U= Uproar in Jerusalem Acts 21

Acts 21 Review

In Acts 20:22, Paul had just told the Ephesian Elders, “I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me.” But Paul went anyway. How many times can we say that about Paul? He did it anyway, knowing the cost!!

In the first few verses of Acts 21, Paul fellowshipped with the people of Tyre for 7 days. After 7 days, families bid him farewell. Paul then went to Caeserea where he entered Philip’s home. This is the same Philip back in Acts 6. He was also a coworker of Stephen who had been stoned while Paul was there giving his approval. Philip could have been very suspicious of Paul, but he accepted him. Philip had 4 daughters were prophetesses. Peter back in Acts 2:17 had quoted from Joel 2, that their daughters would prophesy. Women had been given the gift of prophecy if an apostle had laid hands on them. I Cor 14:23, 31-37. Then a prophet named Agabus came to Paul and took Paul’s belt off and tied up his own hands to show how Paul would be overtaken which is later fulfilled at the end of this chapter. After the men’s urging not to go to Jerusalem, Paul told them he is not only ready to be bound but also to die for Jesus at Jerusalem. Let’s look at Acts 9:15. For over 20 years, Paul had preached to thousands, yet hadn’t preached to kings yet. This prophecy would be fulfilled.

Paul arrived in Jerusalem and greeted the believers there. They are excited about all of the great things that had happened among the Gentiles. Quickly the elders told of how the thousands of Jews were “zealous for the law.” They were not to be zealous for the law but Jesus Christ. The law was nailed to the cross. Col. 2:14 The elders even accepted the idea that Paul was going around telling thousands of Jews to abandon being Jewish, but Paul had gone around telling Romans 3:20, Gal. 2:16, 3:11, Romans 2:25-29. An elder could have stepped up and said, “That’s enough, we know Paul and know these rumors are false.” However, the elders told Paul to take 4 men and do a ceremonial cleansing with them.This is old law stuff; Paul should not have done this, but for some reason he did anyway. Maybe I Corinthians 9:20 had something to do with it! The elders wanted Paul to do this cleansing to appease the Jewish Christians. Maybe this was part of the plan. In vs 27 the Jews started trouble with Paul because they saw him, and they accused him of bringing Greeks into the temple. It’s amazing how 27 years before, thousands had been pressing to hear the apostles at Pentecost Acts 2,now many were trying to arrest Paul and kill him. The city was in an uproar. If the charges against Paul were actually true, Paul would have been stoned outside the city gate, but instead they would just beat him to death inside the temple gates. Kind of ironic! Luckily a commander got word of the trouble, he came to Paul, and they stopped beating him. The commander couldn’t get the whole story so he ordered Paul to be put in the barracks. Crowd kept shouting, “Away with him.” Similar to Jesus’ trial years before. Paul then asked the commander if he can speak to the people. We end Acts 21 with Paul about to speak! Acts 21 Review Questions 1. Who took Paul’s belt off and tied up his own feet & hands? ______2. What did Agabus tell Paul? ______3. Did Paul go to Jerusalem anyway? ______4. When the Uproar in Jersualem happened, what did the Jews accuse Paul of? ______5. The uproar was so violent what did the troops do with Paul?______6. Before Paul was taken into the prison, he wanted to do what? ______