Commentary by Ron Beckham

Verse 1.  “When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara;”

Paul had been in Miletus, a seaport on the coast of the Roman Province of Asia, where he spent time with the Elders of the Church at Ephesus.  He had comforted them and instructed them, but had also told them he would not see them again in this life (see the concluding verses of Chapter 20).  There was much prayer and many tears.  Paul now had lots of thoughts and strong emotions, as he leaned over the rail and felt the salt spray of the Aegean sea (a branch of the Mediterranean), on his way to the coast of Palestine.

From Miletus, the ship that carried Paul and the others went straight to the island of Cos, where they stayed for the night.  From there, they sailed for the island of Rhodes.  At that time, Rhodes was only a station on the trade routes and contained a small, provincial town where ships stopped for provisions.  But it was a notorious place because it was the center of a sun cult, and in the center of town was a famous and very large statue of the “god” Helios.  From there, the ship sailed for Patara, an ancient city on the coast of Asia Minor.

Verse 2.  “and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.”

From Patara, on the coast of Asia Minor, the captain of the ship carrying Paul and his friends sailed directly for Phoenicia, on the coast of what once had been the nation Israel.  Phoenicia had been a great nation (actually nations of city-states) of sea traders and warriors, which had been taken by Israel.  Both nations were now part of the Roman Empire and were names from the past.  It was a daring crossing, because most captains would have stopped at least for a time at the island of Cyprus.

Verse 3.  “When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo.”

There had to be a reason why the ship’s captain bypassed the island of Cyprus and sailed directly to the seaport of Tyre, on the coast of the area called Phoenicia.  From a human perspective, it was probably because the cargo he carried was perishable in nature.  For God’s purposes, it was because Paul was on a timetable of His choosing, and God is always on time.  Dr. Luke records they actually saw Cyprus to their left as they passed the large island, but they kept sailing and eventually landed at Tyre, where the cargo and the Apostle Paul were unloaded.

Verse 4.  “After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.”

As was his custom, Paul visited the local Christians in that area.  He and his friends stayed with them for seven days, and the prophets of that community kept telling Paul “through the Spirit” that he should not go to the city of Jerusalem.  Paul was hearing this advice often from those he met, and it seemed like the more he was told to not go into Jerusalem, the more determined he became to go there.

Starting in verse 10, we will see the reason why they were telling him to not go to the city of Jerusalem.  Paul had been giving all of this a lot of thought and prayer, and we can be assured that it was a struggle for him.  He LISTENED to other people.  We work with a prison ministry called Kairos, and their motto is “Listen, listen, love, love.”  Paul knew about listening and love, 2000 years ago.  He was being told by people it was dangerous to go there, and yet, he was hearing from the Spirit also and felt he should GO.

Verse 5.  “When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.”

Paul was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem and yet they stayed for a week in Tyre.  It would be wonderful to spend time with the Apostle Paul (which we shall do in eternity), and it was the Holy Spirit’s gift to the people of Tyre, that he was with them for that time.  He wonderfully blessed them, too.  As he and his disciples left to continue their journey by ship, all the Christians of that place, including wives and children, went with him as far as they could go.

Tyre was an interesting place.  It had been a notable city-state for centuries and was a naval power to be reckoned with.  The place was ravaged by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and then destroyed by Alexander the Great.  But here were Paul and the others, kneeling on the beach in prayer with local Christians.  The place had been full of pride and then was ruined in battle, but now it was filled with gentle prayer that the will of God would be done in the lives of people.

Verse 6.  “Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again.”

Paul and his friends, including Dr. Luke, the human author of the Book of Acts (as in the “we” of this verse), returned to the ship and were once again sailing on their way down the coast of Israel.  The Christian people who lived at Tyre had spent seven wonderful days with Paul, this wonderful little man of God, but now they returned to their homes.  This was a once in a lifetime event for the people of Tyre, by the way.  You may have wondered, why doesn’t God bless ME like he does other people?  Why wasn’t Paul sent to ME?

