Acts 21:1-26
Ready to Be Bound
1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded it and set sail.
3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
4We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
5But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.
6And after we had said our farewells, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
8Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
13Then 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.”
14When he would not be dissuaded, we quieted down and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
15After these days, we packed up and went on to Jerusalem.
16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple.
17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully.
18The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present.
19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20When they heard this, they glorified 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.
21But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs.
22What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.
24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.
25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul and his companions leave Miletus and travel by way of Cos, Rhodes, Patara, and Phoenicia. At Tyre they find disciples and stay seven days. These believers warn Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. The warning is not casual; when the week ends, the disciples and their families walk with Paul to the beach, where they kneel and pray before saying goodbye.
The journey continues through Ptolemais to Caesarea. There Paul stays with Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, whose four unmarried daughters prophesy. Then Agabus comes from Judea and gives a visible sign. He takes Paul's belt, binds his own hands and feet, and says that the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will hand its owner over to the Gentiles.
I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Paul's friends plead with him not to go. Their tears make the danger personal, and Luke admits that they are all distressed. Paul does not dismiss their love or pretend the danger is small. He explains that he is ready not only to be bound but also to die for Jesus. When he cannot be persuaded, the believers surrender the matter to God's will.
In Jerusalem, the brothers welcome Paul, and he reports in detail what God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry. The elders glorify God, but they also explain that many Jewish believers have heard rumors that Paul teaches Jews to abandon Moses, stop circumcising their children, and ignore the customs of their people. The rumor is misleading, and the leaders ask Paul to show publicly that he is not trying to create needless offense.
Four men are completing a vow, so Paul joins them in the purification process and arranges for the expenses. This does not mean that Gentile believers must become Jewish. The elders repeat the earlier decision that Gentile believers should keep the requirements already communicated to them. Paul is willing to surrender a personal preference and enter a purification practice when doing so can answer a false accusation and preserve fellowship, but he does not turn that practice into a condition of salvation.
Questions
1 What did the disciples in Tyre tell Paul?
AnswerThrough the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
2 What did Agabus use to illustrate his prophecy?
AnswerHe used Paul's belt and bound his own hands and feet.
3 What was Paul ready to do?
AnswerHe was ready to be bound and to die for the name of Jesus.
4 How did the believers respond?
AnswerThey stopped arguing and said, "The Lord's will be done."
What This Means for Us
Discernment does not always remove danger. Sometimes faithful people warn us about the cost and still recognize that obedience may require courage. We can hold concern, surrender, and resolve together. Paul's courage is not stubborn independence; it is courage carried inside prayer, friendship, and submission to God's will.
Paul also shows that maturity knows the difference between compromise and faithfulness. He does not require Gentiles to adopt the customs of his people, yet he is willing to participate in a purification practice for the sake of peace and truth. In our households, we can ask whether a disagreement concerns the gospel itself or a practice we can freely set aside for another person's good.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, give us courage without recklessness and concern without control. Teach us to seek your will, listen to wise friends, and trust you when obedience is costly. Give us humility to set aside our preferences when love and truth call for it. Amen.