Paul’s Second Visit to Galatia and Phrygia, 18:23.
[23] On this third journey, Paul visited the churches. The encouragement he was able to give in these visits was very important.
Apollos in Ephesus and Achaia, 18:24-28.
[24] Here we see an example of Christian work which, no doubt, was done in many churches. Aquila and his wife remained in Ephesus, and there they were able to do a great work in teaching Apollos. Apollos was from Alexandria, Egypt. He came to Ephesus and preached. He was a good speaker and knew much Scripture. He came to the synagogue to preach about Christ, for he knew the prophets spoke of a Messiah. He also knew about the preaching of John the Baptist. John had come to prepare the way for Christ. Apparently, Apollos had heard John’s preaching. He preached the same message as John had (see Matthew 3:1-7).
For some reason, Apollos had not heard that Christ had actually come, had been crucified and raised from the dead. He had not heard that the church had been established. As he preached in the synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla recognized that his knowledge was lacking. He preached what he knew, and that was good. But he did not know enough. We have some preachers like that today. They need to understand the way of the Lord better.
Aquila invited Apollos into his own home. There he taught Apollos the things he did not know. Apollos was not filled with pride. He was humble enough to study with Aquila so that he might learn. Many today are filled with pride. They think they already know everything. Some who are old do not believe younger men can teach them. We must get away from such pride if we are to learn the way of the Lord.
It should also be noted that Priscilla helped her husband teach Apollos. Christian women have a right to teach. But in these days some women go beyond the authority God has given them. Here we see that a woman can teach privately. In other Scriptures, we discover what women can do. They can teach other women (Titus 2:3-4). They are not to teach nor have authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12). In the church they are to be quiet (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). Women can serve God in many ways, but they must be careful that they do only as God says.
[27] After a time, Apollos wished to go on. He wanted to go to Corinth. Some brethren wrote a letter of introduction for him. The letter encouraged brothers in Achaia to receive him. There, he was a great help to the church, for he convinced many that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 19:1-7
19 1 While Apollos was in the city of Corinth, Paul was visiting some places along the northern route to the city of Ephesus. In Ephesus, Paul found some followers of John. 2 Paul asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” These followers answered him, “We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit!” 3 So Paul asked them, “What kind of immersion did you receive?” They said, “It was the immersion which John taught.” 4 Paul said, “John immersed people after they changed their hearts. John told people to trust in the one who would come after him. That person is Jesus.” 5 When these followers of John heard this, they were immersed by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then Paul put his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They began speaking different inspired languages and prophesying. 7 In this group there were about twelve men.
Paul Reaches Ephesus, 19:1-7.
[1] In Ephesus, Paul met some disciples who had been baptized with John’s baptism. It is likely that they had been taught by Apollos before he himself learned the truth more fully. Probably after Apollos learned about the baptism of Christ, he looked for those whom he had taught so that he could share with them the new truths he had learned. Evidently, he did not find these twelve men. It would be difficult to find a small group of people in a city the size of Ephesus. But Paul happened to meet these men. In discussing the Word of the Lord with them, he discovered their lack of understanding.
[2-5] Paul asked them whether or not they had received the Holy Spirit. When he learned that they knew nothing about the Holy Spirit, he questioned them further and discovered that they knew only the baptism of John, which carried no promise of the Spirit. Paul instructed them further, as Aquila had instructed Apollos, and they were immersed in the name of the Lord. This is the only case of re-baptism in the New Testament. There is an important lesson to be learned. Just because one has received some kind of baptism does not necessarily indicate that it is the one baptism we read about throughout the New Testament (Ephesians 4:5). These days, some denominations practise different forms of baptism such as sprinkling. Such forms are not authorized in the New Testament and, therefore, are not accepted by the Lord. One who has been baptized in a denomination which teaches different forms of baptism than the New Testament has not been born again. It is necessary to be born again if one is to be a Christian (John 3:1-5). We have many examples of just what the new birth is. If we have not received this, we need to be immersed properly, just as the disciples at Ephesus were.
