Acts 21 - Prayer Tents

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara.G1161G1096G5613G2248G645G575G846G321G2064G2113G1519G2972G1161G1836G1519G4499G2547G1519G39592There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia.G2532G2147G4143G1276G1519G5403G1910G3213We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo.G1161G398G2954G2532G2641G846G2176G4126G1519G4947G2532G2609G1519G5184G1063G1566G4143G2258G670G11174We went ashore, found the local believers

, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.G2532G429G3101G1961G847G2033G2250G3748G3004G3972G1223G4151G305G3361G305G1519G24195When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women

and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed,G1161G3753G2248G1096G1822G2250G1831G4198G3956G4311G2248G4311G4862G1135G2532G5043G2193G1854G4172G2532G5087G1119G1909G123G43366and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.G2532G782G240G1910G1519G4143G1161G1565G5290G1519G2398G52907The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters

and stayed for one day.G1161G2249G1274G4144G575G5184G2658G1519G4424G2532G782G80G3306G3844G846G3391G22508The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.G1161G1887G4012G3972G4012G1831G2064G2064G1519G2542G2532G1525G1519G3624G5376G2099G5607G1537G2033G3306G3844G8469He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.G1161G5129G2258G5064G2364G3933G439510Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea.G1161G2257G1961G4119G2250G2718G575G2449G5100G4396G3686G1311He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"G2532G2064G4314G2248G2532G142G3972G2223G5037G1210G846G5495G2532G4228G2036G3592G3004G40G4151G3779G1210G2453G1722G2419G1210G435G3739G2076G3778G2223G2532G3860G1519G5495G148412When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.G1161G5613G191G5023G5037G2249G2532G1786G3870G846G3361G305G1519G241913But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus."G1161G3972G611G5101G4160G2799G2532G4919G3450G2588G1063G1473G2192G2093G3756G1210G3440G2532G235G599G1519G2419G5228G3686G2962G242414When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."G1161G846G3982G3361G3982G2270G2036G2307G2962G1096

Paul Arrives at Jerusalem

15After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.G1161G3326G5025G2250G643G305G1519G241916Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers.G1161G4905G4862G2254G2532G3101G575G2542G71G3844G5100G3416G2953G744G3101G3739G357917When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.G1161G2257G1096G1519G2414G80G1209G2248G78018The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present.G1161G1966G3972G1524G4862G2254G4314G2385G5037G3956G4245G385419After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.G2532G782G846G1834G2596G1520G1538G3739G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G846G124820After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, "You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously.G1161G191G1392G2962G5037G2036G846G2334G80G4214G3461G2453G1526G3588G4100G2532G5225G3956G2207G355121But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They've heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs.G1161G2727G4012G4675G3754G1321G3956G2453G2596G1484G575G646G3475G3004G846G4059G3361G4059G5043G3366G4043G148522What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.G5101G2076G3767G4128G1163G3843G4905G1063G191G3754G206423"Here's what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow.G4160G3767G5124G3739G3004G4671G2254G1526G5064G435G2171G2192G1909G143824Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.G5128G3880G48G4862G846G2532G1159G1909G846G2443G3587G2776G2532G3956G1097G3754G3739G2727G4012G4675G2076G3762G235G846G2532G4748G5442G355125"As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality."G1161G4012G1484G4100G2249G1989G2919G846G5083G3367G5108G1508G5442G846G5037G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202

Paul Is Arrested

26So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.G5119G3972G3880G435G2192G2250G48G4862G846G1524G1519G2411G1229G1604G2250G49G2193G3739G4376G4374G5228G1538G1520G84627The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him,G1161G5613G2033G2250G3195G4931G2453G575G773G2300G846G1722G2411G4797G3956G3793G2532G1911G5495G1909G84628yelling, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles

."G2896G435G2475G997G3778G2076G444G1321G3956G3837G2596G2992G2532G3551G2532G5126G5117G5037G2089G1521G1672G2532G1519G2411G2532G2840G5127G40G511729(For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus

, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)G1063G2258G4308G4862G846G1722G4172G5161G2180G3739G3543G3754G3972G1521G1519G241130The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.G5037G3650G4172G2795G2532G2992G1096G4890G2532G1949G3972G1670G846G1854G2411G2532G2112G2374G280831As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.G1161G2212G615G846G5334G305G5506G4686G3754G3650G2419G479732He immediately called out his soldiers and officers

and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.G3739G1824G3880G4757G2532G1543G2701G1909G846G1161G1492G5506G2532G4757G3973G5180G397233Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.G5119G5506G1448G1949G846G2532G2753G1210G1417G254G2532G4441G5101G302G1498G2532G5101G2076G416034Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn't find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress.G1161G243G994G5100G243G1722G3793G1161G1410G3361G1097G804G1223G2351G2753G846G71G1519G392535As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him.G1161G3753G1096G1909G304G4819G941G5259G4757G1223G970G379336And the crowd followed behind, shouting, "Kill him, kill him!"G1063G4128G2992G190G2896G142G846

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

37As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, "May I have a word with you?" "Do you know Greek?" the commander asked, surprised.G5037G3972G3195G1521G1519G3925G3004G5506G1487G1832G3427G2036G5100G4314G4571G1161G3588G5346G1097G167638"Aren't you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?"G1488G3756G4771G686G124G4253G5130G2250G387G2532G1806G1519G2048G5070G435G460739"No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people."G1161G3972G2036G1473G1510G3303G444G2453G5018G2791G4177G3756G767G4172G1161G1189G4675G2010G3427G2980G4314G299240The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic

.G1161G2010G846G2010G3972G2476G1909G304G2678G5495G2992G1161G1096G4183G4602G4377G1446G1258G3004