The Third Missionary Journey

The Third Missionary Journey

In a little while after his home-coming to Antioch the missionary urge comes again upon Paul and, leaving Antioch, he makes his way through the “region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples” (Acts 18:23) The phrase “in order” gives the suggestion that, as Paul journeyed over the territory of his first two journeys, he visited the various communities in the same order as previously. And while Paul was visiting this area of his previous labors, interesting things were transpiring under the ministry of Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus.

The events outlined in Acts 18:24-28, in which we read of one important incident in the ministry of Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus and prior to Paul’s second visit, are inserted at this point by the narrator Luke for the simple reason that it belongs here in point of time and, what is more, because it is vitally important to a better understanding of the later story of Paul.

Luke reports that a certain Jew by the name of Apollos, “an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man”, came to Ephesus about this time. There is also the explanatory notation that Apollos was also “mighty in the Scriptures” but, unfortunately, though he was outstandingly fervent in spirit and spake and taught most accurately the “things of the Lord” Jesus, he comprehended and understood only the baptism of John. The fervency of his spirit, as it had driven Paul, caused him to begin to speak boldly in the Ephesian synagogue concerning his doctrine.

The notation that Apollos knew only the “baptism of John” can mean only one thing he was ignorant of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and, consequently, of the plan of the Great Commission and of the organization and life of the kingdom of God as it was being taught and realized under the ministry of the Apostles. In a word, his theology and his Gospel were good up to a point, but, sad to say, woefully incomplete. Thus after his first message or so, “when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately”.

Apollos appears to have been a most ardent scholar and, above all, a good and intelligent listener. Though the text does not disclose that he immediately subscribed to the fuller and more accurate doctrine of these two outstanding Ephesian saints, it infers as much by stating that, after this incident, when Apollos was minded to go over into Achaia, and the Ephesian brethren had given him letters of recommendation, arriving there “he helped them much that had believed through grace; for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ”.

Coincident with Apollos’ ministry at Corinth Paul “having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus” (Acts 19:1) The Ephesus of Paul’s day might be said to have been the Liverpool of the Mediterranean area. It possessed an excellent and splendid harbor in which was concentrated the traffic of that sea which was then, and has ever been, the highway of the nations. By way of comparison, as Liverpool has behind her the great towns of Lancashire so had Ephesus behind and around her such cities of importance as are mentioned along with her in the Epistles to the Churches given in the book of Revelation: Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

Ephesus was a city of vast wealth and, as such, was given over to every kind of pleasure; the fame of its theater and race-courses were world-wide. The city was, however, even more famous as a sacred city. It was the center of worship for the goddess Diana whose temple there was one of the most celebrated and noted shrines of the ancient world. The temple itself harbored enormous riches and was the center out of which an enormous number of priests ministered.

In keeping with one of the peculiarities of paganistic religions, at certain seasons of the year Ephesus became the resort for flocks of pilgrims who swarmed in from the surrounding regions to worship Diana; the inhabitants of the town flourished exceedingly as a result of ministering in various ways to the wants and needs which this pagan superstition fostered. By way of example, the goldsmiths realized an almost fabulous trade in little silver models of the image of the goddess which was contained in the temple and which, one of the tenets of the religion declared, had fallen from heaven. Copies of the mystic characters engraved upon this ancient relic were also sold to the gullible as charms and fetishes. Therefore, as might be expected, the city swarmed with wizards of all kinds and types, whose chief customers were the mariners, merchants and pilgrims who frequented the port.

Paul, immediately upon his arrival in this mecca for sinners, discovers to his dismay that there are about “twelve men” whose speech and conduct give all the evidence of their tragic lack of understanding of the nature or meaning of the Christian faith. The customary practice is to suggest that these men probably were of somewhat the same belief and practice as was Apollos before his conversion to a better way; that they may even have been converts of Apollos. Though this conjecture may have an element of truth in it, it is unlikely that it is so, seeing that such stalwart Christians as Aquila and Priscilla were in Ephesus who possessed proper Christian doctrine. Because this is so, Paul’s historic words at this time have become almost a byword among the world’s holiness movements “have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” Then, as Paul carefully explained the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they believed this necessary baptism; this Holy Ghost filling of their life “since (they) believed” (Acts 19:1-7)

Then follows a three months evangelistic campaign in the Jewish synagogue, but the results which Paul achieved there are not separately stated or listed; only that “when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning fully in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:8-9) Thereafter, in this “school of one Tyrannus”, Paul taught and preached in Ephesus for the space of two years.

Just what means were employed to secure this “school of Tyrannus” or of just what it consisted are not given in the text. It will be noted that there are many such silences in the life of Paul, making it necessary for the interested student, as in this particular instance, to satisfy himself with the notation “that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks”, realizing that this “school of Tyrannus” played no little part in the propagating of the Gospel to those that “dwelt in Asia”.

One of the outstanding hallmarks of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was the God used Paul to perform a special series of miracles. Luke carefully remarks that “God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out”. The reference to the deliverance from evil spirits is interesting; forEphesus, being a center of paganistic worship, would undoubtedly have been plagued with a considerable frequency of demon possession, with the sad result that many people would be cruelly and helplessly bound by these destructive spirits. It was this prevalence of demon possession that quite likely brought about the incident in the tenure of Paul at Ephesus in which is shown the result of attempting to do God’s work without the power and apparatus furnished by God (Acts 19:11-18)

Because belief in demon possession was almost a doctrine in the days of Paul it came about that professional quacks came to the forefront who won fame and money by appearing to expel demons from people with nervous affections, using perhaps a similar approach which is used by religious quacks of the modern age. Acts 19:13 reports that some itinerant Jews, “certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists”, profession quacks, were in Ephesus at the same time as Paul and, seeing that Paul’s power was effective and conclusive, undertook to use his methods themselves, solemnly charging the demon spirits to come out in “the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”.