[6-7] After their immersion, Paul laid his hands on them to give them the Holy Spirit. This conferred upon them a gift of the Spirit, the ability to speak in languages that they had not learned. They also received the gift of prophecy. Remember the similar experience at Samaria (Acts 8:17).
Acts 19:8-20
8 Paul went into the synagogue and began to speak very boldly. Paul did this for three months. He debated with the Jews and he tried to persuade them to believe in the kingdom of God, 9 but some of the Jews became stubborn. They refused to believe. They said some terrible things about The Way. The people heard these things. So Paul left and took the followers of Jesus with him. He went to a place where a man named Tyrannus had a school. There he reasoned with people every day. 10 He did this for two years. Because of this work, every Jew and Greek in the country of Asia heard the message of the Lord. 11 God was using Paul to perform some very unusual miracles. 12 Some people carried handkerchiefs and clothes which Paul had worn. The people put these things on sick people. When they did this, the sick people were healed and evil spirits left them. 13-14 Some wandering Jews were also trying to make evil spirits go out of people. The seven sons of Sceva were doing this. (Sceva was an important Jewish priest.) These Jews were using the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They all said, “By the same Jesus whom Paul proclaims, I order you to come out!” 15 One time, an evil spirit said to these Jews, “I have heard about Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on these Jews. He was much stronger than they were. He beat them up and tore off their clothes. They ran away from that house. 17 All of the people who lived in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks, learned about this. They all began to have great respect for God. The people were giving more and more honor to the name of the Lord Jesus. 18 Many of the believers began to admit all of the evil things they had done. 19 Some of the believers had used magic. These believers brought their books of evil magic and burned them up before everyone. Those books were worth about two million dollars. 20 This is how the message of the Lord was influencing more and more people in a powerful way.
Paul Preaches in the Synagogue and in the School of Tyrannus, 19:8-12.
[8-10] Paul continued to teach in the Jewish synagogue hoping to convince some of his people about the truth. He continued to teach longer in the synagogue there than in most places. This indicates that the hearers were more willing to study. However, strong opposition finally arose, and some spoke evil of the Way (Acts 9:2).
When Paul left the synagogue, he found a place in a school. The church grew rapidly during the two years Paul taught there. No doubt some of his students and fellow workers travelled widely, preaching and establishing congregations.
[11-12] Paul’s work in Ephesus was marked by great miracles. Such great power is not often seen in the New Testament. It was a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. It was responsible for the confirmation of the work and the spread of the gospel. In addition to his healing powers, Paul exorcised evil spirits. This led to the attempted misuse of the power of the Spirit by some non-Christians.
Exorcists Are Exposed and Books of Magic Are Burned, 19:13-20.
[13-14] When some travelling Jewish exorcists tried to use the power which Paul used, they were defeated. In all ages, certain men have tried by magic, divination, sorcery, and other such methods to have power over the spirit world. Those Jews recognized that the power of Paul was greater than their trickery.
[15-17] Quite by surprise, the evil spirit spoke to them. The evil spirit did not fear those men because they had no power. The only adequate power to overcome such evil spirits is that of Christ. To prove that the evil spirit had greater power than those non-Christian Jews, the evil spirit caused the man in whom he dwelt to overpower all seven of them. Christians must put their trust in Christ to defeat such evil spirits (1 John 4:4). Christians should not fear. We have God’s Spirit.
[18-20] Ephesus was a centre of magical practice. That there was much activity of this kind is clear from the record here. Such magicians quickly saw, as did Simon (Acts 8:9f.), that the power of Christ was far greater than what they had. Recognizing true power, many magicians confessed their own trickery and exposed their methods of deceiving people. They brought the books in which were written the secrets of their trade.
