Acts 21:1-16 Paul, Jerusalem, and the Will of God
Good morning! Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 21, we are going to start at verse one, and that’s on page 930 in the pew Bibles.
You may remember from last time that Paul and his companions had met with the Ephesian Elders at Miletus and they had a long and emotional goodbye with lots of prayer and weeping and hugging and kissing because Paul had told them that they would never see his face again.
This is where we pick up the story.
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. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 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. 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. 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 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
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. 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. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 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.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 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.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 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.
Let’s pray.
It is never my intention, as I sit down to study the Scripture, to find something novel to dwell on. It certainly wasn’t this week. But as I was preparing, praying, reading, and listening to sermons a problem popped up that bears some consideration.
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. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 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. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days.
I’m going to stop right there briefly. Paul and the team started in the port of Miletus and started the journey southwest towards Jerusalem having stopped in several places and sailing to the southwest of Cyprus came to the city of Tyre to the north of Israel.
What’s interesting to me is who they found at Tyre. They found disciples, they found the church. Do you know how the gospel reached the city of Tyre in the region called Phoenicia so that there would be disciples there?
Acts 11:19 says, 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch…
Disciples fled Jerusalem because of the persecution that arose over Stephen and traveled as far as Phoenicia where the city of Tyre was located.
You may remember that Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews in Jerusalem for proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ. You may also remember that the young man who oversaw his death, and even watched over the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen, was named Saul, also called, Paul.
There weren’t disciples there because Paul preached the gospel there, but instead because they fled there out of fear of Paul. Kind of ironic isn’t it?
That’s just an interesting tidbit, the next part is where the problem pops up.
You may remember from Acts 19:21 that Paul was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. It says: Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
But now, in verse four it appears that there was a bit of a contradiction.
And through the Spirit [the disciples] were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 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 6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
So, we are left with some questions: Are the promptings of the Holy Spirit in conflict? Was Paul wrong to continue on to Jerusalem?
One of my favorite preachers, Ray Steadman, preached a whole sermon on how Paul was wrong to go to Jerusalem, that it was a mistake. That didn’t sit well with me, it was kind of disappointing actually. Other preachers just skipped over it. But I’m left with a simple quote from JP Lange, “The will of the people, and even the unanimous wish and will of genuine Christians, cannot always be regarded as the will of God.”
The benefit that we have in this particular instance is hindsight. We can read the rest of the story, and over the next few weeks we’ll be reading it as we move into the prisoner stage of Paul’s ministry. Whether Ray Steadman was right about this, if Paul could have finished his course without going to Jerusalem and getting arrested and imprisoned for the rest of his life and ministry we will never know. But what we do know are the results of his determination to go.
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. 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. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
Philip, you remember him? He was one of the Seven, the first archetypes for deacons, He is also the one who explained the gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch in his chariot and baptized him on the side of the road. I’m sure that eunuch had a name and I’m sure he would wish that everybody knew it so he didn’t just have to forever only be known as “the Ethiopian eunuch.”
Philip also had four unmarried daughters that were part of the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”
Philip was a friend of Stephen as well, and one who once fled from Paul was now his gracious host!
Enter Agabus, the bearer of bad news. He had predicted the famine back in Acts 11:28 and now he had more glad tidings for Paul.
10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 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.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 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.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 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.
And while there are a lot of interesting tidbits and answers to Bible trivia questions here in this passage, I see really only one real point: submission to the will of God.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
In looking at this whole account, as well as the last chapter, it testifies that emotions are real and good but they must not be allowed to rule our hearts and our decisions. Our emotions must yield their power to childlike faith in Jesus and the victorious hope that is only found in Him.
Yes, Paul would eventually lose his life for Jesus’ sake, he gave up what the world could offer him but he gained his soul in Christ.
And in following Jesus’ instruction and His example we too must submit our wisdom to Him who is omniscient (all-knowing), we must submit our power to Him who is omnipotent (all-powerful), we must submit our fears to Him who is omnipresent(ever-present), and submit our fickle and ever-changing will to Him who is immutable(unchangeable).
At this point you know what I’m about to say, I’m about to say “amen,” and you’re about to say “amen” back. But don’t say it if you don’t mean it. The word “amen” means, let it be done, or so be it.
When we say “amen” to God’s Word and God’s will we are echoing the words of Jesus in the Garden before He was crucified, “Father, not my will but yours be done.”
So, as a family of followers of Jesus Christ, may we: submit our wisdom to Him who is omniscient, submit our power to Him who is omnipotent, submit our fears to Him who is omnipresent, and submit our fickle and ever-changing will to Him who is unchangeable.
Amen.
