Coachlight Bible Study - Acts
Chapter 21
Advise
and Prophesy
From
Miletus to Tyre - Tyre to Caesarea - Caesarea
to Jerusalem
Advice can be a wonderful
thing or could be a disaster. In this chapter, Paul is given advice by
two groups. The first group was
Paul's friends who cared about
him, and tried to persuade him not to go to Jerusalem because bonds and
chains were waiting for him. Paul rejected this advice, even though
it was given by those who traveled with him-men like Luke.
The second time Paul was advised was by the elders of the
church in Jerusalem, who tried to
persuade Paul to do as they suggested to convince the Jewish saints in their
city that Paul had not completely renounced his Judaism personally, and that he
was not teaching that other Jews who had been converted should renounce
judaism. This advice Paul followed.
At first we might conclude that Paul made the wrong choice in
both cases. It had been prophesied that if Paul went to Jerusalem, he would be
bound and handed over to the Gentiles
- and this came to pass. From a
human point of view, it happened because Paul took the advice of the elders in
Jerusalem, worshipped in the temple as they suggested, and was wrongly accused because of it..
There is one more “mistake”
which Paul will seem to make in the final chapters of Acts. He will appeal his
case to Caesar, and this will cause him to be held in jail and taken to Rome.
These mistakes were only apparent mistakes. The bonds and afflictions which awaited Paul
at Jerusalem, along with his appeal to Caesar, were God’s means of
proclaiming the gospel to “Gentiles
and kings,” just as God had
purposed and foretold
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings,
and the children of Israel:
Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must
suffer for my name’s sake.
In a similar way, the advice
that the elders of Jerusalem gave Paul was to help the gospel in one way, but
God used it differently to take Paul
and the Gospel to Caesar in Rome.
Christians are just as
inclined to give advice today as they
were in Paul’s day. Unfortunately, much of the advice which is given
by Christians is like that which the
saints along the way to Jerusalem give
to Paul-well-intentioned, but wrong.
In our study, we will
take note of the two very different
forms of advice given to Paul in this chapter (by the saints in the cities on
the way to Jerusalem, and by the elders in Jerusalem). We will characterize each of these, and
then compare and contrast them. Finally, we will
go over some principles about advice which may guide us in the advice we
give as well as in the advice we choose to follow.
I. From Miletus to Tyre-(Acts 21:1-6)
A. Paul had been
advised by the Holy Spirit what awaited him in Jerusalem
Acts 20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every
city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me
B. Paul “tore
themselves away” from The Ephesian
Elders
1. They took
port at Cos
2. Then Rhodes
3. Then Patara
where they found a
ship crossing over to Phoenicia
4. They headed
for Syria - passed by Cyprus
a. They
landed at Tyre
b. Their ship
had to unload its cargo
5. Prophesy by
saints to Paul
a. Tarried with
saints there seven days
b.Through the
Spirit, told Paul that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
C. Paul didn't
take their advise and saied to Jerusalem
1. The saints
and their families escorted Paul to the ship
2. They knelt
down on the beach and prayed with
Paul before they left
II. From Tyre to
Caesarea-verses (Acts 21:7-14)
A. They sailed
to Ptolemais
1. 20 miles away
2. Spent the day
there
B. Left for
Caesarea - 40 miles away
1. they stayed
in the home of Philip the Evangelist
a. One of
the “seven” deacons the feeding the widows - Acts 6:1-6)
b. God’s
instrument in the conversion of the eunuch - Acts 8:5-8; 26-39
c. Evangelized
the cities between Gaza and Caesarea -Acts 8:40
d. He had four
daughters
1. They were
virgins
2. They all
prophsied
2. Agabus
prophesied to Caesarean church
a. Agabus at
Antioch had prophesied about a famine
(Acts 11:27-
29)
b. He took Paul’s
belt and bound his own feet and hands
c. He prophesied
that Paul would be bound by the Jews at Jerusalem
d. He prophesied
that Paul would be delivered unto the Gentiles
3.Paul given
advise to stay away from Jerusalem by well meaning friends
a. From Paul's
traveling companions
b. From the
saints at Caesarea
4. Paul's
response
a. Why do you
weep and to break mine heart?
b. for I am
ready not to be bound only,
c. but also to
die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
d. Paul must
have remembered:
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings,
and the children of Israel:
Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must
suffer for my name’s sake.
