Act 21:1 ¶ And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the [day] following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: COMMENT: There's the pronoun "we" again, indicating the author is still with Paul; and so it ought not to be a surprise to us that he is none other than Saint Luke, the beloved Jewish Physician who stays with Saint Paul to the end.

When they had gotten from them the elders at Troas who were probably not inclined to let Paul go, the ship the missionary team sailed in launched, and came with a straight course unto Coos, and the following day unto Rhodes, and from there unto Patara.

Act 21:2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. COMMENT: They didn't have organized fleets of ships providing transportation in those days like we do airlines, trains and interstate buses with schedules you can count on a year in advance. They found a ship sailing over unto Phenicia and went aboard, and that ship set forth.

Act 21:3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. COMMENT: The ship had a load to deliver to the city of Tyre on the eastern coast of the Mediterrean Sea just a little Northwest of Israel.

Act 21:4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up Jerusalem. COMMENT: It ought to be pointed out again, that disciples are set apart unto God, even though these disciples have the burden of families to support, yet in the seeking of the Spirit they too came to the knowledge prophetically that trouble awaited Saint Paul; and they advised him not to go to Jerusalem.

Act 21:5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, til [we were] out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. COMMENT: The disciples came with their wives and children and accompanied the missionary team til they were outside of the city where they kneeled down on the shore and prayed.

Act 21:6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.

Act 21:7 And when we had finished [our] course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

Act 21:8 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. COMMENT: You'll remember, Caesarea was one of the earlier cities where Paul and Barnabus ordained elders in the Church they had worked to establish. There Philip the Evangelist had a house and they stayed with him.

Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. COMMENT: Phillip the Evangelist had not failed in the raising of his four daughters like so many Christians do in this present world, but the same Light that empowered him to win all of Samaria with miracles and signs and wonders, also enabled him to raise them to be prophesy.

Act 21:10 And as we tarried [there] many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. COMMENT: We heard of Agabus previously when he predicted a famine throughout the Roman empire which ultimately came to pass.

Act 21:11 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 owns this girdle, and shall deliver [him] into the hands of the Gentiles." COMMENT: This same Prophet foretold of Saint Paul being taken captive by the Jews at Jerusalem. He also foretold they would turn him over to the Gentiles which comes to pass when Paul is turned over to the Romans.

Act 21:12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. COMMENT: There is the pronoun "we" again. The author of the book of Acts is still with Paul. So we are reading a first hand account of what actually took place.

Act 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean you 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. COMMENT: A servant of God must be willing and ready to die daily not only to self, but mortally to give up his life for the Lord Jesus or he cannot expect to be fearless in obeying the leading of the Spirit.

Act 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." COMMENT: Saint Paul possessed the heart of a martyr. He knew the enmity of the flesh must be killed. If the enmity of the flesh is not slain by martyrdom, it is borne in the world to come where the flesh will continue to war against the Spirit until conquered.

This is a mystery. Listen carefully to what Saint Paul wrote, saying: "THAT HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH (THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT) UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS, HAVING SLAIN THE ENMITY THEREBY." (Ephesians 2:16)

The speculative theology of free spiritual perfection in the Resurrection is epidemic in America. Salvation is free. Holiness is earned, and martyrdom is the Potter's way of removing the last of a man's enmity toward him so he can walk in a state of spiritual perfection.

In other words, the human vessel is upgraded in martyrdom. We see evidence of that in Christ's being made perfect through his sufferings not that his Spirit needed perfecting, but the flesh he wore had to be brought into perfect harmony with the Spirit. (Reference Hebrews 2:10 & 5:8/9)

So Saint Paul would not be persuaded to turn away from the golden opportunity of his own martyrdom, but mankind by nature fears death and pain.

Act 21:15 ¶ And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. COMMENT: They had not far to go. The journey from Caesarea to Jerusalem can most likely be walked in a day.

Act 21:16 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.

Act 21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

Act 21:18 And the [day] following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

Act 21:19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. COMMENT: This was not boasting. They were all in a life and death struggle in spiritual warfare. They had a need to know what God was doing, how the Jews responded in the various cities Paul's team ministered in; who was to be trusted in the work and who had made themselves enemies of the gospel.

But Christians today do a small work in the name of God and come together to boast of it saying they are giving testimony to encourage others when they would be better off getting into the Spirit of the gospel so God could work through them.

Act 21:20 And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: COMMENT: You will notice "they glorified the Lord" and not Paul and his team, even though they were made aware of the miracles God had done through them.

Act 21:21 And they are informed of you, that you teach 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. COMMENT: The leadership in Jerusalem spoke as leaders ought to speak in spiritual warfare, clearly defining the explosive potential for persecution against Saint Paul there. Yet Paul did not teach men to forsake Moses, neither did he say they ought not to circumcise their children.

He did teach the Spirit of the law, for "THE LAW KILLS, BUT THE SPIRIT SAVES." But the Old Testament is a perfect fit for the New Testament if only the Jewish people could show themselves noble enough to study the Jewish authors of the New Testament.

