Acts 21 - A Study Guide by Kevin Scott

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                         "ACTS OF THE APOSTLES"

                           Chapter Twenty-One

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER

1) To explore the warnings that Paul received as he journeyed to
   Jerusalem

2) To review the arrival of Paul in Jerusalem

3) To examine Paul's arrest in the temple

4) To observe Paul's request to address the violent mob as he entered
   the barracks

SUMMARY

Paul left the Ephesian elders at Miletus.  Paul, Luke and the other
traveling companions sailed from Miletus to Cos.  From Cos, they sailed
to Rhodes, and then on to Patara.  At Patara, they caught a ship to
Tyre of Phoenicia.  The ship passed to the south of the island of
Cyprus.  Upon arrival in Tyre, they found the disciples and remained
with them seven days.  The Spirit had indicated to the disciples what
awaited Paul in Jerusalem.  They told Paul to not go to Jerusalem.  Paul
continued, the disciples accompanied him outside the city, and they
knelt and prayed on the shore.  Paul and his companions boarded the ship
and departed.  They sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais.  They greeted the
brethren there and remained one day.  They then went to Caesarea.  Paul
and his companions went to Philip's house.  He was one of the seven (cf.
Acts 6).  Philip had four virgin daughters; they prophesied.  The
prophet Agabus came down from Judea.  He took Paul's belt and bound his
own hands and feet.  This was to indicate that Paul would be bound and
delivered to the Gentiles in Jerusalem, as the Holy Spirit revealed.
Both his traveling companions and those in Caesarea pleaded with Paul
not to go to Jerusalem.  Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by
weeping and breaking my heart?  For I am ready not only to be bound but
also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."  (Acts 21:13
NKJV)  They then ceased pleading with Paul and asked that the will of
the Lord be done. (1-14)

Paul and his companions proceeded to Jerusalem.  They were accompanied
by some of the disciples from Caesarea.  They were to lodge with Mnason
of Cyprus, who was an early disciple.  They then met with the Jerusalem
brethren, who met them gladly.  The next day, Paul and his companions
met with James and the elders to give a description of the "things which
God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry."  The brethren
glorified the Lord upon hearing these things.  James and the
elders then expounded to Paul the problem he faced.  Many myriads of
Jews had believed, and they were zealous for the law.  They had been
informed that Paul taught Jews, living among the Gentiles, to forsake
Moses - that is, not to circumcise their children, nor to keep the
customs.  They expected these Jewish believers to learn that Paul was in
Jerusalem.  James and the elders gave Paul a plan - he should
accompany the four men who had taken a vow; purify himself; pay their
expenses in an effort to show that Paul kept the law (customs) as a Jew.
They reiterated (cf. Acts 15) that the believing Gentiles were
not subject to the law. (15-25)

Paul followed the plan from James and the elders.  He took the men and
was purified with them.  They then entered the temple.  Jews from Asia
saw Paul in the temple.  They stirred up the crowd and seized Paul.
They cried out charges as James and the elders had expected.
Additionally, they charged that Paul had brought Greeks into the temple
and had defiled the place.  They had seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with
Paul in the city and "supposed" that he had brought him into the temple.
The Jews seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple.  As they sought
to kill him, word came to the Roman commander about the uproar.  When
the Jews saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
The commander took Paul and bound him with chains.  He asked what he had
done, but he could not get an answer from the mob.  He then took him to
the barracks.  When they reached the stairs of the barracks, Paul had to
be carried due to the violence of the mob.  (26-36)

Paul asked to speak to the commander.  The commander asked him if he
could speak Greek.  The commander also asked if he was the Egyptian
leader of the assassins.  Paul replied that he was a Jew from Tarsus in
Cilicia, "a citizen of no mean city."  Paul then requested to speak to
the people.  The commander gave Paul permission to speak to the people.
Paul then began to speak to them in Hebrew.  (37-40)

OUTLINE

I. WARNINGS TO PAUL AS HE HEADED TO JERUSALEM (1-14)

   A. THEY SAILED FROM MILETUS TO TYRE (1-3)
      1. Paul left the Ephesian elders at Miletus
      2. Paul, Luke, and the other traveling companions sailed from
         Miletus to Cos to Rhodes and to Patara
      3. From Patara, they caught a ship to Tyre of Phoenicia
         a. As they sailed, they saw Cyprus on the "left" (passing south
            of the island)

   B. PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS ARRIVED IN TYRE (4-6)
      1. They found the disciples there and remained with them seven
         days
         a. The disciples understood through the Spirit what awaited
            Paul in Jerusalem
         b. They told Paul not to go to Jerusalem
      2. The disciples accompanied Paul and his companions outside the
         city
         a. They all knelt down and prayed on the shore
         b. Paul and his companions boarded the ship and departed

   C. MORE WARNINGS GIVEN TO PAUL BEFORE ARRIVING IN JERUSALEM (6-14)
      1. Paul and his companions sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais
         a. They greeted the brethren there and remained one day
         b. The next day, they went to Caesarea
      2. Paul and his companions went to Philip's house
         a. Philip was one of the seven (cf. Acts 6)
         b. Philip had four virgin daughters; they prophesied
         c. The prophet Agabus came down from Judea
         d. Agabus took Paul's belt and bound his own hands and feet;
            this was to indicate what would happen to Paul, as revealed
            by the Holy Spirit; he would be delivered to the Gentiles
         e. Both his traveling companions and those in Caesarea pleaded
            with Paul not to go to Jerusalem
         f. Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and
            breaking my heart?  For I am ready not only to be bound but
            also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
            (Acts 21:13 NKJV)
         g. They ceased pleading with Paul and asked that the will of
            the Lord be done

