The Mail Must Get Through - Acts 21:1-26.
The events of Acts 20-21 cover a period of nearly one year. Paul left Ephesus just after
Pentecost, probably in the year 56 (1 Cor 16:8). He spent the summer and autumn
months travelling through Macedonia and possibly Illyricum (Montenegro), encouraging
the churches there before wintering over in Corinth (Acts 20:1-3, 1Cor 16:5-7, Rom
15:19). It was from here that he wrote his letter to the Church in Rome. He then spent
the Passover in Philippi (Acts 20:6) before heading back to Jerusalem, getting there just
before Pentecost (Acts 20:16). Acts 20:6-21:26 cover a period of less than 50 days.
But this was much more than a missionary Journey to encourage the Christians in
Macedonia and Greece. The Lord had laid on Paul's heart the needs of the Christians in
Jerusalem who were suffering financial hardship. There was a growing gap between the
Gentile and Jewish churches (Acts 21:21-21) and Paul saw an opportunity to do
something to help bridge that gap. To have the Gentile churches raise funds to support
the needy Church in Jerusalem was a means of showing solidarity with them. This
Journey was undertaken in order to collect this money and to take it to Jerusalem (1 Cor
16:1-4, Rom 15:25-26).
Paul and his companions wanted to make the return journey as quickly as possible. With
the Passover now behind them they were facing calmer summer weather making sea
travel much safer, and certainly quicker than travelling overland on foot. They probably
felt that while carrying a considerable sum of money there was less risk of piracy than
being confronted by highway robbers, and by now Paul was well used to sea travel.
Soon after his conversion, when he came under threat in Jerusalem, he was escorted to
the sea port of Caesarea and sent home to Tarsus (Acts 9:30). The implication is that
this was by sea. On their first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas sailed to Pamphylia
via Cyprus (Acts 13:4-13), then sailed from Attalis to Antioch (Acts 14:26) on their
return journey. At the conclusion of the second missionary journey Paul sailed from
Corinth to Ephesus then on to Caesarea (Acts 18:18,21-22). On that occasion we are
provided with no details of the journey. All we are told is "he set sail from Ephesus...he
landed at Caesarea". Now however, on this third missionary journey, we are provided
with the detailed travel diary of an eyewitness. Luke had rejoined the team at Philippi.
For the first stage of this Journey we are given a day by day account of a series of
tedious short island hops. It is likely that the team had hitched rides on coastal grain
ships taking supplies to the many Mediterranean islands that are dotted along Turkey's
coast line. Though laid up in the winter, during the rest of the year the Mediterranean
had numerous cargo ships plying its waters. It was cheaper to shift merchandise the
length of the Mediterranean than to haul it 120km on land. Without dedicated passenger
ships, freighters at this time also carried a large number of passengers with the lucky
few gaining cabin accommodation. Others may have been given cramped
accommodation in the cargo hold, but the majority would have had to remain on the
open deck. When Paul was shipwrecked on Malta there were 276 people on board (Acts
27:37). Josephus writes of being shipwrecked with 600 people who had to swim for
their lives all night with only 80 being rescued (Life of Josephus 3). Needless to say that
people being transported in these conditions were not provided with any amenities on
board and had to see to there own food and provisions. Luke says nothing of the team’s
accommodation aboard these ships.
From Miletus they sailed to Cos, a narrow Island 37 km long and supporting an ancient
Greek civilisation that went right back to the early Mycenaean period (1500 BC). In
Paul's time its harbour was recognised as one of the most beautiful in the ancient world
and, as the home of the famous Hippocrates (460- 377 BC), its town boasted the worlds
first medical university, as well as having a famed health resort, hot springs and public
baths.
Like Cos, Rhodes is an island with a town and a port each bearing the same name. The
island of 72 km by 35 km is the second largest in the Aegean and conveniently situated
on the trade routes between Greece, Egypt and Asia. It was first settled by the Minoans
from Crete who began trading with the Palestinian cities of Ugarit and Tyre (Eze 27:15)
from the 16th century. Later Greek settlers developed Rhodes into a powerful trading
and banking centre, gaining political significance well beyond its size and limited natural
resources, especially after 408 BC when the different communities on the island joined
forces to build the city and port of Rhodes on the northeastern end of the island. Its
trade was supported by a strong navy that protected its interests abroad as well as
fighting piracy. When Rhodes used its navy to support Macedonia against Rome, Rome
retaliated by diverting all trade from Rhodes and ceasing its mainland possessions.
