CHAPTER 21

(A.D. 60)

TYRE

¹And it came to pass, that after we (Luke is with the party) were gotten from them, and had launched (left the Elders from Ephesus), we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara (located on the West Coast of Lucia and Pamphylia):

²And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth (they changed ships at Patara).

³Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand (means they did not stop at this Island), and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

⁴And finding Disciples (followers of Christ), we tarried there seven days (during this time, his teaching was invaluable to them): who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem (would have been better translated, who said to Paul in consequence of the Spirit; the idea is that due to what the Spirit of God was portraying to these Believers concerning the coming problems in Jerusalem, the individuals themselves were voicing their own feelings that he should not go; it was not the Holy Spirit saying, dont go; the Spirit was actually constraining him to go [Acts 20:22]).

CAESAREA

⁵And when we had accomplished those days (the past seven 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 (shows the love and affection Paul continued to gain in these last few days, even from the children): and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed (I think the strength of Pauls prayer life is now obvious).

⁶And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again (these Believers at Tyre returned to their homes, but with a full heart and an exercised soul).

⁷And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais (about thirty miles from Tyre; proclaims the end of Pauls voyage by ship), and saluted the Brethren, and abode with them one day.

⁸And the next day we who were of Pauls company departed, and came unto Caesarea (approximately sixty miles; they evidently walked this distance; the company could have been as many as nine): and we entered into the house of Philip the Evangelist (presents the same Philip of Acts 8:40), which was one of the seven (Acts 6:5); and abode with him (his house was evidently quite large).

⁹And the same man had four daughters, virgins (insinuates they had given themselves over to perpetual virginity, meaning they would not marry, but would give their lives totally in serving the Lord), which did Prophesy (the idea is that they were Evangelists exactly as their father, which strikes down the idea that women cannot preach).

¹⁰And as we tarried there many days (waiting for the Day of Pentecost), there came down from Judaea a certain Prophet (the same Brother mentioned in Acts 11:28), named Agabus.

¹¹And when he was come unto us, he took Pauls girdle (a sash worn around the waist like a belt), and bound his own hands and feet (presents that which the Holy Spirit told him to do as an object lesson), and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (this was designed by the Holy Spirit to test Pauls resolution to obey the inward voice which bound him to go, even as Elijah tested Elisha).

¹²And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem (but Paul must listen to the Holy Spirit, not men).

¹³Then Paul answered, What mean you to weep and to break mine heart? (They kept trying to persuade him, becoming emotionally distraught with some of them weeping.) for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus (proclaims the consecration already settled in Pauls heart and mind respecting these coming events).

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The Will of the Lord be done (means that all had now come to the place where they realized what Paul was doing and the direction he was going were indeed the Will of God; Paul was a chosen vessel to offer the Kingdom to Israel, as well as to proclaim it among the Gentiles; the final offer he would shortly give to Israel was a Divine necessity; but as we shall see, they rejected that offer and went to their doom).

JERUSALEM

¹⁵And after those days we took up our carriages (referred to their baggage, whatever that may have been), and went up to Jerusalem (it was approximately sixty miles, and they probably walked).

¹⁶There went with us also certain of the Disciples of Caesarea (meant that the party is now quite large, possibly numbering fifteen to twenty people, or even more), and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus (he was originally from Cyprus, but now lived in Jerusalem, or nearby), an old Disciple (does not necessarily mean old in age, but thought by some to have been one of the original group Baptized with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost), with whom we should lodge (Mnason had invited Paul and his party to stay at his home while in Jerusalem).

¹⁷And when we were come to Jerusalem, the Brethren received us gladly (indicates some of the Saints in Jerusalem, but not necessarily the leaders of the Church at this particular time; that would come the next day).

GENTILES

¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us unto James (refers to James, the Lords Brother, who was the Senior Pastor of the Church in Jerusalem); and all the Elders were present (refers to the many Pastors who served with James concerning the Church in Jerusalem; the Church was quite large, perhaps numbering as many as thirty thousand members or more).

¹⁹And when he (Paul) had saluted them (greeted them), he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his Ministry (gave an account of his second and third Missionary Journeys with the planting of many Churches).

²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord (praised the Lord for what had been done), and said unto him, you see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe (probably spoken by James, and referring to the Church in Jerusalem, made up almost exclusively of Jews); and they are all zealous of the Law (meaning their new-found Faith in Christ stirred them up to serve the Lord with a new zeal, which they channeled in the direction of attempting to obey the Law of Moses to an even greater degree than ever):

²¹And they are informed of you (concerned itself with charges against Paul relative to what he was teaching concerning the Law/Grace issue), that you teach all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses (was not correct, at least in the manner in which it was being said; in fact, Paul preached almost exclusively from the Old Testament, holding up all that it stated as pointing to Christ), saying that they ought not to Circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs (once again, this was not exactly what Paul was saying; he taught that Circumcision did not save the soul, and that no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the Law [Rom. 3:24-31; 4:21; Gal. 3:19-25]).