II. PAUL ARRIVED IN JERUSALEM (15-25)

   A. PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS PROCEEDED TO JERUSALEM (15-16)
      1. They were accompanied by some of the disciples of Caesarea
      2. They were to lodge with Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple

   B. THEY MET WITH THE JERUSALEM BRETHREN (17-25)
      1. The Jerusalem brethren met them gladly
      2. Paul and his companions met with James and the elders to give a
         description of the "things which God had done among the
         Gentiles through his ministry"
      3. They glorified the Lord upon hearing these things
      4. James and the elders expounded to Paul the problem he faced
         a. Many myriads of Jews had believed
         b. These Jewish believers were zealous for the law
         c. They had been informed that Paul taught Jews living among
            the Gentiles to forsake Moses - not to circumcise their
            children, nor to keep the customs
         d. These Jewish believers would learn that Paul was in
            Jerusalem
         e. James and the elders gave Paul a plan - he was to accompany
            the four men who had taken a vow; purify himself; pay their
            expenses - this was an effort to show that Paul kept the law
            (customs) as a Jew
         f. They reiterated (cf. Acts 15) that the believing Gentiles
            were not subject to the law

III. PAUL ARRESTED IN THE TEMPLE (26-36)

   A. PAUL FOLLOWED THE PLAN FROM JAMES AND THE ELDERS (26)
      1. Paul took the men and was purified with them; they entered the
         temple

   B. JEWS FROM ASIA SAW PAUL IN THE TEMPLE (27-29)
      1. They stirred up the crowd and seized Paul
      2. They cried out charges as expected (see notes above)
      3. Additionally, they charged that Paul had brought Greeks into
         the temple and defiled the place
         a. They had seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city
         b. They "supposed" that Paul had brought him into the temple

   C. PAUL WAS SEIZED AND THE JEWS SOUGHT TO KILL HIM (30-36)
      1. The people seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple
      2. As they sought to kill him, word came to the Roman commander of
         the uproar
      3. When the Jews saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped
         beating Paul
      4. The commander took Paul and bound him with chains; he asked
         what Paul had done
         a. When he could not get an answer, he took him to the barracks
         b. When they reached the stairs, Paul had to be carried due to
            the violence of the mob

IV. PAUL ASKED TO ADDRESS THE MOB (37-40)

   A. PAUL ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE COMMANDER (37-39)
      1. The commander asked if he could speak Greek
      2. The commander also asked if he was the Egyptian leader of the
         assassins
      3. Paul replied that he was a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, "a
         citizen of no mean city"
      4. Paul requested to speak to the people

   B. THE COMMANDER ALLOWED PAUL TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE (40)
      1. The commander gave Paul permission to speak to the people
      2. Paul began to speak to them in Hebrew

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

1) What are the main events in this chapter?
   - Warnings to Paul as he headed to Jerusalem (1-14)
   - Paul arrived in Jerusalem (15-25)
   - Paul arrested in the temple (26-36)
   - Paul asked to address the mob (37-40)

2) Sailing from Miletus, list the cities passed through prior to Tyre?
   (1-2)
   - Miletus to Cos, to Rhodes, to Patara, to Tyre (1-2)

3) On which side of the ship did they pass Cyprus? What direction would
   that be? (3)
   - Left; ship passed to the south of Cyprus [see map] (3)

4) What was the common request made of Paul at Tyre and Caesarea? (4-12)
   - Not to go up to Jerusalem (3)

5) What two groups made this common request of Paul in Tyre and
   Caesarea?  (4-12)
   - The local disciples asked in Tyre (4)
   - The local disciples and Paul's traveling companions in Caesarea
     (12)

6) What was Paul ready to do in Jerusalem? (13)
   - Not only ready to be bound, but even to die for the Lord (13)

7) When Paul would not be persuaded, what did the brethren say? (14)
   - "The will of the Lord be done" (14)

8) What did Paul tell James and the elders? How did they react? (18-20)
   - Those things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry
     (19)
   - They glorified the Lord (20)

9) What had the Jewish believers been informed about Paul? (20-21)
   - He taught all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses (21)
   - He told them not to circumcise their children (21)
   - He told them not to walk according to the customs (21)

10) What was the plan suggested to Paul? What was this to accomplish?
    (22-24)
   - Take the four men who have taken a vow; be purified with them; pay
     their expenses (23-24)
   - The things they had been informed of were "nothing," and that Paul
     walked orderly and kept the law (24)

11) Had James and the elders changed their position regarding the letter
    written to the Gentiles in Acts 15? (25)
   - No; they reiterated the points of the letter (25)

12) Where were the Jews from that saw Paul in the temple? How did they
    stir up the people? (27-28)
   - Jews from Asia (27)
   - They cried out that Paul taught men everywhere against people, the
     law, and the temple; they claimed he brought Greeks into the temple
     and defiled it (28)

13) Who did the Jews "suppose" Paul brought into the temple? (29)
   - Trophimus, the Ephesian (29)

14) What did the mob do to Paul? (30-32)
   - They seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple (30)
   - They sought to kill him (31)
   - They were beating him (32)

15) When the commander heard of the uproar, what did he do? (31-34)
   - He took soldiers and centurions and ran to them (32)
   - The commander took Paul and had him bound with chains (33)
   - He asked who he was and what he had done (33)
   - He commanded that he be taken to the barracks (34)

16) What did the soldiers have to do at the stairs? Why? (35)
   - The soldiers had to carry Paul (35)
   - Because of the violence of the mob (35)

17) When Paul asked to speak to the commander, what two questions did he
    ask Paul? How did Paul respond? (37-39)
   - Can you speak Greek? (37)
   - Are you not the Egyptian, the leader of the assassins? (38)
   - I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I
     implore you to permit me to speak to the people (39)

18) With the commander's permission, in what language did Paul speak to
    the people? (40)
   - Hebrew (40)
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