THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 21
OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN
Observations
In the end the plan (Acts 21:22-26) does not work. It appears that
this plan is simply the product of human reasoning (this does not mean
that the plan was wrong) but simply that the intended result was not
achieved.... [ Continue Reading ]
"When we had parted from them" "The Ephesian elders had escorted Paul
and his friends to the ship, and now they have parted to go their
separate ways. 'Parted' is. strong word in the Greek, and might almost
be rendered, 'When we had torn ourselves away from them'" (Reese p.
778). "We ran. straight c... [ Continue Reading ]
"And having found. ship crossing over to Phoencia" Here they change
ships, leaving behind the smaller ship and boarding. large,
ocean-going vessel for the 400-mile trip across the open sea toward
Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
"When we came in sight of Cyprus" The ship was headed in. SE
direction, and Cyprus passed by on the left side. The expression came
in sight of is the correct nautical term. "As they were sailing toward
Syria, they came near enough to the island that it seemed to rise
above the horizon" (Reese p. 779... [ Continue Reading ]
"After looking up the disciples" This indicates some effort on Paul's
part to find the Christians in this city. This is the first mention
of. congregation in Tyre, though the gospel had been preached in this
region in Acts 11:19. and Paul had visited this area in Acts 15:3. "We
stayed there seven da... [ Continue Reading ]
"With wives and children" This is the first specific mention of
children in connection with the early church. "After kneeling down"
Compare with Acts 20:36. "On the beach" There is. beach on both sides
of the ancient city of Tyre. "And praying" "Prayer is. fitting way for
Christians to part" (Reese... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 21:6-7 "We arrived at Ptolemais" This city was located about 30
miles south of Tyre. In Old Testament times this port was named Accho.
Today it is known as Acre. The Bay of Acre forms. half-circle, about
nine miles from north to south. On the south side of this bay is Mount
Carmel and the moder... [ Continue Reading ]
"Came to Caesarea" As noted in Acts 10:1 the city of Caesarea had been
built by Herod the Great to serve as the port for Jerusalem. This was
Paul's third recorded visit to Caesarea (Acts 9:30; Acts 18:22).
"Entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the
seven" This is the same Phili... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses" These
daughters were morally pure, unmarried (at this time) and they had the
spiritual gift of prophecy. Spiritual gifts were given to women (Acts
2:17), and such gifts were used outside the assembly (1 Corinthians
14:34), especially whe... [ Continue Reading ]
"As we were staying there for some days" Paul had been hurrying to be
at Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16). This purpose has not been
abandoned, but rather Paul may have arrived in Judea sooner than he
had expected, and thus can spend some time with Philip. "A prophet
named Agabus came down from J... [ Continue Reading ]
"He took Paul's belt" "Outer garments worn in the first century were
loose and flowing robes, and the belt was used to bind them to the
body at the waist" (Reese p. 787). "Bound his own feet and hands" The
manuscripts vary here between the hands of Paul and the hands of
Agabus. The prophets often us... [ Continue Reading ]
"When we had heard this" Remember, the we includes the messengers
mentioned in Acts 20:4. as well as Luke the writer. "The local
residents" The brethren at Caesarea. "Began begging him not to go up
to Jerusalem" Even Luke will urge Paul not to go. They may have argued
that Paul did not need to go, t... [ Continue Reading ]
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?" Paul's brethren
were so concerned that tears and weeping accompanied such pleas. "The
verb breaking is. very picturesque word, being used of the pounding
that. washerwoman would give clothes to get them to yield to her
efforts to clean them. Paul... [ Continue Reading ]
"Since he would not be persuaded" They realized that any more pleading
would be fruitless. "The will of the Lord be done!". would interpret
this exclamation as meaning that in spite of the warnings of
persecution, it was the Lord's will that Paul go to Jerusalem, and
that is why Paul could not be st... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 21:15-16 "Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us"
If they cannot dissuade Paul, at least they can travel with him.
"Taking us to Mnason" The name is pronounced nay sohn and means
"remembering". "Of Cyprus,. disciple of long standing" He may have
been converted on the first missio... [ Continue Reading ]
"After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly" The
journey to Jerusalem probably took about two days.... [ Continue Reading ]
"And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the
elders were present" We have already noted that this James, is James
the Lord's brother who is also mentioned as being. prominent member of
the congregation in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13; Galatians 2:9; Galatians
2:12). "Because only James... [ Continue Reading ]
"He began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the
Gentiles through his ministry" Paul begins to give. detailed report of
his preaching among the Gentiles. This report may have included his
first journey, but that report had already been given (Acts 15:4).
