Acts 21 is the twenty-first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the ChristianBible. It records the end of Paul's third missionary journey and his arrival and reception in Jerusalem. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.[1]
This "we" section (which includes the narrator) resumes the record with the 'customary wealth of detail: the itemized stages of the voyage, and the redundant detail of ships and cargoes', following Paul's journey from Miletus, stopping in Tyre (verse 3), Ptolemais (verse 7), Caesarea (verse 8) before heading to Jerusalem (verse 15), incorporating 'prophetic warnings' (verses 4, 11) and 'solemn farewell' (verses 6, 14) to 'exemplify and reinforce the tone of Paul's address' in Acts 20:23 while presenting Paul as a "martyr", who 'exhibits a properly philosophical courage in the face of death', whereas his friends 'can only acquiesce in the divine will' (verse 14).[2] It is comparable to the scene of Socrates' death (in Plato's Phaedo, 1170–1) with his last words: 'If so it is pleasing to God, so let it be' (Epict. Diss. 1.29.18-19).[2]
Verse 8edit
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; and stayed with him.[3]
"Philip the evangelist": a different title than "Philip the deacon" as he was previously known (Acts 6:5), showing that his work of 'superintending the distribution of alms' ("serving tables"; cf. Acts 6:2–3) had been 'merged' in the 'work of a missionary preacher'.[4]
Verse 10edit
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.[5]
"Agabus": most likely the same prophet from Jerusalem who came to Antioch some years before as mentioned in Acts 11:28.[2][6] Luke doesn't make any cross reference with the previous encounter and presents Agabus here "so indefinitely", because this was perhaps the first time that he had actually seen the prophet and recorded this meeting in the "we" section of the book.[2][7]
Verse 13edit
Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."[8]
Paul's response echoes Peter's words to Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee both into prison, and to death" (Luke 22:33 KJV).[9]
Arrival: Paul meets James (21:17–26)edit
Once in Jerusalem Paul was welcomed warmly ("gladly") by the 'brothers' (verse 17), and the next day he and his company met with James and all the elders of the Jerusalem church (verse 18), during which 'Paul's detailed report on the success of his Gentile mission (verse 19) is greeted with enthusiasm' (verse 20).[2] Luke points out that 'since the decisions of the Apostolic Council' (Acts 15:22–29), 'James and the Jerusalem leadership have no problem with the admission of Gentiles to the church' (verse 25).[2]
Verse 18edit
On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.[10]
"James": here was James, known as "the brother of Jesus" and also as "James the Just". The murder of James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John the Apostle, had been reported in Acts 12:2,[6] and this James, the new leader of 'the brethren', was referred to in Acts 12:17.[11] Some commentators identify him with James the son of Alphaeus who had served as one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:3), for example Matthew Poole suggested that James was 'one of the apostles',[12] but others disagree. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges[11] states: "There was not any Apostle there or St Luke would hardly have failed to mention the fact, as he was one of those present" and William Robertson Nicoll, in the Expositor's Greek Testament, likewise argued that "Nothing is said of the Apostles"[7]Hans Hinrich Wendt suggested that the presence of [some of] the apostles was encompassed within the reference to 'elders', but this view is contested by Nicoll.[7]
Paul follows James's advice which 'unwittingly precipitates the crisis James is trying to avoid'.[14] Over the seven-day period of his purification in the temple (verse 27) Paul attracts the attention of some 'Jews from Asia', who presumably visit Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, from communities in dispute with Paul during his mission journeys.[14] Other than perceiving Paul's teaching as 'a direct attack on the Jewish people, the law, and the temple', here they charge specifically that 'Paul has brought an uncircumcised Gentile into the holy place' (verse 28), which was a serious charge with the punishment of death (a Jewish religious law that in this respect is 'backed up by all the weight of Roman authority'), as shown in the inscriptions surviving from the temple precinct.[14] Paul would have known this regulation perfectly well, and Luke makes it clear that Paul had not broken this regulation (verse 29), but 'the misapprehension is enough to arouse the whole city' (verse 30).[14] Paul was in real danger of being lynched by the people (verses 31–32, 35–36), if he was not rescued in time by the commander of the Roman garrison from the Antonia fortress, which was built to overlook the temple and 'designed precisely to quell such religious riots' (cf. Josephus, Jewish War 5. 243–5).[14]
Verses 27–29edit
27Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." 29(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)[15]
"Trophimus": one of Paul's companions, is called Asianoi ("of Asia"), that is, natives of the Roman province of Asia in Acts 20:4 and also termed an "Ephesian" and a "Gentile/Greek" in Acts 21.[16]
Paul and the Tribune (21:37–40)edit
This part 'overshadows the final scenes of Paul's career', where 'Paul has been shut out' (literally, verse 30) 'from the religious centre of his own people', and must end his life in the Roman world whose doors he opened for gospel (Acts 16:37).[14] The tribune suspected Paul be to the same figure as the Egyptian rebel leader who caused troubles around the same period of time, but 'Paul effectively undercuts the assumption by addressing the tribune in educated Greek' (verse 37) and claiming to be 'a citizen of no mean city' (verse 39), which 'is sufficient for the moment to establish common ground' for the tribune.[14] However, Paul's Jewishness 'comes to fore' when he addressed the crowd again 'in the Hebrew language' (verse 40) almost certainly means "Aramaic", 'the spoken language of Palestine' at that time.[14]
Verse 38edit
[The commander says to Paul:] "Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?"[17]
But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people."[20]
"A citizen of no mean city": This statement about "Tarsus in Cilicia" is a legitimate one, as the city was much celebrated for its learning and famous for culture, at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens,[21] even it has on its coins the word "METROPOLIS-AUTONOMOS" (Independent).[4] Josephus (Antiq., book 2, chapter 6, section 6) says that it was the metropolis, and most renowned city among [the Cilicians].[21]
^ abEllicott, C. J. (Ed.) Ellicott's Bible Commentary for English Readers. Acts 21. London : Cassell and Company, Limited, [1905-1906] Online version: (OCoLC) 929526708. Accessed 28 April 2019.
^Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). On "Acts 21". In: The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
^Poole, M., Matthew Poole's Commentary on Acts 21, accessed 17 October 2015
^Ancient Temple Mount ‘warning’ stone is ‘closest thing we have to the Temple’. By Ilan Ben Zion, Times of Israel, 22 October 2015. Quote: Carved in bold Greek letters, 2,000-year-old Herodian inscription marked off the section of Jerusalem's most sacred site where gentiles couldn't go -- and shows they were welcome elsewhere in holy area.
^Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.8.6. Quote: Moreover, there came out of Egypt about this time to Jerusalem one that said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives, as it was called, which lay over against the city, and at the distance of five furlongs. He said further, that he would show them from hence how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down; and he promised them that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls, when they were fallen down. Now when Felix was informed of these things, he ordered his soldiers to take their weapons, and came against them with a great number of horsemen and footmen from Jerusalem, and attacked the Egyptian and the people that were with him. He also slew four hundred of them, and took two hundred alive. But the Egyptian himself escaped out of the fight, but did not appear any more.
^Bauckham, Richard (2017). Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (2nd ed.). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 82. ISBN9780802874313.
^ abBarnes, Albert. Notes on the Bible - Acts 21. James Murphy (ed). London: Blackie & Son, 1884.
Sourcesedit
Alexander, Loveday (2007). "62. Acts". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1028–1061. ISBN978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
External linksedit
Acts 21 King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
January 01, 1970
acts, twenty, first, chapter, acts, apostles, testament, christian, bible, records, paul, third, missionary, journey, arrival, reception, jerusalem, book, containing, this, chapter, anonymous, early, christian, tradition, uniformly, affirmed, that, luke, compo. Acts 21 is the twenty first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible It records the end of Paul s third missionary journey and his arrival and reception in Jerusalem The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke 1 Acts 21 chapter 20chapter 22 Acts 15 22 24 in Latin left column and Greek right column in Codex Laudianus written about AD 550 BookActs of the ApostlesCategoryChurch historyChristian Bible partNew TestamentOrder in the Christian part5 Contents 1 Text 1 1 Textual witnesses 2 Locations 3 Journey from Miletus to Jerusalem 21 1 16 3 1 Verse 8 3 2 Verse 10 3 3 Verse 13 4 Arrival Paul meets James 21 17 26 4 1 Verse 18 5 Paul in the Temple 21 27 36 5 1 Verses 27 29 6 Paul and the Tribune 21 37 40 6 1 Verse 38 6 2 Verse 39 7 See also 8 References 9 Sources 10 External linksText editOriginally written in Koine Greek this chapter is divided into 40 verses Textual witnesses edit Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are Codex Vaticanus AD 325 350 Codex Sinaiticus 330 360 Codex Bezae c 400 Codex Alexandrinus 400 440 Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus c 450 extant verses 1 30 Codex Laudianus c 550 Locations edit nbsp nbsp CaesareaCilicia nbsp Tarsus nbsp AntiochSyria nbsp Patara nbsp Cos nbsp RhodesAsiaCyprus nbsp JerusalemAegean SeaMacedonia nbsp EphesusItaly nbsp RomeJudeaPhoeniciaEgypt nbsp Tyre nbsp PtolemaisMediterranean Seaclass notpageimage Places mentioned in blue and related to black this chapter This chapter mentions the following places in order of appearance Cos Rhodes Patara Phoenicia Cyprus Syria Tyre Jerusalem Judea Ptolemais CaesareaJourney from Miletus to Jerusalem 21 1 16 editThis we section which includes the narrator resumes the record with the customary wealth of detail the itemized stages of the voyage and the redundant detail of ships and cargoes following Paul s journey from Miletus stopping in Tyre verse 3 Ptolemais verse 7 Caesarea verse 8 before heading to Jerusalem verse 15 incorporating prophetic warnings verses 4 11 and solemn farewell verses 6 14 to exemplify and reinforce the tone of Paul s address in Acts 20 23 while presenting Paul as a martyr who exhibits a properly philosophical courage in the face of death whereas his friends can only acquiesce in the divine will verse 14 2 It is comparable to the scene of Socrates death in Plato s Phaedo 1170 1 with his last words If so it is pleasing to God so let it be Epict Diss 1 29 18 19 2 Verse 8 edit 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 and stayed with him 3 Philip the evangelist a different title than Philip the deacon as he was previously known Acts 6 5 showing that his work of superintending the distribution of alms serving tables cf Acts 6 2 3 had been merged in the work of a missionary preacher 4 Verse 10 edit And as we tarried there many days there came down from Judaea a certain prophet named Agabus 5 Agabus most likely the same prophet from Jerusalem who came to Antioch some years before as mentioned in Acts 11 28 2 6 Luke doesn t make any cross reference with the previous encounter and presents Agabus here so indefinitely because this was perhaps the first time that he had actually seen the prophet and recorded this meeting in the we section of the book 2 7 Verse 13 edit Then Paul answered What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus 8 Paul s response echoes Peter s words to Jesus Lord I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death Luke 22 33 KJV 9 Arrival Paul meets James 21 17 26 editOnce in Jerusalem Paul was welcomed warmly gladly by the brothers verse 17 and the next day he and his company met with James and all the elders of the Jerusalem church verse 18 during which Paul s detailed report on the success of his Gentile mission verse 19 is greeted with enthusiasm verse 20 2 Luke points out that since the decisions of the Apostolic Council Acts 15 22 29 James and the Jerusalem leadership have no problem with the admission of Gentiles to the church verse 25 2 Verse 18 edit On the following day Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present 10 James here was James known as the brother of Jesus and also as James the Just The murder of James the son of Zebedee and brother of John the Apostle had been reported in Acts 12 2 6 and this James the new leader of the brethren was referred to in Acts 12 17 11 Some commentators identify him with James the son of Alphaeus who had served as one of the twelve apostles Matthew 10 3 for example Matthew Poole suggested that James was one of the apostles 12 but others disagree The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 11 states There was not any Apostle there or St Luke would hardly have failed to mention the fact as he was one of those present and William Robertson Nicoll in the Expositor s Greek Testament likewise argued that Nothing is said of the Apostles 7 Hans Hinrich Wendt suggested that the presence of some of the apostles was encompassed within the reference to elders but this view is contested by Nicoll 7 Paul in the Temple 21 27 36 edit nbsp Jerusalem Temple Warning inscription from the Second Temple period 23 BCE 70 CE stating in Greek language that no foreigner should go within the holy place of the Temple complex 13 which is related to Acts 21 28 29 Paul follows James s advice which unwittingly precipitates the crisis James is trying to avoid 14 Over the seven day period of his purification in the temple verse 27 Paul attracts the attention of some Jews from Asia who presumably visit Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost from communities in dispute with Paul during his mission journeys 14 Other than perceiving Paul s teaching as a direct attack on the Jewish people the law and the temple here they charge specifically that Paul has brought an uncircumcised Gentile into the holy place verse 28 which was a serious charge with the punishment of death a Jewish religious law that in this respect is backed up by all the weight of Roman authority as shown in the inscriptions surviving from the temple precinct 14 Paul would have known this regulation perfectly well and Luke makes it clear that Paul had not broken this regulation verse 29 but the misapprehension is enough to arouse the whole city verse 30 14 Paul was in real danger of being lynched by the people verses 31 32 35 36 if he was not rescued in time by the commander of the Roman garrison from the Antonia fortress which was built to overlook the temple and designed precisely to quell such religious riots cf Josephus Jewish War 5 243 5 14 Verses 27 29 edit 27Now when the seven days were almost ended the Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him 