Sunday School Lessons: Acts 21

Lesson 25
Chapter 21
Paul’s return to Jerusalem and his arrest

21:1 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.

Chapter 20 ended with Paul’s meeting with the Ephesian Elders.  Now he begins his journey back to Jerusalem by sailing first to Tyre.  Paul stayed there for seven days.  Luke doesn’t mention it, but as it was always Paul’s practice to teach and preach to Jews and Gentiles wherever he went, I am sure he preached to the disciples he found there and probably made new converts.  The people of Tyre must have loved Paul, because when he left them to continue his journey, they accompanied him all the way to the ship.  They knelt and prayed together.  Note what is said in verse 4: And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.  Why do you think they were telling Paul not to continue his journey to Jerusalem?  (Read Acts 20:22-24)  The Spirit was telling the people in Tyre the same thing, but even though they urged him not to go, Paul was “bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem.”  Paul was confident that God was calling him to Jerusalem, even though he knew that hardship and persecution awaited him there.  He later wrote to the church in Philippi:

Philippians 1:12 “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

At Paul’s conversion, God had told Annaias that Paul would have to suffer for the cause of Christ.  (Read Acts 9:15-16)

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Paul had carried the name of Christ to Jews and Gentiles.  Soon, he would be carrying the name of Christ to rulers and Kings.

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.

As Paul and Timothy continued their journey to Jerusalem, they stopped for one day at Ptolemais and then departed for Caesarea.  They stayed with Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven men who had been called to serve in Acts 6:3.  Philip had four daughters who “prophesied.”  On the day of Pentecost, Peter had preached from the book of Joel, saying,

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

While he was there, he was visited by Angus the Prophet from Judea.  He tied up his own hands and feet with Paul’s belt as a demonstration of what would happen to Paul when he got to Jerusalem.  When the people heard this, they cried and begged him not to go to Jerusalem. Notice that verse 12 says, “we and the people urged him not to go to Jerusalem.”  Even Paul’s companions were begging him not to go!  Look at Paul’s response in verse 13.  It broke Paul’s heart to see them so upset, but he knew what he must do and he was ready to do anything—even die—in the service of Christ and His Gospel.  

17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

When Paul finally got to Jerusalem, the church greeted him with joy.  The next day, he met with James and the other elders.  As before, he was making a report about his journeys and the things God had done through him for the Gentiles.  They were delighted with his report and gave glory to God for all that had been done among the Gentiles.

But they quickly moved on to another subject—the Jewish converts.  These Jews were now Christian Jews.  They still observed the Mosaic Law, though not for salvation.  The first counsel of the leaders in Jerusalem had determined that the Gentiles did NOT have to follow the Mosaic law or be circumcised to be in the faith, however, they did not go so far as to say that the Jewish Christians must forsake the Mosaic law.  They understood that Christ had fulfilled the law and that it was faith in Christ and not in the law that saved them.

Some Jews were saying that Paul was telling Jewish converts who lived in Gentile regions that they should not observe the law or teach it to their children or circumcise their children.  This was not true.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians7:17-20:

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.

The leaders in Jerusalem knew that Paul was not teaching what they were accusing him of teaching, but they also knew that there would be trouble when the Jews learned that Paul was in Jerusalem.  So, they had a plan.

23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,  and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.

The leaders do not want there to be division in the church.  There was not to be a Jewish church and a Gentile church.  Just as the first council had determined that Gentile converts did not have to convert to Judaism to become Christians, the Jews who came to Christ did not have to stop being Jews!  Therefore, since Paul was a Jew, they thought they might avoid the issue if he went with the four men who had completed their vows and pay their fee to be released from the vow and shave their heads.  They also reminded him of the only requirements they had put on the Gentiles.  Paul agrees, and purified himself along with them and paid the offering for them all.

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

What did the crowd accuse Paul of doing?  Did he do any of those things?  All the city was stirred up and they dragged Paul out of the temple.  Notice it doesn’t say that they dragged Paul and Trophimus out of the temple.  There is no evidence that Paul took him into the temple with him.  Paul knew better than that.  The Gentiles were only allowed in the Outer Courts.  When the tribune of the cohort (Roman magistrate) heard what happened, he took soldiers and centurians with him to stop the mob.  These were a LOT of soldiers!  Centurians commanded 100 men!  When the mob saw them coming, they stopped beating Paul.  The tribune arrested Paul and bound him in chains.  He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.  The mob was so loud and violent that he couldn’t learn what was going on, so he had Paul removed from the situation.

37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language,  saying:

Paul spoke to the tribune in Greek.  This surprised the man.  He thought that since Paul spoke Greek, he must be the person who had recently stirred up a revolt in that area, but Paul told him who he was and asked for permission to speak to the people.  Paul stood on the steps where he could be seen and heard and beckoned to the crowd . He spoke to them in Hebrew and they listened.

Next week we will discuss Chapter 22 and learn what he said to the crowd.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students.  You can find lessons for previous chapters here.