I’ve wondered that, too, in the past, and it has occurred to me that I often have not taken advantage of the opportunities God has provided.  Those in Tyre had the right to stay home and NOT be with Paul, and some of them may have done just that.  Years ago, when I was living in Tucson, Dr. J. Vernon McGee came to town and I did NOT, for one reason or another, go to hear him speak.  He subsequently went home to be with the Lord and there were no more opportunities for me to hear him.  As God leads, we should go when the opportunity is present.

Verse 7.  “When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.”

Ptolemais is thought to be Accho (not a sneeze), a seacoast town of Palestine, eight miles north of Mount Carmel and thirty miles south of Tyre.  Paul and the others with him, greeted the Christians who lived at Ptolemais and stayed with them for a day.  God is ultimately in control of all human experiences (we can distort them but He means good for us), and it’s interesting that Paul stayed only for a day here, but spent seven days in Tyre.

You might say that it was the need of the captain of that ship which caused them to go on, but ultimately, God’s timetable is more accurate than the captain’s, and events were currently developing in relation to Paul.  There was a precise time God would have Paul arrive in Jerusalem.  Chains and prison awaited him, but so did the souls of men (and women).  It was God’s time for Paul to leave Ptolemais and go on.

Verse 8.  “On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.”

We were in Caesarea in 2000, and I was privileged to give a talk to a group of Christians there.  It was awesome to be in the very place where the Apostle Paul had been.  We could look out from those stone steps over the Mediterranean, as we studied God’s Word.  Caesarea, as were so many examples of the engineering and construction of the time, was simply a marvel to see.  The harbor, arena, and chariot race track complex is amazing, even by modern standards.

Philip “the Evangelist” was one of the deacons (the “seven”) appointed to make sure that widows were being fairly treated in the distribution of food.  Another one of the “seven” chosen at the same time, was Stephen (Acts 6:5 & context).  It was also this Philip who led many to Christ in Samaria (Acts 8:5 and forward) and witnessed to the Ethiopian Official (Acts 8:26-40).  He was now at his home in Caesarea, and we will learn that he had four daughters and each of them had the spiritual gift of prophesy.

Verse 9.  “Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.”

Philip was a very interesting man.  We know he was hospitable because Paul and his companions were staying with him at his house in Caesarea.  We also know that he was a good father, because his daughters had been raised to love and trust the Lord.  That’s really the definition of a good parent.  It is wonderful that children are raised to love good literature, be kind to others, and so on, but the best of all is a family that really knows the grace of God.

You may give your children financial security, a love of the arts, an appreciation for music, and all those things are great, but teach them by example to read His Word.  Give them the gift of prayer.  And encourage them to reach out to the Lord and receive from Him, all that He would have in life for them.  In this case, each of them had been given the spiritual “gift” of prophesy, which we saw before in 1^st Corinthians Chapter 12.  The world needs good citizens, and we also need the gifts of God, as expressed through your children and mine.

Verse 10.  “As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.”

We were just observing in relation to Philip’s daughters (verse 9) that the spiritual gifts are important to the church, the nation, and the world.  We need to hear from God, and He chooses to reveal Himself through His Word, and by His people.  We first saw Agabus in Acts 11:27-30, when he and other prophets went from the area of Jerusalem to Antioch, and began to alert those of the church that a famine was coming.

Because of what was said in that and other prophesies, the church was able to prepare.  Especially, they set up a relief fund to be used as contributions to those living in Judea, which was to be the place hard hit by the famine.  The fund existed because of the gift of prophesy given to faithful men.  The “gifts” are still with us today.  The difference is: those who have the gifts may lack the courage to share them with others, and the other problem is that we often do not listen to each other, especially in that area.  Trust in the Lord, faithfully share that which God has given you, test the spirits, and listen to one another.

