Acts Chapter 21
Paul Continues to Jerusalem
1 When we’d left them, we sailed directly to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, boarded it, and set sail. 3 We came within sight of Cyprus; we passed it on the left, kept sailing to Syria, and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We looked up the disciples and stayed there a week. They kept telling Paul by the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When our time there was over, we started our trip. With their wives and children, they escorted us outside the city. After kneeling on the beach and praying, 6 we said goodbye to one another. We got on the ship, and they went back home.
Acts 21:1-6
7 When we’d finished the voyage from Tyre and to Ptolemais, we greeted the disciples and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we reached Caesarea and went into the house of Philip the evangelist—one of the seven—and stayed with him. 9 He had four virgin daughters that prophesied.
10 During our several days there, a prophet from Judaea named Agabus came down. 11 He took Paul’s belt and tied up his own hands and feet, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says, ‘The man this belt belongs to, the Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up and deliver to Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard it, we and the locals urged and urged Paul not to go up.
13 He answered, “What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? I’m ready to be bound and even to die in Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus.”
14 When we couldn’t change his mind, we quit trying, “The Lord’s will be done.”
15 After those days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem 16 along with some disciples from Caesarea. They took us up to Mnason of Cyprus, a long-time disciple we would stay with.
Acts 21:7-16
Paul Visits James
17 The believers in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and the elders were there. 19 After he’d greeted them, he recounted one thing after another that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 The ones that heard it, began to praise God,
“You see, how many thousands among the Jews believe, all zealous for the Law. 21 People have told them that you teach the Jews among the Gentiles to leave Moses, not circumcise their children, or keep the customs. 22 So what can we do? They’ll certainly find out you’re here. 23 We have four men under a vow. 24 Take them and purify yourself with them; sponsor them so they’ll shave their heads. Everybody will know there’s nothing to what people have told them about you, but that you live orderly and keep the Law. 25 As to Gentile believers, we wrote that they should abstain from meat offered to idols, blood, things strangled, and sexual immorality.”
26 The next day Paul took the men, purified himself with them, went into the Temple, and gave notice that they’d completed their days of purification, till the sacrifice for each one was offered.
Acts 21:17-26
Paul’s Arrest in the Temple
27 Near the end of the seven days, Jews from Asia saw him in the Temple and stirred up the crowd and attacked him, 28 “Men of Jerusalem, help. This is the man that teaches everybody against the people, the Law, and this place. Now he’s brought Gentiles into the Temple and profaned this holy place.” 29 Previously they’d seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and supposed he’d taken him into the Temple. 30 The city erupted into an uproar. The people ran together, grabbed Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple. Immediately they shut the doors. 31 While they were trying to kill him, a report went up to the tribune of the Roman cohort that Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 At once he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The tribune came and took him and told the soldiers to bind him with two chains. He began asking who he was and what he’d done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. He couldn’t find out the truth because of the uproar, so he told the soldiers to take him into the barracks. 35 When Paul got on the stairs, the soldiers carried him because of the crowd violence. 36 The people were following, yelling, “Away with him!”
Acts 21:27-36
Paul Speaks to the Tribune
37 At the entrance to the barracks, Paul said to the tribune, “Can I speak to you?”
He said, “You know Greek? 38 So you’re not the Egyptian that master-minded a revolt some time back and led the 4,000 Assassins out into the desert?”
39 Paul said, “I’m a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a prominent city. Please, let me speak to the people.”
40 With his permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people. After a great hush settled in, he spoke in Hebrew.
Acts 21:37-40