After Agabus warns Paul of the troubles he will face in Jerusalem, believers from Caesarea escorted Paul to Jerusalem. This stage of the journey might take two days, depending on how long he stays with a Christian named Mnason. Paul’s goal is to arrive in Jerusalem by the time of Pentecost. At this point, he is close enough to Jerusalem to arrive in time for the festival.
Likely, they pass through Joppa and Lydda, locations where Peter ministered in Acts 9:32-43. If a Christian community had formed in these locations, Paul may have paused to greet them. In any case, these communities may have been Luke’s source for Peter’s ministry there (Keener, Acts, 3:3110). They “go up” to Jerusalem even though this stage of the trip moves southeast. This is sacred geography. One always “goes up” to Jerusalem, regardless of the direction one travels.
The growing entourage now includes Caesarean believers. They spend at least one night with Mnason, “an early disciple” (21:16). Mnason is a Hellenistic Jew from Cyprus. Like Barnabas, Mnason is an early believer, implying he was part of the Jerusalem church. The name Mnason may be a Hellenized form of Manasseh (F. F. Bruce, The Pauline Circle, 99).
Although Hellenistic Jews from Cyprus are mentioned in Acts 11:20, he might have met in the Synagogue of the Freedmen in Acts 6, perhaps as an associate of Stephen (6:14). If so, then he could have known Saul from his early days as a persecutor of the church. Like meeting Philip and Agabus, Paul once again meets someone from the early chapters of Acts (Keener, Acts, 3:3111). The Western text adds that Mnason lived in a village along the way rather than in Jerusalem. They do not arrive in Jerusalem until verse 17.
Mnason entertains (ξενίζω) a large group of travelers, including a few uncircumcised Gentiles. A Jewish host might have balked at hosting these Gentiles, but there is no hint of trouble here. Recall Romans 15:31, Paul is uncertain how he might be received, and the closer to Jerusalem, the more likely Jewish believers might object to his association with uncircumcised Gentiles. Once in Jerusalem, this will be the source of accusations against him. That Mnason could host a large group of travelers may imply he was wealthy and had a large home. Barnabas (another Jew from Cyprus) sold property to give to the disciples (Acts 4:36-37), so it is at least possible that Mnason was also wealthy.
When the entourage finally arrives in Jerusalem, Luke says that the brothers “received them gladly,” indicating the proper hospitality one might expect (21:17). “Gladly” (ἀσμένως) only appears here in the New Testament (see 2 Macc 4:12; 3 Macc 3:15; 5:21). In non-biblical Greek, it can have the idea of joy. Since these brothers are providing hospitality to a large group, they are not begrudgingly giving shelter and a little food. They are welcoming them as one might welcome a close family member and providing for their needs as long as they stay in Jerusalem. Luke frequently comments on believers who gave Paul proper hospitality (Lydia, the Jailer, etc.) and unbelievers who did not. Perhaps Mnason provided introductions to other Hellenistic Jewish believers who could provide hospitality for Gentile believers in Jerusalem.
It is not until the next day that they go to see James, the Lord’s brother, who is the leader of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. This implies that these “brothers” are the Hellenistic Jews like those worshiping in the Synagogue of the Freedmen.
While he is staying with Philip, the prophet Agabus approaches Paul and performs a prophetic action (21:10-11). Like Philip, Agabus was mentioned earlier in the book of Acts. He prophesied a famine in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30), prompting the Antioch church to send Barnabas and Saul to deliver relief funds to the Christians there.
Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his hands and feet to demonstrate what the Jews would do to him when he got to Jerusalem. Agabus says, “Thus says the Holy Spirit” (τάδε λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον). This is the same way Old Testament Prophets introduce their prophecies, “Thus says the Lord” (τάδε λέγει κύριος; Isaiah 7:7, for example). Luke 1:67 attributes Zechariah’s prophecy to the Holy Spirit.
Technically, the Jews do not bind Paul; the Romans do. And the Jews do not hand him over to the Gentiles, the Romans rescue Paul from the Jews (who are about to kill him). For some scholars, this is a prophecy that is not quite accurate. Wayne Grudem, for example, cites this as an example of a “church prophecy” that is generally correct, but not the infallible word of God (like an OT prophet). Keener calls this “pedantic literalism” and says no biblical prophet’s words would survive such scrutiny (Keener, Acts, 3:3106).
Luke is drawing several comparisons between Paul and Jesus in these stories. First, Paul is compelled to go to Jerusalem; in Luke 9:51, Jesus “set out resolutely for Jerusalem.” Second, just as Jesus predicted his own treatment at the hands of the Jews in Jerusalem, so too the Spirit predicts Paul’s mistreatment. The difference, however, is that Paul is not told that he will die in Jerusalem. Would a reader pick up on this and think Paul will die at the end of the book, like Jesus did in Luke?
