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21
1 After we had said goodbye to them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes. From there we went to Patara 2 where we found a ship going to Phoenicia. We went on board and set sail. 3 We 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. 4 We found the believers and stayed there for a week. Through the Holy Spirit the believers told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When 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. 6 Then we boarded the ship, and they went back home. 7 Our voyage from Tyre ended at Ptolemais where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day.
8 The next day we left and went to Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist (one of the Seven).* One of the seven chosen to help with food distribution (Acts 6:5). 9 Philip had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we'd stayed there for several days, a prophet called Agabus arrived from Judea. 11 Approaching 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.’ ”
12 When we heard this, we and the believers there pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 13 However 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.” 14 Since he couldn't be persuaded otherwise we gave up, and said, “May the Lord's will be done.”
15 After this we packed our bags and headed for Jerusalem. 16 Some 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.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the believers there welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the church leaders were there. 19 After greeting them, Paul went through in detail everything God had done for the foreigners through his ministry.
20 When 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. 21 They 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.
22 So what should we do about it? People will certainly get to hear that you've arrived here. 23 This is what we want you to do: Four men among us have taken a vow. 24 Go 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. 25 As 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.”
26 So 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.
27 The 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). 30 The 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. 31 As they tried to kill him, news came to the Roman troop commander that the whole of Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 Immediately 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. 33 Then 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. 34 Some 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.
35 When Paul got to the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because the mob was so violent. 36 People in the crowd that was following were shouting, “Get rid of him!” 37 Just 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.”
40 The 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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*21:8 One of the seven chosen to help with food distribution (Acts 6:5).

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher