After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.”’
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 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.’ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’ (Acts 21.10-14, NIV)
Chapter 21 is part of the continuing story of Paul’s second missionary journey. In Acts 20 he met with the elders of Ephesus, and they are grieved when he says that he might never see them agai. In verse 1, they set out to sea: ‘After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.’
In verse 10 Paul stays with the believers many days. Agabus, a prophet, takes Paul’s belt and prophesies that the Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews will bind the owner of the belt’ - (verse 12), they again plead with Paul not to go to Jerusalem; (verse 13), ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus.’
Jesus Himself was warned not to go to Jerusalem, but He still went, as He was led by the Spirit; likewise, Paul would not be dissuaded. We all must determine what God’s purpose is and not be distracted by so-called prophets and well-meaning individuals.
When I was Bible smuggling in communist east Europe, I knew I could be put in prison for my work, yet I chose to follow the instruction of God. When I left my house on that final trip before my arrest, I said to myself, ‘I can’t carry on with this, the risk is too great.’ But after my imprisonment, my ministry expanded. My desire echoes the statement, ‘The Lord’s Will be done.’
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (Acts 21.17-19, NIV)
The first converts of the early Church were Jews, although Jesus Himself ministered to Samaritans, Gentiles and even a Roman Centurion. Peter and Paul are clear the Gospel message is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews; (verse 20), the elders of the early church rejoiced and said, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.’