Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Acts Chapter 21 mean?

Between Paul’s three missionary journeys, God granted him rest in his home church at Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:26–28; 18:22–23). He may have also taken a trip to Jerusalem (Acts 15:1–4; 18:22), but for the most part, he was able to stay with the church that had commissioned him to spread the message of Jesus to the Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, Macedonia, and Greece (Acts 13:1–3). At the end of his third missionary journey, however, he doesn’t even get a chance to visit.

In Acts 21:1–6, Paul, Timothy, Luke, and several others (Acts 20:4) leave the port city of Miletus in southwest Turkey and sail to Tyre on the Phoenician coast where they visit with the local Jesus-followers. The Holy Spirit has revealed that when Paul goes to Jerusalem he will be arrested. The Tyrians are so distraught they try to convince Paul to avoid the city and stay safe, but after seven days Paul and his companions reboard and sail south.

Acts 21:7–16 recounts an even more intense encounter in Caesarea Maritima. The team lands briefly in Ptolemais before finally disembarking in Caesarea. They stay with the evangelist Philip who first brought the message of Jesus to the Samaritans and who has four daughters who prophesy (Acts 8:4–8). In addition, Agabus arrives from Judea and confirms Paul’s impending arrest by wrapping his own feet and hands in Paul’s belt. The friends try to keep Paul from continuing, but he focuses on how his arrest will further the spread of the gospel.

Acts 21:17–26 sets the stage for Paul’s arrest. In Acts 15, the leadership of the church in Jerusalem determined that Gentile Jesus-followers did not have to obey the Mosaic law to properly follow Christ. However, it was decided they should make minor concessions so Gentile and Jewish Christians could eat, live, and worship in unity. Paul, himself, taught the churches the council’s findings in person and in letter (Acts 15:30; Galatians 3; 6:11–16). Several years later, unknown persons spread a rumor that Paul is teaching Jewish Christians to not obey the Law—a crime punishable by death (Deuteronomy 13:1–5). James, the half-brother of Jesus and pastor of the Jerusalem church, asks Paul to prove his Jewishness by helping a group of men fulfill their Nazirite vow (Numbers 6:1–21). Paul agrees.

In Acts 21:27–36, everything comes to a head. Among the Gentile Jesus-followers who have come with Paul is Trophimus. He is from Ephesus, in the province of Asia, in southwest Turkey. He has brought his church’s donations to James and the church in Jerusalem. At some point, Jews from Asia see Paul with Trophimus in the city. Later, they see Paul in the temple and assume he has brought Trophimus. They rile up the worshipers into dragging Paul from the temple, shutting the gates, and beating Paul. The Roman guards bring Agabus’s prophecy to fruition as they bind Paul in chains and arrest him.

Acts 21:37–40 is quintessential Paul. He knows he will not be released, but he must take every opportunity to share Jesus’ message—even to an angry mob that wants him dead. He asks the tribune if he may speak to the crowd. The tribune is massively confused and confirms that Paul is not, indeed, an Egyptian revolutionary who leads a pack of assassins. When Paul convinces him that he is a Jew from Tarsus, on the other side of the Mediterranean, the tribune lets him speak.

Of course, Paul’s speech will fall on deaf ears. The crowd listens to his conversion story, but when he reaches the part where Jesus commissions him to spread the news to the Gentiles, they remember their initial complaint. The tribune, still confused, decides to get the truth out of Paul by flogging him, which Paul manages to avoid by reminding them he is a Roman citizen (Acts 22). The next day, Paul faces the Sanhedrin and deflects any further charges by pitting the Sadducees and Pharisees against one another. He then escapes an assassination attempt thanks to his nephew. The tribune decides his little outpost cannot resolve so much drama and sends Paul to the governor in Caesarea (Acts 23).

Chapter Context
Acts 21 fulfills the fears of many of Paul’s friends. Throughout the last part of his third missionary journey the Holy Spirit has been telling him he will be arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23–25). When Paul reacts to dire personal prophecy, the Jesus-followers in Caesarea Maritima try to stop him from going on (Acts 21:8–14). Through a complicated trail of rumors, lies, and wrong assumptions, things go according to the Holy Spirit’s foreknowledge and Roman soldiers arrest Paul. He will face the next 5 years in custody in Caesarea and Rome, but he will spread Jesus’ story the entire time (Acts 22—28).

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

Paul is finally on his way back to Jerusalem. He has spent the last several years planting and building up churches around the Aegean Sea. Most significantly, he spent three years in Ephesus fighting demons, freeing people from witchcraft, and showing them how Jesus forgives their sins and reconciles them to God (Acts 19). After Paul left Ephesus, he toured around the Aegean Sea, visiting the churches in Thessalonica, Philippi, Berea, and Troas (Acts 20:1–3). Along the way, he collected a group of men who accompany their churches’ donations to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4; Romans 15:26).

When Paul realizes his ship will pass by Ephesus, he does not return. He wants to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost. He knows if he stops he won’t want to leave. Instead, the team sails farther south to Miletus and asks the Ephesian elders to meet them there (Acts 20:15–17).

They spend a few emotional hours before “parting.” The Greek word used here means they tear away from each other; Luke says, “And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him” (Acts 20:37).

Luke records their progress through the sea voyage. Cos is an island in the southeast Aegean Sea where it meets the Mediterranean; it is south of modern-day Izmir. Rhodes is both an island southeast of Cos and a city on the northeast edge of the island. Patara is the seaport in Lycia and home to the oracle of Apollo.

From Patara, the group will find another ship—probably larger and better able to sail through open water—headed straight to Phoenicia. They will skirt the southern shore of Cyprus before landing in Tyre. After staying a week, they will sail to Ptolemais, stay a day, and continue to Caesarea Maritima where they will catch up with the evangelist Philip. At both Tyre and Caesarea, Paul’s friends will discover that when he reaches Jerusalem he will be arrested. They try to convince him not to go, but Paul knows the Holy Spirit has plans for him that require the use of chains (Acts 21:2–14).

Context Summary
Acts 21:1–6 describes how Paul and his companions finally start their way back to Judea. They sail from Miletus on the southwest coast of modern-day Turkey around the islands to Tyre in Phoenicia. Whether because the Holy Spirit informs them or Paul tells them, the Jesus-followers there realize Paul faces arrest in Jerusalem. Not understanding God’s purpose, they try to protect their friend by begging him not to go. When Paul insists, they pray for him and send him on his way.

Verse 2. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

Paul, Luke, and several others (Acts 20:4) are on their way to Jerusalem. Paul’s companions are going because their home churches—in Ephesus, Troas, Thessalonica, Philippi, and Berea—have collected support for the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). Paul is going so he can continue to serve God in his own way; in this case, that will include being arrested.

They leave Miletus, a port on the southwest corner of modern-day Turkey, and round the peninsula until they reach Patara on the island of Rhodes. From here, it’s straight to Tyre on the coast of Phoenicia, north of Galilee. They will spend a week in Tyre while the ship unloads before sailing south to Ptolemais and Caesarea Maritima. At Caesarea, they will head inland to Jerusalem.

On their way to Phoenicia, the ship will pass the southern coast of the island of Cyprus. Cyprus is the original home of Barnabas, and the first place Barnabas and Paul went after the elders at Syrian Antioch commissioned them to bring Jesus’ story to the Gentiles (Acts 13:4).

Phoenicia is a district along the coastline of Syria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean on the west and a rugged mountain range on the east. It takes up much of the same territory as modern-day Lebanon while spilling north into Syria and south into Israel. The ship will land in Tyre, an ancient seaport first mentioned in the book of Joshua. The king of Tyre gave King David supplies for his royal house (2 Samuel 5:11).

Despite their proximity to Cyprus, they do not stop to visit the proconsul who came to faith in Jesus (Acts 13:12). Nor do they go north to Paul’s home church in Syrian Antioch. The Holy Spirit compels Paul to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16). Even though Paul knows he will face arrest and persecution, he knows he must go.

Verse 3. When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.

Many issues in the Bible inspire modern people to wish for more information. Given our current perspective, we’d prefer the authors had been more specific on certain points. Some points are theological and have inspired debate among teachers and scholars for two thousand years. Luke, as it happens, seems interested in making sure there is never any doubt…about the route a ship takes while he is onboard.

Luke, Paul, and a group of others (Acts 20:4) sail from Miletus, on the southwest coast of modern-day Turkey, to Caesarea Maritima, on the Judaean coast. They have already weaved around the islands of Cos and Rhodes and changed ships in the city of Patara. The original ship may have been a smaller vessel that didn’t sail far from shore; they need a larger sea-fairing ship to cross the open water to Phoenicia (Acts 21:1–2).

From Patara, they sail along the southern shore of the island of Cyprus. Paul has not returned there since he and Barnabas released the proconsul of Cyprus from the influence of a Jewish magician. This was during the first stop of their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4–12). Barnabas is from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), and when the two fell out over John Mark’s involvement in their second trip, Paul and Silas traveled north to modern-day Turkey while Barnabas and Mark sailed to Cyprus (Acts 15:36–41). Still, Paul doesn’t stop; he wants to make Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16).

Phoenicia is the district on the southern shore of Syria; today its borders would encompass western Lebanon as well as southwest Syria and northwest Israel. Tyre is the same city mentioned in the Old Testament; the king of Tyre once gave David supplies for his palace (2 Samuel 5:11). It was in Tyre and its sister-city Sidon that Jesus met the Syrophoenician woman with the humble faith (Mark 7:24–30).