Agabus does not tell Paul that he should not continue to Jerusalem. But when the other believers heard Agabus’s prophecy, they tried to persuade Paul not to go. Even Luke joins in, as seen in the use of “we” in 21:12-14.
Paul asks why they are “breaking his heart” (21:13). The verb συνθρύπτω is only used here in the New Testament. It has the sense of breaking something into pieces (in a textual variant, θρύπτω is used for Jesus breaking the bread at the Last Supper (1 Cor 11:24 in D). In non-biblical Greek, θρύπτω has the sense of weakening something, making it soft, or causing it to crumble. Does this mean that his resolve to continue the trip to Jerusalem is weakening? Once again, we have the theme of a prophetic warning, and Paul continued to Jerusalem.
Paul was warned he would suffer when he was first called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16). Now he repeats his commitment: he is ready to be imprisoned and even die for the name of the Lord Jesus. There is no lack of resolve in Paul’s mind. Is there an intentional parallel here with Peter (Tannehill, Acts, 264-65)? After Jesus predicted that Satan would test Simon Peter, Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33).
The disciples cannot persuade Paul to avoid Jerusalem, so they finally say, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” Paul knows what God’s will is for him (to go to Jerusalem, and eventually to Rome), even if he does not know how this will all happen.
As Paul travels to deliver the collection to the poor saints in Jerusalem, he is warned several times that he will suffer upon his arrival. In Acts 21:7-14, this warning comes from Philip’s daughters. Luke says they are “unmarried daughters, who prophesied.” What can we know about Philip’s daughters and what they prophesied?
After the layover in Tyre, the group arrives in Ptolemais, known today as Acco. Paul only stays there one day, just enough time to greet the Christians. Only 30 miles from Tyre, Acco is an ancient seaport first mentioned in Egyptian Middle Kingdom texts (2040 BC-1782 BC). Compared to Tyre (seven days) and Caesarea (“some days”), this is a brief stop. The best explanation is that the boat did not need to load or unload any cargo.
Caesarea is 36.7 miles from Ptolemais, which can be reached in two days by walking or in one day by boat. Arriving in Caesarea, Paul’s group enters the house of Philip the evangelist, “one of the seven” (21:8). Paul stays with Philip for some time. Philip was one of the deacons appointed in Acts 6. Luke narrated his ministry in Samaria, and he preached the Gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8). Acts 8:40 summarizes his work along the coast “until he came to Caesarea.”
Tomb of Philip at Heiropolis
By this time, Philip lives in a house and has four unmarried daughters who are prophets. Luke points out that they are unmarried (ESV), using the noun παρθένος, which means “virgin.” Luke’s point is that they are young daughters (Keener, “Why Mention Their Virginity?” in Acts, 3:3094-3102). In Luke 2:37, the Holy Spirit inspired a very old woman; here, the Holy Spirit inspires very young women. Luke does not tell us what the four daughters prophesied. Technically, he does not call them prophets but uses a present active participle of προφητεύω. Most commentators believe they convey a message similar to that of the prophets in Tyre and Agabus in the next verse.
According to the early Christian historian Eusebius, Philip and his family migrated to Hierapolis in Asia Minor shortly after the events described in Acts 21. There is a church in Hierapolis dedicated to the martyrdom of Philip. His tomb was recently discovered near the church.
After him, the four daughters of Philip, who were also prophetesses, were at Hierapolis in Asia. Their grave is there, and likewise that of their father. (Eusebius, 3.31, citing Proclus, a second-century Montanist)
The daughters lived long lives. According to Papias, they were a source of information on the apostles (Eusebius, 3.39).
Now, it has already been pointed out above that Philip the Apostle lived at Hierapolis with his daughters, but it must now be noted that Papias, who was a contemporary of theirs, reveals that he received a marvelous story from the daughters of Philip, for he relates that a resurrection of a corpse took place in his time. Eusebius, Eccl.Hist 3.39, citing Papias.
Richard Bauckham suggests that it is plausible Papias knew the daughters of Philip, as Papias would have been about twenty years old in AD 90 (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Eerdmans, 2008, 18). Unfortunately, Papias (and other traditions) confuse Philip the Apostle and Philip the Evangelist, who had four daughters.
In his book on the early church, James Dunn notes that Luke dedicates approximately one-quarter of his work to the arrest and trials of Paul (Beginning from Jerusalem, 958). This tells us a great deal about Luke’s agenda in the book of Acts. His interest is in Paul as the apostle responsible for the westward expansion of the church. He spends more time describing Paul’s “passion” than any other character in the book, including Jesus! We have a chapter on Stephen the first martyr, a brief notice of John the Baptist’s death, and only a line on James the Apostle. Luke does not mention the fate of the other members of the apostolic community.
