Bible Study
Acts 21:1-14
November 2, 2011
Verse 1
Cos. The birthplace of Hippocrates (from whom we have the Hippocratic oath!)
Rhodes.
Famous for its Colossus. Interesting Note: The statue, which stood for
56 years, fell during an earthquake in 226 BC. The massive statue (107ft
high) lay on the ground for over 800 years--which means it would have
been there when Paul came to Rhodes. Further interesting note: The
Oracle at Delphi (Remember Paul at Philippi in Acts 16:16,
and the demon possessed girl there, who was a servant of Pythos, the
Greek mythological earth-dragon of Delphi) made the residents of Rhodes
afraid they had offended Helios, so they never rebuilt it.
Verse 3
Tyre. See Luke 10:13-14, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and
Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the
judgment than for you.”
Verse 4
And finding disciples.
Note that where ever Paul went, he enquired as to there being disciples
there and then associated with them. A good example for us!
seven days. Paul had also stayed seven days in Troas (Acts 20:6, “But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”). Why? At least partly so he could be there at least one Lord’s Day with the church!
They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. Perhaps they thought Paul’s troubles to be conditionally prophecied--that is, if he goes to Jerusalem, chains await him. See 1 Sam 23:9-13, “9
When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar
the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O LORD God of
Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to
Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.” 13 So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.”
Verse 7
Ptolemais. Thought to be the same city as that of Acco mentioned in Judges 1:31, “Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.”
Verse 8
Philip. One of the seven deacons mentioned in Acts 6:5, “And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,” who had preached to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26ff, “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.” and who settled in Caesarea, according to Acts 8:40, “But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.” Who, having served well as a deacon, had earned himself a good standing, etc as in 1 Tim 3:13, “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
the evangelist. See Eph. 4:11, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” and 2 Tim 4:5, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Caesarea. Spoken of in Acts 10:1ff, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment” and Acts 18:22, “And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch”
Verse 9
four virgin daughters who prophesied. See the promise of such things in Joel 2:28, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” which Peter quoted in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:17, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.” which is now fulfilled here with Philip’s daughters as one example.
prophesied. Not by expounding the prophecies or word of God (see 1 Cor 14:34, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.” and 1 Tim 2:12, “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.”) but by foretelling things to come (see Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 above).
Verse 10
Agabus. See Agabus when he came from Jerusalem to Antioch in Acts 11:28, “Then one of them, named Agabus,
stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great
famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of
Claudius Caesar.”
Verse 11
took Paul’s belt. Such physical signs commonly accompanied prophecies in the Old Testament. See Isaiah 20:2, “at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.” Jer. 13:1, “Thus the LORD said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.”” Ezek 12:5, “Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it.” Especially Jer 27:2, “Thus says the LORD to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck,”
into the hands of the Gentiles.
I find this most curious, since the Gentiles are who Paul seeks to
minister to! How can it be a bad thing, then, if he is delivered into
their hands?
Verse 14
The will of the Lord be done. See Matt 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” and Luke 11:2, “So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” for Lord’s Prayer references. See also Matt. 26:42, “Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘ My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’” and Luke 22:42, “saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.””
No comments:
Post a Comment