Acts 21 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 57-58
Location
Journey from Miletus through Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea, ending in Jerusalem
Audience
Written by Luke to Theophilus and a broader Gentile Christian audience
Situation
Paul travels to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey, carrying financial aid from Gentile churches despite repeated prophetic warnings of imprisonment. Upon arrival, he meets with James and the Jerusalem church leaders who express concern about rumors that Paul teaches Jews to abandon Mosaic Law.
Key Background
Tensions were high in Jerusalem during this period as Jewish nationalism was growing against Roman rule, culminating in the Jewish Revolt of AD 66. Thousands of Jewish believers remained zealous for the Torah and were suspicious of Paul's ministry to Gentiles. The Jerusalem Temple remained the center of Jewish worship, and Paul's presence there as one accused of bringing Gentiles into restricted areas would provoke serious conflict, as violation of Temple purity laws was punishable by death.
After we from them, we set sail and took a straight course to then the next day to and from there to Patara.
We found a ship crossing over to so we went aboard and set sail.
When we came within sight of we passed it on our left and sailed on to Syria. We landed at because that was where the ship was unloading its cargo.
We found the there and stayed with them for seven days. Through the they kept telling Paul not to go up to
When our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, came out of the city to see us off. We on the and together,
then said goodbye to each other. We boarded the ship, and they went back home.
We finished our voyage from Tyre and arrived at where we greeted the and and stayed with them for a day.
The next day we left and came to where we went to the home of the one who spread the good news — he was one of the — and stayed with him.
He had four unmarried daughters who
After we had been there several days, a named came down from Judea.
He came to us, and tied his own hands and feet with it. Then he said, "The of says this: 'The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this just like this, and they will hand him over to the
When we heard this, both we and the local people begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, crying and my I'm ready not just to be tied up but to die in Jerusalem for the name of the
Since he wouldn't be talked out of it, we gave up and said, "Let the will be done."
After those days, we packed up and headed for Jerusalem.
Some of the followers from Caesarea came along with us and brought us to the home of from Cyprus, one of the earliest followers, where we would be staying.
When we arrived in Jerusalem, the and welcomed us warmly.
The next day Paul went with us to meet with and all the were there.
After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed report of everything God had done among the through his work.
When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to him, "Brother, you can see that there are of of Jewish people who have become believers, and all of them are to the of
They've been told that you teach all the Jewish people living among non-Jewish populations to abandon Moses — telling them not to their children or follow the
So what should we do? They're definitely going to hear that you've arrived.
Here's what we suggest: We have four men who have made a
Take these men, go through the with them, and pay for them to have their Then everyone will know that there's nothing to the rumors about you, and that you yourself live in line with the Law of Moses.
As for the we've already sent them our decision: they should stay away from to from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from
So the next day Paul took the men and went through the purification ritual with them. Then he went to the to give notice of when the purification days would be completed and the offering would be made for each of them.
When the seven days were almost over, some Jewish people from the of saw Paul in the Temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed him,
shouting, "People of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our Law, and this And on top of that, he brought Greeks into the Temple and has made this
(They had previously seen the in the city with Paul and assumed Paul had brought him into the Temple.)
The whole city was thrown into chaos. People came running from everywhere, grabbed Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple. Immediately the were behind him.
While they were trying to kill him, a report reached the of the that all of Jerusalem was in an uproar.
He immediately took soldiers and and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
The commander came up, arrested Paul, and ordered him to be bound with Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done.
Different people in the crowd were shouting different things. Since the commander couldn't get to the truth because of the chaos, he ordered Paul to be taken into the
When Paul reached the steps, the soldiers actually had to carry him because of the violence of the mob.
The mass of people followed, screaming, of
As Paul was about to be taken inside the barracks, he said to the commander, "Am I allowed to say something to you?" The commander replied, "You speak Greek?
Aren't you the who recently started a revolt and led four thousand out into the wilderness?"
Paul replied, "I am a Jewish man from in — a citizen of no insignificant city. Please, let me speak to the people."
The commander gave him permission. So Paul, standing on the steps, with to the people. When a deep silence fell over the crowd, he began to speak to them in