Chapter 21

As Autumn begins, I’d like to thank you for reading this Commentary. We’re entering our third month now. Autumn marks the time when the trees lose their leaves (unless they’re evergreens, obviously), but for me it marks an even greater flourishing of my Spiritual life. This project has already done this much for me. It’s my hope and prayer that it has been similarly helpful to you. In any case, let’s get on with tonight’s installment!

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Paul continues with his trip in chapter 21. What you see here depends greatly on your view of Paul. You either see him as a man who will not be swayed from God’s will, no matter what.

You could alternatively see him as a cranky, contrary, stubborn old coot.

Come to think of it, the best answer is both of the above. . .

This chapter divides neatly into three sections. I call it like this:

vs 1 – 16: Paul is told not to go to Jerusalem.

vs 17 – 26: Paul goes to Jerusalem anyway.

vs 27 – 39: Why Paul shouldn’t have gone to Jerusalem[1].

also, v40: Should Be In The Next Chapter.

Vs 1 – 16 is a little more travelogue (with Luke present again, making this a “we” section), describing the cities visited on the way and finishing with Caesarea. I haven’t ever been to Caesarea, but I have seen reports on the magnificent city Herod built there and would love to see it some day.

Here Paul is treated to an ominous demonstration – using Paul’s own belt, a local prophet demonstrates that Paul will be captured there. But despite prayers and entreaties, Paul will not be swayed from his chosen path.

From there we arrive in Jerusalem. The vow that Paul is joining with the young men for appears to be a temporary Nazirite vow. He stays with them until their vow is complete. The objective here is for Paul to demonstrate that although he has changed in many ways, he is still a jew, and a serious jew at that.

Finally we see Paul (once again!) getting the crowd sufficiently angry at him that they start off attacking him! Fortunately for him (and for everyone within his party), Paul is eventually discovered to be a Roman citizen BY BIRTH, and the soldiers take him away so that he can standstyle.

So where do we go from here? What difference does this make to us?

I think there’s a very big one, and it’s a simple one. It won’t even make this a long entry.

It’s this: There may come a time when God asks you to do something that is threatening. Something taking courage that you think you might not have. Something that you may even consider frightening.

I have come to a couple of those moments, and it CAN be hard to know what you do. This is when Paul’s example is valuable. Note this – he cannot be swayed. Everyone tries to tell him “Not Jerusalem,” But Paul continues to head there, until finally he arrives. Absolutely unchangeable.

Why is he so determined? Simply enough, Paul recognized two things.
1) He had to do as God told him.
2) He also realized that he’d already been protected from so many things; he was actually in “angel time” and didn’t have anything to lose!).

So since his life already belonged to God, was there any point in mucking around?

[1] Okay, yes – I know that God wanted him there. This is simply worded this way for two reasons: 1) it looks amusing. 2) from a temporal viewpoint, without seeing eternity, it’s correct.