Acts 21–26

Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem

21After ^fwe tore ourselves away from them and set sail, we came by a direct route to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ²Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. ³After we sighted Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. ^g5When our days there were over, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, escorted us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, ⁶we said good-bye to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day. ^h8The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip ⁱthe evangelist, ^jwho was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. ⁹This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. ^k

¹⁰While we were staying there many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.’ ” ^l12When we heard this, both we and the local people begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ^m

¹⁴Since he would not be persuaded, we stopped talking and simply said, “The Lord’s will be done!” ⁿ

Conflict over the Gentile Mission

¹⁵After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason, a Cypriot and an early disciple, with whom we were to stay. ^o

¹⁷When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ^p18The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. ^q19After greeting them, he related in detail what God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. ^r

²⁰When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous ^sfor the law. ²¹But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs. ^t22So what is to be done? ^uThey will certainly hear that you’ve come. ²³Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have obligated themselves with a vow. ²⁴Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law. ^v25With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that ^wthey should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

The Riot in the Temple Complex

²⁶Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made. ^x27As the seven days were about to end, the Jews from Asia saw him in the temple complex, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, ^y28shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place.” ^z29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple complex. ^ab

³⁰The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple complex, and at once the gates were shut. ^c31As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. ³²Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. ^dHe asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴Some in the mob were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. ^e35When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the mob’s violence, ³⁶for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Take him away!” ^f

Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob

³⁷As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”

He replied, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins ^ghinto the wilderness?” ⁱ

³⁹Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, ^ja citizen of an important city. ^kNow I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

⁴⁰After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language: ^l22¹“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” ²When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even quieter. ^m3He ⁿcontinued, “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city ^oat the feet of Gamaliel ^pand educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today, ^q4I persecuted this Way ^rto the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail, ^s5as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem. ^t

Paul’s Testimony

⁶“As ^uI was traveling and near Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

⁸“I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the ^•Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’ ⁹Now those who were with me saw the light, ^vbut they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me. ^w

¹⁰“Then I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that is assigned for you to do.’

¹¹“Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. ^x12Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good reputation with all the Jews residing there, ^y13came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. ¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed ^zyou to know His will, to see ^athe Righteous One, ^band to hear the sound of His voice. ^c15For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard. ^d16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins ^eby calling on His name.’ ^f

¹⁷“After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state ^g18and saw Him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me!’

¹⁹“But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten. ^h20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing by and approving, ⁱand I guarded the clothes of those who killed him.’ ^j

²¹“Then He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” ^k

Paul’s Roman Protection

²²They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this person off the earth—it’s a disgrace for him to live!” ^l

²³As they were yelling and flinging aside their robes and throwing dust into the air, ^m24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be examined with the scourge, so he could discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?” ⁿ

²⁶When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷The commander came and said to him, “Tell me—are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

²⁸The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

²⁹Therefore, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him. ^o

Paul before the Sanhedrin

³⁰The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him ^pand instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. ^qThen he brought Paul down and placed him before them. 23¹Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience ^runtil this day.” ²But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. ^s3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” ^t

⁴And those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s…