In the Old Testament, Tyre was a major port consisting of a large city on the mainland as well as a heavily defensible island city. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great easily conquered the mainland city but could not breach the island. He eventually carried the rubble from the mainland and built a causeway to the island his army could march over. Today, the causeway is expanded to the point the once-island is a peninsula.

Verse 4. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

After several years building up churches in Galatia, Macedonia, and Greece and planting a church in Ephesus, Paul has finally returned to Syria. He, Luke, and representatives from several churches (Acts 20:4) land at Tyre in Phoenicia. The ship they have taken from the island of Rhodes will unload for seven days before continuing south.

This gives the men time to visit with the local Christ-followers. Paul has already told the elders of the Ephesian church that wherever he goes the Holy Spirit warns him he will be imprisoned and afflicted in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23). Apparently, the Holy Spirit warns some in the church in Tyre, as well. But while the Holy Spirit gives them the information, they misinterpret what they are meant to do with it. God warns them to encourage Paul, not attempt to protect him.

Paul will face the same issues in Caesarea Maritima. The famous prophet Agabus will prophesy that Paul will be arrested in Jerusalem; the church—as well as Paul’s companions—will beg him not to go (Acts 21:8–12). Paul will tell them, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). Similarly, he told the elders of Ephesus, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Although Paul did occasionally leave a city when threatened (Acts 9:23–25; 17:10, 13–14; 20:1), he does not see imprisonment as a detriment to his ministry. If God gives him the ministry and God ordains his arrest and affliction, the two must be related. In fact, during the five years he is incarcerated, he explains the story of Jesus to the mob on the temple mount (Acts 22:1–21), the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1–10), Felix the governor (Acts 24:10–21), Festus the governor and Herod Agrippa II (Acts 26:1–29), the island of Malta (Acts 28:7–10), and the city of Rome (Acts 28:30–31). In addition, he writes the letters we have as the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon.

God said to Ananias that Paul “is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). God also told Ananias, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16). God connects the suffering with the mission, and Paul does, too.

Verse 5. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed

Paul and Luke are on their way to Jerusalem with an assortment of men from the provinces of Galatia and Asia in modern-day Turkey, as well as Macedonia. They landed in Tyre in Phoenicia a week before and have spent an emotional time with the church there. For some time, the Holy Spirit has warned Paul the Romans will imprison him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23). The church in Tyre finds out, but instead of praying for Paul and encouraging him, they try to keep him from going to Jerusalem. Paul, however, knows this is God’s will. It’s how he can fulfill his commission to spread the story of Jesus to Jews, Gentiles, and kings; and he insists on continuing (Acts 9:15; 23:1–10; 24:10–21; 26:1–29; 28:7–10).

It is time for Paul and his companions to move on. They will stop at Ptolemais for one day before arriving at Caesarea Maritima where they will spend a week with the evangelist Philip before taking the trek over land to Jerusalem (Acts 21:7–8).

Before he leaves Tyre, however, the church finally realizes the most effective way they can protect Paul is to pray.

Paul’s ministry runs on prayer. He prays that he can go to Rome (Romans 1:10). He gives thanks to God for the people and the fact God chose to save them (Ephesians 1:15–16; Philippians 1:3–4). He prays for their continued spiritual growth (Colossians 1:9) and their faithfulness to what God has given them (2 Thessalonians 1:11). And he tells his churches to pray—continually (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Before Paul left for Jerusalem, he wrote to the believers in Rome, saying, “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company” (Romans 15:30–32). God will grant his request. After two years under house arrest in Caesarea Maritima and a harrowing sea voyage that ends in a shipwreck, Paul will finally reach Rome. He will spend another two years under house arrest, but instead of Paul traveling the world, God will bring people to him (Acts 28:30–31).

Verse 6. and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

For several months, Paul has been saying “goodbye” to people. This includes the churches in Ephesus, Troas, Philippi, and Thessalonica, and twice in Berea. Now, he says farewell to the church in Tyre: a church he may never have met with before. Even so, they become distraught when they realize Paul is headed to Jerusalem where he will be imprisoned. They try to convince him not to go. Yet Paul knows the Holy Spirit’s “warning” is not so he can avoid hardship but so that he will be prepared for it. So, the church prays for him as he leaves (Acts 21:3–5).

Around this time, Paul writes a letter to another church he’d never met: Rome. In Romans 8, Paul speaks about the place of suffering in the Christian life. He says suffering for God is a sign that we are His children and that He will glorify us (Romans 8:17). Paul tells them, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). He reminds us that everything—including suffering—works “together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28–30). And that although we may suffer in the world, nothing can take us from God (Romans 8:38–39).

The key, Paul says, is to set our minds on the Holy Spirit and make sure He indwells our hearts. If we belong to God, even if we die, we will live (2 Corinthians 5:6–8).

Verse 7. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.

Months before, Paul planned to leave Ephesus, sail across the Aegean Sea to Corinth, and possibly leave Corinth for Jerusalem. A conflict with the Corinthian church led him to delay his trip to Corinth and visit Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea first. After spending three months in Corinth, he resolved to sail directly to Judea. A plot against him again sent him north to revisit churches before meeting the elders of Ephesus in Miletus (Acts 20). When he and his companions finally boarded a sea-going ship, they did not land at Caesarea Philippi, the closest large port to Jerusalem. Rather, they landed in Tyre in southern Syria (Acts 21:3). Now, they sail down the coast to Ptolemais, the southern-most port city in Phoenicia.

Paul had planted the church in Ephesus in his third missionary journey, and those in Macedonia and Greece with Silas in his second (Acts 19:8–10; 16:11–15; 17:1–4, 10–12; 18:1–4). Before Paul met Jesus on his way to Damascus, he so persecuted Jesus-followers in Jerusalem that they fled (Acts 8:1). Some of them probably planted the churches in Tyre and Ptolemais. After Ptolemais, Paul will spend days in Caesarea Maritima before finally reaching Jerusalem. We don’t know who planted the church in Caesarea, but it may have been Philip (Acts 8:40). He also fled Jerusalem because of Paul (Acts 8:3–5). Or perhaps Peter planted the church there (Acts 10).

By the time Paul reaches Jerusalem, he’ll have spent the last several months visiting churches he had a hand in establishing, even if inadvertently. He’s seen their faithfulness and addressed their challenges. They show their affection for him and pray for him. Once he reaches Jerusalem, he will be arrested and spend the next five years under house arrest.

God is gracious. For the two years Paul is confined in Caesarea, he will be able to remember the churches that stand strong because of his work (Acts 24:27). When he faces a violent storm and a shipwreck, he will remember how he prepared the Jesus-followers for coming persecution—both political and spiritual (Acts 27). And as he sits in a Roman apartment, chained to a guard, he will visit with a parade of both Jewish and Gentile visitors who want to know more about how Jesus brings the kingdom of God (Acts 28:30–31).

Context Summary
Acts 21:7–16 records Paul and his companions stopping in Caesarea Maritima. They are there briefly with the evangelist Philip before finally arriving in Jerusalem. For months, now, the Holy Spirit has warned Paul that when he reaches Jerusalem, he will be imprisoned and afflicted (Acts 20:22–23). The church in Tyre tried to stop him from going; the church in Caesarea will beg him. Paul reorients their concerns: Jesus comes first and if Jesus wants him to be imprisoned, he will serve his Savior in prison. The Holy Spirit’s influence is meant to prepare Paul, not discourage him.

Verse 8. On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

When the apostles learned the Greek-speaking widows of the church in Jerusalem were not receiving sufficient aid, they commissioned seven Greek-speaking men to make sure the donations reached everyone in need. Two of those men were Stephen and Philip (Acts 6:1–6).

Stephen was so gifted an evangelist that Jews from the Greek-speaking synagogue of the Freedmen could not refute his testimony about Jesus. Among those he angered were Jews from Alexandria in northern Egypt, the island of Cyprus, and from the district of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey. They falsely accused Stephen of speaking against the Mosaic law (Acts 6:8–15). Stephen gave his testimony, using Jewish history to show how Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecy and His crucifixion was in line with the habit of murdering God’s prophets. The crowd promptly murdered Stephen, leaving their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7).

Saul promptly received permission from the Sanhedrin to hunt the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem and beyond. Philip, Stephen’s fellow deacon, fled north to Samaria before settling in Caesarea Maritima, the large port that serves as the Roman capital for Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:3–5, 40). Other Jesus-followers from Alexandria and Cyprus escaped north to Syrian Antioch where they told Jesus’ story to Gentiles who knew little about the Jewish God (Acts 11:19–20). Still others fled northeast to Damascus (Acts 9:1–2).

While hunting Christians in Damascus, Saul met Jesus. Jesus explained that Saul would no longer endeavor to destroy His followers, instead he would make it his life’s mission to multiply them (Acts 9:3–19). Later, Barnabas called Saul to help him pastor the quickly growing church in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:25–26); soon after, the two would go on their first church-planting mission where Saul would take the name Paul (Acts 13:2, 9).

Now, at the end of Paul’s third missionary voyage, he meets Philip in Caesarea. Paul no longer sees an apostate of Judaism; he sees one of the first leaders of the church he serves. Philip no longer sees the man who approved of his friend’s murder and drove thousands from Jerusalem; he sees a faithful Jesus-follower whose life is marked by suffering for the cause of Christ.

