Acts 21
COMMENTARY:
: 5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. (1119 “kneeled down” [gonu] means the hinge joint in the human leg connecting the upper and lower leg, to place the knees, act of reverence, or to bow the knee.)
DEVOTION: Paul ministered for a week with the congregation in Tyre on his way to Jerusalem. The congregation included women and children. It was not just a male congregational gathering. It was all the members of the families getting together to pray together.
On the sea shore they knelt down and asked the LORD for HIS protection of the congregation and for the journey of Paul. The whole group was on their knees before the LORD.
Everyone in the congregation needed to know how to pray. Everyone in the congregation needed to understand that instruction and encouragement comes from the LORD.
Today our churches don’t gather everyone for a prayer meeting often. Few come each Wednesday for prayer. Many churches don’t even have a prayer meeting any time during the week. Some have them once in a while before special meetings. Larger churches have small groups that meet during the week but the prayer time at these meeting are mostly short.
If we don’t honor the LORD in our congregations with heartfelt prayers how do we expect a church to reach its neighborhood for the LORD. Prayer is necessary for the church to move forward.
Family prayer is important as well. Personal family devotionals each day of the week would be good but even once a week is better than nothing. Our women and children need to be gathered at home often.
CHALLENGE: Prayer can move our families and our churches together to reach our world for the LORD.
: 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. (3981 “persuaded” [peithos] means enticing, convince, trust, rely, win over, conciliate, be certain, to talk over, or yield.)
DEVOTION: One of the problems we can have is over confidence in our knowledge of the LORD’S will for our life. There are people who think they know the LORD’S will for your life. There are books that tell you how you can find God’s will for your life. This can sometimes cause confusion in a new believer looking for direction for his/her life.
When we were in Bible School the president of the school brought my future wife into the office because he thought he knew the LORD’S will for her life. He told her that it was the LORD’S will for her to stay in Bible School and graduate. She felt that she had enough education at the time to be a productive witness for the LORD. He didn’t believe her. She just wanted some basics that she received.
Now we can help people understand if they have a gift for ministry and which ministry fits them but they have to listen to the Holy Spirit regarding where they will use their gifts for the benefit of the kingdom of the LORD.
Paul was listening to the Holy Spirit regarding where he was supposed to go and where he was not supposed to go. The Holy Spirit closed doors and he knew it. The Holy Spirit had told him that he was going to Rome to witness. He was headed in that direction.
Paul knew the warning given by the prophet and the elders of Ephesus were real. He was willing to die for the LORD. He was given a direction to go and he was going there no matter what. He was confident it was the leading of the LORD and not just his desire for glory. He always wanted to give glory to the LORD alone.
CHALLENGE: We need to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit in each of our ministries. We need to watch HIM open doors for our ministry.
: 21 And they are informed of you, that you teach all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. (1485 “customs” [ethos] means manner, usage prescribed by law, institute, prescription, rite, a customary way of operation or behavior, habit, or practice.)
DEVOTION: Paul was called the apostle to the Gentiles. His ministry would always start at the synagogue. However, the Jewish leaders would reject his message and he would then go to the Gentiles.
There were converts from both groups. He would train them in the Old Testament Scriptures and in the teaching of Jesus. The church grew under his ministry. He traveled with a group of men who would stay in a place after there were converts to raise up elders to lead the local church through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Now he report of his missionary journeys and they would receive his reports gladly. They appreciated his ministry but as in all ministries there were people who complained that he wasn’t doing something right.
In the eyes of the Jewish converts in Jerusalem he was teaching people that they didn’t have to open the Jewish laws anymore. It was causing them to think that he was not faithful to his upbringing.
So to compromise with those who were complaining the that he was not walking orderly and keeping the law of Moses they asked him to purify himself with four other men to show that he still obeyed the law of Moses.
Once he did it he was arrested. This was to set up his going to Rome to witness for the LORD. These circumstances were used by the LORD to cause this to happen. Paul knew he was to go to Rome. He just didn’t know the circumstances that would cause it to happen.
Things happen in our life to bring glory to the LORD when we don’t understand how the LORD is going to do it. HE is in control. HE knows what is going to happen tomorrow and throughout our future. Paul trusted the leading of the Holy Spirit and we need to do the same.
