The Arrest of Paul

Acts 21:1-22:29

This Sunday I began with a video clip from the end of The Return of the King, the final movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The scene shows the departure of Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the elves on a ship to head “to the west,” from which nobody ever returns. Frodo’s friends only learn that Frodo is going with the party at the last moment, and the parting is extremely emotional. I showed this clip so that we could really “get into” the scene here in Acts. Beginning with Acts 20:37:

They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. – Acts 20:37-38

Paul was saying farewell to elders at Ephesus. The scene was perhaps even more emotional than what you have seen and felt on this clip. Deep, even overwhelming emotion at a final departure is a universal part of human nature. As we are made in the image of God, I conclude that it is a part of the nature of God.

I don’t think we really get this. How much does God grieve when one of His children, about whom He knows everything, for whom He has sent His only begotten Son to die so that they could live… how much does God grieve when one of these passes from this life without turning to Him? Any time we see the amazing depths of love man has for man, we should be reminded of the incomprehensibly greater love God has for us.

As I have thought about this verse I have also thought about how our culture tries hard to ignore, minimize, and ridicule this kind of love. We turn love into a joke. So much of our humor in our culture is based on making fun of people, including people who are going through tragic things. Just watch late night television. Or we make movies that are parodies of love. We also turn love into something more reserved, something safer, into “care.” “We need to care for the elderly,” says a politician. No, we need to love the elderly. Also, we turn love into fake fairy tale romance. There can be powerful emotions in romance, but this just scratches the surface of love. And then, we also debase love and turn it into lust.

Why do we do these things? One reason is that love is almost too powerful. I am reminded of the lyrics to an old song by Simon and Garfunkel. The second verse begins:

"I’ve built walls, a fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain
Its laughter and its loving I disdain
I am a rock, I am an island

"Don’t talk of love, but I’ve heard the words before
It’s sleeping in my memory
I won’t disturb the slumber of feelings that have died
If I never loved, I never would have cried
I am a rock, I am an island

"I have my books and my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my armor
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb
I touch no one and no one touches me
I am a rock, I am an island

"And a rock feels no pain
And an island never cries"

Truly accepting the depths of love will change us. It can hurt us. It can cause pain; it can force us to change who we are. God’s love does this. One of the surest signs you are growing as a Christian is that you are growing in your capacity to love. Love like this hurts. This is the love God has for you. Have you thought about this? God’s love for you is so intense that it hurts God. And this is the love we should have for God.

Think again about the movie clip. Look again at these verses. Are you holding back from God? Are you holding back from those around you? Are you a rock? Are you an island? Don’t be!

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. – Acts 21:1-3

After we had torn ourselves away from them – did you catch that? This was love – love for Paul, who had nurtured them and helped them grow in the faith. Paul, who was saying he would not see them again, because the Holy Spirit was telling him this.

Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. – Acts 21:4-6

Here in Tyre, we see more of the same. Paul has loving friends here as well. It says that the whole church walked with him out of the city, including the wives and children. Can you picture this? I am sure people noticed this and wondered what was going on. And then on the beach, they all knelt together and prayed together. I am sure it was another emotional parting.

We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. – Acts 21:7-9

At Ptolemais, another welcome and another departure. And then in Caesarea, they stayed with Philip. One of the Seven – what does this mean? This refers back to Acts 6, where seven men were chosen in Jerusalem to oversee the distribution of food for the needy such as widows. Philip was one of the men who had been forced to flee Jerusalem because of the stoning of Stephen (who was also one of the seven) and because of the following persecution of the church, overseen by none other than Paul. In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria and shared the gospel there. Philip was the one who, also in Acts 8, shared the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah 53 and wondering what it meant. Here he is called Philip “the evangelist,” so it appears that he continued to share the gospel wherever and whenever he could for the more than 20 years that have elapsed from the time of Stephen’s death until now. I wonder what the reunion was like. Did Philip tease Paul a little? It would be so tempting. “Oh, No! It’s Paul! Flee everyone! Before he gets you!”

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " – Acts 21:10-11

Again, the Holy Spirit confirms that Paul will face unprecedented hardship in Jerusalem. Agabus was a well-known prophet. He was the one who predicted a famine back in Acts 11 (and was correct about it). It is almost as if Paul is living through a “This is Your Life” episode, with all these people from his past coming out to see him. This acting-out method of revealing a prophecy is a very Old-Testament way of doing things. The message is clear and vivid. Note that the message doesn’t say, “Don’t go!” It simply confirms that bad things are going to happen to Paul in Jerusalem.