Soon, Paul will travel to Jerusalem. Jews from Asia will falsely accuse him of speaking against the Mosaic law and bringing a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:28). To protect Paul’s life, the Roman tribune will arrest him, and he will spend the next five years under house arrest (Acts 21:33; 24:27; 28:30). For now, however, Paul and Philip spend what time they have remembering they are brothers in Christ.

Verse 9. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

We know Paul, Luke, and several men from the churches Paul planted (Acts 20:4) are headed to Jerusalem. The men are bringing donations to the Jerusalem church from their own congregations in modern-day Turkey and Macedonia (Romans 15:26). Paul is compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem where he knows he will be imprisoned (Acts 20:22–24). Along their way, they stop in Caesarea.. It seems reasonable to think Philip’s daughters do tell the rest of the church that Paul will be arrested. In the next breath, Luke says Agabus, the famous prophet from Acts 11:28–30, arrives and foretells the same thing.

The church in Caesarea, like Paul’s companions, misunderstand the prophecy. The Holy Spirit is not directing them to rescue Paul from hardship. God is giving them the opportunity to encourage Paul as he prepares to face hardship.

The Bible makes no qualms about women prophets. Huldah validated the Law for King Josiah and prophesied God’s judgment against rebellious Judah (2 Kings 22:14–20). Anna met the baby Jesus (Luke 2:36–38). Paul gave instructions to women prophetesses in 1 Corinthians 11:5. There are biblical debates about whether prophets still exist and the difference between speaking conviction versus forecasting the future. However, there is no question that at times, God chose women to be prophets.

Verse 10. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

For the last several months, wherever Paul travels, the Holy Spirit has warned him that when he arrives in Jerusalem he will be imprisoned and afflicted (Acts 20:22–23). This was told to the elders of the church in Ephesus. The Holy Spirit told some in the church in Tyre (Acts 21:4). In Caesarea Maritima, it appears the Holy Spirit tells the four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:9). To drive the point home, Agabus arrives from the hills of Judea to confirm.

We first met Agabus in Syrian Antioch shortly after Paul joins Barnabas and before their first missionary voyage. Agabus prophesied a great famine would trouble Jerusalem (Acts 11:28). The church in Jerusalem is in a unique situation. Most of the apostles seem to be from Galilee, far from their source of income. They spread Jesus’ offer of salvation to the residents, but Jerusalem is filled with Pharisees who believe Jesus broke the Law. It is also the home of many members of the Sanhedrin, who crucified Jesus rather than risk their powerful positions in Jewish and Roman culture. Many in the church in Jerusalem are either transplants or visitors. Significant numbers are Jews from throughout the Roman Empire who come for the required feasts or to live out their final days in the holy city. They hear about Jesus and realize they need to stay longer to learn more—far longer than they brought money for.

So, when Agabus mentioned the famine, the church in Antioch took a collection and sent Barnabas and Paul to deliver it. Paul took this event and turned it into a tradition: whenever he plants a church, he encourages the members to take a collection for Jerusalem. The men who accompany him (Acts 20:4), are most likely bringing that collection.

Here, however, Agabus prophesies about Paul. He takes Paul’s belt and wraps his own feet and hands, saying, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:11). Unlike the prophets in Tyre, however, Agabus doesn’t dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem. It’s possible he knows it’s the Holy Spirit’s will as well as His warning.

Verse 11. And coming to us, he took Paul ‘s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

Paul and his companions are only a few days from Jerusalem. They have sailed from Troas, on the northeast coast of the Aegean Sea, to Caesarea Maritima; from here, they walk. Before they leave, however, the prophet Agabus arrives with a warning.

Paul knows he will be arrested when he reaches Jerusalem; the Holy Spirit has been preparing him for months (Acts 20:22–24). In addition, the Holy Spirit told prophets in Tyre as well as Philip’s four daughters (Acts 21:3–4, 9). Agabus’ prophesy is a bit more dramatic, and very specific. It’s also metaphorical. When the mob attacks Paul, they drag him out of the temple and beat him. The Roman tribune must take Paul from the crowd and then orders his hands be bound in two chains (Acts 21:30–33). There’s no indication the Jews tie Paul with a belt—although they may have—or voluntarily hand him over to the guards. They “deliver” Paul in that they create a situation which ends with him in Roman custody. That doesn’t mean the prophecy is false; the point was that Paul would be arrested, not that some specific material would bind his hands.

Agabus is from a long list of great performance-artist prophets. Isaiah had to walk around without most of his clothes (Isaiah 20:2). Jeremiah had to walk all the way to the Euphrates River to bury a loincloth (Jeremiah 13:1–7). Ezekiel had to make a diorama of Jerusalem, lie on one side for 390 days and the other for 40 days, and pretend to escape out of a hole in the wall of his house (Ezekiel 4:1–8; 12:3–7).

As in Tyre, when the church fully understands what Paul will face, they try to convince him to stay. Paul refuses. He says, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). He understands the Holy Spirit warns him so that he may prepare for what is coming, not escape it.

Verse 12. When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

When Jesus told the disciples He would be killed in Jerusalem, Peter reacted poorly. He “took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke Him.” Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mark 8:31–33). Jesus knew what Peter didn’t; He had to go to Jerusalem and die; the salvation of all of creation depended on it.

Paul’s situation is less dire, but he is no less intent. He is in Caesarea Maritima with an assortment of companions from modern-day Turkey and Macedonia, the prophet Agabus, and Philip the evangelist’s family and church. The Holy Spirit has spent the last several months warning Paul he will be arrested and suffer when he reaches Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23). The warning is confirmed not just by Agabus but apparently also by Philip’s four prophetess daughters (Acts 21:9–11). Like Peter, the group misunderstands the prophecy and tries to stop Paul.

Their care for their friend oversteps God’s will and God’s provision:

• The Jews will beat Paul in the temple courtyard, but the Roman tribune will pull Paul away (Acts 21:30–32). • The tribune will order Paul flogged and the guard will chain him, but Paul’s Roman citizenship will stay their hands (Acts 22:24–29).
• The Sanhedrin will work with a team of assassins to kill Paul, but Paul’s nephew will warn the tribune who will sneak Paul away to the governor’s quarters in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:12–33).
• The governor will put Paul under house arrest in hopes Paul will offer a bribe for his release, but Paul’s friends will still visit him (Acts 24:23–27).
• Paul will spend two years in Caesarea, but it will give him the opportunity to testify to Herod Agrippa II; as Jesus promised, Paul speaks before a king (Acts 9:15; 26).
• The ship that takes Paul to Rome will face a terrible storm and wreck on the small island of Malta, but everyone will survive (Acts 27:13–44).
• When reaching for firewood on Malta, a viper will bite Paul, but Paul will suffer no ill effects and the event will allow him to minister to the island’s residents (Acts 28:1–10).

Paul will spend another two years under house arrest in Rome. And yet, he will not only teach as many as will come to him (Acts 28:30–31), but he will also write the books of Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians, and restore Onesimus and Philemon’s relationship.

Verse 13. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul is in Caesarea Maritima on the coast of Judea. He is on his way to Jerusalem. For several months, the Holy Spirit has been warning him and others that when he arrives in Jerusalem he will be imprisoned and afflicted (Act 20:22–23). Fellow Jesus-followers in Tyre and Caesarea have begged him not to go to Jerusalem (21:4, 12). This is his response.

In an earlier letter to the church in Corinth, Paul iterated the hardships he had already endured:

…far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23–28).

Before long, Paul will again be beaten, survive a storm and another shipwreck, and be bitten by a viper (Acts 21:32; 27:13–44; 28:3–5). Eventually, he will be martyred. To the Romans, Paul will write, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). He will suffer all things for Christ because he knows nothing can separate him from Christ (Romans 8:31–39).

Verse 14. And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”

When Philip’s daughters and Agabus warned the church in Caesarea Maritima that Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem, they begged Paul to stay away (Acts 21:9–12). They didn’t understand that the Holy Spirit means for them to encourage Paul, not protect him. Paul has finally convinced the church as well as his traveling companions that this is the Holy Spirit’s plan.

Paul is already resigned. He’s known this will be his fate for several months (Acts 20:22–24). In fact, Paul was warned when he first came to Christ that he would face suffering (Acts 9:16). Paul’s companions have been less sure. He’s already escaped many entanglements, including being stoned (Acts 14:19). They find it difficult to think he should voluntarily walk into a situation where he will be imprisoned.

Jesus faced a similar situation. In the garden of Gethsemane, as He waited for the Sanhedrin guards to arrest Him, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus didn’t want to be crucified, but He wanted to obey the Father and provide salvation for us more.

Jesus also endured “helpful” friends. When Jesus mentioned He needed to go to Jerusalem where He would be killed, Peter rebuked Him until Jesus told him, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mark 8:31–33). In the garden of Gethsemane, as the guards surrounded Jesus, Peter again stepped in and tried to defend Him with a sword, and Jesus again rebuked him (Luke 22:49–51). Finally, after the resurrection, Mary Magdalene clung to Jesus so tightly He couldn’t move. He gently reminded her that He had more work to do—and so did she (John 20:15–18).

