Acts 21

1After we had said goodbye to them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes. From there we went to Patara 2where we found a ship going to Phoenicia. We went on board and set sail. 3We passed within sight of Cyprus on the left, and continued on to Syria where we landed at Tyre, where the ship's cargo was to be unloaded. 4We found the believers and stayed there for a week. Through the Holy Spirit the believers told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5When the time was up, we left and went back to the ship to continue our journey. All the believers, and wives and children, accompanied us as we left the city. We kneeled down on the beach and prayed, and said our goodbyes. 6Then we boarded the ship, and they went back home. 7Our voyage from Tyre ended at Ptolemais where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day.

8The next day we left and went to Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist (one of the Seven).#21:8. One of the seven chosen to help with food distribution (6:5). 9Philip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10After we'd stayed there for several days, a prophet called Agabus arrived from Judea. 11Approaching us, he took Paul's belt, and bound his own hands and feet. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will hand him over to the foreigners.’”

12When we heard this, we and the believers there pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 13However, Paul answered, “What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be bound in Jerusalem, but to die in Jerusalem for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14Since he couldn't be persuaded otherwise we gave up, and said, “May the Lord's will be done.”

15After this we packed our bags and headed for Jerusalem. 16Some of the believers from Caesarea came with us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, where we were going to stay. He came from Cyprus and was one of the early believers.

17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the believers there welcomed us warmly. 18The next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the church leaders were there. 19After greeting them, Paul went through in detail everything God had done for the foreigners through his ministry.

20When they heard what had happened they praised God and told Paul, “Brother, you can see how many thousands of Jews have come to trust in the Lord, and they all keep the Law very carefully. 21They have been told that you teach Jews living among the foreigners to ignore the Law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to follow our customs.

22So what should we do about it? People will certainly get to hear that you've arrived here. 23This is what we want you to do: Four men among us have taken a vow. 24Go with them and perform the purification rituals with them, paying for them to have their heads shaved. That way everyone will know there's no truth to the rumors they've heard about you, but that you yourself observe the Law in the way that you live. 25As to the foreigners who have trusted the Lord, we already wrote a letter regarding our decision that they should refrain from eating food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from any animal that is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

26So Paul took the men with him, and the next day went and purified himself with them. Then he went to the Temple to give notice regarding the end of the time of purification and the offering which would be made for each of them.

27The seven days were almost over when some Jews from Asia saw Paul in the Temple and incited the crowd against him and seized him. 28“Men of Israel, help!” they shouted. “This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere to oppose our people, the Law, and the Temple. He's also brought Greeks into the Temple, defiling this holy place.” 29(They said this because they had seen him previously in the city with Trophimus the Ephesian and presumed that Paul had brought him into the Temple.) 30The whole city was shocked by this and people came running. They grabbed hold of Paul and dragged him out of the Temple. Immediately the doors were shut. 31As they tried to kill him, news came to the Roman troop commander that the whole of Jerusalem was in an uproar.

32Immediately the commander took some centurions and soldiers and ran down to the mob. When the mob saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33Then the commander came over and arrested Paul, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was, and what he had done. 34Some in the mob were shouting one thing and some another. Since the commander couldn't find out the truth due to all the noise and confusion, he ordered Paul brought into the fortress.

35When Paul got to the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because the mob was so violent. 36People in the crowd that was following were shouting, “Get rid of him!” 37Just as he was about to be taken inside the fortress, Paul asked the commander, “Can I tell you something?”

“Do you know Greek?” asked the commander. 38“Aren't you the Egyptian who recently incited a rebellion and led four thousand Assassins into the desert?”

39“I am a Jew, a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, an important city,” Paul replied. “Please let me talk to the people.”

40The commander gave Paul permission to speak. So Paul stood on the stairs and motioned for silence. When it was quiet he spoke to them in Aramaic.

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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com

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Acts 21

Paul Continues His Journey to Jerusalem

1After we had torn ourselves away from the Ephesian elders, we headed out to sea. We sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes. From there we continued on to Patara. 2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia. So we went on board and headed out to sea. 3We came near Cyprus and passed to the south of it. Then we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre. There our ship was supposed to unload. 4We looked for the believers there and stayed with them for seven days. The believers tried to keep Paul from going on to Jerusalem. They were led by the Holy Spirit to do this. 5When it was time to leave, we continued on our way. All the believers, including their whole families, went with us out of the city. There on the beach we got down on our knees to pray. 6We said goodbye to each other. Then we went on board the ship. And they returned home.

7Continuing on from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais. There we greeted the brothers and sisters. We stayed with them for a day. 8The next day we left and arrived at Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist. He was one of the seven deacons. 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

10We stayed there several days. Then a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11He came over to us. Then he took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it. He said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt. They will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”

12When we heard this, we all begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13He asked, “Why are you crying? Why are you breaking my heart? I’m ready to be put in prison. In fact, I’m ready to die in Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus.” 14We couldn’t change his mind. So we gave up. We said, “May what the Lord wants to happen be done.”

15After this, we started on our way to Jerusalem. 16Some of the believers from Caesarea went with us. They brought us to Mnason’s home. We were supposed to stay there. Mnason was from Cyprus. He was one of the first believers.

Paul Arrives in Jerusalem

17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters gave us a warm welcome. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James. All the elders were there. 19Paul greeted them. Then he reported everything God had done among the Gentiles through his work.

20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they spoke to Paul. “Brother,” they said, “you see that thousands of Jews have become believers. All of them try very hard to obey the law. 21They have been told that you teach Jews to turn away from the Law of Moses. You teach this to the Jews who live among the Gentiles. They think that you teach those Jews not to circumcise their children. They think that you teach them to give up our Jewish ways. 22What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a promise to God. 24Take them with you. Join them in the Jewish practice that makes people pure and ‘clean.’ Pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that these reports about you are not true in any way. They will know that you yourself obey the law. 25We have already given written directions to the believers who are not Jews. They must not eat food that has been offered to statues of gods. They must not drink blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not commit sexual sins.”

26The next day Paul took the men with him. They all made themselves pure and “clean” in the usual way. Then Paul went to the temple. There he reported the date when the days of cleansing would end. At that time the proper offering would be made for each of them.

Paul Is Arrested

27The seven days of cleansing were almost over. Some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed Paul. 28“Fellow Israelites, help us!” they shouted. “This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple. He has made this holy place ‘unclean.’ ” 29They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul. They thought Paul had brought him into the temple.

30The whole city was stirred up. People came running from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Right away the temple gates were shut. 31The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem. 32Right away he took some officers and soldiers with him. They ran down to the crowd. The people causing the trouble saw the commander and his soldiers. So they stopped beating Paul.

33The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. But the commander couldn’t get the facts because of all the noise. So he ordered that Paul be taken into the fort. 35Paul reached the steps. But then the mob became so wild that he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

37The soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort. Then he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who turned some of our people against their leaders? Didn’t you lead 4,000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago?”

39Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. I am a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people.”

40The commander told him he could. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When all of them were quiet, he spoke to them in the Aramaic language.

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