Paul Marches To Jerusalem - Acts 21

21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

They had to push themselves away from the Ephesians.  It was a difficult goodbye.

How can the disciples in Tyre urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem “through the Spirit”?  Yet, isn’t Paul going to Jerusalem by following the Spirit?  I think there is some question here as to whether Paul is indeed following the Spirit or if the Spirit is with Paul wherever he goes. 

They have another beautiful goodbye as all of them and their families come to the beach to see him off and kneel and pray together.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then 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.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Paul has had three missionary journeys and they have taken at near to a decade.  This is sort of like a victory tour or march for them as they return home.

Philip, one of the Seven, is one of the ones chosen in the first church to feed the poor (Acts 6:5).  His daughters have the gift of prophesy.  Since there was no New Testament, this is an important gift to the early disciples.

The Corinthians, Ephesians, those at Tyre, these at Caesarea, and the accompanying disciples with Paul, one being Luke, all are urging Paul not to go.  This prophet tells what the Holy Spirit has shown him.  Paul already knows this and has stated it back in chapter 20.  He knows what awaits him.

This is an extraordinary event.  Is Paul so tied to the Spirit that he knows what he must do?  And is everyone else so tied to the Spirit that they are being shown what is to happen, but they personally do not want anything to happen to Paul?  Or is the Spirit showing them he shouldn’t go?  The Spirit is not confusion.  The Bible tells us that the evil one is the author of confusion.  The Spirit would have them all in agreement.  Yet, this story seems to lead us to wonder if they all agreed.  In the end they all accepted that Paul could not be dissuaded from going to Jerusalem.  It is obvious that they loved Paul dearly.

There is debate among theologians on this topic.  Some believe Paul was following the Spirit, others believe Paul was outside the Spirit.  I personally find it hard to believe that a guy who is so consumed with teaching that he teaches all night long up until there is no more time to teach and who is able to raise a boy from the dead is outside of the Spirit of God. 

Another point that might be made is that In Acts 9:15-16, Ananias is told by God that Paul is His chosen vessel to bear His name to the Gentiles and to kings.  So far, Paul hasn’t witnessed to kings.