They brought the articles which they used in their practices. They now saw that these were worthless. As a testimony of their turning from satanic ways to the Lord, those things were burned publicly. As an indication of the magnitude of the practice of magic in this city and an indication of what the people were willing to give up for Christ, the price is noted – well over 50,000 silver coins. One silver coin was the pay for a day’s work. With the public denial of the works of darkness, the powers of Satan received a great defeat. The result was great growth of the powers of Light – the Word of the Lord. Such confrontations as noted here are not uncommon in the world today. There is the constant struggle between the forces of good and evil. Satan continues to keep many in darkness through various kinds of witchcraft. But the gospel of Christ can defeat all such powers if we will accept it by faith. Those involved in witchcraft must give up their practice and publicly destroy the articles of their trade, as the people did at Ephesus. A public example like this is a powerful witness of the power of Christ.
Acts 19:21-22
21 After these things, Paul made plans to go to Jerusalem. Paul planned to go through the countries of Macedonia and Achaia, and then go to Jerusalem. Paul thought, “After I visit Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome.” 22 Timothy and Erastus were two of Paul’s helpers. Paul sent them ahead to the country of Macedonia, but he stayed in Asia for a while.
Paul Plans for Future Journeys, 19:21-22.
[21-22] Paul had worked several years among the Greeks. Three missionary journeys were now almost complete. As Paul journeyed to Jerusalem, he wished to carry a gift from the Gentile churches (see Acts 24:17). Other references to this may be seen in 1 Corinthians 16:1f.; 2 Corinthians 8:1f.; Romans 15:25f. Such references in these letters also point to the time of their writing. Probably First Corinthians was written during this time. See 1 Corinthians 16:3f. for a reference to the collection. In Romans 15:25f., which was written after Paul left Ephesus, Paul definitely planned to take a gift to Jerusalem.
Acts 19:23-34
23 However, during that time, there was some bad trouble in Ephesus. It was about The Way. This is how it all happened: 24 There was a man named Demetrius, a silver-worker. He made little silver models which looked like the temple of the goddess Artemis. The men who did work like this made lots of money from it. 25 Demetrius had a meeting with some other men who did the same kind of work. Demetrius told them, “Men, you know that we make a lot of money from our business. 26 But, Paul has influenced many people. He has done this in Ephesus and all over the whole country of Asia! Look at what this man Paul is doing! Listen to what he is saying! He says that the gods which men make are fake. 27 This might turn the people against our work. But there is also another danger: People will begin to think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is not important! Her greatness will be destroyed. Artemis is the goddess that everyone in Asia and the whole world worships.” 28 When the men heard this, they became very angry. The men shouted, “Artemis, the goddess of the city of Ephesus, is great!” 29 All the people in the city became very upset. The people grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, men from Macedonia. (These men always traveled with Paul.) Then all the people ran together to the stadium with a single purpose. 30 Paul wanted to go in and talk to the people, but the followers of Jesus wouldn’t let him go. 31 Also, some leaders of the country were friends of Paul. These leaders sent him a message, begging him not to come into the stadium. 32 Some people were yelling one thing and others were yelling something else. The meeting was very confused. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come there. 33 The Jews had a man stand before the people. His name was Alexander. The Jews told him what to do. Alexander waved his hand, because he wanted to explain things to the people. 34 But when the people realized that Alexander was a Jew, they all continued shouting together for two hours. They shouted, “Great is Artemis of Ephesus! Great is Artemis of Ephesus . . . !”
Paul Is Troubled by a Mob, 19:23-41.
[23-28] The great success of the gospel was posing a threat to the trade of idol makers in Ephesus. Therefore, one of those men tried to bring trouble upon Paul. Demetrius made small silver images of the goddess Diana (Artemis). Many people were becoming Christians. Because of this, the idol makers were not able to sell their images. This was spoiling their business.
This temple of Artemis was a majestic building. It was 425 feet long and 120 feet wide. It was constructed out of the most precious materials. It was elaborately decorated. This image itself was probably a meteorite (fallen star) and was called a holy rock (verse 35). Because it fell from the sky, the people believed it was a heavenly image sent from the gods.