Verse 15. After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

Paul, Luke, and a group of men from Macedonia and modern-day Turkey (Acts 20:4) are on the last stretch to Jerusalem. They landed in Tyre, stayed a week, spent one day in Ptolemais, and have been in Caesarea Maritima since. A few of the church members from Caesarea accompany them.

Luke and the other companions are probably bringing donations their churches gathered for the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). The church members from Caesarea go to introduce them to Mnason with whom they will stay (Acts 21:16). Paul is going knowing full well the Roman soldiers will imprison him.

Paul has known his fate for several months. However, it’s only recently that he has convinced his friends it is the Holy Spirit’s will (Act 20:22–24; 21:13–14). It’s natural for people to see the drawbacks of Jesus’ chosen apostle to the Gentiles being locked up. But for the next two years, at least, it won’t be as bad as they fear. In Jerusalem, Paul will be beaten and arrested, but he will avoid being flogged and murdered (Acts 21:33; 22:24–29; 23:12–24). For his protection, the Roman tribune will send him back to Caesarea where he will share Jesus’ story with Herod Agrippa II, and the church in Caesarea will be able to visit and minister to him as much as he needs (Acts 24:23; 26). Even when Paul faces the long, hazardous sea voyage to Rome, Luke and Aristarchus are with him (Acts 27:2). And when he reaches the end, he will be in Rome, chained to Roman guards who will take his message to Caesar’s household while a steady stream of visitors come to hear about Jesus (Acts 28:16, 30–31; Philippians 4:22). In addition, he will write Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians.

Paul proves faithful to God and God proves faithful to His people.

Verse 16. And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

Paul is on the 64-mile journey from Caesarea Maritima to Jerusalem along with Luke, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus (Acts 20:4), as well as a contingent from Philip’s church in Caesarea. It’s unclear if Mnason lives in Jerusalem or somewhere along the way.

This is the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, which is the last recorded in the book of Acts. He will reach Jerusalem and report to James and the elders of the church. They will rejoice over the establishment of the church in Ephesus as well as the news Paul brings of the faithfulness of the churches in Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth. But they bear troubling news, as well. A rumor has spread that Paul is teaching Jewish Christians they no longer have to follow the Mosaic law. To prove them wrong, Paul agrees to help a group of men complete their Nazirite vow. Before they can finish the ceremony, however, another rumor flies that he has brought a Gentile—Trophimus—into the temple. The issue escalates quickly and results in Paul being under house arrest for five years (Acts 21:17–36).

Even as Paul faces these challenges, the Holy Spirit surrounds him with support. Some of his traveling companions have been with him for years, others for months. Those from Caesarea accompany him because they’re concerned about him. Staying with Mnason—who apparently has followed Jesus since that first Pentecost or even earlier—must be more comforting than staying in an inn. Soon, Paul will be back in Caesarea—under house arrest but able to visit with the church members (Acts 24:23). And Luke and Aristarchus will travel with him to Rome (Acts 27:2).

Initially, when the Holy Spirit warned Paul’s friends that he would be arrested, they thought they were supposed to prevent him from going to Jerusalem. Soon, they learn the Holy Spirit is preparing them to support Paul.

Verse 17. When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

Paul must have very mixed feelings. He is glad to be back in Jerusalem. His companions can finally deliver the donations they have collected from their home churches to the apostles who first spread the message of Jesus (Acts 20:4; Romans 15:26). Paul can give the Jerusalem elders an account of the healthy churches in Ephesus, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth. Despite various troubles—especially in Corinth—they faithfully follow Christ.

It’s unclear who “the brothers” are. They might be Mnason’s household (Acts 21:16) or an assortment of Jesus-followers in Jerusalem. Paul will not meet with James and the church elders until the next day, but this gathering may include some of the apostles. Either way, it’s a warm welcome after several years apart.

Paul enjoys it while he can. He will soon learn that despite his sacrifices and faithfulness, he is the victim of a rumor. Some claim he has forsaken and rejected entirely the Mosaic law, and encouraged other Jews to, as well. As he goes about proving his respect for Mosaic law, another group of people wrongly accuse him. This time, the claim is that he brought a Gentile into the temple. Mischief ensues, and the Romans place Paul under house arrest for five years.

This day, however, he enjoys the provision of good friends that God provides. As he later writes the Philippians while under house arrest in Rome, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Context Summary
Acts 21:17–26 is an account of Paul reporting to the “upper management” of the early church. He has spent the last several years along the coastline of the Aegean Sea, establishing the church in Ephesus and building up the congregations in Troas, Macedonia, and Corinth. Now he returns to Jerusalem to give an account of his ministry. James and the elders of the Jerusalem church also have news: a rumor is going around claiming Paul teaches that Jews who worship with Gentiles should entirely forsake the Mosaic law. Ironically, when he cooperates with the elders’ recommendation to prove his respect for Old Testament truth, Paul is again falsely accused and arrested.

Verse 18. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Paul and his traveling companions are in Jerusalem meeting with James, the half-brother of Jesus and pastor of the Jerusalem church, as well as the other elders of the church. Along with Luke, the “we” here would include Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus (Acts 20:4). These men have brought donations from their home churches in Ephesus, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Galatia for the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). Paul joins the meeting as the coordinator of the support (Galatians 2:10) and to report what he has been doing for the last several years.

“To James” probably means they are meeting in James’ house; there’s no indication if any of the apostles are there. When the elders hear all that Paul and his team have done, the elders glorify God (Acts 21:19–20). Then they share some disturbing news.

Many years before, legalistic Jewish Christians tried to convince the churches in Galatia and Syrian Antioch that to properly worship the Jewish Messiah, Gentiles needed to follow the Jewish law (Acts 15:1). The Jews said this because they wanted to be part of the church but didn’t want to lose their standing in the synagogue (Galatians 6:12–13). Paul and Barnabas disagreed and brought the matter to the church in Jerusalem. James and the elders determined that in order to make the Jews comfortable eating with Gentile believers, the Gentiles should avoid eating food sacrificed to idols and blood, and avoid sexual immorality (Acts 15:19–21).

Paul affirmed the council’s decision and distributed their letter. But now someone is accusing Paul of teaching that Jewish Christians should—or must—stop following Mosaic law. This is patently false. The church comes up with a plan to prove Paul is a good Jew. In the course of fulfilling it, Paul gets arrested (Acts 21:19–36).

Verse 19. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Representatives from modern-day Turkey, Macedonia, and probably Greece have come to the church in Jerusalem to offer the donations their churches have collected (Acts 20:4). Paul has come along, and he shares with James and the Jerusalem elders what he has been doing the last few years (Acts 21:18; Romans 15:26).

Paul has spent most of the previous four years in Ephesus, a large port city on the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea. He first met twelve men who followed John the Baptist’s teaching of repentance of sins. After explaining that the Messiah John had prophesied about was Jesus of Nazareth, the men accepted Christ and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1–7).

Next, Paul spent three months in the synagogue explaining how Jesus brought the kingdom of God. When the pushback grew too great, he moved to a hall in town. The Holy Spirit validated his words by giving him the ability to heal and expel demons. He was so effective that people abandoned their witchcraft and other demonic practices and burned their spells. Within two years, everyone from the large district had heard of Jesus (Acts 19:8–20).

After Ephesus, Paul wanted to travel to Corinth but issues in the church made him delay his trip. He went north to Troas, sailed to Philippi, visited Thessalonica and Berea, and then stayed in Corinth for three months (2 Corinthians 1:15–16, 23; 1 Corinthians 16:5; Acts 20:3). After he reconciled with the Corinthians, he’d planned on sailing straight to Judea, but the Jews plotted against him, so he had to retrace his steps all the way up to Philippi and Troas and all the way back down to a port south of Ephesus (Acts 20:3, 6, 16).

Most significantly, Paul brought the gospel to an important port city in western Turkey and greatly reduced the witchcraft, demonic oppression, and idol worship there. In addition, he chastened the church in Corinth and reminded them how to live out of their new identities in Christ. This correction likely reassured the elders. They’d heard a rumor Paul was traipsing around the Empire, telling Jews they shouldn’t follow any part of the Mosaic law anymore (Acts 21:20–21).

Verse 20. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,

Paul and the elders of the church in Jerusalem have very different lives. Paul travels a great deal, sharing Jesus’ story to Gentiles in pagan towns who know little or nothing of the Jewish God. The elders live in Jerusalem, trying to teach about Jesus to Jews, including Pharisees who think they know everything about the Jewish God. Paul calls Gentiles from their pagan lives to a new life in Christ. The elders call out Pharisees who want this Jesus but don’t want to sacrifice their esteemed place in the community provided by rigid law-keeping.

This came to a head after Paul and Barnabas returned from their first missionary journey. Pharisaical Christians from Jerusalem told Gentiles they needed to follow the Mosaic law—by being circumcised and keeping a kosher diet—to properly worship the Jewish Messiah. Paul and Barnabas fiercely disagreed and brought the issue to the elders and apostles in Jerusalem. James, the pastor, disavowed the Pharisees and their message and wrote a letter telling Gentiles to refrain from sexual immorality and eating blood and food sacrificed to idols (Acts 15). Paul willingly shared the letter with the churches he planted.

Years later, while Paul is working around the area of the Aegean Sea, a rumor spreads. This is something of the inverse of the prior error: that Paul is notonly failing to ask Gentiles to follow the council’s reasonable requests, but he’s also telling Jewish Christians they should no longer follow the Mosaic law (Acts 21:21).

