Sermon, 2/9/3 am

Jim Huskey, Walking Through Acts # 29

We're coming to a place in our walk through the book of Acts where Paul

is journeying, moving rather rapidly at time from one place to another.

We begin this morning at the beginning of Acts 21 where Paul is on the

move again, having met with the elders from the church at Ephesus at

Miletus, then continued his journey. He made his way to two or three

different places, stayed for a few days, meets with the disciples, then

went on his way. We pick up in verse 8 of Acts 21.

"And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came

unto Caesarea; and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist,

which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had

four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." Acts 21:8,9. Let's stop

here for a moment. We remember this was one of the seven, as we're

reminded in the text here itself. But we also remember that Philip had

gone to Samaria after being selected as one of the seven, and had

worked there for a time. He went to the city of Samaria and he

preached Christ to them. Then we find that he was instructed to leave

that area and go down to an area where he would come into contact with

an individual whom we know as the Ethiopian eunuch, converted him, and

having recorded this conversion, Acts 8:39,40 concludes that chapter

with the following: "And when they were come up out of the water, the

Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him on

more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus;

and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to

Caesarea." That's the last time we have read of Philip until here in

Acts 21. Now he has four daughters, virgins, who prophesy; he is still

in Caesarea and when Paul and company come there, they stay with him.

But there's something that occurs while they are there. "And as we

tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain

prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's

girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the

Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth

this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."

Acts 21:10,11. Once again, this man's name has popped up once before.

In Acts 11, we find some had travelled as far as Phenice and Cyprus

and those areas, preaching to the Jews only. But they come to Antioch

and the preach to the Gentiles as well. A great number believed and

turned to the Lord. Barnabas is sent down there. Notice verse 27 of

Acts 11. "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the

spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world;

which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples,

every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the

brethren which dwelt in Judaea; which also they did, and sent it to the

elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." Acts 11:27-30. We've read

of this Agabus before; the first time he prophesied of a famine that

would come to pass, which it did; now he has come on the scene again.

This time his presence has to do with Paul. He took Paul's girdle,

bound himself up and said this was what would happen by the hands of

the Jews, to the man who owned this girdle.

Let's just stop here. Remember Paul has been told that he's going to

bear the name of Jesus before kings. He's going to be reminded shortly

thereafter that he would even go to Rome. Now I'm fairly certain Paul

did not have in mind making his journey to Rome as he would make it.

That's just not the way one would normally plan an evangelist trip,

to make it as a prisoner, but that's the way it would work out for Paul.

The events here in Acts 21 are setting that into motion. Here was the

prophecy regarding him being bound. His being bound would eventually

lead to his appealing to the judgment seat of Caesar and his appealing

to the judgment seat of Caesar would set in motion the voyage that would

take him to Rome to be tried.

"And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place,

besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. (Just don't go, Paul. Don't

go to Jerusalem and these things won't happen.) Then Paul answered,

When mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am ready not to

be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord

Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The

will of the Lord be done. And after those days we took up our

carriages, and went up to Jerusalem." Acts 21:12-15. The die was cast!!

Paul would be bound and the result of that would eventually take him

to Rome.

"There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and

brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we

should lodge. And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren

received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto

James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them,

he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles

by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and

said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there

are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law; And they are

informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the

Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise

their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it

therefore? The multitude must needs come together; for they will hear

that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee; we have

four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with

them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads;

and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed

concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest

orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe,

we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save

only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from

blood, and from strangled, and from fornication." Acts 21:16-25. Now

you remember there's already been one conference at Jerusalem over

this matter. Here the Jews had been bringing the report that Paul

had told the Jews which were among the Gentiles to completley forsake

their customs they had been observing over the years, including

circumcision. Now, just stop and think for a moment. Some would

suggest that these brethren were wrong in their approach to Paul in

the first place. Is circumcision anything with respect to christianity??

NO!!!! Is it all right if one is circumcised??? YES!!! Is it all

right if one is not circumcised??? YES!!! So neither way is there

any harm done or is there any advantage gained!!!!! But, was this

charge that was being made concerning Paul true? NO!!!! Paul would

not try to bind on the Gentiles those customs that had been handed

down from the law; but neither did he try to keep the Jews who became

christians from holding on to some of those practices. The truth of

the matter was, they didn't make any difference now. So in the first

place, the charges many brought against Paul were not correct.