Verse 11.  “And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says:  In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

Agabus the Prophet, who was from Judea (verse 10), came to Paul and the others, and acted in a manner that was identical to the behavior of many of the prophets of the Old Testament – He not only said the words that came from God, but he also acted out the prophesy in visual form as directed by the Lord.  Paul was going to be arrested and would be taken to prison.  Precisely, it would be the Jews who would confine him and they would give him over to the Gentiles (non-Jews) for trial and punishment.

Agabus took Paul’s belt and wrapped it around his own hands and feet, indicating that Paul’s hands and feet would soon be tied up, upon arrival in Jerusalem.  Ezekiel the Prophet was another one who demonstrated the Word of God through his actions.  An example is Ezekiel Chapter 5, where he was directed to use a sharp sword, shave his beard and hair, and then burn portions of the hair in a symbolic manner.  God used that imagery to communicate his will to those of Israel who were exiled in Babylon.  Something similar was now happening in relation to Paul.

Verse 12.  “When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.”

We encounter two very powerful forces in this verse: 1) The will of God, and 2) His love.  In the preceding verses, we have seen Paul’s determination to go to Jerusalem, even though the prophets in practically every place he has been, have unanimously told him NOT to go.  He would have great trouble in that place was the message told to him everywhere.  It is interesting how consistent the message was, by the way – true prophesy is always from the Lord and is not merely from the people who speak for God.  The Lord is 100% consistent in all of His ways and through all His people.

It was the will of God for Paul to go to Jerusalem and this wonderful little man of God was not going there for any other reason.  He had wasted much of his life working AGAINST God, and he was not about to deviate from God’s will at this time.  The local residents were right in being concerned about him, and their concern was good, for they loved Him.  God gives a wonderful love to His people as expressed here, not only through the local residents but also it is seen within Paul’s companions.  They loved the Apostle Paul, as we should love one another.

Verse 13.  “Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

This circumstance was very difficult for Paul.  After much anguish of his own, he had prayerfully decided to go to Jerusalem, even though he knew imprisonment, beatings and chains awaited him.  It WOULD be a hard choice.  If he remained free, he could continue to visit the various Christian communities, such as the one he was in right now.  It would have been easy for him to decide that to be FREE was the logical choice.  And yet, he KNEW in his heart that it was the Lord’s will for him to be in Jerusalem.

Notice Paul’s love for these people.  Even though his decision was made, the tears and love of those around him eroded his resolve to leave for Jerusalem.  As noted in the preceding verse, the perceived will of God is powerful and compelling for the person who has faith in the Lord.  But so is His love, and it was love that was deeply touching Paul right now.  He knew he must go, but he wanted to stay – because he was touched by the love of the people of God.

Verse 14.  “And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’”

If you seek the will of the Lord, placing His will even above your own, it will have a surprising effect.  We do not live for ourselves but for God, and we find that He will direct us to the needs of others.  Paul was headed for Jerusalem, and he was convinced that it was God's will for him to go there.  There were voices all around him from the many who loved him, calling to him, "Paul, don't go!"  And a part of him did not want to leave them.  But he would go, and the result was that others around him were drawn to the will of God also, and could say:  "The will of the Lord be done!"

Verse 15.  “After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.”

It was difficult for Paul and the others, but off they went to Jerusalem, and to imprisonment, suffering, and ultimately the death of the Apostle Paul.

A. B. Simpson once said, "Here is the secret of Divine all-sufficiency, to come to the end of everything in ourselves and in our circumstances.  When we reach this place, we will stop asking for sympathy because of our hard situation or bad treatment, for we will recognize these things as the very conditions of our blessing, and we will turn from them to God and find in them a claim upon Him."

We can never be truly imprisoned because we are free in Christ Jesus.  Any suffering we might experience is for a moment and we shall have joy - forever!  Our death is simply a doorway to Christ.  He IS the Door and He IS our life.  We need never be afraid again.

Verse 16.  “Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.”