Finally, in 43 BC Rome attacked the now financially weakened Rhodes and plundered it
of all its wealth, reducing it to a resort town. By Paul's time it was no more than a
beautiful city with a glorious past.
Patara was a major sea port of Lycia at the mouth of the Xanthus River, about 90 km to
the east of Rhodes. It had an excellent harbour protected by a headland and a
lighthouse, though the harbour is now silted up. Lycia, a rugged mountainous region on
the south-west corner of Turkey had been settled in the second millennium BC by Hittite
people. Due to its rugged remoteness the region resisted attack from its neighbours,
having never been conquered until falling to the Persians. Even then, and right through
to Roman times it maintained a degree of independence with a federal assembly made
up from representatives from each city, their number depending on the size of the city.
Patara, as one of the larger cities, had the maximum of three representatives. This
system continued even after Lycia was made a Roman province in 43 AD, just a few
years before Paul's stop over. As far as we can determine from the biblical records this
stop over in order to change ships is the only time that Paul ever visited this region,
other than later as a Roman prisoner (Acts 27:5).
From here the team found a larger ship about to make the 650 km trip directly to
Tyre. The reference to Phoenicia is to the Syrian coastline inhabited with an ancient
Canaanite people and their great trading cities of Sidon, Tyre and Byblos. Historically
each of these towns remained as separate city states with the area never uniting to form
a single kingdom. They had a highly developed culture and were regarded as skilled
tradesmen, called upon by Solomon to help build the temple, and the Assyrians to build
their palaces. Among their special skills was ship building which led them to become a
great trading people, thought to have introduced sea trade to the Mediterranean world.
They supplemented their own supply of raw materials with imports to be turned into
manufactured goods for export (Eze 27). Their products included crafted ivory, bronze,
glass and purple dyed wool. Even Solomon's own wealth was created in cooperation
with the King of Tyre (1Kings 9:26-28). The Phoenicians formed colonies as far away as
Carthage in Libya and Lixus on Spain's Atlantic coast, with Carthage even becoming a
powerful empire in its own right. From Carthage they circumnavigated Africa, and from
Spain they sailed as far north as England. Phoenician culture however, was slowly
eroded by successive invasions and colonisation, a process completed by the Romans.
By New Testament times Tyre was just another Greek speaking town and part of
the Roman province of Syria.
This direct sea voyage would have saved considerable time, though we need to
remember that sea travel in those days was never without its risks, and the sight of the
island of Cyprus must have been comforting for it meant that if a storm did brew they
were not far from the safety of a port. Also familiar landmarks would have been
important for navigation prior to the invention of the compass. Cypress is the largest of
the Mediterranean islands being 240 km by 65 km and 95 km West of Phoenicia.
Originally a Phoenician colony it was named by subsequent Greek settlers after the trees
that grew there, but it was called Kittim in the Old Testament (Num 24:24).
As Paul sailed past the Island he may well have recalled the days when his missionary
activity began. This was the first place that he and Barnabas had evangelised (Acts
13:4-12).
We hear very little about the Church in Tyre, but Paul felt the need to delay his journey
while his team enjoyed their company for a week. During this time they were given
messages by the Holy Spirit about the problems that lay ahead for Paul and they tried
to discourage Paul from going on to Jerusalem (Acts 1:4). Then as he was leaving, the
entire church, men, women and children accompanied him to the port. We are left with
the impression of a family outing; of people getting together for a day of rest and
relaxation, possibly even enjoying a picnic together on the beach as they waited for the
departure of Paul's ship. Then came the prayer meeting. One can't help but be struck
by the informality of it all. They just knelt there in the sand and prayed. Even so this
prayer was in earnest. Like the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:36) they knew that Paul was
facing his greatest danger and they were concerned for him. In unburdening their hearts
they could rest in the peace of knowing that God has all tings under his control (1Thes
5:17).
