Acts 21:15-39

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Acts

Rusty's notes

• We left off last week with Paul and guys making their way to Jerusalem.
• They were constantly warned and prayed over concerning their return to Jerusalem.
• 1st Missionary Trip was 47-50 AD
• 2nd Missionary Trip was 50-53 AD
• 3rd Missionary Trip was 54-58 AD
• 12 years of church planting
• 12 years of being away from Jerusalem on a regular basis.
• Think about what all has occurred in our last 2 years with a pandemic and now the Ukraine/Russia war.
• So much change has occurred in 12 years.
• But Jesus has been gone for over 25 years.

 
 
CONFLICT OVER THE GENTILE MISSION
ACTS 21:15-39
15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

• 64 mile trip (3 days walking)

16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus (the little island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea), an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.

• Mnason was a gentile who was now living in Jerusalem with the Church.
• It made sense because of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles and the men traveling with him.
• It would be unacceptable for the Jews to house the Gentiles.

17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters (the Church) welcomed us warmly. 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James (Jesus’ half-brother), and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

• He is telling salvation stories, etc.
• He gives them the fund that was collected by the Gentiles for the Church in Jerusalem.
• Luke never mentions the fund in Acts.
• Paul never mentions it in the letters to come.
• Paul thought it was going to be unifier between the Jews and the Gentiles.
• It obviously didn’t have the effect that Paul thought it would.
• Paul was being obedient to the Spirit.
• I’m assuming they took the money.
• Paul was not responsible for the fund once it was given to the Church.

20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

• They glorified God about what Paul had told them but immediately began telling Paul about the conversions there in Jerusalem.
• They love Jesus… but they also are zealous for the Law.
• The Mosaic Law that was given to the Jews.

21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.

• It is now obvious that the elders have heard rumors about Paul’s teachings and were prepared for his return to Jerusalem.
• After the warm greetings of fellowship, it is time to turn on Paul.

22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you’ve come.

• So what are we supposed to do now that you are here and everyone believes all these rumors?
• They are expecting us to confront you and prove that these rumors are not true.

23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow (Nazarite). 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.

• This was purely Jewish rituals.

25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

• Acts 15 - They were not worried about what Paul taught the Gentile believers, because the relationship of the Gentiles to the Law had been settled at the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15).[1]
• This was between 1st & 2nd Missionary Journey.
• January 2020
• Paul gave them a few Jewish laws to give to the Gentiles to appease the Jews.

 
THE RIOT IN THE TEMPLE COMPLEX
26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.

• Paul went the through the rituals with the men but never had to take the vow (because it was done years ago).
• Whatever it takes for people to hear the Gospel.
• We can put up with a lot of unnecessities just to have the opportunity to share Truth.
• The same grace that gave the Gentiles freedom to abstain also gave the Jews freedom to observe.
• It seems incredible that Paul’s enemies would accuse him of these things, for all the evidence was against them.
• Paul had Timothy circumcised before taking him along on that second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–3).
• Paul had taken a Jewish vow while in Corinth (Acts 18:18), and it was his custom not to offend the Jews in any way by deliberately violating their customs or the Law of Moses (1 Cor. 9:19–23).
• However, rumors are not usually based on fact, but thrive on half-truths, prejudices, and outright lies.[2]

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

• In the temple, separating the court of the Gentiles from the other courts, stood a wall beyond which no Gentile was allowed to go.
• Picture of the Temple
• Ephesians 2:14 -  For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.[3]
• On the wall was this solemn inscription: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”
• The Romans had granted the Jewish religious leaders authority to deal with anybody who broke this law, and this included the right of execution.
• This law plays an important role in what happened to Paul a week after he and the four Nazarites began their purification ceremonies.[4]
• So now we are listening to Jews who were dispersed (probably into Ephesus) and believe in Jesus but still practice Jewish Law.
• They have returned to Jerusalem for Pentecost.
• But they are obviously against Paul and establish a rumor they cannot prove… we call this fake news. Satan still uses the same tactics today.
• They saw Paul walking with Trophimus in the city so they assumed that he walked with Paul into the Temple. But they still had no proof.

30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

• Boom!!! One false statement against Paul by a foreigner and the whole place went nuts!

31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them.

• This would be Commander Claudius Lysias (according to Acts 23:26)
• Centurions is plural so we know there were at least 2.
• Centurions are commanders of 100 soldiers so there were at least 200 Romans soldiers present.

Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains.

• Remember verse 10 last week when Agabus took Paul’s belt and dramatically tied his hands and feet with it?
• Two chains… one for his hands and one for his feet.
• The captain actually thought Paul was an Egyptian rebel who was wanted by the Romans for inciting a revolt. (vs. 38)

He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.

• The original accusers were nowhere around.
• Everyone started shouting rumors.
• He ate a cheeseburger!
• Barracks – Antonia Fortress, where Herod kept up to 1,000 soldiers.

35 When Paul got to the steps (two flights), he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!”
 
PAUL’S DEFENSE BEFORE THE JERUSALEM MOB
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”
He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?”

• Now the commander realizes this is not the man who he thought Paul was.

39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”[5]

• The commander allows Paul to speak… but not until next Sunday!

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 490). Victor Books
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 490–491). Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Eph 2:14). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 491). Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Ac 21:15–39). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.