"THE BOOK OF ACTS"

The End Of Paul's Third Journey (21:1-17)

INTRODUCTION
  1. Following Paul's discourse with the Ephesian elders (Ac 20:17-38)...
    1. Paul and his companions departed by ship - Ac 21:1
    2. As indicated earlier, Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem - Ac 20:16
  2. The last leg of Paul's third journey reads like a journal...
    1. Perhaps from a diary that Luke kept at the time
    2. Listing the itinerary from Miletus to Jerusalem
    3. With brief mention of contacts with brethren along the way

[Luke's description contains several things of interest. So let's follow along on...]

  1. THE LAST LEG OF THE JOURNEY
    1. FROM ASIA TO SYRIA...
      1. Sailing from Miletus to Patara - Ac 21:1-2
        1. By way of Cos and Rhodes, likely on a small coastal vessel
        2. At Patara, transferring to a ship (a larger seafaring vessel) going to Phoenicia
      2. Sailing from Patara to Tyre - Ac 21:3
        1. Bypassing Cyprus on the left (west side)
        2. On to Syria, landing at Tyre
        3. Where the ship unloaded its cargo
      3. Finding disciples at Tyre - Ac 21:4-6
        1. Staying there seven days
        2. The disciples told Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem (perhaps not at that moment, but to wait for a few days)
        3. At the end of the days, Paul and his companions were escorted by the disciples and their families down to the ship where they knelt on the shore and prayed
        4. Paul and his companions boarded their ship, the disciples of Tyre returned home
    2. FROM SYRIA TO JERUSALEM...
      1. Sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais - Ac 21:7
        1. Greeting more brethren at Ptolemais
        2. Staying there one day
      2. From Ptolemais to Caesarea - Ac 21:8-14
        1. Where they stayed with Philip the evangelist - cf. Ac 8:40
        2. Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied - cf. Ac 2:17; 1Co 11:5
        3. After many days, the prophet Agabus came down from Judea - cf. Ac 11:27-28
        4. Using Paul's belt to bind his own hands and feet, Agabus foretells what awaits Paul at Jerusalem (a symbolic act commonly used by OT prophets) - cf. Isa 20:2-4; Eze 4:1-3
        5. The brethren plead with Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but Paul is ready to be bound and killed for the name of the Lord Jesus
        6. The brethren relent, saying "The will of the Lord be done"
      3. From Caesarea to Jerusalem - Ac 21:15-17
        1. Accompanied by disciples from Caesarea
        2. Brought to Mnason of Cyprus ("an early disciple"), with whom they were to lodge
        3. Gladly received by the brethren in Jerusalem

        [Thus ends Paul's third missionary journey. Was it a successful journey? Consider...]

  2. THE IMPACT OF PAUL'S THIRD JOURNEY
    1. STRENGTHENING CHURCHES...
      1. In Galatia and Phrygia - Ac 18:23
      2. In Ephesus - Ac 19:1-40; 20:17-38
      3. In Macedonia, Achaia, Troas, Syria, Caesarea - Ac 20:1-12; 21:1-17
    2. SPREADING THE GOSPEL...
      1. From Ephesus, whereby all Asia heard the Word - Ac 19:10
      2. Which may have led to churches in Colosse, Hierapolis, Laodicea - Col 4:12-15
      3. Preaching as far as Illyricum - cf. Ro 15:19
    3. WRITING NT EPISTLES...
      1. During this journey Paul wrote 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Romans
      2. Dealing with current problems, and daily Christian living
      3. Motivating Gentile Christians to assist needy Jewish brethren in Jerusalem
CONCLUSION
  1. The events of Paul's third journey also has an impact on issues such as...
    1. Baptism: when there might be a need for re-baptism - Ac 19:1-5
    2. Church worship: when and why Christians assemble - Ac 20:7
    3. Church organization: the duty and limitations of elders - Ac 20:28
    4. Apostasy: its origin and how to deal with it - Ac 20:29-32
  2. Paul's arrival in Jerusalem must have been with mixed emotions...
    1. He was accompanying the contribution for needy Christians in Jerusalem - Ro 15:25-27
    2. He had intentions of going to Rome, and then Spain - Ro 15:28; cf. Ac 19:21
    3. Yet he knew that chains awaited him in Jerusalem - Ac 20:22,23; 21:11-14

Indeed, within twelve days of his arrival to Jerusalem (cf. Ac 24:11), Paul found himself dragged out of the temple, beaten by a mob, almost scourged by Roman soldiers, barely escaped an assassination plot on his life, and imprisoned in Caesarea.

But the Lord Jesus had a plan for Paul:

But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." - Ac 23:11
How Paul came to bear witness of Jesus at Rome; well, that is the rest of the story...