The Word This Week
Acts 21:1…
Paul is now on his way back to Jerusalem, desiring to arrive there in time for the Feast of Pentecost.
There doesn’t seem to be any doubt in his mind what he will face when he arrives – yet still he goes.
Seemingly at every stop along the way in his journey, he is warned not to.
At least he has traveling companions to keep him company. It is Dr. Luke who records the warnings Paul received for us.
First at Tyre, after searching diligently for disciples there, Paul was warned by those who loved him, “through the Spirit,” not to go to Jerusalem.
Passing through Ptolemais, they arrived at Caesarea, where the warnings about his plan to go up the Jerusalem became more severe. They stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, whom Luke notes for us had, “four virgin daughters who prophesied.”
This is the same Philip we met earlier who led the Ethiopian eunuch to the Lord in the desert, after leading a revival in Samaria, in Acts 8. Philip was one of the seven men appointed as deacons in the first-days church, along with Stephen. Both of these deacons moved on from waiting tables and serving the Herodian widows to greatness.
I’m certain Paul was aware of Philip’s greatness in the Lord, as Paul, (then Saul,) had sought to stamp out the very revival Philip had been part of instigating and spreading.
After leading the Ethiopian eunuch to the Lord, we had read Philip traveled up the west coast of Israel preaching the Gospel and then settled at Caesarea, a seaport on the west coast which was the seat of the Roman government in Israel. Caesarea would figure prominently in Paul’s life over the coming years, as he would languish in prison awaiting the various trials by the Roman governors seeking to establish what Paul was guilty of as a result of the riot that would break out at the Temple in Jerusalem when Paul did indeed arrive there.
His imprisonment at Caesarea was the fulfillment of the counsel and prophecy shared with Paul along his way up to Jerusalem, most notably and most recently at Philip’s home, as Agabus had visibly demonstrated by taking Paul’s belt and prophesying to him that he would be bound just as this belt bound his own hands and feet.
Despite their very best attempts to warn Paul, even now graphically depicting his imprisonment, still Paul continued on to Jerusalem…where all these warnings would come true.
Pastor Bill
Paul is now on his way back to Jerusalem, desiring to arrive there in time for the Feast of Pentecost.
There doesn’t seem to be any doubt in his mind what he will face when he arrives – yet still he goes.
Seemingly at every stop along the way in his journey, he is warned not to.
At least he has traveling companions to keep him company. It is Dr. Luke who records the warnings Paul received for us.
First at Tyre, after searching diligently for disciples there, Paul was warned by those who loved him, “through the Spirit,” not to go to Jerusalem.
Passing through Ptolemais, they arrived at Caesarea, where the warnings about his plan to go up the Jerusalem became more severe. They stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, whom Luke notes for us had, “four virgin daughters who prophesied.”
This is the same Philip we met earlier who led the Ethiopian eunuch to the Lord in the desert, after leading a revival in Samaria, in Acts 8. Philip was one of the seven men appointed as deacons in the first-days church, along with Stephen. Both of these deacons moved on from waiting tables and serving the Herodian widows to greatness.
I’m certain Paul was aware of Philip’s greatness in the Lord, as Paul, (then Saul,) had sought to stamp out the very revival Philip had been part of instigating and spreading.
After leading the Ethiopian eunuch to the Lord, we had read Philip traveled up the west coast of Israel preaching the Gospel and then settled at Caesarea, a seaport on the west coast which was the seat of the Roman government in Israel. Caesarea would figure prominently in Paul’s life over the coming years, as he would languish in prison awaiting the various trials by the Roman governors seeking to establish what Paul was guilty of as a result of the riot that would break out at the Temple in Jerusalem when Paul did indeed arrive there.
His imprisonment at Caesarea was the fulfillment of the counsel and prophecy shared with Paul along his way up to Jerusalem, most notably and most recently at Philip’s home, as Agabus had visibly demonstrated by taking Paul’s belt and prophesying to him that he would be bound just as this belt bound his own hands and feet.
Despite their very best attempts to warn Paul, even now graphically depicting his imprisonment, still Paul continued on to Jerusalem…where all these warnings would come true.
Pastor Bill