From Tyre there are another couple of short little sea trips before the final ascent to
Jerusalem. Ptolemais is the fortified city of Acco (Judges 1:31), an important harbour in
New Testament times and another overnight stopover where Paul was able to enjoy the
company of the Christians while waiting for his next sailing to Caesarea. Caesarea, the
sea port and major town of Samaria, marked the end of their sea journey as it was the
closest port to Jerusalem. Philip, one of the seven elected to look after the
administration of the church's affairs in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5) but who later became the
primary evangelist to the district of Samaria (Acts 8:5,40), had settled in Caesarea to
raise his family. His four teenage daughters all had a special relationship with God
whereby they were able to speak messages that had been revealed by him. This gift of
prophesy was an important ministry in the church at this time (Acts 13:1, 1 Cor 12:10),
being available to men and women alike (1Cor 11:5). Everyone, including the youth, are
valued members of the church with very important roles to play and should be
encouraged to participate in all levels of its ministry. As part of his ministry Philip had
used his home to provide hospitality to travelling Christians including Paul and his team.
It is possible that Paul had been a regular guest of Philip but this is the only occasion
where we get such a detailed eye witness account of Paul's stopovers. Whatever may
have happened in the past, this time Paul stayed with Philip a number of days.
Prompted by messages from the Holy Spirit that warned of the dangers that lay ahead
for Paul, the Christians here, like those in Tyre, tried to discourage Paul from going on to
Jerusalem. Given the context in which Philip's daughters are mentioned it is likely that
they too prophesied about Paul's impending troubles. Agabus, a Christian prophet from
Judah, made a special trip to Caesarea. He had previously predicted a large scale
famine that spread throughout the entire Roman world (Acts 11:28), so when he
prophesied his messages were carefully listened to. Like an Old Testament prophet he
reinforced his "Thus says the Lord" message with strong visual imagery to portray Paul's
captivity (Acts 21:11, cf. Isaiah 8:1-4, Jer 27:2, Eze 5:1). He bound his own hands and
feet with Paul's belt to demonstrate the fate that awaited Paul in Jerusalem. This belt
was a long piece of cloth that was folded and tied around the waist to hold the robes in
place, with its folds being used as a pocket to carry personal belongings. The message
was that Paul was going to be captured by the Jews and handed over to the Roman
authorities. Strictly speaking it was the Roman soldiers who bound Paul but that was
after they had rescued him from a Jewish mob (Acts 21:30-33). The test of a prophet's
truth was in the accuracy of the essential message, but considerable poetic license was
allowed for the details (eg. 2Kings 19:28 regarding Sennacherib's retreat).
Paul found the pleas of his friends heart breaking. Here we are permitted to see genuine
tenderness in the heart of this man of great strength. No doubt their weeping must
have given rise to conflicted emotions causing him to question the wisdom of
proceeding. He most certainly did not wish to see his friends' anguish, but Paul
obstinately continues. Even before leaving Corinth he was apprehensive of what was in
store for him in Jerusalem, so much so that he writes to the church in Rome asking them
to pray for him (Rom 15:30-31). He knew that suffering awaited him, possibly even
death (Acts 21:13), yet he also felt compelled by the Spirit to go on (Acts 20:22). In
the early American pioneer days the motto of the Pony Express was "the mail must get
through". Nothing was permitted to stop them, not drought, not flood, not even interethnic warfare was permitted to stop their horses from making their journey. A famous
advertisement for riders read "Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen.
Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." Paul may have
been over eighteen but he had a delivery to make and nothing was going to stop him.
He was going to deliver his offering to Jerusalem, even if it killed him. This
determination to fulfil his mission reflects that of the Lord himself when he resolutely set
out for Jerusalem knowing what was in store for him (Luke 9:51).
How is it possible that the Holy Spirit told Paul one thing, and every one else something
different? It is through the Spirit that the believers in Tyre urged Paul not to go to
Jerusalem, and it was through the Spirit that Agabus warned of Paul's captivity. But the
Holy Spirit's message was consistent. He told Paul that he would suffer in Jerusalem.
