand unto the people.” He “beckoned with the hand,” which meant that he demanded their attention. By his beckoning, the gesture gained an audience very readily, and a “great silence” was ob-served. Paul used tact in handling this mob; he now spoke in the native tongue of the Jews; he spoke in the Hebrew language. The people of Jerusalem knew this language better than they knew the Greek; Paul could speak in either the Hebrew or the Greek language. It seems that Jesus used this language on special occasions. (Mark 5:41 Mark 14:36 Mark 15:34.) Paul is given opportunity to make his first defense; he does so with courage and clearness.

Questions on Acts

By E.M. Zerr

Acts Chapter 21

• · Who are the "we" of verse one?

• · Who are "them" of same verse?

• · At what place did they change ships?

• · Where did they land?

• · Whom did they find at this place?

• · How long did they tarry with them?

• · What day would such period bring?

• · State their protest to Paul.

• · Who composed the escort to the ship?

• · Relate the manner of their leave taking.

• · State the next important stop.

• · What gave the city its importance?

• · Into whose house did they enter?

• · Tell what you can of his family.

• · What prediction in 2nd chapter does this fulfill?

• · Who came down from Judea?

• · Relate the actions and predictions.

• · Who begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem?

• · Should this plea be counted as from the Holy Ghost?

• · What was Paul’s reply?

• · To what will did they then submit?

• · Would this show the former protest as being man’s will?

• · To what place did Paul next go?

• · What arrangement was made for lodging?

• · State the reception that was given.

• · With whom did Paul meet next day?

• · Tell what he related to them.

• · And how was it received?

• · What information was then given Paul?

• · Was this report true?

• · Harmonize verses 22-24 and 26 with Gal. 5: 4.

• · When did verse 25 occur?

• · What is meant by "the seven days" in the 27th verse?

• · At that time who made a stir?

• · State the cause of the commotion.

• · Explain the mistake they made.

• · How did Paul get out of the temple?

• · What conspiracy was about to be carried out?

• · Tell the news reaching the chief captain.

• · How did he respond?

• · What did he find them doing to Paul?

• · Tell how Paul was secured.

• · What demands were made of him ?

• · Describe the state of the multitude.

• · Where did this cause Paul to be taken?

• · What was the regular use of this place?

• · How was Paul kept from violence of the people?

• · What was the mob demanding?

• · State what surprised the chief captain.

• · Who did he have in mind with Paul?

• · State Paul’s account of his nativity.

• · What privilege was now given him?

• · In what language did he speak?

Acts Chapter Twenty-One

Ralph Starling

Leaving Ephesus, Paul finally reached Tyre.

There the ship unloaded its ware.

Paul met disciples who the Spirit had told,

Tell Paul, to Jerusalem he should not go.

After 7 days the men, wives, children sent us away.

Having kneeled down on the shore and prayed.

From Tyre, to Ptolemias to Caesarea the next day,

We stayed with Phillip the evangelist several days.

While there we met the prophet Agabus,

Who presented a graphic demonstration for us.

Showing what the Jews were planning for Paul,

Telling Paul he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem at all.

But Paul true to his nature and true to his word,

Said he was even willing to die for his Lord.

Unable to change his mind, we gave in then,

Took our carriages and went up to Jerusalem.

By the disciples we were gladly received.

They glorified God for thousands of Jews had believed.

But a problem about their teaching had arisen

The Gentiles were not being bound to the law and circumcision.

A possible solution soon came about.

That Paul should make a purification vow.

This would show Paul’s practice as a Jew.

And things Gentiles would not be asked to do.

Paul was told of the solution and quickly agreed,

But the visiting Jews would not give heed.

They took Paul from the Temple and shut the door.

And told the authorities they should do more.

As things developed, to speak he beseeched.

Given permission, in Hebrew he began to speak.

When there was made a great silence

Paul eloquently made his defense.