Page 292 - Demo

21:9 Philip is one of the seven men named deacons in Acts 6:5. His daughters have the gift of prophecy—a telling detail which reveals that women as well as men shared in the prophetic gifts in the early Church.
21:10 The prophet Agabus knows what awaits Paul in Jerusalem: arrest and possible death. The people beg him not to go, but Paul is determined. The community prays simply, “The Lord’s will be done.”
21:17 Paul is received with joy by the church in Jerusalem, but James warns him of the con ict that is sure to ensue: the Jewish believers have heard that Paul is encouraging Jews to abandon the observance of the Law. Paul has never done this, and he continues to observe the Law himself, as his visit to the Temple attests.
a. [21:8] 6:5; 8:5–6.
b. [21:11] 11:28; 20:23.
c. [21:14] 19:15–16.
d. [21:14] Mt 6:10; 26:39; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42.
280
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 
Arrival at Tyre.
211* When we had taken leave of them we set sail, made a straight run for Cos, and on the next day for Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2Finding a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went on board and put out to sea. 3We caught sight of Cyprus but passed by it on our left and sailed on toward Syria and put in at Tyre where the ship was to unload cargo. 4There we sought out the disciples and stayed for a week. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to embark for Jerusalem. 5At the end of our stay we left and resumed our journey. All of them, women and children included, escorted us out of the city, and after kneeling on the beach to pray, 6we bade farewell to one another.
Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
Arrival at Ptolemais and Caesarea. 7We continued the voyage and came from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed a day with them. 8On the next day we resumed the trip and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,* and stayed with him.a 9He had four virgin daughters gifted with prophecy. 10We had been there several days when a prophet named Agabus* came down from Judea. 11b He came up to us, took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the holy Spirit: This is the way the Jews will bind the owner of this belt in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”* 12When we heard this, we and the local residents begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am prepared not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14c Since he would not be dissuaded we let the matter rest, saying,d “The Lord’s will be done.”*
Paul and James in Jerusalem. 15After
these days we made preparations for
our journey, then went up to Jerusalem.
16Some of the disciples from Caesarea
came along to lead us to the house of
Mnason, a Cypriot, a disciple of long
standing, with whom we were to stay.
17*When we reached Jerusalem the
brothers welcomed us warmly. 18The
next day, Paul accompanied us on a
visit to James, and all the presbyters were present. 19He greeted them, then proceeded to tell them in detail what God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20They praised God when they heard it but said to him, “Brother, you see how many thousands of believers there are from among the Jews, and they are all zealous observers of the law. 21They have been informed that you are teaching
* [21:1–18] The third “we-section” of Acts (see note on Acts 16:10–17).
* [21:8] One of the Seven: see note on Acts 6:2–4.
* [21:10] Agabus: mentioned in Acts 11:28 as the prophet who predicted the famine that
occurred when Claudius was emperor.
* [21:11] The symbolic act of Agabus recalls those of Old Testament prophets. Compare Is
20:2; Ez 4:1; Jer 13:1.
* [21:14] The Christian disciples’ attitude re ects that of Jesus (see Lk 22:42).
* [21:17–26] The leaders of the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem inform Paul that the Jews
there believe he has encouraged the Jews of the diaspora to abandon the Mosaic law. According to Acts, Paul had no objection to the retention of the law by the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem and left the Jews of the diaspora who accepted Christianity free to follow the same practice.