[29-34] The opposition aroused by Demetrius and his workmen spread. The whole city was affected. Alexander was a Jew and apparently wished to disclaim any association of the Jews with Paul and his company. However, the crowd did not wish to hear from a Jew. They knew that Jesus opposed their goddess. They would not listen to him.
Acts 19:35-41
35 Then the main city official made the crowd be quiet. He said, “Men of Ephesus, everyone knows that Ephesus is the city which keeps the temple of the great goddess, Artemis, and her holy rock. 36 No one can say that this is not true. So, you should be quiet. You must stop and think before you do anything wrong. 37 They have not stolen anything from her temple or said anything bad about her. 38 We have courts of law and there are judges. Do Demetrius and those men who work with him have a charge against anyone? They should go to the courts! That is where they can accuse each other! 39 Is there anything else you want to talk about? Then come to the regular town meeting of the people. It can be decided there. 40 I say this because someone might see this trouble today and say that we were rioting. We could not explain all of this trouble, because there is no real reason for this mob.” 41 After the official said these things, he told the people to go home. Then all of the people left.
[35-41] The city official was alarmed at this mob. He recognized that the Roman officials might hold him responsible for such an outbreak. He argued that the whole matter in question was simply a business matter. If Demetrius had a complaint, he said, let him make it. The government was able to handle all complaints. This ought to be settled in a legal manner and not by rioting. Having thus appealed for order, he succeeded in dismissing the crowd.
Acts 20:1-6
20 1 When the trouble stopped, Paul invited the followers of Jesus to come visit him. He wanted to encourage them. Then Paul said good-bye and left. He went to the country of Macedonia. 2 He encouraged the followers in the different places on his way through Macedonia. He told the followers many things. Then Paul went to Achaia. 3 He stayed there three months. He was ready to sail for Syria, but some Jews were planning something evil against him. So, Paul decided to go back to Syria through Macedonia. 4 Some men were with him. They were: Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus, from the town of Berea), Aristarchus and Secundus (from the city of Thessalonica), Gaius (from the town of Derbe), Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus (from Asia). 5 These men went first, ahead of Paul. They were waiting for us in the city of Troas. 6 We sailed from the city of Philippi after the Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread. We met these men in Troas five days later. We stayed there for seven days.
Paul’s Second Visit to Macedonia and Greece, 20:1-3.
[1-2] After this riot, Paul prepared for his trip to Macedonia as planned previously. It is not known how long Paul spent visiting the churches in Macedonia. Perhaps he was in that region about a year.
[3] Most of the three months that Paul was in Greece was spent in the city of Corinth. While in Corinth, he wrote his letter to the Romans. The evidence for this is as follows: In Romans 15:25-26 he stated that he was ready to start travelling to Jerusalem with the contribution. Gaius, his host, lived in Corinth (Romans 16:23; see 1 Corinthians 1:14). Also, Phoebe, a Christian of the Corinthian seaport of Cenchrea, was the bearer of the letter to Rome (Romans 16:1). Bible scholars also suggest that the Book of Galatians was probably written at this time.
Paul’s Journey From Corinth Back to Troas, 20:4-6.
[4-6] Paul’s plan was to sail for Syria. Word was received that a trap had been set for him. He changed plans and travelled inland, passing through Macedonia. The men mentioned here were representatives from the churches sending aid to Jerusalem. They all made their way safely to Troas, where they remained some days. The “days of Unleavened Bread” were the days of Jewish feast held in April. This was probably the year A.D. 57. Note also that the “we” portion of Acts begins again here in Philippi as they sail to Troas. Luke had remained in Philippi previously and now joined the company again (see Acts 16:10f.).