When Paul denies the accusations, the church in Jerusalem is relieved. Welcoming Gentiles into the church is one thing; completely abandoning the symbol of Jewish national identity is quite another. God’s commands to the nation of Israel don’t contradict the gospel of salvation. It would have been difficult for evangelists in Jerusalem to witness to Jewish Pharisees if Paul were travelling the world telling Jewish Christians not to be circumcised.

Their solution is for Paul to help a group of men perform the final rites of their Nazirite vow. Ironically, when Paul does so, Jews from a port city on the Aegean Sea accuse him of bringing a Gentile into the synagogue. They start a riot. Paul is “rescued” when the Roman guards arrest him (Acts 21:22–36).

Verse 21. and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

Paul has been traveling around modern-day Turkey, Macedonia, and Greece, bringing Jesus’ offer of salvation to the Gentiles. Meanwhile, the church in Jerusalem has been drawing more and more Jews. The Jews understand that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah who forgives their sins and promises a physical resurrection. They are being taught, correctly, that to follow Christ is no contradiction to their Jewish faith. God’s commands as found in the Law of Moses are still in effect for the nation of Israel, which is not to say they are mandatory for salvation. Nor is participating in them meaningful to non-Jews.

Somehow, the Pharisaical Christians hear that as Paul spreads the message of salvation to the Gentiles, he is telling Jews they should stop following Mosaic law. This is not just a denominational issue; it’s a crime punishable by death (Deuteronomy 13:1–5).

This raises a point which often needs clarification: did the Jews of the early church need to continue practicing Judaism? The answer is that they did not need to do so for salvation. Salvation is by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9); Jews today are part of the church, not the theocracy of Israel. However, their identity as God’s chosen people selected to provide the Messiah to save the world is still expressed through the Law. Paul knows this. It’s why although he firmly teaches Gentile Christians do not have be circumcised, he circumcised Timothy, a young Jewish Christian, to avoid undue offense (Acts 16:1–3).

The whole issue must be incredibly frustrating to Paul. His Jewish bona fides are impeccable (Philippians 3:2–6). He’s out in the dangerous world, rescuing people from demons, and the Jews in Jerusalem are worried he’s telling people their diet is too restrictive. But he has already resolved to be what he needs to be so others can be focused on the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:19–23). When the elders of the Jerusalem church ask him to fulfill a Jewish ritual, he does so. But in the course of the week, before being fully able to complete the ritual, Paul is accused of something else he didn’t do. A riot ensues and Paul is arrested by the Romans (Acts 21:22–36).

Verse 22. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

The elders of the church in Jerusalem are in a bind. A large contingent of their church is composed of Jewish Pharisees—a group prone to over-emphasize the Mosaic law and make up new rules when they feel the Law isn’t enough. Unlike the Sadducees, who stick to the Law as written but enjoy the cultural and financial advantages of the Roman Empire, the people like the Pharisees and look up to them.

Paul was in training to be a Pharisee when he met Jesus far away on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:3; 9:3–4). Since then, he has spread Jesus’ message to Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, the island of Cyprus, Greece, and Macedonia. He has already had run-ins with Pharisee-Christians who tried to convince Gentile Christians they had to follow the Mosaic law, as well. After a great debate, the apostles met with the pastor and elders of the church in Jerusalem and decided the Gentiles only needed to refrain from sexual immorality, food that had been sacrificed to idols, and eating blood (Acts 15:1–21).

Somehow, the Pharisaical Christians in Jerusalem heard that Paul was telling Jewish Christians they shouldn’t circumcise their sons or eat a kosher diet. This rumor is, of course, not true. In fact, Paul circumcised Timothy because he was Jewish (Acts 16:1–3). When Paul was out in the field, the Jerusalem church didn’t have to worry directly about his teachings. Now he’s back.

But Paul’s not alone. He’s come with several representatives who have brought donations from their predominantly-Gentile churches for the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4; Romans 15:26). What if the Pharisees think it’s a bribe to entice the elders to lighten restrictions on Jewish and Gentile believers?

From a practical standpoint, Paul is more “expendable” than the Pharisees in the Jerusalem church. That is, to lose the support of that group would be a tragic misunderstanding and a major blow to evangelism in the city. So, the elders make Paul fix the problem. As it happens, a group of men need to finish the rites of their Nazirite vow. If Paul acts as their sponsor, it should clarify that he still values Judaism. Paul agrees, but before he can fully complete the rite he is falsely accused of bringing one of those Gentile gift-bearers into the temple; a riot erupts and Paul gets arrested (Acts 21:23–36).

Verse 23. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;

Before Paul followed Jesus, he persecuted the church. He chased Christians down, arresting them, and voting for their execution (Acts 26:10). After Paul met Jesus in Damascus and returned to Jerusalem, the church didn’t believe news about his conversion. Barnabas had to take the chance to determine if he had really changed. Then he went all over Jerusalem, preaching about Jesus so aggressively he got death threats. So the church elders sent him home to Tarsus (Acts 9:26–30).

Years later, Paul and Barnabas came to Jerusalem to confront James about the Pharisaical Christians he sent to Syrian Antioch and Galatia who kept telling the Gentile Christians they needed to be circumcised (Acts 15:1–4; Galatians 2:12). James disavowed the messengers, saying he never sent them, and agreed Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism to follow the Jewish Messiah (Acts 15:6–29).

Given all this, it’s understandable that the elders of the church in Jerusalem have mixed feelings about Paul’s presence. They’re happy his mission to build up churches and bring Jews and Gentiles to Christ is so successful (Acts 21:19–20). But the Pharisee-Christians are spreading a new rumor: that Paul is telling not just Gentiles, but Jews as well, to abandon the Mosaic law (Acts 21:21).

The solution the elders come up with is for Paul to take part in a very public Jewish religious rite. Four men have reached the end of their Nazirite vow, but they each need a significant sacrifice to finish. If Paul provides the animals they need, he will prove he is still dedicated to a proper understanding of the Law.

Verse 24. take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

Paul is in Jerusalem, reporting how many Gentiles have come to Christ through his ministry. This was especially effective in Ephesus where he settled for three years. The elders of the church are glad, but they’re worried about a rumor: that Paul has been telling Jewish Jesus-followers to abandon the Mosaic law. To disprove those rumors, they ask Paul to help four men fulfill their Nazirite vow (Acts 21:18–23).

A Nazirite vow is a voluntary period of dedication to God. Adherents avoid wine or anything else from grapes. They do not cut their hair. And they do nothing to make themselves ceremonially unclean—especially have contact with a corpse (Numbers 6:1–8).

If the vow is interrupted—for example, if the person accidentally contacts a dead body—the adherent must go through an eight-day purification process and sacrifice two birds before restarting the vow (Numbers 6:9–12). Once the vow is completed, the person will bring an offering and shave his or her head (Numbers 6:13–20). Some say that because the men’s process takes seven days (Acts 21:27), this may be a restart of a broken vow. But since the elders ask Paul to pay their expenses, and two turtledoves or two pigeons are not an exorbitant expense, this is probably the conclusion of the men’s successful vow. In this case, Paul will have to provide a male lamb, an ewe lamb, a ram, a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers with oil, and a grain and drink offering—for each. That’s kind of a lot to ask of someone who typically pays his own expenses as he ministers (Acts 18:2–3; 1 Corinthians 9:4–7; 1 Thessalonians 2:9).

While Paul is in the temple, shortly before the final ceremony, Jews from the same province as Ephesus wrongly accuse him. They claim he brought Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, into the temple. The men start a riot and nearly kill Paul before the Roman tribune “rescues” him by having him arrested (Acts 21:27–36). This starts Paul’s five years of house arrest.

The irony and tragedy here are intense. Paul is wrongly accused of breaking Mosaic law while fulfilling Mosaic law. The elements of sacrifice he pays for are part of a fellowship meal between the person giving the vow, the priest, and God. During the sacrifice, the priest will burn the lambs to God, take some of the ram and bread, and give some of the ram and bread back to the one making the offering. That all three—the man, the priest, and God—take part in a communal meal reaffirms their covenant commitment to one another. Even this is taken from Paul: he is denied communion with God within Judaism.

Verse 25. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Paul is speaking with James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem. He intends to update them on what he has been doing the last four years or so. His work included planting a church in Ephesus and building up mostly-Gentile churches all over the coast of the Aegean Sea. But a rumor has been floating around Jerusalem that Paul is teaching Jewish Christians they should not observe the Mosaic law. This is false, and Paul is willing to take the elders’ suggestion—help four men complete a Jewish vow—to debunk the unhelpful gossip (Acts 21:18–24).

It’s not clear why the elders tell him this. These regulations came about because the apostles and elders had to consider if Gentile believers had to become practicing Jews to follow Jesus. Paul was there. In fact, Paul brought them the issue from Syrian Antioch. And Paul was responsible to take their letter to the Gentiles in Syria and modern-day Turkey (Acts 15). Perhaps they’re reassuring him that their initial request to the Gentiles stands.

“What has been sacrificed to idols” refers to the communal meals people have in pagan temples. To refrain means more than just not going out to dinner; during those meals people make business connections and show their fealty to their city. A person who doesn’t sacrifice to the local god or goddess is seen as someone who doesn’t care about their community. Without business contacts, a craftsman can suffer financially and find it difficult to provide for his family. It’s a big sacrifice, but Paul supports it; false gods are demons, and Jesus-followers should have no part (1 Corinthians 10:14–22).

The council forbids animals that have been strangled because such animals are not butchered correctly to ensure their blood is properly drained. There is debate today about whether Christians are still prohibited from eating blood because the law pre-dates the Mosaic law (Genesis 9:4) or if the restriction was lifted the same time other foods were (Acts 10:9–16). Either way, the council asks the Gentiles to refrain so the Jewish Christians will feel free to share meals.

“Sexual immorality” means any sex not between a husband and wife. There is no caveat for couples who are engaged, couples who “love each other very much,” or pornographic situations. Such restrictions have always been in place, and remain; that they need to be repeated so often speaks to the powerful temptation of sex.

Verse 26. Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.

To prove to legalistic Jewish Christians that Paul still reveres the Mosaic law, the elders of the church in Jerusalem have asked him to help four men complete what was likely a Nazirite vow. A Nazirite vow is a voluntary, temporary commitment to total dedication to God. The adherents, in this case men, abstain from anything made from grapes and do not cut their hair. At the end of their vow, they must present a sacrifice and shave their heads. If they become unclean, particularly by accidentally contacting a corpse, they must go through an eight-day cleansing ritual and restart their time (Numbers 6:1–21).

Since the men’s purification takes seven days (Acts 21:27), some scholars think this is a reset—the difference between eight and seven days may be because Luke counts days in the Greek way and not the Hebrew way. But the offering for a reset is merely two birds each; eight birds wouldn’t cost much. The offering to fulfill the vow includes a female lamb, a male lamb, a ram, unleavened bread, loaves of bread, crackers, oil, and a grain and drink offering. Such an expense for four men would go a long way in proving Paul’s devotion to the Law and be a sacrifice for someone who supports himself on the field (Acts 18:2–3; 1 Corinthians 9:4–7; 1 Thessalonians 2:9).

Paul arrived in Jerusalem with several men—Jews and Gentiles—who came from modern-day Turkey, Greece, and Macedonia. He presents money collected by their home churches for the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). One of these is Trophimus from the city of Ephesus in Asia, the large district in western Turkey. At some point in this week, Jews from Asia see Paul with Trophimus in the city. When they later see Paul in the temple, they assume Trophimus is with him. Legally, Trophimus is allowed to be outside the temple, in the court of Gentiles. To bring an uncircumcised Gentile into the temple is against the Mosaic law and, since it would be the defilement of a religious structure, it is also against the Roman law. The false witnesses accuse Paul as he stands amidst the temple crowd. The people beat him, and the tribune of the Roman outpost arrests him (Acts 21:27–36).

Verse 27. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

During Paul’s third missionary journey, he traveled through Galatia, the province in central modern-day Turkey. He eventually settled in Ephesus, in the province of Asia in western Turkey. He spent three years in Ephesus, establishing and building up a church. When a protest caused by disgruntled shrine craftsmen turned into a riot, Paul left and toured the churches he had established previously in Macedonia and Greece (Acts 19—20).

When he returned to Jerusalem, representatives from these churches came along to bring the money they had collected for the church in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4; Romans 15:26). Paul accompanied the men to James and the elders to report on his work. The elders were happy that Paul had seen such success among the Gentiles. Unfortunately, they were also concerned about rumors that he had abandoned the Mosaic law and taught other Jewish Christians to do the same. To prove his continued Jewishness, Paul agreed to help four men complete their vow.

The text doesn’t indicate what type of vow is meant, but it’s most likely a Nazirite vow. This is a voluntary oath, taken by men and women, to dedicate one’s life to God for a period. That the rite takes seven days leads some to believe that the vow had been interrupted unexpectedly, most likely because the men encountered a corpse. This would mean they needed to finish the eight-day ceremony that would cleanse them and reset the timeframe. That the Bible says it would take seven days and Luke says eight could be due to a difference in how Jews and Greeks measure days.

However, this may be the completion of the vow. The elders ask Paul to cover the men’s expenses; if this is a vow reset, the sacrifice is two turtledoves or two pigeons for each man—a negligible amount. If the men are completing the vow, Paul will have to provide eight lambs, four rams, bread, oil, grain, and wine. This seems a more likely demonstration of Paul’s faithfulness to the Law (Numbers 6:1–21).

One of the men accompanying Paul is Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus. Sometime during the week, Jews from Asia see Paul with Trophimus in the city. When they later see Paul at the temple, they erroneously conclude Paul has brought the Gentile into the temple. This not only breaks the Mosaic law, but it also defiles the temple. Defiling or insulting an “approved” religion also breaks Roman law. The elders of the church had wanted Paul to fulfill the men’s requirements to prove he is a faithful Jew; he doesn’t even get the chance. Paul’s accusers inflame the crowd who attempts to beat him to death. Paul is only rescued when the Roman tribune arrests him (Acts 21:28–36).

Context Summary
Acts 21:27–36 explains why Paul’s public ministry takes a five-year hiatus. He has arrived in Jerusalem only to hear a rumor that he abandoned the Mosaic law. Seeking to prove otherwise, he is then slandered with a rumor that he brought a Gentile into the temple. Before the mob can kill him, the Roman tribune takes him into custody. He will face two years house arrest in Caesarea Maritima and two in Rome, broken up by a dangerous sea voyage that ends in a shipwreck. But he will also be able to share Jesus’ story with audiences he never dreamed of. These include a king and Caesar’s own household.

Verse 28. crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

Asia is the large district in western modern-day Turkey and includes the cities of Ephesus and Troas. Paul spent three years in Ephesus, healing people, expelling demons, and introducing people to the saving grace of Christ. So many Gentiles abandoned their witchcraft and idol-worship that local shrine makers started a riot. They tried to reassert the importance of Artemis worship in Ephesian culture. But by the time Paul moved on, everyone in the province of Asia knew Jesus’ name (Acts 19:8–34).

Years before, Paul had fought against the errant beliefs of Pharisees who had become Jesus-followers. They taught that Gentile Jesus-followers had to adopt Jewish practices like circumcision and kosher eating. Paul and others from the church in Syrian Antioch brought the issue to the church in Jerusalem. The apostles and elders determined that Gentiles needed to refrain from sexual immorality, food sacrificed to idols, and blood, but they did not have to be circumcised (Acts 15:1–21).

When Paul returns to Jerusalem from Ephesus, he encounters a rumor which is almost the exact opposite: that he teaches Jewish Christians they should not be circumcised (Acts 21:21). To publicly reaffirm his devotion as a faithful Jew, he agrees to help four men complete a ceremonial vow (Acts 21:23–27). Jews from Asia see him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Asia (Acts 21:29). When they later see Paul in the temple, they assume Paul has brought Trophimus into the temple.

This is the evidence they need. Although encouraging a Jew to forsake the Mosaic law is punishable by death (Deuteronomy 13:1–5), Jews have lost the right to capital punishment under the Roman law. However, bringing a Gentile into the temple is desecrating a religious structure: a crime under the Roman law and punishable by death.

So, these critics and enemies try to kill Paul.

Verse 29. For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

While Paul is at the temple trying to prove he is still faithful to Judaism, Jews from the province of Asia in modern-day Turkey see him. They have two concerns. First, they’ve heard rumors that while Paul is out teaching about Jesus of Nazareth, he’s been telling Jews they should no longer follow the Mosaic law (Acts 21:28). Second, they’ve seen Paul in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus. Despite no evidence, this leads them to the conclusion that Paul has brought Trophimus into the temple.

Bringing a Gentile into the temple is against Roman law. In 1871, a carved stone sign was found in the wall of a Muslim school in Jerusalem’s Old City that reads, “No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.” It is written in Greek and applies to Gentiles and unclean Jews. The Mishna describes the balustrade as a three-foot high wall. Josephus says it surrounded an internal courtyard around the altar and the Holy of Holies. It’s unclear where exactly this wall ran or if there was a courtyard around the temple inside the Court of the Gentiles.

All to say, any Jew who defiles the temple could be executed according to both the Mosaic and Roman laws. It’s unclear why the Asian Jews would think Paul is that foolish. They do, however, and incite the crowd to assault him until the Roman guards arrive and arrest him (Acts 21:30–36).

We don’t know who first spread the story that Paul taught the Mosaic law no longer applied to Jews, but we do know the rumor infiltrated the church in Jerusalem (Acts 21:21), although apparently not in Tyre or Caesarea Maritima. Because Christians believed the lie, it spread to non-Christians, and Paul finds himself arrested by the Romans. Without question, some situations—particularly abuse or when civil law is broken—the church needs to notify proper authorities that a crime has been committed. In other cases, God gives the church the right to judge internally (1 Corinthians 6:1–8). Paul’s Christian accusers had no right to publicly spread rumors that he encouraged Jews to break the Mosaic law when he was not there to defend himself.

Verse 30. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

The scourge of anonymous persons making accusations is nothing new. Unknown critics charged Paul with the crime of teaching Jews they do not have to follow the Mosaic law, a crime punishable by death (Deuteronomy 13:1–5). To counteract the claim, elders of the Jerusalem church ask him to help four men complete a vow. Paul is asked to assist by paying for their expenses and accompanying them in the rites they must perform in the temple (Acts 21:20–26). While doing so, Jews from modern-day Turkey falsely accuse him of bringing a Gentile into the temple: a crime punishable by death under the Roman law (Acts 21:27–29). To not defile the temple further by shedding human blood within its walls, the mob drags Paul out and shuts the gates.

