CHAPTER 21
After
we had torn ourselves away
from
them,
we
sailed
directly
to
Cos,
and
the
next day
on to
Rhodes,
and from there
to
Patara.
After
sighting
Cyprus
and
passing south of it,
we sailed on
to
Syria
and
landed
at
Tyre,
where
the
ship
was
to unload
its
cargo.
We sought out
the
disciples
in Tyre
and stayed with them
seven
days.
Through
the
Spirit
they
kept telling
Paul
not
to go up
to
Jerusalem.
But
when
our
time there
had ended,
we set out
on our journey.
All the disciples,
with
their wives
and
children,
accompanied
us
out of
the
city
and
knelt down
on
the
beach
to pray with us.
When
we had finished
our
voyage
from
Tyre,
we
landed
at
Ptolemais,
where
we greeted
the
brothers
and stayed
with
them
for a
day.
Leaving
the
next day,
we reached
Caesarea,
and
we went
to stay
at
the
home
of Philip
the
evangelist,
who was
one of
the
Seven.
Coming over
to
us,
he took
Paul’s
belt,
bound
his
own
feet
and
hands,
and said,
“The
Holy
Spirit
says:
‘In this way
the
Jews
of
Jerusalem
will bind
the
owner of
this
belt
and
hand him over
to the Gentiles.’"
Then
Paul
answered,
“Why
are you
weeping
and
breaking
my
heart?
I
am
ready
not
only
to be bound,
but
also
to die
in
Jerusalem
for
the
name
of the
Lord
Jesus."
Some of the
disciples
from
Caesarea
accompanied
us,
and they took us
to stay at the home
of Mnason
the Cypriot,
an early
disciple.
Paul greeted
them
and recounted
one
by
one
the things
God
had done
among
the
Gentiles
through
his
ministry.
When they heard this,
they glorified
God.
Then
they said
to Paul,
“You see,
brother,
how many
thousands
of
Jews
have believed,
and
all
of them are
zealous
for the
Law.
But
they are under the impression
that
you
teach
all
the Jews
who live
among
the
Gentiles
to forsake
Moses,
telling
them
not
to circumcise
their
children
or
observe
our customs.
Take
these men,
purify yourself
along with
them,
and
pay their expenses
so
they can have their
heads
shaved.
Then
everyone
will know
that
there
is no truth
to these
rumors
about
you,
but that
you
also
live
in obedience
to the
Law.
As for
the
Gentile
believers,
we
have written them
our decision
that they
must abstain
from food
sacrificed to idols,
from
blood,
from
the meat of strangled animals,
and from
sexual immorality.”
So
the
next
day
Paul
took
the
men
and purified himself
along with
them.
Then he entered
the
temple
to give notice
of the
date
their
purification
would be complete
and
the
offering
would be made
for
each
of them.
When
the
seven
days
were almost
over,
some
Jews
from
the province of Asia
saw
Paul
at
the
temple.
They stirred up
the
whole
crowd
and
seized
him,
crying out,
“Men
of Israel,
help us!
This
is
the
man
who
teaches
all men
everywhere
against
our
people
and
against our
Law
and
against this
place.
Furthermore,
he has brought
Greeks
into
the
temple
and
defiled
this
holy
place."
For
they had
previously seen
Trophimus
the
Ephesian
with
him
in
the
city,
and they assumed
that
Paul
had brought
him
into
the
temple.
The
whole
city
was stirred up,
and
the
people
rushed together.
They seized
Paul
and dragged
him
out of
the
temple,
and
at once
the
gates
were shut.
While
they were trying
to kill
him,
the
commander
of the
Roman regiment
received
a report
that
all
Jerusalem
was in turmoil.
Immediately
he took
some soldiers
and
centurions
and ran down
to
the crowd.
When the people saw
the
commander
and
the
soldiers,
they stopped
beating
Paul.
The
commander
came up
and arrested
Paul,
ordering that
he be bound
with two
chains.
Then
he asked
who
he was
and
what
he had done.
Some in
the
crowd
were shouting
one thing,
and
some
another.
And since
the commander
could not
determine
the
facts
because of
the
uproar,
he ordered that
Paul
be brought
into
the
barracks.
When
Paul reached
the
steps,
he
had to be carried
by
the
soldiers
because of
the
violence
of the
mob.
As
they were about
to take
Paul
into
the
barracks,
he asked
the
commander,
“May
I
say
something
to
you?”
“Do you speak
Greek?”
he
replied.
“Aren’t
you
the
Egyptian
who
incited a rebellion
some time ago
and
led
four thousand
members
of the
‘Assassins’
into
the
wilderness?”
But
Paul
answered,
“I
am
a Jew
from Tarsus
in Cilicia,
a citizen of
no
ordinary
city.
Now
I beg
you
to allow
me
to speak
to
the
people."
Having received permission,
Paul
stood
on
the
steps
and motioned
to the
crowd.
A great
hush
came over the crowd,
and he addressed them
in
Aramaic: