As Paul courageously travels to Jerusalem, we see 5 Powerful Principles for our own lives: the priority of Christian fellowship, the nature of New Testament Prophecy, our need to respect those with whom we disagree, the need to follow our convictions, and our need to be all things to all men.
Paul Sets His Face To Go To Jerusalem
Acts 21:1-36
As we come to the 21st chapter of the Book of Acts, one of the things that arrests our attention is the parallel that Luke seems to be drawing between Jesus and Paul. Both of them:
Traveled to Jerusalem with a group of their disciples
Knew ahead of time they would suffer when they got to Jerusalem
Were opposed by hostile Jews who plotted against their lives
Were handed over to the Gentiles
Declared their readiness to lay down their lives
Were determined to complete their ministries and not be deflected from them
Expressed their abandonment to the will of God
Were rejected by their own people and imprisoned
Were unjustly accused and willfully misrepresented by false witnesses
Were slapped in the face in court
Heard a frenzied mob screaming ‘Away with him’
Were subjected to a series of 5 trials
Were declared not guilty in a court of law 3 times
So, in this section we see Paul walking in the steps of his Lord. As we work our way through Acts chapter 21, we are going to see Paul journeying from Miletus to Tyre to Caesarea to Jerusalem to his arrest. As we work through the chapter, I’m going to take the opportunity to help you see some vital principles for our own Christian lives.
1. We Need To Make Christian Fellowship a Priority
Tyre: Notice how Paul pursues Christian fellowship wherever he goes. 21:1 could be translated, “When we had torn ourselves away from them.” Paul’s leaving the elders was very difficult. He loved them dearly, and found it difficult to tear himself away. After he leaves them, he and his team board a ship which travels to Cos one day, to Rhodes the next, and to Patara the next. At that point they were blessed to find a larger ship which could travel the 400 miles all the way to Tyre in Phoenicia on the Palestinian coast. Now, Paul was traveling on a cargo ship, not a cruise ship. On this 7-day break Paul could have said, “I deserve a break. I’m just going to kick back and enjoy a little vacation. After all, I’m been working night and day for years.” But, instead, Paul desired fellowship with the brethren more than he desired a vacation. Notice vs. 4 – “looking up the disciples.” That little phrase tells you that the brothers weren’t waiting for Paul and his team when they got off the ship. They had to go find them. They pursued fellowship with the brothers of Tyre. Just as a little side note, Paul had something to do with the planting of this church! Acts 11:19 tells us that this church was planted because of the Jewish brothers who were scattered abroad because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen. Well, who was behind this persecution? Paul! Now he has an opportunity to fellowship with the church that he indirectly had a hand in planting there in Tyre. Then notice the touching scene in vs.5. These brothers had only been in Tyre for a week, and notice how closely knit they had become.
Ptolemais: Again in vs.7, Paul does the same thing in Ptolemais. They disembark from the ship, greet the brethren for a day, and then are on their way. It’s almost as if it would have been unthinkable to pass through these cities without looking up the brethren and having fellowship with them.
Caesarea: vs.8 tells us they stayed with Philip in his home. Instead of staying the night at the local inn, they chose to with Philip and his family. When we left Philip in Acts 8:40, he had preached the gospel along the coast until he came to Caesarea. Evidently, he had settled down and decided to raise his family there. 20 years earlier Paul had been instrumental in the stoning of Philip’s good friend Stephen. Now, he’s showing up on his doorstep. Wouldn’t you love to be a little fly on the wall, seeing that reunion?!
Jerusalem: vs.15-16 tells us that the disciples took Paul and his team to Mnason’s home, where they stayed. Mnason was a disciple of long standing, perhaps one of the 3,000 who had been converted on Pentecost.
Life Application: Notice how much Paul desired the fellowship of other believers. Whatever town he was in, he sought out the brothers. He chose to lodge in their homes rather than a local inn. When he left them it was after kneeling and praying with them. How about you? Is fellowship with the brethren a priority in your life? Do you regularly and consistently gather with the saints when they meet together, or are you hit and miss? Do you gather only when there’s nothing better to do, or it’s not inconvenient? How strongly do you desire Christian fellowship? I’m convinced that one of the most powerful tools God uses in our sanctification is community. If you want to grow as a Christian, there is no substitute for fellowship. Fellowship is just sharing together in Christ. You might be sharing love, hugs, prayers, words of encouragement, a meal, a car or a house. But the root idea of “fellowship” is sharing. There’s a common perspective among believers that when they are out of town on vacation or business it’s a good time to take a break from church. Paul certainly didn’t feel that way. When we do that we wonder why we’re fighting and irritable with each other? Brothers and sisters, be zealous for Christian fellowship. When your Bridge Group meets, make a point of being there. When your DNA groups gather, don’t cancel out, if you can help it. When Sunday morning rolls around, make sure you’ve gone to bed at a reasonable hour, so you can get up and be there when the saints gather. Make a commitment to pursuing fellowship in your local church.
2. We Need To Evaluate New Testament Prophecies
NT Prophecy may be followed by a fallible application. 21:4. What was going on here? Were these believers giving prophecies in which Paul was told not to go to Jerusalem? If so, Paul was deliberately disobeying the Lord, because Paul did go to Jerusalem. Was Paul just being stubborn and bullheaded, and actually trying to get himself killed? I believe what we have here are believers giving prophecies in which Paul is told what will happen to him in Jerusalem, followed by their own application and counsel as to what he should do. The Spirit told Paul what would happen when he arrived in Jerusalem. The brethren deduced that this meant Paul shouldn’t go. Now, why do I think that? Because that’s what we have in Acts 20:22-23, and in 21:11-12. Notice that in 21:11-12, the prophecy only concerns what will happen to Paul, and the counsel given to Paul not to go is not part of the prophecy itself.
So, the question arises at this point, “Was Paul wrong?” Should he have stayed away from Jerusalem? I don’t think so. Earlier in his ministry when the Spirit told Paul not to speak the word in Asia and not to go into Bithynia, Paul obeyed that voice (Acts 16:6-7). Notice, in both of those cases, the Spirit told him pointedly not to go there, not just what would happen to him if he did. Also, in Acts 19:21 and 20:22 Paul says that he purposed “in the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem. He was constrained by the Spirit to go there. Furthermore in Acts 23:1 Paul says that he had lived with a perfectly good conscience before God up to that day. In Acts 23:11 the Lord told Paul, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” In that statement, there is no hint of blame, but only of commendation. Therefore, I disagree with those who see Paul as out of the will of God here. I believe he was smack dab in the middle of God’s will by going to Jerusalem, taking the offering of the Gentiles to help the poor brethren and signify unity between Jews and Gentiles in Christ. So, if that’s true, then what we have in 21:4 is the same thing that we have in 21:11-12. We have the Spirit warning and preparing Paul for what he will have to face when he gets to Jerusalem, and then the brethren out of a heart of love for Paul trying to persuade him not to go. However, in this situation, the majority are wrong.
Life Application: First of all, let me just say that we teach here at The Bridge that all of the gifts in Scripture are still available today. We base this on a careful study of 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 in which Paul teaches that prophecies will pass away only when the perfect is come, referring to the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Now, if that is correct, then God can and still does speak through prophecy. But it is important to note that someone may bring a message from the Lord in prophecy, and then follow that up with his own application or counsel based on that prophecy that is not from the Lord. In other words, he could be right in the word of prophecy, and wrong in how he tries to apply that prophecy. That’s why those who prophesy need to be careful that they stop talking when God is done speaking! And, just as Paul was not bound to obey these well-intentioned brethren, you and I are not bound to obey everything that someone tells us is from God. We are responsible to seek God and decide whether what someone else says is from Him or not.
NT Prophecy Comes Through God’s Sovereignly Chosen Instruments. Notice, that even though Paul was staying in the home of 4 prophetesses, God sent down Agabus who gave the word of prophecy to him. Why? I don’t know. That’s God’s business. Evidently, the Lord had a reason for sending Agabus. The point is that God raises up whoever He wants to bring his message.
Life Application: The Lord may give you a word of prophecy, and then never give you another one. That’s His business. Or He may give you prophecies regularly. The Spirit distributes these gifts to each one individually just as He wills.
NT Prophecy Can Come through Women as well as Men. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 tells us that the teachers in the church are to be men. However, when it comes to prophecy, God can use women as well as men. In Acts 2:17 Paul quotes Joel as saying, “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” Evidently, NT prophecy does not carry binding authority the way the teaching of the Word does.
NT Prophecy Is Not Infallible. Notice 21:11. Paul’s prophecy was correct in general. When Paul got to Jerusalem, he was bound and the Gentiles were involved in his incarceration. However, in some of the minor details it was incorrect. As we have just read, it wasn’t the Jews who bound Paul or deliver him into the Gentiles’ hands. The Jews were trying to kill Paul. It was the Romans who bound Paul and delivered him out of the hands of the Jews. But, how can it be that a prophecy may not be correct in all its details. Let me offer you a possible solution that Wayne Grudem proposes in his book, Systematic Theology. Let’s suppose that God gave Agabus a vision of Paul bound as a prisoner of the Romans in Jerusalem, surrounded by an angry mob of Jews. That would have been a true vision. However, Agabus may have gone on to state his own application of that vision as being that the Jews would bind Paul and hand him over to the Romans. We also know that NT prophecy was not viewed as infallible, because after the prophecy was given and Paul decided not to act on it, they said, “The will of the Lord be done!” However, if NT prophecy is infallible, how could the will of the Lord be done when Paul did not follow their counsel? Obviously, it couldn’t be.
Life Application: This teaches us how careful we must be not to accept everything that someone says is a word from God. 1 Corinthians 14:29 tells us that the church must judge or weight or evaluate any prophecies given in its meetings. 1 Thess.5:20-21 tells us not to despise prophetic utterances but examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. We are to use God’s Word to examine and weigh any purported word from God. If after judging it, we still believe it is a word from God, we should embrace it, but if we believe the word or its application are not of God, we have the freedom to dismiss it.
3. We Need To Respect Others When We Disagree
Notice in 21:4-5, that even when Paul disagreed with their application of the prophecies, the brethren in Tyre still escorted them to the ship, knelt down and prayed with Paul and his team. Just because Paul didn’t see completely eye to eye with them, didn’t mean that they couldn’t love, respect, and fellowship with him. We find the same thing with Agabus’ prophecy. Paul did not follow the counsel of Paul’s team and the local residents, but rather than cutting him off, they just became silent and said, “The will of the Lord be done!”
Life Application: In every church there will be lots of occasions in which we don’t see eye to eye with one another, either in doctrine, or in decisions that are made. How should we handle that? Should we pack up and move on to another church? No! If you have made a commitment to a local church, you need to stick it out and work through issues that arise. Now, if the Elders of that church teach heresy or serious doctrinal error, then you may need to leave and find a church that will teach the Word. Even in that situation, though, you should approach the Elders humbly and respectfully and ask them to carefully and prayerfully consider what you have to say. Even if you are never able to fully agree with one another, you can show mutual love and respect to one another.
On other occasions it’s not doctrine at all, but we just don’t like a decision somebody else in the church makes, usually one of the leaders. This happens all the time. Stay around long enough, and we will rub each other the wrong way. So, what should we do when that happens? Show love and respect to that person with whom you disagree. Don’t talk dirty about him behind his back. If it’s not a big deal, just let it go. If you can’t just let it go, approach him privately and talk about the issue. Perhaps you will be able to come to agreement. However, even if it doesn’t, there’s no reason that these things need to cut us off from fellowshipping with one another. If they do, it just shows that we are living according to the flesh, rather than the Spirit.
4. We Need To Courageously Follow Our Convictions
This is exactly what we see in Paul’s life. Notice Acts 21:13, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” You see, Paul had convictions. One of them was that God had called him to go up to Jerusalem. So, even when it became clear this would mean personal suffering, he was determined to follow those convictions. This took great courage and resolve on Paul’s part.
Life Application: What about you? Do you have convictions? A conviction is something you are convinced God wants you to do based upon your understanding of His Word. When you are convinced, do you courageously follow those convictions? If the Lord has given you a conviction you need to share the gospel with your family members, do you courageously follow through, even though you know it can mean heartache and estrangement from them? I remember a time when my sister had come to faith in Christ but was continuing to date a non-Christian. Debbie had a conviction that she needed to write to her and warn her that this was not the will of God, and she needed to break off the relationship. After the first letter, my sister wrote back and told her that if she insisted on meddling in her life it would sever their relationship. Well, Debbie wrote back once more and told her that she loved her, but in love warned her of what a romantic relationship with a non-Christian could do to her. Well, at that point, my sister stopped communicating with Debbie for some time. I remember another instance when one of my nieces asked me if I would officiate at her wedding. The problem was that she was marrying a non-Christian, and she was a Christian. I was convinced that God did not want me to do this, and so I had to tell her that I couldn’t do it. In that instance, I had to risk being misunderstood and alienated from my other family members, but I had to follow through or else be unfaithful to my Lord.
5. We Need To Be Willing To Be All Things To All Men
This is exactly what he said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-20. When Paul was ministering to Jews, he was willing to live like them in order to remove any offense that might keep them from receiving the gospel. We have a great example of this in Acts 21. James and the Elders were happy and excited to hear about what God had done among the Gentiles. However, there was an issue which could erupt, and James was anxious for Paul to cooperate so that peace was preserved in the church. The issue was that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had been told that Paul was teaching Jewish believers in the churches that he had planted that they should forsake the customs of Moses. Now, notice what the issue was NOT:
1. The issue was not the way of salvation. James and Paul were agreed that salvation was by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That had been settled at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.
2. The issue was not what Paul taught Gentile converts. Paul did teach the Gentiles that circumcision was unnecessary. James had said the same thing in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council.
3. The issue was not whether believer’s should keep God’s moral law. Paul and James were agreed that Christians must live a holy life and keep God’s law.
The issue was whether Jewish believers should continue to observe Jewish cultural practices. The rumor was that Paul was teaching them not to. Now, that was decidedly not the case. In fact, Paul himself took a Jewish Nazirite vow in chapter 18. The issue concerned culture, ceremony and tradition. The Elders asked Paul if he would participate in a Jewish Nazirite ritual, in order that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem would know that he was not teaching Jews everywhere that they must stop all of their ceremonial and cultural practices. And Paul was willing to oblige them. He paid the expenses of these 4 brothers, and went through the purification ritual himself, because he had just returned from Gentile regions.
All of that to say this – when it came to doctrinal truth or Christian morality, Paul would never budge an inch. If James wanted Paul to agree that a Jew must follow the customs of Moses to be saved, Paul would never have agreed. But, when it came to ceremony, customs and traditions, Paul was quite happy to make some concessions, so that he would have greater opportunity to minister to these Jews.
Life Application: Is that true about you? Are you willing to lay aside your rights in order to not needlessly offend someone you are trying to minister to? Are you willing to fit in with those you are trying to reach, as long as it doesn’t mean that you sin in the process? Jesus did. Jesus hung out with prostitutes and tax-collectors in order to bring them the gospel, yet never sinned Himself. Are you willing to hang out with your non-Christian neighbor or friend, and do the things they do, as long as you don’t sin? Might mean having a beer with a neighbor, or eating food you’re not accustomed to, or hanging out with someone while they smoke a cigarette, or attending a neighbor’s Bar Mitzvah, The important thing is that we have the wisdom to know what we can participate in, and what we can’t. Then, we need to love our unsaved friends enough to try to do what we can to relate to them.
Conclusion: So, let’s review those principles the Lord has shown us from our text this morning.
- We need to make Christian fellowship a priority
- We need to evaluate New Testament prophecies
- We need to respect others when we disagree
- We need to courageously follow our convictions
- We need to be willing to be all things to all men
May God seal these truths to our hearts in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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