In three or four years, Paul will remind the church in Philippi of his bona fides as a Jew: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5–6). He goes on to explain what those accomplishments are worth: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7–8).

Some scholars see symbolism in the closed gates. The traditional Jewish worship is closed to Paul. Peace with traditional Jews, for which the Jerusalem church elders have worked so hard, is cracking. As a devout Jew, Paul worked hard to destroy Christianity (Acts 8:1–3). Now, he is banished from the expression of his former faith.

Verse 31. And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

As Paul spent the last few months traveling around Greece, Macedonia, and modern-day Turkey, the Holy Spirit continually warned him he would be arrested and suffer in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23). This wasn’t so Paul would avoid Jerusalem; it was to prepare him for what was coming. It is God’s will that Paul be arrested. That experience will place Paul exactly where he needs to be to promote the gospel.

That time has come. In the process of attempting to prove he is still a Jew, Paul is falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple. This is against both the Mosaic and Roman laws and is punishable by death—in fact, in 1871, a stone in a Muslim school in Jerusalem was found engraved with such a warning. The crowd of Jews grab Paul, drag him out of the temple, and shut the doors lest they spill human blood in the holy site (Acts 21:27–30).

On the northwest corner of the temple mount stands the Antonia Fortress: the Roman Empire’s military garrison in Jerusalem. The base sits level with the city, but the tower rises above the temple courtyard so the guards can watch for trouble. “Tribune” can identify different positions, including those in charge of administration and logistics who are also on-call to lead units into battle. Among other things, they are to protect the poor and the non-citizens from the aristocrats. Since the governor’s headquarters is in Caesarea Maritima, sixty miles away, he is also responsible for keeping the peace.

The tribune arrests Paul thinking he is the Egyptian who attempted to lead Jewish assassins in revolt against the Roman occupiers in Jerusalem (Acts 21:37–40). Seeking to find out what is going on, he, perhaps foolishly, allows Paul to explain himself to the crowd, which leads to further unrest (Acts 22:1–22). After realizing Paul is a Roman citizen (Acts 22:22–29) and the Jewish council is both clueless and corrupt (Acts 23:7–10, 12–22), he wisely decides the situation is above his paygrade and sends Paul to the governor (Acts 23:23–35).

Verse 32. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Jews from Asia, a large province in western modern-day Turkey, previously saw Paul in Jerusalem with Trophimus, an Asian Gentile. When they later see Paul in the temple, they erroneously assume Paul brought Trophimus inside with him. That would be considered a religious offense, and punishable under Roman law. The accusers rile up the crowd of worshipers who promptly drag Paul out of the temple, shut the gates, and beat him. Before they can kill him, the Roman tribune hears of the commotion and intervenes (Acts 21:23–31).

The tribune is probably not yet thirty years old, likely a young senator taking a year to learn more about the Empire. That experience comes by providing administration and leadership for the Roman army’s outpost in Jerusalem. The centurions are army officers in command of about 100 legionaries; about 600 soldiers live in barracks in Jerusalem.

The governor is in Caesarea Maritima, sixty miles away. Jerusalem is rather notorious for civil unrest. A Roman leader who loses control of Jerusalem may face dismissal—as Pilate discovered some time after his experience with Jesus. The tribune needs to stop the riot and extricate Paul from their grasp. However, he needs to accomplish this without such a show of strength the crowd will feel threatened. Then he needs to take Paul into the barracks to interrogate him and determine what is going on.

Verse 33. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.

Paul is in the temple, in part trying to disprove lies that he has abandoned the Jewish faith. He is helping a group of men complete their Nazirite vow. Jews from modern-day Turkey spot him and assume he has brought a Gentile from their district into the temple. The accusers cry out that Paul “brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place” (Acts 21:28). The crowd responds by dragging Paul out of the temple so they can beat him to death without spilling his blood inside (Acts 21:29–31).

On the northwest corner of the temple mount sits the Antonia Fortress. This is the barracks for the Roman military outpost in Jerusalem. Word of the disturbance reaches the tribune, and he runs down with officers and soldiers to break up the riot (Acts 21:31–32). As often happens in such an event, there is more noise than knowledge; even though the tribune asks what is happening, everyone tells him something different. He chains Paul and has him carried to the barracks to interrogate him (Acts 21:34–36).

Maybe two weeks before, Paul had been visiting Philip the Evangelist in Caesarea Maritima on the coast of Judea. Philip has four daughters who apparently prophesied what the Holy Spirit had already warned Paul: when he reaches Jerusalem, he will be arrested. The famous prophet Agabus then came down from the hills of Judea to say the same thing with a little more flair. He took Paul’s belt, wrapped it around his own feet and hands, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:8–11).

Some question the accuracy of the Bible because the specific actions taken by Agabus don’t perfectly match every detail of Paul’s experience. The Jews didn’t voluntarily give Paul to the Romans. There’s no indication that they tied Paul’s hands and feet with his belt; the Romans bound him in chains. That was not the point of the prophecy, however. The Jews “bind” Paul by containing him and restricting his movements. Despite being forced, they do hand him over to the soldiers. And his wrists are literally bound.

The prophecy the Holy Spirit gave Paul, Philip’s daughters, and Agabus is fulfilled.

Verse 34. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

The tribune of Jerusalem is confused. He was interrupted from his normal duties by word that a riot had broken out in the temple courtyard. He rushed out to find a mob of Jews beating a man. At the sight of the soldiers, the Jews parted. The tribune ordered soldiers to chain the man and asked what was going on (Acts 21:31–33).

The man is Paul. The crowd is beating him for two reasons. They heard a rumor that he teaches Jews they should not follow the Mosaic law, which is not true. They also believe Paul brought a Gentile into the temple, which is not accurate, either. In truth, Paul teaches that Gentiles do not have to follow the Law, and he had gone to the temple to help four Jewish men complete their Nazirite vow by paying for their sacrifices (Acts 21:20–30).

The tribune can’t get a straight answer, however. He thinks Paul might be an Egyptian commander of 4000 would-be revolutionaries who tried to reclaim Jerusalem a few years prior. When Paul explains he’s just a Jew from Tarsus, the tribune lets him speak to the crowd (Acts 21:37–40). This only riles up the mob even more. The tribune then turns to standard Roman procedure when seeking information from a prisoner: flog him until he tells the truth. Unbeknownst to the tribune, Paul is a Roman citizen, whose civil rights exclude both flogging and being chained before facing trial (Acts 22:1–29).

The situation deteriorates from there. The tribune brings Paul before the Sanhedrin in hopes they can explain, but in just a few short sentences Paul manages to set the Pharisees and Sadducees of the council against each other (Acts 22:30—23:10). When the tribune then learns the Sanhedrin is implicated in a plot to kill Paul, he gives up. He sends Paul to the governor in Caesarea Maritima and doesn’t even show up for the hearing (Acts 23:12–35; 24:22).

Verse 35. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,

To prove that he is a Jew properly respectful to Jewish law, as well as a Christian, Paul agrees to help four men complete a Nazirite vow. Meanwhile, Jews from modern-day Turkey see Paul and one of his traveling companions, who is a Gentile, together in the city. They later see Paul at the temple and assume he’s brought this friend into the temple. They loudly accuse Paul of profaning the temple. A crowd forms, drags Paul into the courtyard, and attempts to beat him to death (Acts 21:27–31).

The barracks of the Roman military outpost in Jerusalem sit at the northwest corner of the temple mount, overlooking much of the courtyard. News of the riot reaches the tribune; he assembles centurions and soldiers to accompany him. They manage to extricate Paul from his attackers long enough to chain him, but when asked what is going on, the crowd has more volume than information. Their rage swells again, and the soldiers arrest Paul, more or less for no reason other than to protect him from the mob (Acts 21:32–35).

When Paul came to a saving relationship with Jesus, Jesus warned him he would suffer for His cause (Acts 9:16). Over the past few months, the Holy Spirit has warned Paul he will face imprisonment and affliction in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23). The beatings are nothing new; Paul has been stoned before (Acts 14:19). What may hurt most is that before the crowd started punching, they dragged Paul from the temple and shut the gates.

Before Paul became a Christian, he was trained by the great Pharisee Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), “a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people” (Acts 5:34). Paul followed the Law as well as the extra-biblical teachings the scribes developed to prevent people from coming close to breaking the law. He properly honors Mosaic law, while also understanding it will not reconcile him to God. He fights against forcing the law on Gentile Christians. But the Law of Moses is an expression of his identity as a Jew called to share Jesus’ offer salvation to the Gentiles.

As the soldiers drag him into a building owned by the Roman army, it takes him farther from his temple. It’s unclear if he ever returns to Jerusalem. For now, however, the temple is forbidden from him.

Verse 36. for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

Paul has faced plenty of persecution, and he’s been arrested by local authorities (Acts 16:19–24). However, this is the first recorded time he’s arrested by the Roman military. To prove he’s a devout Jew, he planned to provide the sacrifices for four men completing a Nazirite vow. Before they can finish the ritual, Jews, likely from Ephesus, falsely accuse him of bringing a Gentile, Trophimus the Ephesian, into the temple.