Acts 20:7-21
7 On Sunday, we all met together to eat the supper of the Lord. Paul was talking with the group. He was ready to leave the next day. Paul continued his speech until midnight. 8 There were many torches in the room where we were gathered. The room was upstairs. 9 There was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window. As Paul talked on and on, Eutychus became sleepier and sleepier. Finally, Eutychus went to sleep and fell out of the window. He fell to the ground from the third floor. When they got to him, he was dead. 10 Paul went down to Eutychus. He kneeled down and hugged him. Paul said to the other believers, “Don’t worry. He is alive now.” 11-12 They brought the young man inside. He was alive, and they were very much comforted. Paul went upstairs again. After he broke off some of the bread and ate it, Paul spoke to them a long time. When he finished talking, it was early morning. 13 We sailed for the town of Assos. We went first, ahead of Paul. He planned to meet us in Assos and join us on the ship there. Paul told us to do this, because he wanted to walk to Assos. 14 Later we met Paul at Assos and there he came onto the ship with us. Then we all went to the town of Mitylene. 15 The next day, we sailed away from Mitylene and came to a place near the island of Chios. The next day we sailed to the island of Samos. A day later we came to the town of Miletus. 16 Paul had already decided not to stop at Ephesus. He didn’t want to stay in Asia too long. He was hurrying, because he wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, if that were possible. 17 Paul sent a message back to Ephesus from Miletus. He invited the elders of the congregation in Ephesus to come to him. 18-19 When the elders came, Paul said to them, “Do you remember when I came to you on my first day in Asia? I stayed with you the whole time. The Jewish leaders planned evil things against me. Although this troubled me very much (sometimes I even cried), I always served the Lord. I never thought about myself first. 20 I always did what was best for you, telling you the Good News about Jesus in public and also in your homes. 21 I told both Jewish and non-Jewish people to change their hearts and turn to God. I told them all to trust in our Lord Jesus.
A Meeting in Troas, 20:7-12.
[7-12] This passage is important for a number of reasons. It shows that the disciples were meeting regularly in worship on the first day of the week. A special part of that meeting was to partake of the Lord’s Supper. When Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29), He did not indicate how often we should observe it. However, we know that early Christians met each Lord’s Day to worship God. Paul refers to this in his letter to the Corinthians. He teaches that they were to observe the Lord’s Supper in their regular meetings. There was a problem at Corinth because they were not observing communion in a proper manner. Yet, they were obviously aware of the importance of its weekly observance (1 Corinthians 11:20-21, 23-24).
It is bad that so many churches today do not follow the ancient practice of weekly communion. The significance of this memorial is great. It is the memorial of the body and blood of Christ. It is a command of Christ that we remember him with this memorial feast. It ought to be done every Lord’s Day. This keeps the greatness of the gift of life through Christ fresh in our minds.
The Voyage From Troas to Miletus, 20:13-15.
[13-15] The rest of Paul’s company boarded a ship, while Paul himself went by land. The journey from Troas to Assos by land was about 30 kilometres. By ship it was about 60 kilometres. They all met as planned and sailed to Mitylene. Consult a map, and you will see these small ports where they stopped along the coasts of the Aegean Sea.
Paul’s Address to the Elders From Ephesus, 20:16-38.
[16-17] The boat in which they were travelling was to spend two or three days in Miletus. Paul was rushing to Jerusalem, but he did want to meet the elders at Ephesus. He sent for them to come. They met in Miletus.
18-21] He reminded them first of his own labours among them. In this brief statement, we can see the untiring labours of this apostle and how he taught both publicly and in homes.
Acts 20:22-31
22 But now I must obey the Holy Spirit and go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that, in every town, the Holy Spirit warns me that troubles and even jail wait for me. 24 My life doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I finish the race – the work which the Lord Jesus gave me to do, telling people the Good News about God’s gracious love.” 25 “And now listen to me. I know that none of you will ever see my face again! During the whole time I was with you, I was preaching to you about the kingdom of God. 26 So, today I can tell you one thing that I am sure of: I’m not to blame, if some of you will not be saved! 27 I can say this, because I know I told you everything that God wants you to know. 28 Watch out for yourselves and for all the people God has given you. The Holy Spirit chose you to guard this flock. You must shepherd the Lord’s people whom he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, some men will come into your group. They will be like vicious wolves, trying to destroy the flock. 30 Also, men from your own group will begin to teach things which are wrong, leading some followers away from the truth. 31 So, be alert! Always remember: I was with you for three years. During this time, I never stopped warning each one of you. I taught you night and day. I often cried over you.”