He told the believers in Tyre that Paul will suffer in Jerusalem. He told Agabus that Paul
will suffer in Jerusalem. It was the Lord himself who saw the need for Paul to personally
deliver the collection, for this was not only a chance for Paul to show the solidarity of the
Gentile church with the church in Jerusalem, it was an opportunity for Paul to report on
how God was working amongst the Gentiles. The Church in Jerusalem needed to know
that what God was doing was much bigger than them. They needed to know that this
was God's work and that they were a part of it. Paul saw how important this was and
interpreted the Spirit's warning as an encouragement to keep going. To forewarn was
not intended to discourage but rather to strengthen resolve. It is much easier to face a
known danger than to have it thrust upon him by surprise. Through being forewarned
he knew that no matter what happened God was in control. He was prepared to follow
God's direction to the very end.
Those who came into contact with him along the way, including his own mission team
(note the 'we' in Acts 21:12), heard the same message which they interpreted as a
warning of danger to beware of. Yet even though they had received these prophecies
through the Holy Spirit, what these believers had told Paul was wrong. While it is
possible for prophets to be in error, the Holy Spirit does not make mistakes. These
prophecies would have related to Paul's imprisonment. To forewarn was not intended to
discourage but rather to strengthen resolve. The Urging of Paul not to go was their own
elaboration of the prophecy. It is the interpretation placed on the message that was in
error, not the message itself. Paul was too dear to them and too valuable to the church
to be put in such danger. They had filtered the Spirit's message through their own
emotional needs and came to different conclusions to Paul. This is very similar to Peter
discouraging Jesus from fulfilling his ministry in Mat 16:21-23. As Jesus tried to
forewarn the disciples of the destiny that waited him in Jerusalem Peter objected "this
shall never happen to you". This was a very natural reaction from someone wanting the
best for his beloved master but Jesus attributed it to Satan and described it as
a stumbling block. Peter's reaction was a human one that failed to take into account the
mind of God. The same was true of these Christians who, out of love, were unwittingly
using prophecy from the Holy Spirit to discourage Paul from fulfilling his God ordained
ministry. We need to be careful that we do not mistake our own desires and emotions
as the Spirit's leading. Paul, along with the other apostles, warn that all prophecies need
to be weighed carefully and tested (1Cor 14:29, 1Thes 5:20-21, 1John 4:1).
Those trying to dissuade Paul from going on had to resign themselves to his resolve to
continue. This resignation took the form of "the Lord's will be done". They may not
have been convinced that Paul's actions were the Lord's will but at least they were
prepared to acknowledge that God is the one who is in charge of events and that what
happens, good or bad, happens because God has a purpose. While Paul was in prison he
produced the letters to the churches at Ephesus, Colossi and Philippi as well as the letter
to Philemon; letters that have been a source of comfort and instruction for all Christians
down through the ages. He also became a witness to many in Rome including a number
of prisoners. In particular it was through Paul's witness as a prisoner that Onesimus
became a Christian (Phm 1:10). Though seemingly hard on Paul, his imprisonment has
been of immense benefit to the church as a whole. Jesus was prepared to go all the way
to the cross so that he could rescue his church.
Accepting Paul's decision to carry on, some of the Christians from Caesarea accompany
him on the first leg of the two day journey to Jerusalem (Caesarea to Jerusalem is
approximately 100km). It is possible that they thought that they may be able to provide
some protection if Paul did get himself into trouble. They were concerned for him and
they demonstrated that concern through their actions (James 2:15-16). Mnason is a
Romanised form of Jason and like Barnabas (Acts 4:36), was a Jew from Cyprus who
had become a Christian in the early days of the Church. is likely that he was one of
those who had suffered, either directly or indirectly, from Saul's early persecution of the
church (Acts 8:2). Now he was that persecutor's host.
The church in Jerusalem was still the primary church with an over all concern for all that
was happening elsewhere and it had become Paul's practice to report to them at the
conclusion of each of his missionary journeys (Act 15:4, 18:22), so he was keen to take
the first opportunity he could to meet with the elders and report on the work amongst
the Gentiles. In doing so he reported in detail on what God had done, not what he had
done. We must never lose sight of the fact that all Christian activity is God's work, not
our own, and that what ever is achieved is achieved by God not by us.