Little is known of Mnason, other than the facts of this verse.  He came from the island of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea, and he had been a disciple of the Lord Jesus for a long time.  Additionally he was for awhile the host of Paul the Apostle along with his companions from Caesarea and elsewhere.  Some might dismiss Mnason and say, "He didn't do very much" (compared to the Apostle Paul), but consider what the Lord Jesus said:

"He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall be no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:41-42).

In eternity, we shall see the Apostle Paul, and he will be HONORED by our Lord.  We shall also see the Disciple Mnason, and he will be HONORED by our Lord.  Serve our Lord, serve one another, and trust in the Lord who made us all - as He blesses the prophet, so will he also bless those who give to one another in His name.

Verse 17.  “After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.”

“The brethren” included not only the people of the church in Jerusalem, but especially the term referred to the surviving original Apostles of the Lord and the surviving deacons of the church.  Stephen the deacon had been martyred and so had James the Apostle, but at that time the others of the early chapters of the Book of Acts were alive and were welcoming Paul at just that moment.

Paul was an outsider to them all.  He had been a persecutor of the church and some of those who greeted him may well have been among those who had suffered loss because of Paul (he was named “Saul” during those days).  We see in their greetings the potential for forgiveness and grace, given us liberally in Christ Jesus.  As they greeted him, so should we greet one another.

Verse 18.  “And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present”

James was actually the Bishop of Jerusalem and we would recognize many of the names of the “elders” who were present with him.  There was an interesting contrast between these two groups of people.  James and the other Christian Jews of the area of Jerusalem, were a people with a high regard for the Law. They believed in the grace of God through Christ Jesus, but many of the “locals” viewed at all this as more like an outgrowth of the Law, than a separate work of God.

Paul and his companions had the greatest respect for the Law and for the Jewish people, but had discovered the great FREEDOM expressed through the grace of God in Christ (and so had those he was speaking to).  Paul believed implicitly that it was wonderful to be Jewish and to have such a great heritage, but he did not think it was necessary for Gentiles to become Jews in order to be right with God.  It was in relation to this point that they were now meeting at that moment.

Verse 19.  “After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”

I used to wonder, how do I give a “testimony?”  Was I to recite certain passages of Scripture?  Were there certain words that needed to be said?  If I missed something, would it be complete?  And so on.  I made it much more complicated than it needed to be, for all we have to do is – be open!  Like the best testimony in a court of law, we simply tell what we have seen and heard.

These “elders” (verse 18) needed to know about the Gentiles.  They had been hearing wondrous tales about miracles and mass conversions, and they wanted to know first-hand what had been going on.  And all Paul did was tell them, one item after another, what had been happening.  It’s the same thing with you.  When somebody asks you “What does Jesus mean to you?” – just tell them what you have seen and heard.  Has He given you peace?  Tell them so.  Tell them about the Scriptures He has made real and personal to you.  Speak to them of His love.

Verse 20.  “And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;’”

Paul’s honest report about the hand of God among the Gentiles caused these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem to glorify God.  But there was a concern.  Among the Jews, thousands had turned to Christ and believed He is the Messiah, the Son of God.  Those Jews who had believed, continued to also love the Law of Moses and they followed Jewish customs.  We shall also see that as a group they were concerned about Paul, because of information they had been receiving about his teachings to the Gentiles.

Verse 21.  “and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”

One of the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem (probably James) was addressing Paul the Apostle.  Paul’s listeners had heard about the Miracles and mass conversions to Christ that were occurring through and in relation to his ministry.  It was all true, but they had heard other things.  There are those who spread “rumors” in all generations and the people of that time were no exception.  The Jews in Jerusalem, both Christian and non-Christian, had been hearing that Paul was teaching the Gentile converts to forsake the teachings of Moses.

