Acts chapter 21

vs 11

Sounds an awful lot like a prophecy of what happened to Jesus. Paul has been warned many times, although this one is particularly well illustrated.

vs 12

So now even Luke and Paul's closest people are desperate to see him not go to Jerusalem.

vs 13

Paul sees the trip as necessary, and sees it as God's will that he goes. Yes, he may be bound and brought to trial. Yes, he may even be killed. But if that is God's will, then he will do it willingly. The concern that his friends and followers has for him is truly heartwrenching for Paul - he probably isn't keen on being bound and beaten either. But he has to ignore his own concerns, and even the concerns of his good friends, for the sake of following God's will.

vs 14

And really, what else can you do but take it to God, and say that if it is his will, it will or won't happen the way he intends? But there is obviously a keen division of understanding of God's will between Paul and his followers, even Luke! So we must not be so naive to think that divisions over God's will never happened in the first century church.

vs 15

So now is the final leg of the trip. Outcome is as yet unknown.

vs 16

Paul's entourage grows a little as people from Caesarea follow him, and he stops at the house of Mnason, who I am sure none of us know, but meant something to people who'd met him.

vs 17

Well, at least someone was glad to see Paul enter Jerusalem.

vs 18

Like another Jerusalem council. When it says all the elders were present, that doesn't necessarily mean all the apostles.

vs 19

Reporting is so vital to Paul's ministry - he does it regularly to all the churches that he visits, especially those that he sees as being in leadership over his ministry.

vs 20

That's an interesting statement to make, regarding the number of Jews that have believed. This may be for Paul's encouragement, but they are also talking about the zeal of these Jews for the Law. Paul was on the other side of the argument at the Jerusalem Council on this matter, so it may well be that this is a warning to him. But it will surely be fleshed out... tomorrow!