28crying out Men of Israel help This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people the law and this place and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple 15 Trophimus one of Paul s companions is called Asianoi of Asia that is natives of the Roman province of Asia in Acts 20 4 and also termed an Ephesian and a Gentile Greek in Acts 21 16 Paul and the Tribune 21 37 40 editThis part overshadows the final scenes of Paul s career where Paul has been shut out literally verse 30 from the religious centre of his own people and must end his life in the Roman world whose doors he opened for gospel Acts 16 37 14 The tribune suspected Paul be to the same figure as the Egyptian rebel leader who caused troubles around the same period of time but Paul effectively undercuts the assumption by addressing the tribune in educated Greek verse 37 and claiming to be a citizen of no mean city verse 39 which is sufficient for the moment to establish common ground for the tribune 14 However Paul s Jewishness comes to fore when he addressed the crowd again in the Hebrew language verse 40 almost certainly means Aramaic the spoken language of Palestine at that time 14 Verse 38 edit The commander says to Paul Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness 17 The Egyptian someone who claimed to be a prophet and led many followers into the desert when Felix was the procurator in Iudaea Province 52 60 as also recorded by Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews 20 171 172 also in Jewish War 2 2613 14 18 19 Verse 39 edit But Paul said I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia a citizen of no mean city and I implore you permit me to speak to the people 20 A citizen of no mean city This statement about Tarsus in Cilicia is a legitimate one as the city was much celebrated for its learning and famous for culture at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens 21 even it has on its coins the word METROPOLIS AUTONOMOS Independent 4 Josephus Antiq book 2 chapter 6 section 6 says that it was the metropolis and most renowned city among the Cilicians 21 See also editAgabus Mnason of Cyprus Moses James brother of Jesus Philip the Evangelist Trophimus of Ephesus Related Bible parts Acts 7 Acts 15 Acts 16 Acts 17 Acts 18 Acts 19 Acts 20References edit Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook Holman Bible Publishers Nashville Tennessee 2012 a b c d e f Alexander 2007 p 1054 Acts 21 8 KJV a b Ellicott C J Ed Ellicott s Bible Commentary for English Readers Acts 21 London Cassell and Company Limited 1905 1906 Online version OCoLC 929526708 Accessed 28 April 2019 Acts 21 10 KJV a b Gill John Exposition of the Entire Bible Acts 21 Accessed 24 April 2019 a b c Nicoll W R Expositor s Greek Testament on Acts 21 accessed 17 October 2015 Acts 21 13 NKJV Exell Joseph S Spence Jones Henry Donald Maurice Editors On Acts 21 In The Pulpit Commentary 23 volumes First publication 1890 Accessed 24 April 2019 Acts 21 18 NKJV a b Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Acts 21 accessed 17 October 2015 Poole M Matthew Poole s Commentary on Acts 21 accessed 17 October 2015 Ancient Temple Mount warning stone is closest thing we have to the Temple By Ilan Ben Zion Times of Israel 22 October 2015 Quote Carved in bold Greek letters 2 000 year old Herodian inscription marked off the section of Jerusalem s most sacred site where gentiles couldn t go and shows they were welcome elsewhere in holy area a b c d e f g h i Alexander 2007 p 1055 Acts 21 27 29 NKJV www Bibler org Dictionary Trophimus 2012 07 26 Acts 21 38 NKJV Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 20 8 6 Quote Moreover there came out of Egypt about this time to Jerusalem one that said he was a prophet and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives as it was called which lay over against the city and at the distance of five furlongs He said further that he would show them from hence how at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down and he promised them that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls when they were fallen down Now when Felix was informed of these things he ordered his soldiers to take their weapons and came against them with a great number of horsemen and footmen from Jerusalem and attacked the Egyptian and the people that were with him He also slew four hundred of them and took two hundred alive But the Egyptian himself escaped out of the fight but did not appear any more Bauckham Richard 2017 Jesus and the Eyewitnesses 2nd ed Wm B Eerdmans Publishing p 82 ISBN 9780802874313 Acts 21 39 NKJV a b Barnes Albert Notes on the Bible Acts 21 James Murphy ed London Blackie amp Son 1884 Sources editAlexander Loveday 2007 62 Acts In Barton John Muddiman John eds The Oxford Bible Commentary first paperback ed Oxford University Press pp 1028 1061 ISBN 978 0199277186 Retrieved February 6 2019 External links editActs 21 King James Bible Wikisource English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate Online Bible at GospelHall org ESV KJV Darby American Standard Version Bible in Basic English Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway NKJV NIV NRSV etc Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acts 21 amp oldid 1179046773 Verse 18, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