This report is probably... [ Continue Reading ]
"They began glorifying God" This means that the elders in Jerusalem
were in full agreement with Paul and his teaching and practice among
the Gentiles. This contradicts the claim made by some that there was.
split in doctrine and practice between Paul and the leading Jewish
Christians. In addition, t... [ Continue Reading ]
"And they have been told about you" Here is. rumor that has been
circulating about what Paul taught while traveling and preaching to
Jews in other parts of the world. "That you are teaching all the Jews
who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to
circumcise their children nor to... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 21:22-26 Paul in the Temple
For centuries this has been. difficult section of Scripture to
harmonize with what Paul taught elsewhere.. offer the following
comments from Wayne Jackson on this section.
Here was the problem:. report had been circulated widely that Paul
went about constantly teac... [ Continue Reading ]
"When the seven days were almost over" "The seven days between the
notification and the actual acts of purification. Acts 24:18 suggests
he was actually in the process of offering the sacrifices. We may
suppose that the whole week has passed without incident, and that it
seemed for. time that the pl... [ Continue Reading ]
"Men of Israel, come to our aid" The inference is that all men of
Israel need to unite against this invader. "This is the man who
preaches to all men everywhere against our people" Compare to the
accusations made against Stephen (Acts 6:11). Anyone who has read
Romans 9:1 can see that this accusatio... [ Continue Reading ]
"For" Here is why they believed that Paul had brought Gentiles in the
court of Israel. "They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in
the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into
the temple" Sadly, the only exercise that some people get is when they
jump to unwarranted co... [ Continue Reading ]
"And all the city was aroused" The whole city is in an uproar, compare
with the mob scene in Acts 19:29. "They dragged him out of the temple"
They treat Paul as they would an intruding Gentile and quickly get him
out of the temple. "And immediately the doors were shut" The gates
leading from the out... [ Continue Reading ]
"While they were seeking to kill him" Which means that they were fully
intent on killing him. "They were already pummeling him. Once they
have come out into the court of the Gentiles, their furious activity
can be seen from the tower of Antonia" (Reese p. 802). "A report came
up to the commander of... [ Continue Reading ]
"At once". quick thinking man. "Some soldiers and centurions" Seeing
that. centurion was over 100 men, this force may have included. couple
of hundred soldiers. "Ran down to them" The soldiers came down the
stairways from the fortress into the temple area. "They stopped
beating Paul" The sight of se... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul is immediately arrested and bound with chains. "At least, the
arrest of the central figure would be the quickest way to stop the
uproar" (Reese p. 804). Remember, the commander in charge does not
know who Paul is and assumes that in order to be in the middle of
such. riot he must have done some... [ Continue Reading ]
When the commander seeks information from the crowd on who Paul is and
what he had done, all he receives back is confusion and contradiction.
Compare with Acts 19:32. "Lysias could make little sense out of what
the mob was shouting" (Reese p. 804). "He ordered him brought into the
barracks" He was t... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 21:35-36 "Luke indicates the situation was indeed perilous at
this moment. The Jews make an increasingly violent effort to get at
the prisoner, and the soldiers pick him up bodily (with others
defending those who carried the prisoner by forming. protective shield
about them) and begin to move u... [ Continue Reading ]
"Do you know Greek?" The commander is surprised that Paul speaks to
him in the Greek language. The next verse explains this surprise. Acts
21:38 "Then you are not the Egyptian" The commander had jumped to the
conclusion that his prisoner was an Egyptian revolutionary, who about
three or four years e... [ Continue Reading ]
"I am. Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia" This informs the commander that Paul
was not an Egyptian nor. Gentile, rather he was. Jew. "A citizen of no
insignificant city" At this point the commander does not know that
Paul is. Roman citizen (see Acts 22:27). The city of Tarsus was not
some back-wood hick town... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul might have been given permission because the commander reasoned
that. man with such. background could be trusted. "Why should Paul
want to talk to these persecutors? The content of his message answers
that. He loved these people. They were his people, people such as he
had once been, with. zeal... [ Continue Reading ]