CHALLENGE: Others might not understand what is happening to you but the LORD understands. Keep your eyes on the LORD.
: 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for everyone one of them. (48 “purifying” [hagnizo] means cleanliness, to make clean, sanctify or ceremonially clean.)
DEVOTION: One reminder that we need is to remember the fact that chapter divisions and verses were not marked in the Original Manuscripts. So when we see a chapter end in the middle of something like this chapter it is not because the Original had this division. Someone has said that the verses and chapters were done by a minister riding from one location to another and when he stopped he ended the chapter. Not true but it gives you the idea.
Paul did not want to cause anyone to stumble and so he agreed to practice the cleansing in the Law of Moses before the feast. He went into the temple to complete his days of purification. He was in the temple when the Jews from Asia showed up to accuse him of telling the Gentiles that they didn’t have to follow the laws of Moses and be circumcised.
The people were angry. The Jews also accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple. This was not true. They were assuming that because they saw Paul with a Gentile named Trophimus that he had brought him with him into the temple. They were wrong but that didn’t stop them. The people wanted to kill Paul.
The soldiers came and stopped them from beating him to death. All this happened because some Jews brought false accusations against Paul and the people didn’t want to listen to Paul’s side of the story. At the end of the chapter Paul is going to get a chance to present his side of the story. Like Paul Harvey, “Here is the rest of the story.”
Are we like the people who believed the Jews from Asia? Are we willing to hear both sides of the story? Do we sometimes in our churches only see our side of the story? Are there church fights because people will not listen to what others have to say?
Are we good listeners? Are we quick judgers? Paul was in the temple to purify himself for the upcoming feast of Pentecost. He was doing the right thing in the right place and was still condemned.
CHALLENGE: Try to get the whole true story before making a judgment. If you are falsely accused, wait on the LORD. Don’t overreact!! Paul kept his cool.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Paul kneeled down and prayedverse 5
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Templeverses 26, 27, 29, 30
This placeverse 28
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Lawverses 20, 24, 28
Mosesverse 21
Customsverse 21
Days of purificationverse 26
Offeringverse 26
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverse 19
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 13, 14, 20
Jesusverse 13
Lord Jesusverse 13
Will of the Lordverse 14
Glorified the Lordverse 20
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverse 4
Warning Paul through the Spiritverse 4
Holy Ghostverse 11
Agabus warns Paul by Holy Ghostverse 11
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Coosverse 1
Rhodesverse 1
Pataraverse 1
Pheniciaverse 2
Cyprusverse 3
Syriaverse 3
Tyreverses 3, 7
Ptolemaisverse 7
Caesareaverses 8, 16
Gentilesverses 11, 19, 21, 25
Mnason of Cyprusverse 16
Asiaverse 27
Chief captainverses 31-33, 37-40
Soldiersverse 32
Centurionsverse 32
Speak Greekverse 37
Egyptianverse 38
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Forsake Mosesverse 21
Not circumcise childrenverse 21
Not walk in customsverse 21
Idolsverse 25
Not eat bloodverse 25
Not eat animals strangledverse 25
Fornicationverse 25
Stir up people against Paulverse 27
Polluted holy placeverse 28
Killverse 31
Murderersverse 38
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Kneeled downverse 5
Prayedverse 5
Gladlyverse 17
Glorified the Lordverse 20
Believeverses 20, 25
Zealousverse 20
Teachverses 21, 28
Walk orderlyverse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jerusalemverses 4, 11-13, 15, 17, 31
Judaeaverse 10
Jewsverses 11, 20, 21, 27
Caesareaverse 16
Forsake Mosesverse 21
Not circumciseverse 21
Men of Israelverse 28
Hebrew tongueverse 40
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciplesverses 4, 16, 17
Paulverses 4, 8, 11, 13, 18, 26, 29-32, 37, 39, 40
Brethrenverses 7, 17
Philip the evangelistverse 8
Evangelistverse 8
Four virgin daughers of Philipverse 9
Prophesyverse 9
Agabus the prophetverse 10
Jamesverse 18
Eldersverse 18
Ministryverse 19
Purifiying verse 26
Paul a Jew of Tarsusverse 39
Last Things (Future Events)
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