Acts 21

I am now listening to the Bible on CD. These actors have put out a set that plays like a radio show. So cool...making Acts much easier to follow. Then I come home and take a look at it in my study Bible. I am learning a lot, much more than I put here. There is too much.

In Caesarea, Paul meets Philip the evangelist - the only one in scripture actually called an evangelist - a term widely used today. We call our kind of church, evangelical. Anyway, Philip had five virgin daughters that were prophetesses. Interesting: Virgin most likely meaning that they had been called by God for special ministry, according to John MacArthur. Luke doesn't reveal what their prophecy was for Paul but does talk about the prophecy of Agabus. (Now, there's a name! LOL)

Agabus takes Paul's belt and binds Paul's feet and hands, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will deliver him into the hand of the gentiles.' v. 11

Of course, Luke and the others were begging him not to go. Paul's answer, "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." v.13 Paul goes to Jerusalem 4 different times. My question: why was Paul so insistent on returning to Jerusalem time and time again or why did God want him to go more than once with all the danger there? The only answer I really come up with is that Jerusalem was the hubbub of the world at that time and was a large city and Paul's mission was to spread the gospel to the world so Jerusalem would be the place to get the message out. Also, the Jews were Paul's people as well as God's chosen.

They get to Jerusalem and meet up with James, Jesus' brother, also the head of the Jerusalem church. I've always wondered about Jesus' half brothers and sisters. What might that have been like? I wonder what insights they might be privy to and maybe even had a stronger faith having grown up with Christ and witnessed His close relationship with God. I wonder if they got in trouble as kids and what they thought that Jesus never did. Did they notice? Was Jesus Mary's favorite? I wonder what the sibling dynamic was?

So, Paul gets arrested as predicted. According to John MacArthur, they had 3 charges against him:
1. They were accusing Paul that he taught Jews to forsake their heritage.
2. Paul opposed the law.
3. Blaspheming or defiling the temple.
In America none of these things would get us arrested or even noticed. I wonder if in the 3rd world countries if people get arrested for such things. I mean even the one guy on the cross next to Jesus had only been a thief. Quite a punishment for robbery.

The crowd starts to beat Paul to death but he is rescued by a Roman Commander. However, it was this commander that bound Paul in chains before he even knew the reason the Jews were angry.

I sang the below song at a retreat last weekend and it really lifts my spirit. I think of Paul in chains and how his spirit was lifted even with them on!