That was not precisely true.  Paul had been teaching that we do not have to keep the Law of Moses or any other “law” in order to become “right” with God through Jesus Christ.  But he loved the Jewish people and he delighted in what we call the “Old Testament.”  He often quoted from the Law and Prophets when he was making some point or another in letters (epistles) to Gentile believers.  It is true that Gentile believers were not required to circumcise male children, however, a modified version of “the customs” was taught.  The Communion service in the early Church, for example, was a Jewish Seder, a commemoration of the flight of Israel from Egypt, which had been taken by the Church as an expression of our flight from sin in Christ.

Verse 22.  “What, then, is to be done?  They will certainly hear that you have come.”

We have radio today and television, along with telephones, computers and other sophisticated means of communication, but it is impressive how FAST news traveled at the time of Paul.  They had NONE of our communication devices, and yet the speaker was right – very soon, EVERYONE in Judea would know of Paul’s arrival.  Many would be glad he was there, but not because they liked him.  This man of God had many enemies.

Verse 23-24.  “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.”

James was certainly full of the wisdom of God.  We saw this in Acts 15:13-21, when he quieted the VERY concerned members of the Jerusalem Council and we see it here.  This is an example of the spiritual gift called “Word of Wisdom” as mentioned in such places as 1 Corinthians 12:8 and 29 (see the Friday Study Commentary on those verses).

Paul was being told to take four Jewish men with him (who had made a vow to God), go to the Temple in Jerusalem and undergo a purification ritual with them.  They would certainly go with Paul, for he was to pay all their expenses.  Paul would demonstrate by this action that he was a good Jew who kept Jewish observances, showing that he taught other Jews to do the same.  It was not to work out the way James intended but it was a wonderful idea.

Verse 25.  But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.”

James continued speaking to all who were present, and he now recited something of the ruling of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:20, 24), which placed certain restrictions on Gentile Christians, enabling them and Jewish Christians to be in fellowship with one another.  The rules were actually minor and were not strictly enforced.  The purpose was to bring peace to all concerned.

Paul never taught that Jews had to become Gentiles (as intimated in verse 21) and he certainly did not teach that Gentiles must become Jews (see the Book of Galatians).  He did teach that in outward behavior, we must each follow the Holy Spirit within and follow our convictions.  This is clearly seen in his writing of Romans Chapter 14.

Verse 26.  “Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”

I like it that Paul accepted James’ advice (verses 23 and 24) and took the four men into the temple as a means of showing everyone that he was not against Jewish Law.  He completed the purification ritual with them, and it is important to note that Paul had the highest respect for Jewish Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, and the customs of the Jews.  He also listened to good men (like James) and responded to them.

“Seven days” in verse 27 is the number given in Numbers 6:9, in the case of accidental uncleanness and some teach these men had taken a Nazirite vow.  “Nazirite” meant “dedicated” or “consecrated”, and it pertained to a person who had vowed separation and self-imposed abstinence.  If this related to the dedication of Nazirites, the actual vow of the men had to have been at least 30-days but it is taught they may have waited longer, not having the money to “pay their expenses” (verse 24) and Paul paid it all.

Verse 27.  “When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,”

Rather than the Nazirite vow as discussed in verse 26, this was more likely a seven day period of preparation and purification before a sacrifice was offered in the Temple.  Whatever kind of purification it was, the seven days were almost over.  But the time was never to be fully completed, because at this moment Jews from the Roman Province of Asia, spotted Paul the Apostle.  They began to shout, upsetting others who were in the Temple, and they grabbed Paul.

Verse 28.  “crying out, ‘Men of Israel, come to our aid!  This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’”

Sometimes, when people argue over differences, they simply do not understand the position of the other person.  Often they don’t WANT to hear the other position at all, and it is hard to hear when you are angry.  They were shouting that Paul was teaching against the Jews, against the Law and against the Temple in Jerusalem.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.  We see his heart clearly about these things In the Book of Romans, where he wrote:

“I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.  For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the Temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh”.  He loved his people without limit, and he had the highest respect for God’s Law and for the Temple.

Verse 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.”