Romans 15:30–31 (ESV) I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints…
Acts 20:22-23 (ESV) And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
In his trials in Acts 21-28, Paul fulfills his commission to be the light to the Gentiles, bringing the message of Christ to the Gentiles, kings, and sons of Israel (9:15-16, repeated in 22:15-21, 26:18-19). He will stand before the people of Jerusalem, Roman governors (Felix and Festus), and the King of the Jews, Agrippa II.
Paul leaves Miletus and makes several stops before landing in Tyre (21:1-3). Modern readers might think these detailed travel notes are strange, but Keener suggests these details about travel were included because ancient readers appreciated them (Acts, 3:3074). They were considered entertaining to an ancient reader.
National Maritime Museum,Haifa, Israel
Cos is an island near Rhodes known in the ancient world for its wines (Strabo, 14.1.15). Josephus reports a Jewish community (Ant. 14.112-113, 233). Rhodes was an island with a large natural harbor. It was known for its wealth and classical learning. Most Jewish readers would recognize the location; 1 Maccabees 15:21-23 mentions that Rhodes had a treaty with Judea. Patara was a Lycian port city on the southern coast of Turkey near Myra (the home of Saint Nicolas). It was a significant city in the first century.
In Patara, Paul switches to a larger ship bound for Phoenicia and Tyre. This is about 350 miles by the open sea. Smaller ships needed to hug the coast, making the journey longer. The ship comes within sight of Cyprus and lands in Tyre, in Roman Syria. In modern Lebanon, the city of Tyre was the primary port city in Phoenicia. Tyre is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world. Luke tells us that unloading the ship takes a week, but a large merchant ship could take much longer. Keener cites the example of an ancient sunken merchant ship that was transporting 4500-7800 amphoras of wine, “between 225 and 390 tons” (Acts, 3:3079).
Although he could have traveled to Ptolemais on foot in one day, Paul used this week-long layover to visit Christians in Tyre. The group “sought out” (ἀνευρίσκω) the disciples. One main reason for this is that they needed someplace to stay for seven days. Hospitality was important in the ancient world. Travelers often stayed with acquaintances. This time will allow Paul to pass along news from his western churches. Acts 11:19 indicates some of the Christians scattered after the stoning of Stephen fled to “Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.” Since Paul later ministered in Antioch and Cyprus, it is reasonable to assume that he also knew disciples in Tyre.
Some of the disciples had the gift of prophecy, and they urged Paul “by the spirit” not to go on to Jerusalem (21:4). The grammar implies multiple warnings from various people during the week they were in Tyre. Luke used the imperfect tense of λέγω, indicating ongoing or repeated action.
Is Paul receiving contradictory messages from the Holy Spirit? In the previous chapter, the Holy Spirit compelled Paul to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23). The prophets warn Paul that he will suffer in Jerusalem (by the Holy Spirit, consistent with Acts 20:23). Then they instruct him not to continue his journey (on their own initiative). Paul may have evaluated the prophecies and rejected them (1 Thess 5:2-22).
Like his departure from the Ephesian elders, and what happens in the following paragraph with Agabus, people warn Paul that he is placing himself in danger by traveling to Jerusalem. Paul prays with the disciples on the beach before returning to the ship bound for Caesarea (21:5-6).
Paul’s Farewell Speech is sometimes considered his “last testament,” even though he does not die for several years. For the Ephesian elders, with whom he had labored for three years, this was the last time they would see Paul. The brief sermon is filled with emotion, and the scene is rather dramatic and climactic. After Acts 20, Paul will be under arrest and in constant danger.
Paul is presented in this speech as a model for the Ephesian elders to follow, not unlike Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2. Paul encourages the elders to devote themselves to the work of the ministry because the Spirit calls them, and they respond to God’s grace; they are not greedy, but are to work hard, just as Paul has.
First, Paul has faithfully fulfilled his calling (20:18-21). The memory of the elders is important to Paul’s point since he will say nothing here that they do not already know. They are to recall how Paul conducted himself while he was in Ephesus. They are asked to remember:
His humility and tears. Humility was not considered a virtue in the Greco-Roman world, and the word here was used as a pejorative (meaning “slavish”; Witherington, Acts, 616). Yet Paul demonstrated by his own lifestyle that the way to follow Christ is to be a servant of all.