[22-27] Next, he revealed what the future might bring. He knew that jail awaited him in Jerusalem. The Spirit was making this known through the prophets whom Paul met as he travelled. Such warnings were not a major concern of Paul, for as a Christian, his faith was in God. He knew that whatever happened, God would be with him. Paul said he was pure from the blood of all men. He had taught everyone he met about Christ. None could point to him and say that he had kept back the message of God. This concept of responsibility is also stated in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 3:18-21).
[28] Paul had spoken of his past. He had revealed something of his future. Now he spoke of the future of the elders and the church at Ephesus. His first warning was that they take heed to themselves. Every person must learn to control his own life. He must consider himself (1 Timothy 4:16). Next, these elders were to take care of the flock. Here the church was called a flock, and the elders were like shepherds who were responsible for the total protection and care of the congregation.
The elders were reminded that the church was purchased with the blood of God (Christ). Such a price shows the great value that God placed on the church. It shows the great value which elders should also place on the church. And it shows the value we ought to place on the church. We must keep the church pure. It belongs to the Lord. Nothing could be of more value than the blood of the Lord. Since this blood was given for the church, we must see its value. We must also see our need to be members of this valuable church.
[29] Paul spoke of false teachers who would come in as “wolves.” This is the same term the Lord used (Matthew 7:15). If elders are watchful, they will not let false teachers come in and destroy the church. Elders must know the Word of God thoroughly in order to identify false teaching. They must constantly be awake, watching so that only the truth is taught. They must also watch to see that sin does not enter into the lives of Christians.
[30] False teachers would arise, even from among the elders. One of Jesus’ own disciples turned against Him. Some church leaders will turn away from the truth. This is a big problem in the church today. Some men divide churches so they will have people to follow them. Many men seek honour. Many claim to be prophets or teachers sent from God. They claim to receive visions. They bring different teachings. We must beware of all such claims (1 John 4:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
[31] Paul gave his own watchfulness as an example. He watched constantly. He was so concerned that he wept.
Acts 20:32-38
32 “Now I am giving you to God. I am depending on the message of God’s gracious love to make you strong. That story is able to give you the blessings which God gives to all His holy people. 33 When I was with you, I never wanted anybody’s money or fine clothes. 34 You know I always worked to take care of my own needs and the needs of the people who were with me. 35 I always showed you that you should work as I did and help people who are weak. I taught you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. Jesus once said, ‘You will be happier when you give than when you receive.’ ” 36 When Paul finished saying these things, he kneeled down and they all prayed together. 37-38 They all cried and cried and cried. They were especially sad, because Paul had said that they would never see his face again. They hugged Paul and kept on kissing him. They went with him to the ship to say good-bye.
[32-38] Paul was leaving. He would not be there to help any more. But he said that the Christians were in the hands of God. They were to live by the Word of God. The Word of God is all sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It will build up. It will bring an inheritance. It will bring eternal life.
Paul’s life was an example for them. The work he had done among them was not for earthly gain. He had worked to supply his own necessities and also the necessities of others with him. The life of the Christian is a life of service and not one of being served (Luke 22:24-27; Matthew 20:25-28).