5. Paul would not be persuaded
a. saints didn't
press it anymore
b. Let the
Lord's will be done
c. All took
carriages went to Jerusalem
III. From Caesarea
to Jerusalem Acts 21:15-40
A. They stayed
at Mnason's house - a Cyprian disciple
B. Paul's party
welcomed at Jerusalem
C. They meet
with James and the elders
1. Paul reported
about the salvation of many Gentiles
2. They
responded with joy and glorified God
D. The Elder's
request
1. Jerusalem
full of Jewish believers, who were
still “zealous for the law.”
2. These saints
had heard false reports that
Paul had been teaching
a. Jewish converts to turn from the law
b. To turn from
all of
their Jewish practices and
rituals
3. Problem now
seems to be what the Jerusalem Council did not say (Acts 15:20)
a. What they did
say
1. Gentile
believers obstain from meat sacrified to idols
2. Gentile
believers obstain from blood
3. Gentile
believers obstain from fornication
b. What they
didn't say
1. Jewish
Christians could keep the law, not for salvation, but as an act of love or
obedience.
2. They could
delight in the law, not because it gave them any merit , but because it
had been fulfilled in Christ,
3. They didn't
need law because they were now righteous in God’s sight.
4. Paul wrote to
the Galatians, speaking about Isaac and Ismael:
Galatians
4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise.
Galatians
4:29 But as then he that was born after
the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Galatians
4:30 Nevertheless what saith the
scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall
not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Galatians
4:31 So then, brethren, we are not
children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Galatians
5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage.
Galatians
5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that
if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Galatians
5:3 For I testify again to every man
that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Galatians
5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto
you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Galatians
5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for
the hope of righteousness by faith.
4. Paul could
proove the false reports wrong by worshiping with the Jew converts
5. Paul
took the men who were
“under a vow” and worshipped with them in the temple
E. Asian Jews
Stir Up The People - falsly accuse Paul
1. They saw Paul
in the temple
2. They had seen
Paul with Trophimus an Ephesian earlier
3. Kicked Paul
out of the temple
a. Saying Paul
taught people against the law
b. Saying Paul
brought Greeks into the temple
4. They were
going to kill Paul
F. Roman captain
came on the scene
1. He had heard
of the uproar
2. The Jews
quite beating Paul when they saw him
3. Seeing Paul
in the middle had him put in chains
4. Began
interrogating Paul
a. Who he was
b. What he had
done
c. Noise from
the crowd was confusing
d. Had Paul put
in the castle
e. The crowd
yelled, "Away with him".
5. Captain
surprised when Paul spoke to him in Greek
a. He thought
Paul was an Egyptian who had previously lead a disturbance
b. Paul asked if
he could talk to him
c. Paul said he
was
1. He was a Jew not an Egyptian
2. He was from
the north, (Cicilia), not the south, (Egypt)
IV. Contrast of the Advise from the Jerusalem Elders To
That of Paul’s Traveling Companions
Compare And Contrast
|
|
Advice From
Jerusalem Elders |
Advice From
Paul’s Companions |
Heard a
detailed report of Paul with the Gentiles and prophesy before giving their
advise |
Gave their
advice immediately on hearing of Paul’s future – immediately after prophesy |
Based on
Principle |
Based on
Emotion |
Urge Paul to
do what is right. |
Urge Paul to
avoid suffering |
Act to Benefit
Others |
Act to Benefit
Self |
Required Faith
in God |
Lacked Faith
God Could Work Through Suffering |
Promoted the
Gospel |
Hinder the
Gospel |
V. Application
A.
Things worked out in the sovereign will of God - just as He
planned and promised
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
1. As the Book
of Acts has unfolded the gospel has been proclaimed in the order of Acts 1:8.
As the book begins in Jerusalem, so it will end in Rome.
2. The unbelief
of Jews who were in Jerusalem was directly linked with the proclamation of the
Gospel in Rome.
3. The charges
which are to be leveled against Paul in Jerusalem will lead Paul to appeal to
Caesar, and thus to go to Rome, care of the Roman army.
1. For us today
- we would probably be concerned for Paul's safety.
2. For the
saints of that day - they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
C. Good advice
is not lightly or hastily given.
James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath:
1. When we have a clear Biblical principle on which to base the advise,
2. When our advise does not encourage others to act so that it is contrary to principle
3. When our advise is not based on self interest
I Timothy 4:14
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with
the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.