‘READY … FOR THE NAME’
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 28, 2023 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: June 28, 2023 from Acts 21:1-14
Theme: We must be ready and willing to face danger and even death for the cause of our Lord.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
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We come today to a passage in the Book of Acts that has perplexed many scholars, preachers, and missionaries. Perhaps it has perplexed you too. In it, we read of the apostle Paul’s powerful resolve to go to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord Jesus. And yet, it appears that—several times along the way—the Holy Spirit told him not to go. Paul went anyway … and ended up suffering the very things that the Lord warned him would happen.
Did the apostle Paul—the greatest missionary and evangelist in history—disobey a clear command from the Lord? And not just in a small way, but in a very big one? We can’t help but wonder if he indeed did so when we read his story as Luke tells us about it in Acts 21:1-14;
Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:1-14).
Paul was a courageous missionary. His courage was shown in the fact that—in spite of the legitimate fears he may have felt from the threats of those who opposed the gospel—he faithfully went wherever the Lord sent him and spoke whatever the Lord gave him to speak. But here, we’re left to wonder … was he being reckless? Was he being self-willed?
Dare we ask; was he even being disobedient to clear instructions from the Holy Spirit?
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Now; the context of this story is Paul’s determination to go to Jerusalem. Paul had it in his heart to go there as early as Acts 18:21. He left an effective ministry in Ephesus; saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem”. And as we’ve seen from portions of his letters (Romans 15:25-28 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 in particular), he was planning to take a gift from the Gentile believers to Jerusalem to give to the aid of Jewish Christians who were suffering there. He reaffirmed this plan in Acts 20:16 when he—again—intended to hurry past Ephesus “to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16). He very much wanted to get this gift from the Gentile Christians to the Christians in Jerusalem—to show how much their Gentile brothers and sisters truly loved them.
What’s more, Paul knew very clearly that trouble and danger awaited him there. He had been repeatedly warned along the way. In Acts 20:22-24—when he spoke his ‘farewell words’ to the Ephesian pastors who met him at Miletus, he told them;
“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:22-24).
And in fact, we read about the troubles that happened almost as soon as he arrived in Jerusalem—within just one week’s time! In Acts 21, we’re told the story of how he was arrested in the temple, nearly beaten to death by the Jewish leaders, and brought before the Roman authorities.
So; what do we make of this? Was Paul actually being disobedient to the repeated warnings of the Lord? Or was he not only not being disobedient, but was he even setting before us an example of gospel courage and commitment? Early on—at the very time of his call to the gospel—the Lord said of him;
“… he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16).
We don’t have the same calling that Paul had. His was unique. But we do carry the very same gospel message that he was given to the people of the world around us. And on closer examination, we find in him an example of how we must be ready and willing to face danger and even death for the cause of the Lord Jesus.
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So; let’s begin our look at this passage by considering …
1. THE JOURNEY TOWARD JERUSALEM (vv. 1-3).
We’re told in verse 1;
Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara (v. 1).
From Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, Thomas Nelson, 1993.
The “them” from whom Paul and his companions had “departed” was a reference to the Ephesian pastors that he met in Miletus. That story is told to us in Acts 20:17-38. We’re told at the end of that passage that they all wept freely as he departed. In fact, when it says in verse 1, “when we had departed from them”, it uses a word that means that they had ‘torn’ themselves ‘away’. That may be an expressive way of saying that they ‘left’; but it does perhaps reflect the emotion that was involved in that departure. He had been with them for three years; and the ties were strong and deep.
Luke is an accurate reporter. He tells us the exact route that was taken. There were three stops along the way—each about a day’s distance from one another. First, they sailed “a straight course” to Cos—which was an island, and also a city (just southwest of Miletus). Then, the next day, they came to Rhodes—famous for the mighty Colossus that once stood astride the port (but that had fallen down long before then). Then, they came to Patara. And it was from Patara that they made the long journey—nearly 400 miles across the sea—to Syria. Verses 2-3 tell us;
And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo (vv. 2-3).
What might Paul have been thinking as they sailed past Cyprus? It would have been the only piece of land they would have seen as they sailed across the vast Mediterranean Sea toward Jerusalem. But it would have also brought back a lot of memories. Cyprus was the first place that Paul and Barnabas traveled to in their initial missionary journey some 16 years prior. The gospel of Jesus—through many trials and persecutions—had spread far from that important starting point.
Paul must have thought of how he truly had ‘suffered many things’ for Jesus’ sake. But God had kept him in His hand all along the way. He was sure that God would keep him still until the very end—whatever lay ahead.
And perhaps Paul kept all this in mind when he received …
2. THE WARNING IN TYRE (vv. 4-6).
The ship that Paul and his companions were sailing in had to be a bigger and more rugged vessel to make the long trip across the Mediterranean. What’s more, it was a cargo ship; and so, it would have had to spend a little time in Tyre unloading its goods. Luke tells us in verse 4;
And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days (v. 4a).
The word in the original language suggests that they ‘found’ these disciples—not by immediately encountering them—but by searching them out. What a refreshment it must have been to spend time with them! But then comes this surprising bit of news:
They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem (v. 4b).
This wasn’t something to take lightly or dismiss. These believers had told Paul this “through the Spirit”; and the verb that’s used in the original language suggests that they were telling him this repeatedly. And it’s interesting that we’re not told what Paul’s reaction to their words was. Did he have to pause and consider their appeal carefully? During his extended time with them, did he chat with them and pray with them about this? Were they giving him a word from the Lord that was supposed to change his plans? We’re not told. We’re only told that he eventually moved on. But we should consider this in the light of what verses 5-6 go on to say;
When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed. When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home (vv. 5-6).
