Acts 21:1-26
Ready to Be Bound
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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
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At Tyre, disciples tell Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem. Later, in Caesarea, Agabus uses Paul's belt to show that imprisonment awaits him. Paul's companions plead with him to stay away.
There is a real tension here. In Acts 20:22–23, Paul described himself as compelled by the Spirit to go, while expecting chains and afflictions. Now people who love him urge him not to continue. We should not smooth away the warning at Tyre or use Paul's resolve as a rule that every strong personal conviction must be right.
Paul says he is ready to be bound and even to die for Jesus' name. Unable to persuade him, his companions say, “The Lord's will be done.” They continue the journey with him. Their concern and their prayer remain part of the story.
In Jerusalem, the elders glorify God for what he has done among the Gentiles. They also raise troubling rumors that Paul tells Jews to abandon Moses and their customs. They ask him to join men undergoing purification and pay their expenses, giving a public answer to those rumors.
Paul follows their advice. The elders explicitly preserve the earlier decision for Gentile believers. This participation in Jewish practice is not presented as a new condition for their salvation. The church is trying to address misunderstanding while maintaining the welcome God has given.
Questions
1 What did the disciples in Tyre tell Paul?
AnswerThrough the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem, expressing the danger they understood even though Paul believed he must continue.
2 What did Agabus use to illustrate his prophecy?
AnswerHe took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and warned that the Jerusalem Jews would bind Paul and hand him over to Gentiles.
3 What was Paul ready to do?
AnswerHe was ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
4 How did the believers respond?
AnswerThey stopped trying to persuade him and said, “The Lord’s will be done,” entrusting Paul’s safety and obedience to God.
What This Means for Us
A conviction about what we should do deserves prayer and careful testing, especially when people who love us see danger. We can listen without treating concern as cowardice, and we can care without assuming we control another person's decision. The companions' words give us a prayer for moments when agreement has not come: “The Lord's will be done.”
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.