1: And it
came to pass that after we were gotten from them and had launched we came with
a straight course to Coos and the day following to Rhodes and from there to
Patara 2: And finding a ship sailing over to Phenicia we went aboard and
set forth 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 unload
her burden 4: And finding disciples we tarried there seven days who said
to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem[1] 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 till we were out of the city
and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed 6: And when we had taken our
leave one of another we took ship and they returned home again 7: And
when we had finished our course from Tyre we came to Ptolemais and saluted the
brethren and stayed with them one day 8: And the next day we that were
of Paul's company departed and came to Caesarea and we entered into the house
of Philip the evangelist which was one of the seven[2]
and stayed with him 9: And the same man [Phillip] had four daughters
virgins who did prophesy[3] 10:
And as we tarried there many days there came down from Judaea a certain prophet
named Agabus 11: And when he was come to us he took Paul's girdle and
bound his own hands and feet and said Thus says 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 12: And when we heard these things both we and
they of that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem 13: Then
Paul answered What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to
be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus 14:
And when he would not be persuaded we ceased saying The will of the Lord be
done 15: And after those days we took up our carriages and went up to
Jerusalem 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 17: And when we were come to Jerusalem the brethren
received us gladly 18: And the day following Paul went in with us to
James (the half-brother of Jesus. James the brother of John had already
been martyred) and all the elders were present 19: And when he had
saluted them he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the
Gentiles by his ministry 20: And when they heard it they glorified the
Lord and said to him You see brother how many thousands of Jews there are which
believe and they are all zealous for the law 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 22: What is it therefore the multitude must needs come
together for they will hear that you are come 23: Do therefore this that
we say to you We have four men which have a vow on them 24: Them take
and purify yourself with them and be at charges with them that they may shave
their heads Numbers chapter 6 (They were concluding their Nazarite vow—Paul
also had a vow on himself—Acts 18:18 ) 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 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 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 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 28: Crying out People of Israel
help This is the man that teaches all people everywhere against the people and
the law and this place and further brought Greeks also into the temple and has
polluted this holy place 29: For they had seen before with him in the
city Trophimus an Ephesian whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the
temple 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
31: And as they went about to kill him tidings came to the chief captain
of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar 32: Who immediately took
soldiers and centurions and ran down to them and when they saw the chief
captain and the soldiers they left beating of Paul 33: 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 34: 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 35: And
when he came upon the stairs so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for
the violence of the people 36: For the multitude of the people followed
after crying Away with him 37: And as Paul was to be led into the castle
he said to the chief captain May I speak to you Who said Can you speak Greek 38:
Are not you that Egyptian who before these days made an uproar and led out into
the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers 39: But Paul said I
am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus a city in Cilicia a citizen of no insignificant
city and I beseech you allow me to speak to the people 40: And when he
had given him permission Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with the hand to
the people And when there was made a great silence he spoke to them in the
Hebrew tongue saying…
[1] This is interesting. These disciples, by the Holy Spirit, warned Paul not to
go to Jerusalem. Yet, Paul himself felt constrained by the Holy Spirit to do
just that. He was willing to face the consequences, of imprisonment and house
arrest--and by giving his life in the end—for the cause of the gospel. Everything
the New Testament prophets had warned him about came to pass, but, even so,
Paul maintained that it was his calling to go to Jerusalem. Was it the perfect
will of God for Paul to become a martyr, but warned him multiple times and with
such detail in order to give him a choice to stay within his permissive will by
not going at all?
[2] Acts 6:3-6 describes the ordination of
Philip as one of the seven. Though they are commonly known as deacons, and most
Christians are taught that the story of the seven is the ordination of the
first deacons, the Bible never calls them diakonos,
so it is simply conjecture whether or not The Seven were the first deacons (diakonos) or not. They could have been
and likely were. It is worth noting that a woman, Phoebe, is directly referred
to as a diakonos in Romans 16:1. Misogyny
in translation prevents Phoebe’s status as a deacon (she is not called a
deaconess but a deacon [diakonos G1249])
from being read correctly in most English versions.
[3] For Luke to state that Phillip’s daughters
were New Testament prophets Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians
4:11-13, means the gifts of the Holy Spirit and calling of God on these
women was recognized and respected. Some denominations define prophesying as
preaching. So be it. The daughters of Phillip the evangelist were preachers.
They spoke publicly and authoritatively to anyone God called them to—including
men. Nowhere, do we read in the scriptures that the gifts of the Holy Spirit
are distributed according to gender.
Additional commentary pending for this
chapter. Questions and comments are welcome.