Trophimus was a Gentile Christian from the City of Ephesus, who remained a companion of the Apostle Paul for many years.  We see him in 2 Timothy 4:20, where Paul expressed concern because Trophimus had been so sick that they were forced to leave him behind at Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor (about 36 miles south of Ephesus). 

Our suppositions can get others (and ourselves) into a lot of trouble.  The people ostensibly were upset with Paul because they THOUGHT he brought Trophimus (a Gentile) into an area of the Temple where Gentiles were not supposed to go.  Nothing of the kind had happened, and arguments, divorces, even war, OFTEN happen for such reasons.  Someone does not understand and they think the worst.  The sad thing is that such misunderstandings often occur in the Church.

Verse. 30.  “Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.”

Dignified-appearing people are often ready to do harm to others, much like a school of dangerous barracuda might swim just beneath of the surface of a calm-looking sea.  The Bible is so interesting because it presents people as they really are.  I was just talking to one of my sons about the actions of Simeon and Levi, sons of Jacob (Israel) in relation to their sister Dinah (Genesis Chapter 34).  What they did was TERRIBLE and indefensible.  They killed many innocent people as a way of protecting what they probably thought of as family pride.  A wrong had been done but they made things much worse.

The key people who attacked the Apostle Paul were likely the “pillars” of their community.  They were outwardly respectable most of the time, as were Simeon and Levi.  But their lapses demonstrate something terrible just beneath the surface of mankind that is a danger to us all.  Paul would have given them Jesus Christ, who heals these tendencies within us.  But they would have none of this and set about to kill (within a holy place, the Temple of God), the very one who could have helped them.

Verse 31.  “While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.”

The commander was a “Chief-Captain” (a “Chiliarch: or “Tribune”), the leader of a thousand Roman soldiers.  He would have been the commander of the Tower of Antonia, a castle connected with the Temple of Jerusalem.  It had been rebuilt by Herod the Great and was named by him in honor of Mark Anthony, his patron.  The primary job of this commander was to keep the peace and many of his battle-ready soldiers were on alert at all times.  This was the man who heard the report that a riot was in progress.

Verse 32.  “At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.”

Right now, the commander and his soldiers were RUNNING toward the crowd of people, and it was a good thing, for the people were about to kill the Apostle Paul.  A few Centurians (each of them were leaders of a hundred Roman soldiers) were with him, suggesting that several hundred fully-armed Roman fighting men were rushing toward a screaming, lurching mob of people that was trying to kill Paul.  They saw the soldiers, muttered something like “oh-oh” under their breaths, and moved away from him.

Verse 33.  “Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.”

The commander made the assumption that Paul was the cause of the problem and ordered him to be chained-up.  The Greek literally means “chain on the hands” and it does not mean that his feet were bound – only his hands.  The crowd was frightened by the presence of the Roman soldiers and they were now quiet enough for the commander to be heard.  He began demanding that Paul tell what he had “done” to cause all this commotion.  Paul would have been a bloody mess at this point, but the commander must have thought he was able to answer.

Verse 34.  “But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.”

Now the crowd started to shout again, and everyone seemed to be yelling SOMETHING but nobody could tell precisely what was being said.  Paul was mumbling through a mouth that had just been punched a number of times and the commander could not understand him through the noise.  This commander had no problem with making decisions and he now ordered the soldiers to take Paul to the barracks attached to the Castle of Antonia.

Verse 35.  “When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;”

The mob was out of control again.  The soldiers arrived at the stairs that would lead them into the barracks of the Castle of Antonia, but they were making no headway because the angry crowd was pressing them closely.  It looked like Paul was going to be dragged away by the mob once more, and it was at that point the soldiers lifted Paul and began to carry him up the stairs.  The violence that lives just beneath the surface of “average” people is amazing.  Nothing has really changed since that time, as we can see by a reading of our daily newspapers.  We are a violent race, ready to become a mob at any time.

Verse 36.  “for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, ‘Away with him!’”