Of course the Jerusalem Church were grateful for the financial sacrifice that the Gentile
churches had made on their behalf (Acts 24:17), in spite of Paul's concern that they
might not be (Rom 15:31) and at least the Jewish leaders were filled with praise and
gratitude to God over Paul's report about the results of his ministry. We are also told
that Paul, and his team, received a warm welcome from the church in Jerusalem. This is
a really significant statement. It implies that, in spite of the growing political nationalism
within Judaism, these Jewish Christians graciously hosted the entire delegation, including
the uncircumcised Gentile believers; though it is likely that Paul himself would
have stayed with his nephew (Acts 23:16).
By this time the leadership of the Jerusalem Church had passed from the apostles to a
group of elders, the completion of a process that had began much earlier (Acts 15:6).
Presumably the apostles were now engaged in missions outside of Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).
We know that James was dead, Thomas had gone to India and Peter's ministry extended
well beyond the limits of Jerusalem (Gal 2:11, 1Pet 1:1), eventually ending up in Rome.
We also know that John later became associated with the churches in the Roman
province of Asia (Rev 1:4). A central figure to this new leadership was James, the lord's
brother, not the apostle, having become an influential leader by the time of the
Jerusalem council about eight years prior to these events (Acts 15:13, Gal 2:12).
Once in Jerusalem Paul was confronted by the yawning gap that had existed between the
Gentile and Jewish church. James had continued to lead a vibrant and growing church.
Such was his influence in Jerusalem that when he was killed by the pro-Roman
aristocracy the general populace demanded the removal of his killer from office.
Under this leadership the Jerusalem Church had maintained an extremely effective
witness within its own indigenous culture claiming many thousands of converts. The
term used here (myrias) literally means many tens of thousands and it is estimated that
ten percent of the Jewish population of Palestine had become Christians. When these
Jews became Christians they expressed their faith in a very Jewish way, committed to
their culture and zealous for the Law. This meant that they tended to be antagonistic
toward non Jews and that there was a deep seated suspicion of those who do not keep
Jewish customs, Paul included. Paul's insistence that gentile believers do not need to
keep the Jewish law was being interpreted as encouraging Jews to abandon their
customs.
This cultural divide was exacerbated by growing nationalism, resulting in a situation that
had changed markedly over the 25 years since Acts 2. Aristocratic Jews sympathetic to
the Romans were being assassinated. There was growing political ferment which was to
lead to a full scale rebellion and political independence within a decade. It took the
Romans four years to put down this rebellion and resulted in the complete destruction of
both the city and the temple. This was a dangerous time to friends with the Gentiles.
The Elders saw the best way of bridging that gap was for Paul to prove his Jewishness by
taking a vow in accordance with Jewish custom. This involved setting aside a specific
period of time to be especially dedicated to the Lord (Num 6:1-21). During this time
those taking the vow must avoid any contact with anything that may defile them.
They may consume no alcohol, and may neither shave nor cut their hair. At the
conclusion of this period of dedication they needed to present a lamb along with a
number of other items as a sacrificial offering. They then publicly have their hair shaved
off, placing this cut hair on the fire of the altar of sacrifice.
In making this suggestion to Paul the Elders refer to the decision of the Jerusalem
Council in Acts 15 to allow the Gentiles to practice their faith without having to be bound
by the Old Testament law. Here the elders are reassuring Paul that what they desired
was to avoid Jewish misapprehension. They did not require Gentile believers to embrace
Jewish customs beyond the minimal restrictions listed in that edict. Liberty has its
limits. Sexual immorality, though acceptable in Greek culture is an affront to God's
order in society and should not be indulged in by any Christian, something that Paul
himself regarded as strongly as any Jew (1 Cor 5:11). In fact Paul demands from
Christians the highest ethical standards in all areas of morality, not just sex. The same
goes for the worship of idols, though Paul was more relaxed about eating food offered to
idols. In 1Cor 8 he argues that as idols are not real, food that has been offered to them
cannot really be contaminated, though he recommends abstinence in case one causes a
weaker Christian to act against their conscience, or hurt Jewish sensibilities. The
prohibition against blood, or meat that has not been drained of its blood, relates to the
role of blood in sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Christ's blood was poured out as the
ultimate sacrifice and to consume blood is seen as sacrilegious. The rest of the New
Testament is silent about this and while some Christians today are happy to consume
blood products, such as black pudding, many others are not. Perhaps the principles of
1Cor 8 can be applied here as well.