When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." – Acts 21:12-14

Note that Acts 21:12 is the human response to the prophecy, not part of the prophecy. The people love Paul. They don’t want to see him come to harm, so they beg him not to go. Paul’s response is filled with emotion. “You are breaking my heart.” Why? Because it pains Paul to see his dear friends in so much pain over him. But Paul did not give in because He knew what the Lord’s will was. Paul’s love for Jesus was so great that he would do anything for Him, even give up his life for Him. This is love.

The people gave up and said what we often say when God doesn’t answer the prayers quite the way we want, when He allows us to experience pain or disappointment. When come to the point where we remember that God knows best, that He loves us and gives us what is best for us rather than what we want. At that point we say, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Is there an area of your life where it is time to say this? We should be quick to pray it. We can continue to pray for things we desire, but they should be surrounded with “Your will be done,” even in the beginning.

After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. – Acts 21:15-19

No doubt there was yet another emotionally-laden goodbye. And now, at last, Paul was in Jerusalem, greeted warmly by the believers there.

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? – Acts 21:20-22a

Something is not quite right here. Can you tell? Have you ever had this kind of experience at work, or in other environments, where someone you think is on the same page as you turns out to be not quite what you thought? These brothers in Jerusalem put being believers in Jesus and being zealous for the law in equal categories. They are not equal! Believing in Jesus, asking Him to forgive you for your sins, beginning to live by faith for Him and in relationship with Him – this is the difference between eternal life in Him and eternal separation from Him. This is everything! Following the Mosaic Law, including the sacrifices, holy days, eating requirements, and so on – this is way, way down on the list of priorities.

How did these believers get informed of these things? Perhaps by the Jewish nonbelievers, or perhaps by some wolves among sheep. But why has nothing been done about it? Why was this allowed to fester? Efforts should have been made to stop it from the day it was known to be a problem. Now, Paul shows up, and they make it sound like he is the problem.

“What shall we do?” If they had asked Paul, perhaps he would have told them to start setting the record straight, beginning right then. Did the leaders even know?

They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." – Acts 21:22b-25

We see that their question was rhetorical. They didn’t really want to know what Paul thought they should do. Instead they told Paul what to do: Give money to pay for the purification rites for four Jewish believers. Now, from what I have read, if you wanted to make a vow, you would consecrate the vow by spending an entire week in the Temple. This meant that you were unable to work for this week. What they were asking Paul to do was to basically give up 4 weeks of pay from his own pocket so that these men could fulfill their vow. It doesn’t say whether the men could afford to do this on their own; probably they could. But the point was that Paul could display his approval of Jewish customs and his extreme generosity by doing this.

My problem with this solution is that it doesn’t deal with the root issues of the problem – their view towards the Mosaic Law.

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. – Acts 21:26

Paul, interestingly, goes along with this. I give Paul credit here – he is stuck in a bad situation, and he humbly submits to the Jerusalem leaders and does what they suggest. Probably led by the Holy Spirit, he sensed that now was not the time or place to try to exert authority to try to correct the problems here.

When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) – Acts 21:27-29

Poor Paul had been in Jerusalem barely a week, and now he was in serious trouble. These are not Believers, apparently. They had two claims against Paul: First, that he taught against their people and law and temple. To a degree, from a Jewish point of view, there may have been some partial truth to this. But they sensed that this would not be serious enough to get any action, so they made up the second charge completely: that Paul had defiled the temple by bringing Greeks in. The punishment for either coming in as a non-Jew or for enabling one to come in was death. This is what they wanted to happen to Paul.

The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. – Acts 21:30-32

Jerusalem was going crazy. This all happened while Paul was at the temple, and they dragged him out and shut the gates. Why? Because it was not appropriate to kill him inside or in sight of the temple. Does that really make sense? No. But is human nature. We don’t want even people to watch our evil deeds, so we certainly don’t want God to watch. But this is foolish. God isn’t just in the temple. You cannot hide from God. Nevertheless, this is what they thought. Now that he was outside the temple and the gates were shut, they could kill him at will. It was a full-blown riot, not unlike the riot that Paul had overseen years ago in the same city when Stephen was stoned to death.

The arrival of the Roman officers prevented Paul’s death. God wasn’t done with Paul yet.

The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" – Acts 21:33-36

Now Paul was bound in chains just as the prophecy foretold. The crowds remained crazy, and they had to carry Paul past the crowds to protect him.