His severe tests at the hands of the Jews. The plots Paul has in mind may be all the various persecutions he has faced, especially since the Jews in Ephesus are not described as plotting against him in Acts 19. It is possible this is a hint of imprisonment in Ephesus, although that is unclear from this text.
His lack of hesitation and boldness of speech. This refers to public and private instruction in the school of Tyrannus or the Synagogue.
The core of Paul’s gospel is that both Jews and Gentiles ought to turn to God and have faith in the Lord Jesus.
Now Paul must go on to Jerusalem (20:22-24). A significant theme in the next two chapters is that the Spirit of God compels Paul to go to Jerusalem. This is not a change for Paul since he has already returned to Jerusalem several times. The difference here is that now he knows that he is going to suffer.
Moreover, Paul describes himself as being compelled. The verb appears in the perfect; he has already been compelled when he makes this speech. What is ironic is that the other uses of this word in Acts refer to physical binding during arrest, including Acts 9:2, where Saul desires to bind believers in Jesus and compel them to go to Jerusalem.
While he knows that hardships await him, he is confident that the trip to Jerusalem will allow him to continue testifying to the Grace of God. The trip to Jerusalem is described as “finishing the race,” a phrase found in several Pauline texts (1 Cor 9:24, Phil 3:14, 2 Tim 4:7).
If he does not go to Jerusalem, Paul would consider himself to have not finished what God has called him to do. One wonders, at this point, if he was thinking about the nations coming to Jerusalem in eschatological terms; the gospel going to the Gentiles (and by this point, perhaps certainly the response among the Jews) must be a sign that the kingdom is not going to be delayed long.
Paul then warns the elders of the trials they will soon face (20:25-31). The Holy Spirit appointed the elders to shepherd the flock. This is the same Spirit that compels Paul to go on to Jerusalem. This involves keeping watch over the church to guard it against enemies. But this also involves watching themselves. They are to be worthy shepherds! These “wolves” seek to tear the congregation apart, and at this point may refer to elements in Ephesus, whether Greek or Jewish, that see Christianity as a threat.
Paul then warns of threats that will arise from within the congregation itself. Since he is using the metaphor of a flock, it is natural that the flock will be attacked by “savage wolves” who seek to destroy it. Perhaps the most disturbing prediction is that these wolves may very well arise from within their congregation – some men will arise, distort the truth, and draw disciples away after them.
Paul’s Final Commission to the Elders (20:32-35). The elders are “committed to God and the word of Grace.” To be “committed” in this context implies a trust. Paul has entrusted the Gospel of the Grace of God to the elders through his years of service in Ephesus, and it is this trust that they must guard.
Paul uses himself as an example of this kind of selfless service. Since Paul did not intend to profit from the gospel, the elders are not to be motivated by greed (1 Cor 9:12-15; 2 Cor 7:2). Paul emphasizes his self-sufficiency, a crucial point considering the riot in Ephesus was economically motivated. His collection for the Jerusalem church may also have been viewed as a form of greed. This is a claim Paul regularly made, especially in the letters to the Corinthians written from Ephesus. While Paul was refusing gifts from Corinth, he worked hard in Ephesus to avoid being a burden.
Finally, Paul closes with a quote from Jesus’ teaching: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This is a rare quote from Jesus’ teaching in the Book of Acts or in any other “non-gospel,” for that matter. The trouble is that the line does not appear in the Gospels. There is a variation on this line in 1 Clement 2:1, and Sirach 4:31 expresses a similar idea, indicating that the concept was current in the Second Temple period. The line may be drawn from Luke 6:35-38, which expresses a similar idea to this line in Acts, although the wording differs.
On the other hand, it should not surprise us that Jesus said other things outside those collected in the gospels. Both Luke and John indicate that there is far more to be said about Jesus than could be recorded.
What is remarkable about this line is the social implications in a Greco-Roman world. Reciprocal relationships and extensive social networks characterized the culture of the Roman world. If one gave a gift, then one could expect a gift in return at some point. One tried to develop social status by doing good for people, but only in the context of expecting a return on the investment! Paul reverses this social pattern by stating that the elders ought to do good because they are called to by the Holy Spirit and have received ultimate grace from God in salvation. They are not to function as a Roman world while executing the task of an elder.
This final scene is full of emotion. Paul is confident that he will not see these elders again (20:36-38). According to some traditions, Paul was released from prison around AD 64 and continued his ministry, but he was unaware of this. He has been warned that he will suffer much in Jerusalem. Romans 15 indicates that Paul plans to continue moving west, possibly establishing himself in Rome before proceeding to Spain. If this was his ultimate plan, then perhaps this farewell can be seen as an indication that he views the church at Ephesus as self-sufficient and no longer needing his careful supervision and guidance. He is now free to move out into new regions.