The temple was set up with graduated areas of exclusivity. In the outer courtyard, everyone, including Gentile God-fearers, could worship God and learn from the rabbis under Solomon’s Portico. It is this area that Jesus cleared out when the moneychangers and bird merchants filled the space such that Gentiles had no place to worship (Matthew 21:12). Every ceremonially clean Jew was allowed on the porch and the first room in the temple. Clean men were allowed in the area closer to the altar. Only priests could go inside with the lampstand and the dedicated bread. Once a year, a designated priest could enter the Holy of Holies; the ark of the covenant was no longer there, but they still offered incense (Luke 1:8–9).

It’s unclear if Trophimus was a God-fearer before he met Christ, but he certainly isn’t fully converted to Judaism. He is allowed in the courtyard, but not inside the temple proper. For a Gentile to go beyond the courtyard would be to violate the Mosaic law—and the desecration of any authorized religious structure violated the Roman law and was punishable by death. Presumably, this Roman law is why the Sanhedrin tried to accuse Jesus of threatening the temple (Matthew 26:61).

Jews had very limited capital punishment authorization. When the crowd killed Stephen, it was illegal, but they were able to do so because Stephen was a complete unknown (Acts 7:54–60). With Paul, the mob may think they’ll be permitted to kill because he committed a capital offense according to the Roman law—or so they think. The tribune and his soldiers stop the mob and rescue Paul by arresting him. Within days, faced with the always-volatile situation in Jerusalem, an assassination plot, and Paul’s status as a Roman citizen, the tribune will soon decide the entire situation is beyond his paygrade and send Paul to the governor.

Verse 37. As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?

The arrest which Holy Spirit has been warning Paul of is finally happening (Acts 20:22–23; 21:33). Jews from modern-day Turkey falsely accuse him of bringing a Gentile into the temple, and the Roman military outpost has him in chains. Paul doesn’t seem to regard them as a mob of enraged Jews who want to kill him. He sees a group of lost souls who need Jesus. While he has them there, he wants to share his story (Acts 22:1–21).

First, he must convince the tribune to let him speak. For some reason, the tribune has Paul confused with someone else entirely.

Three years prior, according to ancient historian Josephus, an Egyptian huckster convinced a group of Jews that he could lead them into a battle that would expel the Roman overlords from Jerusalem. They camped at the Mount of Olives where he told the militia to wait until he commanded the walls to fall. They would then invade the Roman garrison, the Antonia Fortress, and take control of the city. Instead, Felix, the procurator of Judea, sent soldiers to the encampment where they killed or imprisoned several hundred of the would-be revolutionaries. According to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 20.8.6, the Egyptian quietly escaped. The tribune thinks Paul is that Egyptian. He’s shocked when his “Egyptian” speaks to him in cultured Greek.

The barracks are the Antonia Fortress, the Roman military’s outpost that houses 600 peace-keeping forces. The large building rises from the city level to above the northwest corner of the temple mount; from there, the guards can see much of the courtyard. Below and along the north wall of the mount are a courtyard and several smaller buildings. Herod the Great built it in 35 BC and named it after Marc Antony.

Context Summary
Acts 21:37–40 explains how Paul convinces a Roman military officer to allow him to jump from a dangerous situation into something even worse. A mob at the temple has just tried to kill him. Paul, of course, wants to explain; not to defend himself against the false accusation that inspired the mob, but to share the story of his faith in Jesus of Nazareth. The tribune is confused, thinking Paul is an Egyptian revolutionary. He allows Paul to speak, and immediately regrets it.

Verse 38. Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”

Paul is buffeted amidst false charges, slanderous accusations, and mistaken identity. Legalists falsely claim he teaches Jewish Christians they do not need to be circumcised (Acts 21:20–21). Through a circuitous route, this leads to the accusation that he has brought a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:28). When a Roman officer arrives to break up the ensuing riot, he somehow assumes Paul is an Egyptian who recently led peasants into an ill-fated revolution.

In Cyprus (Acts 13:8) and Ephesus (Acts 19:13–14), Paul encountered Jewish frauds who provided supernatural diversions for the religiously unfulfilled Gentiles. In Judea and Samaria, the people were preyed upon by charlatans who promised significance of some kind. In AD 36, an imposter, who claimed to be Moses reincarnated, convinced a group of Samaritans that if they excavated Mount Gerizim, they would find gold artifacts left by Moses. Pilate, misunderstanding the gathering, killed many in battle, took others prisoner, and executed the leaders. When the survivors protested, Pilate was removed from his post.

Josephus, in Jewish Antiquities, 20.8.6, recorded an event that occurred three years before this riot at the temple. An Egyptian came to Judea and told people if they joined him at the Mount of Olives, he would destroy the walls around Jerusalem, and they could rebel against the occupying Roman forces. Felix, the governor, found out and sent horsemen and footmen who attacked the would-be revolutionaries. They slew 400 and took 200 alive, but the ringleader disappeared.

It is this Egyptian with whom the tribune confuses Paul. “Assassins” refers to the Sicarii, extremist Judaean nationalists known for assassinating their political enemies in crowds with small, curved daggers.

Verse 39. Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”

It’s not clear why Paul came to the temple. He might have come to teach about Jesus, like Peter and John did (Acts 3:12–26), or to pray (Acts 3:1), or to finish last-minute preparations to help four men fulfill their Nazirite vow (Acts 21:20–27). Most certainly, he did not come to bring Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, into the temple, as some insisted. Nor did he come to get dragged out of the temple, beaten to a pulp, and arrested by the Roman army (Acts 21:28–36).

Similarly, he is not an Egyptian rabble-rouser, here to lead the peasants in a revolt against the Roman occupation, as the tribune thinks. And, so, when Paul starts speaking proper Greek, the tribune is even more confused (Acts 21:37–38). To reassure the officer, Paul gives his credentials.

Paul was trained in Jerusalem by the famed Pharisee rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). However, his family is from Tarsus on the southern coast of eastern modern-day Turkey (Acts 9:11). Paul is understating Tarsus’ importance and reputation. The city was known for its university, and some consider it a more important center of learning than Athens or Alexandria were.

Tarsus was also a Roman colony and a free city, like Philippi. Those born there were Roman citizens with all the rights of someone born in Rome proper. That includes the right to a trial before being chained, beaten, tortured, or executed. This is something the tribune should catch now, while Paul is standing, chained, in front of him, and not later, when he orders the soldiers to tie Paul up and flog him (Acts 22:24–29).

The tribune isn’t thinking of Paul’s rights, at first. He’s trying to figure out why the Jews are rioting in the temple courtyard. Asking the mob led nowhere (Acts 21:34), so he hopes if Paul explains to the Jews, he’ll understand, also. Whether because he doesn’t understand why Paul’s speech is so inflammatory (Acts 22:3–21) or because he doesn’t speak Aramaic (Acts 22:2), the tribune remains as confused as before. He falls back on the standard Roman way of getting information: beating prisoners until they comply.

Verse 40. And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

When the tribune allows Paul to speak to his attackers, he doesn’t realize he and Paul are at cross purposes. The tribune—an officer of the Roman cohort in Jerusalem—wants to know why the formerly peaceful temple courtyard turned into a group beating with Paul as its target. He’s already asked the attackers but can’t get a straight answer (Acts 21:34). When Paul asks to speak—and verifies he is not an Egyptian revolutionary (Acts 21:38–39)—the tribune hopes Paul will say something useful.

Paul knows why he was arrested. Ostensibly, he’s being attacked because Jews from modern-day Turkey saw him in town with Trophimus, a Gentile also from that province. Those men also saw Paul in the temple and think Paul brought Trophimus into the temple. Deeper than that, he knows that legalistic Jewish Christians, who have been giving him grief since just after his first missionary voyage (Acts 15:1–2), spread the rumor that he’s been teaching Jews they don’t need to be circumcised (Acts 21:20–21, 28).

Even deeper than that, Paul knows the mob attacked him because it is God’s plan. The Holy Spirit has been telling him—and others—for months that he will find “imprisonment and afflictions” in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22–23; 21:4, 9–11). Since arrest by the Romans is inevitable and his public ministry will be paused, he wants to take this last chance not to defend himself but to give the testimony of how Jesus of Nazareth has changed his life (Acts 22:3–21).

The audience listens until Paul reaches the point where Jesus commissions him to share His message with Gentiles. The mob suddenly remembers why they’re angry and shouts at the tribune to take him away. The tribune hasn’t learned anything of value—possibly because Paul is speaking the “Hebrew dialect” of Aramaic. He orders Paul flogged—a traditional Roman method of extracting information—which Paul avoids by pointing out he’s a Roman citizen (Acts 22:22–29). Paul spends the next five years under house arrest, but he does finally get to Rome.

End of Chapter 21.

Please Note:

The material use in this post, video is from BibleRef.com which is from Got Questions Ministries and is posted here to be read by Immersive reader in the Edge Browser. If you copy this material please follow these rules:

•Content from BibleRef.com may not be used for any commercial purposes, or as part of any commercial work, without explicit prior written consent from Got Questions ministries.

•Any use of our material should be properly credited; please make it clear the content is from BibleRef.com.

•BibleRef.com content may not be altered, modified, or otherwise changed unless such changes are specifically noted.