Paul responds positively to the elders’ request. After all he was a Jew in Jerusalem (Rom
11:1) and he saw no compromise in behaving like one, even though he insisted that
there was no need for non Jewish Christians to do so (1 Cor 7:18). In fact he had
previously taken such a vow at the end of his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18)
though, of course, the general population in Jerusalem would be unaware of this as he
had completed this vow in Cenchrea. For him to visit the temple would have been a
meaningful form of worship in keeping with his zeal for God. He was free to express his
faith in accordance with his culture as much as his Greek converts were free to express
their faith in terms that were consistent with their culture.
He did not have to become a Gentile any more than they had to become Jews. His
willingness to take the vow was yet another example of he being prepared to become all
things to all men (1 Cor 9:19-23).
So Paul joined four others who had already taken a vow, joined in with their purification
rights and paid for all of their expenses while preparing for the final sacrifices and for
their being shaved. In Jewish eyes to pay the expenses for other people who take a
Nazarite vow was considered particularly pious. In doing this Paul conclusively
demonstrates that he did not object to Jewish converts following the Old Testament
customs.
Unfortunately Paul's example has not always been noticed by the Gentile church. By the
next century, as the central authority had shifted from Jerusalem to Rome, the debate
had shifted from "do the Gentile Christians need to keep the Jewish law?" to "is it
acceptable for Jewish Christians to follow the law?" Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with
Trypho (47) argues that it was. "But if some ---- wish to observe such institutions as
were given by Moses, ---- along with their hope in this Christ, and wish to perform the
eternal and natural acts of righteousness and piety, yet choose to live with the Christians
and the faithful, ---- then I hold that we ought to join ourselves to such, and associate
with them in all things as kinsmen and brethren". This is a cultural conflict that is still
being played out on many mission fields today where Western Christians fail to
distinguish between the essence of the Christian faith and the Western cultural values
that have become entwined within it. The most obvious examples were the importing of
western music to be used in indigenous worship services and the expectation of white
weddings in cultures where white was the symbol of mourning. All Christians should be
able to express their faith in terms that are consistent with their culture, Jews included.
As a Jew now in Jerusalem Paul, in humility, obediently submitted to the instructions of
the elders of the Jerusalem Church even though subsequent events proved the elders'
decision to be wrong, for their plan backfired. Far from allaying the Jews' suspicions,
Paul's actions only increased them. He would have been better off staying right away
from the temple altogether. He could have stood on principle and claimed to not be
under the law. He could have said that as a recognised apostle he had no need to follow
their instructions. He could have walked away and ignored their request, but to do so
would have only widened the gap between the Jewish and the Gentile churches, and his
dream of breaking down the wall of hostility (Eph 2:14) would have been destroyed
forever.
In Mat 16:24-26 Jesus had warned that to follow Christ meant self denial. It meant
sacrificial living, even to the point of death if need be. Comfortable living puts the soul
at risk. This was a lesson that Paul understood. He was prepared to fulfil his mission in
spite of the risks that it involved. The future of the church that he had spent his life
working for was far more important than his own life (Acts 20:24). He was prepared to
deny himself and submit to the elder's authority, even if this subverted the principles
that his ministry was based on. He was prepared to lay everything on the line so that he
could complete the task that the Lord Jesus had given him. He was prepared to follow
Jesus all the way to a cross in Jerusalem if necessary (1Pet 2:21) and this brings us back
to the central message of Revelation: to remain faithful to Christ in spite of all the evils
that the beast of persecution can throw at us. Too often we are too concerned about our
image in the world to be effective witnesses. We are too concerned about what people
think of us; of what people might think of me. Are we prepared to be faithful servants of
the lamb no matter what life may throw at us? Are we prepared to give up our
comfortable lives in order to follow our Lord? Or are we too secure and comfortable
in this world to even recognise our cross, much less to take it up and follow Jesus?