Acts 21:1-14
21 1 After we all said good-bye to the elders, we sailed away, straight for Cos Island. The next day we went to the island of Rhodes. From Rhodes we went to Patara. 2 At Patara, we found a ship which was going to Phoenicia. We went aboard the ship and sailed away. 3 We sailed near the island of Cyprus. We could see it on the north side, but we did not stop. We sailed to the country of Syria. We stopped at the city of Tyre, because the ship needed to unload its cargo there. 4 In Tyre, we found some followers of Jesus, and we stayed with them for seven days. They warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of what the Holy Spirit had told them. 5 But when we finished our visit, we left and continued our trip. All the followers of Jesus, including the women and children, came outside the city with us to say good-bye. We all kneeled down on the beach and prayed. 6 Then we said good-bye to one another. We went aboard the ship and they went back home. 7 We continued our trip from Tyre and went to the city of Ptolemais. We greeted the brothers there and stayed with them one day. 8 The next day we left Ptolemais and went to the city of Caesarea. We went into the home of Philip and stayed with him. Philip was a preacher of the Good News. He was one of the seven servants. 9 He had four virgin daughters. These daughters had the gift of prophesying. 10 After we had stayed there for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us and borrowed Paul’s belt. Then Agabus used the belt to bind his own lands and feet. Agabus said, “The Holy Spirit tells me, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the man who wears this belt. Then they will hand him over to non-Jewish people.’ ” 12 We all heard these words. So, we and the local followers of Jesus kept begging Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 But Paul asked, “Why are you crying? Why are you making me so sad? I am ready to be bound in Jerusalem. I am even ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!” 14 We could not persuade him to stay away from Jerusalem. So, we stopped trying and said, “We pray that what the Lord wants will be done.”
The Journey From Miletus to Caesarea, 21:1-9.
[1-6] The journey from Miletus was made without any problem. Soon they arrived at Tyre, and the ship was unloaded there. Since several days were spent there, they located the brethren and stayed with them for seven days. Evidently, there were some prophets there because the same warning that danger awaited him in Jerusalem was repeated to Paul. The few days of spiritual fellowship ended. They all brought Paul and his companions back to the ship, and, after prayer, said good-bye.
[7-9] Only one day was spent at Ptolemais. Even for this short time, Paul’s company wanted the fellowship of the brethren. Next, they went to Caesarea. There they found Philip and stayed with him. He was one of the seven men who were chosen in Acts 6. He was an evangelist, and some of his early work was in Samaria and with the Ethiopian (Acts 8). Philip had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Nothing is said of their work, but this is some evidence of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy noted in Acts 2.
Agabus Prophesies of Paul’s Imprisonment In Jerusalem, 21:10-14.
[10-14] This Agabus was probably the same man who prophesied of the famine in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-29). He symbolized his message like the Old Testament prophets did (Jeremiah 27:1-11; 1 Kings 11:29ff.; Isaiah 21:2ff.; Ezekiel 4:1ff.). Agabus signified that Paul would be imprisoned. He spoke from the Holy Spirit. Paul would be seized by the Jews and delivered to the Gentiles. The people asked Paul not to go, but Paul knew that he was in the good hands of God. He was ready to do whatever was necessary for the Lord
Acts 21:15-24
15 After this, we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the followers of Jesus from Caesarea went with us. These followers took us to the home of Mnason, a man from Cyprus. Mnason was one of the first people to become a follower of Jesus. They took us to his home, so that we could stay with him. 17 Later we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers there were very happy to see us. 18 The next day Paul went with us to visit James. All of the elders were there, too. 19 Paul greeted all of them. Then he told them exactly how God had used him to do many things among non-Jewish people. 20 When the leaders heard these things, they gave glory to God. Then they said to Paul, “Brother, you can see that thousands of Jews have become believers, and they all think it is very important to obey the law of Moses. 21 These Jews have heard that you tell Jews who live in other countries among non-Jews to abandon the law of Moses. They heard that you tell those Jews not to circumcise their children and not to obey Jewish customs. 22 Therefore what should we do? The Jewish believers here will learn that you have come. 23 We advise you to do this: Four of our men have made a vow to God. 24 Take these men with you and share in their washing ceremony. Pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Do this and it will prove to everyone that the things they have heard about you are not true. They will see that you yourself respect the law of Moses in your own life.
The Journey From Caesarea to Jerusalem, 21:15-16.
[15-16] Paul was determined to complete his journey. Some disciples from Caesarea joined him and took him to the home of Mnason. This man had been a Christian for many years and provided lodging for the group.