In spite of the repeated warnings they gave him “through” the Holy Spirit—and in spite of how he may have gone on to Jerusalem anyway—the time he had with them seems very warm and loving. There doesn’t seem to be any strong rebuke from these Christians in Tyre, or any harsh division from him over his intention to go. They ‘took their leave’ of one another—which suggests a sense of blessing in their prayers for one another. This doesn’t feel like ‘disobedience’.
But then comes yet another—and in some ways, even more serious—incident. It’s …
3. THE PROPHETIC WORD IN CAESAREA (vv. 7-11).
Luke goes on to report in verses 7-8;
And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him (vv. 7-8).
Once Paul and his traveling team had set foot in Caesarea, they had set foot in the land of his people. Caesarea would have been a beautiful place to stay, and rest, and prepare. And what’s more, they stayed with a much-loved brother and long-term partner in the gospel. Philip had been one of the seven men chosen to serve the Jerusalem church in Acts 6—appointed to help meet the need of the Hellenistic widows in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:5). He was the ‘evangelist’ who met the Ethiopian official along the way in Acts 8; leading him to the Lord. His home would have been a great place to be—and he would have been a great host to be with.
Luke went on to tell us,
Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied (v. 9).
We’re not told whether these four daughters had a message from God for Paul. Perhaps they said the same thing as others had done. But then we’re told of someone else. Verse 10 tells us;
And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea (v. 10).
This was someone that we’ve already encountered in the book of Acts. He was the man who, in Acts 11:27-30, let the church in Antioch know that there would be a great famine throughout the world—and he seems to have been the very instrument by which God had moved the other believers to gather up a relief fund for the Jerusalem Christians. Luke goes on to say;
When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’” (v. 11).
Now; was this truly a message from the Holy Spirit? It’s a little hard to say. Things didn’t happen exactly as Agabus said they would. The Jews didn’t actually deliver Paul to the Gentiles. What actually happened was that they grabbed him and intended to kill him; and it was the commander of the Roman garrison who came—with centurions and soldiers—to take him out of their hands, bound him, and put him in custody in the Roman barracks to examine him under the scourging. nevertheless, Paul was indeed bound in Jerusalem … and ended up in Gentile hands.
This would have been one more of many warnings that Paul received—apparently from the Holy Spirit—to not go to Jerusalem. And that leads us to …
4. THE RESOLVE OF THE APOSTLE (vv. 12-14).
Paul’s determination was set. This is made very clear to us in verses 12-13;
Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (vv. 12-13).
And this is where we face this great question: Was Paul going to Jerusalem in disobedience to the Lord? In his commentary on Acts, Dr. Everett Harrison suggests the following observations:
- Agabus’ prophecy was given without a clear prohibition against going. He merely told Paul what the Lord said would happen if he went.
- Paul understood what would happen if he went—even as early as Acts 20:22-24. But he clearly didn’t see this information as an order to change his plans. He had already been told that he must suffer much for the Lord’s sake. Would the Holy Spirit now give Paul advice on how to avoid the very suffering that he had already said that He would show Paul that he must suffer?
- Given that he was going to Jerusalem to take a gift that would have shown the love of the Gentile believers for the Jewish Christians, too much was at stake to turn back now. In fact, if he didn’t go, it might have resulted in a division within the unity of the church.
- As we read on in Acts, we don’t find that the Lord rebuked Paul for going. In fact, in Acts 23:11, the Lord told him, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
- And if he hadn’t gone to Jerusalem, the things that followed would not have happened; that is, that he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to speak the gospel to the Jerusalem mob, to speak before the Sanhedrin, to speak to two Roman governors, to testify before King Agrippa, and eventually to appear before Caesar (Evertte F. Harrison, Interpreting Acts [Zondervan Publishing House, 1986], pp. 340-1).
Could it be that Paul’s determination to go—in spite of the warnings he received—was because he recognized those warnings to be not so much a command as they were a test of his faithfulness? Think of how God once tested Moses. When the people of Israel constructed the golden calf, God told Moses, “Now therefore, let me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation” (Exodus 32:10) … which Moses interpreted, not as a command, but as a test to see if he would intercede for God’s people and reaffirm God’s covenant with them. He intervened; and God had mercy on His people. Or think of Abraham. God commanded him, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2). God didn’t intend for Isaac to actually be sacrificed. God stopped Abraham before it happened. Rather, it was a test to see if Abraham would be faithful to Him.
Now; we should be very careful with this. It would be a very wicked and foolish practice to treat every command from God in this way. But it does seem—when all things are taken together in this particular case—that the Holy Spirit’s warnings to Paul were not so much absolute prohibitions against going to Jerusalem as they were tests from God to see if Paul would indeed be willing to ‘suffer many things’ for the sake of the gospel—even death. And it seems evident that—if that’s the case—Paul truly passed the test. In verse 14, we’re told;
So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done” (v. 14).
And it appears that it was. Could we ourselves be proven to be as committed to the gospel as he was?
* * * * * * * * * *
There was a similar moment for the Lord Jesus. After His friend Lazarus had died, He determined to go to Jerusalem to raise him from the dead. His disciples were quick to warn Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” And in response, He told them;
“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him” (John 11:9-10).
Fear of man causes us to stumble in the dark. We must, of course, always be careful to obey the clear commands of our Master; but like Him—and like His servant Paul—we must not shrink back in fear and darkness because of the threats against us. If there is work to be done for the cause of Christ—and if God has commissioned us to do it—then let’s be “ready not only to be bound, but also to die … for the name of the Lord Jesus”
AE
