Acts 21 Commentary

Paul and his team sail from Miletus to Lycia, where they board a ship bound for Phoenicia. In Tyre, Phoencia, they stay with believers for a week. The Tyrian believers warn Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but Paul is determined. They have a time of prayer before Paul departs.

In Caesarea, Paul and his team stay with Philip the Evangelist, who settled down there after spreading the gospel in Samaria. Agabus the prophet visits Paul and warns him that he will certainly be arrested and bound by ropes if he comes to Jerusalem. Paul’s traveling companions and the Caesarean believers weep and beg Paul to avoid the holy city, but Paul, though touched by their affection, declares that he is ready even to die for Jesus, if it is God’s will.

Paul, Luke, Timothy, and the rest of the team go to Jerusalem. The elder James, half-brother of Jesus, greets Paul warmly. He and the other elders praise God for all the Gentiles who now believe in Him through Paul’s ministry. They warn Paul that some of the believers in Jerusalem take the Mosaic Law extremely seriously, and have heard rumors that Paul teaches against the Law. To prove this slander wrong, the elders advise that Paul help pay for the temple sacrifices necessary to complete a vow which four of their men have taken. Paul agrees.

Some Jews from the Roman province of Asia (the western region of modern-day Turkey) recognize Paul in the temple. They attack him and spread the lie that he had brought a Gentile into the inner court of the temple, which was forbidden. A mob seizes Paul and drags him out of the temple, where men start beating Paul with the intent to kill him in the street. The Roman commander stationed in Jerusalem receives a report about the murderous riot.

The Roman commander and his soldiers rescue Paul from being murdered in the street by the mob. The commander arrests Paul and begins transporting him to the Roman barracks where he can safely investigate whether Paul is a criminal or not. Paul appeals to the commander in Greek, surprising the Roman, who had suspected Paul of being an Egyptian leader of assassins from a past insurrection. Paul explains he is from Tarsus and asks permission to speak to the mob. The commander allows it. Paul turns and addresses his would-be murderers.