Verse 28 is very interesting in relation to this verse, for the people were after Paul for the wrong reasons.  They did not care about truth at that point, but just wanted to GET this little man of God.  They thought he was against the Law of Moses, which simply was not true.  They thought he taught against the Jews, which was not true, either.  And they had decided he had brought Gentiles into the Jerusalem Temple, which was another lie.

The multitude of people just wanted him to be killed.  They were not being allowed to do it themselves, and so they were yelling “Away with him”, hoping that the worst possible “something” would happen to him, as soon as possible.  I think our “modern” attitudes are just as mob-driven as these people.  It’s HARD to listen to someone you don’t agree with, and they probably don’t like you, either.  None of that matters, for it’s time for us to learn to listen to one another – and to love.

Verse 37.  “As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ And he said, ‘Do you know Greek?’”

Paul had been rescued by Roman soldiers but they were not acting on his behalf for he was in chains at that moment.  They literally had carried him to the stairs leading to the barracks attached to the Castle of Antonia at the Temple mount, in order to keep the mob of Jews from killing him and to stop what was developing into a full-scale riot.  They were now safe but it had been very dangerous for everyone concerned.

They were at the door to the barracks (a place of lodging for soldiers) and now that they were away from the noise of the mob, he was able to speak to the Roman Commander of 1000 men.  Paul spoke in the Greek language, which was the second language for most of the people in the Roman Empire.  Much like Latin was to become centuries later, Greek was the language used by educated people of the time.  The Commander was surprised that Paul, who was a cultured man, spoke to him with such eloquence in the Greek language.  

Verse 38.  “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”

We all have our opinions and the Roman Commander thought Paul was a certain man, called by the historian Josephus, “the Egyptian false prophet.”  Josephus said this man put together more than “thirty thousand followers” and advanced out of the wilderness onto the Mount of Olives, intending to overthrow the Roman garrison and make himself the dictator of Jerusalem.  His personal body guards may have been the nucleus of the “four thousand men” cited by this Roman Commander.

On the other hand, the “four thousand” may have actually been the total army of the Egyptian, instead of the “thirty thousand” stated by the historian Josephus, who had and has a reputation for exaggeration.  In any event, the commander sized-up Paul and incorrectly thought he had caught someone who had been a considerable thorn to the Roman Empire.  But Paul was not the man.

Verse 39.  “But Paul said, ‘I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.’”

Now that the Roman commander saw that Paul was not the “Egyptian” (verse 38), he understood that the little Jew of Tarsus was not a threat.  Paul was now allowed to have a calm conversation with the commander.  Tarsus, was by the way, a notable city in the Roman province of Cilicia, and it was to become the capital of that province in A.D. 72.  Paul was an educated man, which was now noted by the Roman commander, and to say he was a citizen of Tarsus, was not unlike saying he was “from Beverly Hills.”  The commander was impressed and would listen to him.

It’s interesting what Paul wanted to do.  He was in chains at that moment and had just been rescued from an angry mob that had tried to kill him.  The Roman commander saw a similar quality in Paul to the one Pilate had seen in the Lord.  At a time when most prisoners (he was now a prisoner) would be crying and begging for mercy, Paul calmly established his credentials and asked for permission to address the very people who had just tried to do him harm.

Verse 40.  “When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying,”

The Roman commander was surprised at Paul’s request but granted it.  Actually, the Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, was granting the request through the commander, “for there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1).  We need to boldly seek the will of our Lord, for He is with those who are in His will, and will open surprising doors for us.  It was also the Lord who calmed the crowd at that moment.  

A short time before, just the SIGHT of Paul, caused the people he was addressing to lose all mental control and to start shouting wildly.  But now he simply motioned to them with his hand, and “there was a great hush”.  This was the precise opposite of what anyone would expect and it is a demonstration that God is in control, even when circumstances might suggest otherwise.  Paul began to speak to them in the “Hebrew” language, which was probably the Aramaic dialect in use at that time.

Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org