Act 21:22 What is it therefore? the multitude must come together: for they will hear that you are come. COMMENT: The spiritually minded leadership in Jerusalem saw there would be a religious riot there once the Jews zealous for the law of Moses heard Paul was among them.

Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to you: We have four men which have a vow on them; COMMENT: So the leadership in Jerusalem had a plan, although we know Paul and his team had already been thoroughly warned by the Prophet Agabus that he would be taken prisoner by the Jews and turned over to the Romans.

Act 21:24 Them take, and purify yourself 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 you, are nothing; but [that] you yourself also walk orderly, and keep the law. COMMENT: The leadership wanted Paul to join with four men who had vows and were going to shave their heads as a sign of it in accordance with the law of Moses, so the multitude could visibly see Paul with his head shaved with them was also practicing the law of Moses.

Act 21:25 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. COMMENT: The four men they are speaking of are Jewish, for they teach the Gentiles they are not to observe the legalisms of the law of Moses to which they have not been trained to observe.

Act 21:26 ¶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. COMMENT: Most Christians are unaware of this verse and what it means. Saint Paul has the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to atone for his sins just like we Gentiles do, and still had an offering made for himself in the temple of God. We already are told the law of Moses is not necessary for the Gentiles but Paul was able to "be all things to all men." He was able to serve in the Gospel without the law of Moses to the Gentiles and within the law of Moses to the Jewish people.

Act 21:27 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, COMMENT: It made no difference to the enemies of Jesus Christ, that Saint Paul was diligently and reverently observing the laws of Moses in the temple. They stirred up the people and grabbed hold of Paul even though the laws of Moses forbids them to touch the Lord's anointed or do any harm to him.

It is written in the Old Testament: "TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED, AND DO MY PROPHETS NO HARM." (Psalm 105:15) And you can be sure the rulers of the people were inclined to quote the above Scripture concerning themselves just as religious leaders today claim to be the Lord's anointed when they are not!

The haters of the Lord got a grip on Saint Paul and...

Act 21:28 Crying out, Men of Israel, "Help: This is the man, that teaches all [men] every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and has polluted this holy place. COMMENT: All of their accusations were false: Saint Paul did not teach against his own people, nor did he teach against the law of Moses, nor did he teach against the holy temple, and he did not bring Gentiles into the temple to pollute it.

The court of the Gentiles has always been provided for Gentile believers, but Gentiles are not allowed inside the temple of God. The Jews are the royal priesthood.

Act 21:29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) COMMENT: So their accusations were presumptuous supposing Paul to be against his own nation, against the law of Moses and willing to breach the holiness of the temple by bringing a Gentile into it.

Act 21:30 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. COMMENT: Perhaps the doors of the holy temple were closed to keep the rioting multitude out lest the temple suffer damage or the peace within be disturbed.

Act 21:31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. COMMENT: Israel was a theocracy historically, and as such; the religious leaders had the power to execute evildoers among the people which became a liability when the nation backslid from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now the wicked were attempting to kill Saint Paul like they did Stephen the Martyr - who was executed by stoning. And the report that all Jerusalem was in an uproar came to the chief Roman Captain of the band of soldiers stationed there.

Act 21:32 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. COMMENT: Each Centurion represents a hundred Roman soldiers. We don't know how many soldiers came, but hundreds came running, and when the rioting multitude saw the Chief Captain of the Romans, they stopped beating Saint Paul.

So it was a favor from God who set the Romans over Israel to protect them from themselves in their backslidden state spiritually. For they would have killed another of their own Prophets had the Romans not come to re-estalblish law and order.

Act 21:33/34 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 commanded him to be carried into the castle.

Act 21:35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. COMMENT: The multitude of Jews had become a violent rioting mob so the soldiers had to carry Paul out of their grasp.

Act 21:36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, "Away with him." COMMENT: When a population becomes separated by the darkness of their sins from God, they are capable of turning into violent and murderous mobs; unjustly accusing the just.

Act 21:37 ¶ And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, "May I speak with you?" Who said, "Can you speak Greek?" COMMENT: Once inside the castle fortress, Paul was on his feet walking; where he address the Chief Captain humbly asking for permission to speak to him apparently in Greek, for nothing more was said about what language they were to speak in. Instead the Chief Captain asked:

Act 21:38 "Are you not that Egyptian, which before these days made an uproar, and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?" COMMENT: The Chief Captain thought the multitude had actually caught a criminal the way they behaved so violently. And he guessed it might be that Egyptian.

Act 21:39 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 you, suffer me to speak unto the people." COMMENT: Paul begged for the right to speak to the multitude not so much to clear his name with them but to lead them to Christ.

Act 21:40 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 spoke unto [them] in the Hebrew tongue, saying, COMMENT: Now Paul is speaking in Hebrew. You see dear reader, we have a very educated Apostle.