This whole sequence of events has remarkable parallels with that of Jesus. The facts that Jesus and Paul predicted their suffering, that their closest friends tried to stop them, that they were willing to lay down their lives, that they were determined to finish what they had been called to do, that the showdowns were in Jerusalem, that Jews wanted to kill them, that false accusations were raised, that mob action was seen, even including the “Away with him!”… It is all eerily similar. And yet listen to Paul’s own words: In Phil. 3:10 Paul wrote “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death…” This was certainly the literal direction things were going. Did Paul mean what he said in Phil. 3:10 literally? I think he meant it in whatever way God would choose to fulfill it.

As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." – Acts 21:37-39

A quick note: This “Egyptian who started a revolt” is also mentioned in Josephus. He tried to take over the Temple Mount, but was stopped by the Romans before he could start. This is just another example (we have seen them week after week) where other documents of history line up with Scripture.

What does Paul want to do? Speak to the people. Why? To share the gospel with them! Even though they want to kill him!

Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic. "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. – Acts 21:40-22:2a

Paul may have spoken to them in Hebrew – the Greek word used is not specific enough to tell. Regardless, his speaking in this language settled them down. Note that the Romans would have been probably unable to understand Paul’s message. Paul then goes on to give his testimony:

Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. – Acts 22:2b-22:5

"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. – Acts 22:6-9

"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. – Acts 22:10-13

"Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' – Acts 21:14-18

" 'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' " – Acts 21:19-21

The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" – Acts 21:22

Do you understand why this was so offensive to them (even though it was true)? They couldn’t stand the idea that Jews and Gentiles had equal opportunity and equal access to God and had to come to God on equal terms. They thought they were special.

Note that they didn’t mind Gentiles becoming Jews – that was different, because that meant that those Gentiles were acknowledging the supremacy of the Jewish religion.

Today there are some who are offended at the idea of salvation by grace, and not by works. Being “good people,” they are offended that “bad people” come to God on the same terms as they do. Yet this is at the heart of the gospel: Salvation is by grace, not works, so that no one can boast. The truth is that there aren’t any “good people,” not by God’s standards, which are the only standards that matter. We are all “bad people.” If you ask a Christian “What is the percentage chance that God will let you into heaven on your own merits?” the answer should be 0%. If you ask a Christian “What is the percentage chance that God will let you into heaven apart from your own merits?” the answer should be 100%, because for those who have professed faith in Christ, salvation is based on Christ’s righteousness, not on ours. We are 100% certain that Christ’s righteousness is sufficient, because God raised Christ from the dead.

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" – Acts 21:23-25

Again, the Romans probably did not understand what had just happened, because they couldn’t understand the language. They assumed he was guilty of something, based on the response, and flogging was a way to figure out what.

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered. Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. – Acts 21:26-28

Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. – Acts 21:29-30

We will go on with this remarkable trial next week. Now, I want to talk about applications. We have discussed them through the passage, but I will review them here.

1. Become open to God’s love. Are you truly open to giving and receiving the love of God? Love in God-sized portions? If you are, your capacity to love other people should be growing day by day. Do you love your brothers and sisters in this church the way Frodo’s friends loved Frodo and the way Paul’s friends loved him? Or are you a “rock”? Are you an “island”? Become open to God’s love. Tell God that you want more of His love in your life. I am certain He will answer you!

2. Become a Christian. Are you a Christian? Have you professed faith in Christ? Eternal salvation is not based on works, but by faith. You express your faith by praying to God, thanking Him for sending Jesus to die on the cross for your sin. It is the first step to a life filled with the joy that comes from a relationship with Him. If you want help with this or have additional questions, please talk to me or to Fred after the service.

3. Don’t hold God back. Are you holding God back? Do you follow after God regardless of the cost, or are you cautious, preferring to hold back? Paul, despite his begging, weeping friends, did not hold back. He would have swum to Jerusalem if had had to – he was committed to going where God had already told him He him to go, to do what God told him He wanted him to do. What about you? Again, if you want to talk about this, please talk with me or Fred after the service.

4. Pray Phil. 3:10: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” It is one thing (a good thing) to stop holding back, to do the things you already know God wants you to do. It is another thing to pray Phil. 3:10. This is giving God total control of the reigns in your life. Although it is a hard thing to do, and it requires doing it again and again (we are all tempted to take the reigns back when things get difficult), there is nothing better we can do in our lives than to do this. I pray that each of us would place God as the supreme King in all areas of our lives, even King of the unknown future things we will have to face. May we all allow God to conform us into the image of His Son, however He wishes to to do it.