So Paul agreed with their request. Why? because he was trying to open

doors rather than close doors. So Paul entered with the others into

the temple to be purified, to observe certain days until sacrifices

could be offered in their behalf, as was the custom of the law. Now,

remember, it's this same Paul who wrote "For in Christ Jesus, neither

circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

Gal. 6:15. He understood that; he understood that these were just

customs that had been handed down and that as far as real value was

concerned to his spiritual well-being, they had nothing to do with it.

But in order to keep down trouble he agreed to do this and there was

nothing wrong with it. But I want you to notice what happened.

"And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of

Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and

laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man,

that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and

this place; and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath

polluted this holy place. (None of this was true. What had happened??

They had put one and one together and got SIX!!!! Luke explains!!!)

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian,

whom they SUPPOSED that Paul had brought into the temple.)" Acts 21:27-29.

Had they seen Paul in the temple with Trophimus??? NO!!!! Where did

they see Paul with Trophimus??? IN THE CITY!!!! So I guess if

Trophimus had been with Paul in the city HE HAD TO BE WITH PAUL IN

THE TEMPLE AS WELL....... Wasn't true!!! Wasn't true!!!! It's so

much easier sometimes to act on half truth and what one SUPPOSES, than

it is to get all the evidence before one jumps to a conclusion. All

this troule would be stirred up, in part, because people didn't get the

facts of the matter. That is true in so many, many incidents. But

Paul would be bound and eventually wind up having to appeal to Nero

Caesar's judgment seat because of the lies the Jews laid at his feet!!

Now it's awfully important that we get all the facts before we start

jumping to conclusions. I heard something the other morning as I was

having my morning social with some of my friends at McDonalds. A

fellow walked in the a fellow sitting next to me said, "I read his

obituary in a veterans' paper that's published here in Georgia just

last week." I said, "He doesn't look too dead to me." Sure enough.

He went and got the paper, gave it to the fellow. Well, somebody had

gotten a little bit of information here and there that wasn't true and

they acted on it, published about the man's death, and here he was

sitting in McDonalds reading about it.

All the events that follow from this point on until Paul winds up in

Rome were the results, at least in part, of the Jews' lies. Now the

Jews didn't mind lying a little bit, especially if they could get

Paul. They'll prove that a little later. But this incident was all

from them believing something that wasn't true. They didn't have all

the facts straight. Paul said it didn't matter to him. He was willing

to not only be bound, but was willing to die for the Lord in

Jerusalem if necessary.

"And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they

took Paul, and drew him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors

were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the

chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who

immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them; and

when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of

Paul. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him

to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had

done. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude; and

when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commaned him to

be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it

was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.

For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief

captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar,

and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were

murdered? (talk about mis-information!!!) But Paul said, I am a man

which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city;

and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had

given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the

hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he

spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying," Acts 21:30-40. So he

would begin to make his defense - his first one. There would be many

more after this. This one is to the Jews.

The bottom line is this - all the charges brought against Paul were

false. They could not be sustained. You'll remember that already on

several occasions Paul had determined to be at Jerusalem for a

particular feast. Does that sound like he would be teaching the Jews

that it was wrong for them to go to those feasts, when he himself would

be there for them. He saw that as an opportunity, as an open door,

where he could reach some of those Jews, so he took advantage of it.

But the charges laid at his feet were false, and part of them came

about as a result of, and from the springboard of the statement that

he had taken a Gentile into the temple. Remember, that's how the

Romans would really rub it in the face of the Jews when they would

not only go into the temple, but would take a pig in there and offer

it on the altar. So this is the springboard that led to near violence

before the captain arrived to take Paul.

We'll stop here and Lord willing, this evening we'll look at Paul's

defense and some of the things he has to say and some of the things

that occur as a result of his defense. In his defense he recounts his

conversion to the Jews, as well, trying to open their eyes, help them

understand that he was once where they were right then and that they

had common ground as opposed to uncommon ground.