²²What is it therefore? (I think this illustrates that James himself was not settled on the matter, respecting Paul.) the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that you are come (we arent told anything about this particular meeting of which James spoke).

²³Do therefore this that we say to you (proclaims a plan James, it seems, thought might defuse the situation): We have four men which have a vow on them (pertained to the Nazarite Vow [Num. 6:14-20]);

²⁴Them take, and purify yourself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads (proclaims the fact that Paul was to pay for all of these sacrifices out of his own pocket, which in 2003 money amounted to several thousands of dollars): and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning you, are nothing (the thought here is that if Paul was as opposed to the Law as it was claimed, he certainly would not be in the Temple carrying out a Nazarite Vow, which was a part of the Mosaic Law); but that you yourself also walk orderly, and keep the Law (no answer from Paul is recorded; we know that Paul didnt keep the Law as it regarded all of its rituals and ceremonies; in fact, all of that was fulfilled in Christ; the only answer we can give concerning Pauls action in doing what James said is that he was trying to prevent a split in the Church; it is my opinion that James didnt understand the Message of Grace as he should, and was still trying to hold to the Law; about ten years later, the Lord made it impossible for the Law to be kept anymore, in that the Temple was totally destroyed by the Roman Army).

²⁵As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing (releases Gentiles from obligation to the Mosaic Law; it is obvious here, however, that James didnt include the Jews in this freedom, which presented a dichotomy and caused great problems in the Early Church), save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication (this was right; but as stated, James didnt include the Jews, which made that part wrong).

PERSECUTION

²⁶Then Paul took the men (the four men of Verse 23), and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the Temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification (presents something which Paul had, no doubt, done at times in the past), until that an offering should be offered for every one of them (speaks of the Sacrifices to be offered at the conclusion of the seven days).

²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended (seven days of purification), the Jews which were of Asia (Jews came from all over the Roman Empire to keep the various Feasts; Ephesus was in Asia, so these Jews knew Paul and were not happy with him at all), when they saw him in the Temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him (they bodily seized him),

²⁸Crying out, Men of Israel, help (Paul was in the innermost Court with other men): This is the man, who teaches all men every where against the people, and the Law, and this place (once again portrays one of Satans favorite tactics of twisting what has actually been said to make it mean something else entirely): and fur ther brought Greeks also into the Temple, and has polluted this Holy Place (was an entirely false accusation; the four men with Paul were Jews).

²⁹(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Temple.) (They jumped to conclusions!)

³⁰And all the city was moved (the claim that Paul had brought a Gentile into the Innermost Court spread like wildfire), and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the Temple (actually means they dragged him out, beating him as they went; he was dragged into the Court of the Gentiles, which was the Outer Court): and forthwith the doors were shut (referred to the doors of the Court of the Gentiles, and the Court of Women).

³¹And as they went about to kill him (such is religion!), tidings came unto the Chief Captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar (pertained to the Roman Tribune who commanded a cohort of approximately a thousand soldiers).

³²Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them (probably represented about two hundred men): and when they saw the Chief Captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul (which, no doubt, saved Pauls life).

ARRESTED

³³Then the Chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains (refers to him being bound to a soldier on each side); and demanded who he was, and what he had done (speaking to the Jews).

³⁴And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude (generally proclaims the conduct of a mob, for this is what the crowd now was!): and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle (he gave instructions for Paul to be taken into the Fortress, or Tower of Antonia).

³⁵And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people (in order to protect him the soldiers were forced to lift him up, possibly even above their heads).

³⁶For the multitude of the people (the Jews) followed after, crying, Away with him (presents the cry of those who had also thirsted for the Blood of Jesus Christ [Lk. 23:18]).

PAUL

³⁷And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the Chief Captain, May I speak unto you? (This presents Paul speaking to the Captain in the Greek language, which was actually the major language of the Roman Empire.)Who said, Can you speak Greek? (The next Verse explains the reason for this question.)

³⁸Are not you that Egyptian, which before these days made an uproar, and led out into the wilderness four thousand men who were murderers? (This question portrays how this Captain was mistaken about Pauls identity.)

³⁹But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city (presents an entirely different scenario to this Roman Captain, inasmuch as Tarsus was famous for philosophy and learning): and, I beseech you, suffer me to speak unto the people (Paul was, no doubt, impressed by the Holy Spirit to do this).

⁴⁰And when he (the Roman Captain) had given him licence (told him he could address the crowd), Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people (presents the last time the Holy Spirit will appeal to Israel as a Nation, at least as far as is recorded). And when there was made a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying (it is possible that Paul was speaking in the ancient Biblical Hebrew, which was read every week in the Synagogues; as stated, it was the last appeal by the Spirit),