These seven sons of one Sceva, as they are designated in the story; sons of a chief priest, admittedly had no personal claim on Christ, no personal experience of His salvation and subsequent calling, but, nonetheless, the blasphemously accredited to themselves the formula Paul used “by the name of Jesus”, and then they added, “whom Paul preaches”. These seven brothers had held a consultation in which it was decided to send two of the brothers to try this new power, which they supposed to be also their own, upon a demon possessed man (Acts 19:16)

As they launched themselves upon this disastrous experience, they may have thought among themselves to have had several things in their favor. They had on their side the Jewish superstition concerning the number seven which to them denoted the presence of absolute perfection. They were, moreover, the sons of one Sceva, an exorcist, who presumably possessed the power to expel evil spirits and they, as his sons, surely had inherited this power. Their father being a chief priest was of no little asset in their thinking. And, finally, were they not also going forth, undertaking this performance of expelling evil spirits, by using the name of Jesus and His co-laborer Paul? Notwithstanding all this material favoritism, they had not considered that the word of God explains that it is “not by might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts” that these things are accomplished.

Unfortunately for these misguided sons of Sceva, the attempt to dispel the demon from one of Ephesus’ demon-possessed citizens ended in terrible disaster for them. As they commenced their quackery “the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” Before their lips could frame an answer the evil spirit caused the man “in whom the evil spirit was (to) leap on them, and mastered both of them and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:15-16)

The very next verse continues with the information that “this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, which dwelt at Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified” and “when the name of the Lord Jesus is magnified, souls are saved; and so it came to pass in Ephesus” (Acts 19:17-18) Thus did God use this incident, which we can define by no other name than blasphemy, to achieve for Paul even larger success.

There came about in Ephesus one of the outstanding revivals of the early Church; a revival that may have, to a large extent, been implemented by the disastrous ministry of the sons of Sceva. One of the chief results of this far-reaching revival was that “not a few of them that practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in sight of all” (Acts 19:19) Luke briefly reports this revival in the words “so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:20)

At this juncture in the story the two verses of Acts 19:21-22 seem to break in on the continuity of the ministry of Paul in Ephesus and suggest that he made a short trip about this time through the regions of Macedonia and Achaia, having also determined, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to make another journey to Jerusalem and, following that, “see Rome also”. This is the first mention in the book of Acts concerning Paul’s desire to extend his ministry to the very seat of the Roman Empire; Rome. It is the first intimation in Scripture that the tentacles of Paul’s work are to be spread even further yet.

After his short trip into Macedonia and Achaia Paul returns to Ephesus and immediately thereafter sends Timothy and Erastus forth to minister to the saints in Macedonia. During his absence he discovered that there had arisen “no small stir about that Way”. The power of the Gospel that had caused the great book-burning episode in Ephesus, in which the value of the books burned was in the neighborhood of fifty thousand pieces of silver, amounting to something like eight to ten thousand dollars in the coin of our realm, however, raised up a considerable number of idol traffickers in Ephesus to fight against the saints.

In consternation these idol traffickers saw the Gospel message, as it produced its revival results, eroding away a great portion of their business. With increasing bitterness they watched Paul’s labors bearing more and more fruit; Paul himself had written, “a great door and effectual is opened unto me” (I Corinthians 16:9) An immense multitude of people had turned from Ephesian paganism to the Lord; Ephesus quickly became one of the greatest centers of the early Church. Thus, the very fact that the silversmiths had become increasingly alarmed because of the falling off in business becomes a most illuminating commentary upon the unusual success that Paul enjoyed among the Gentiles of Ephesus and the surrounding territory.

And so, continues Luke, “there arose no small stir about that Way”; and the use of the word “stir” to describe the disturbance that followed is extremely moderate language. Since the preaching of “that Way” was hindering business, and because it was becoming daily less possible for the idol makers to utilize the religious fervor and prejudice of the populace to support their business, their jealousy and love of gain demanded that the “Way” must be done away with. Unfortunately these business men of the first century were unaware that Christianity, when truly preached and properly lived, always hinders wrong business and awakens, at the same time, vigorous and sometimes violent opposition from those engaged in their sinful activities on the basis that Christianity is “interference in their business”. The history of the centuries is filled with the hatred of alcoholic manufacturers, exploiting traders in the missionary fields, and a hundred others who have lashed out savagely against the Gospel story.

Circumstances were not different in Ephesus. One Demetrius, who apparently owned a large industry which manufactured diminutive silver temples of Diana and who provided employment to a large number of laborers who were federated into a labor union which was highly developed for that day and time, was the author of the “stir”. Experiencing little, if any, difficulty Demetrius harangued these laborers into active militant opposition against the saints in Ephesus and particularly Paul. Cunningly he made a direct appeal to the “gain” which, until Paul’s revival success, they had gotten out of their business. He reminded them that surely they could “see” for themselves how “this Paul” was cutting down their trade outlets in Ephesus and were they not “hearing” of similar effects all throughout the province where Paul had “turned away much people” (Acts 19:25-27)

The wily Demetrius also combined the play upon religious fear in his dissertation against Paul and his Christianity. Slyly he suggested to them that they were not only losing business, which may easily have been the most important consideration to them, but there was, whether they were aware of it or not, the imminent danger that their “great goddess” was about to be “dragged down from her magnificence”; their goddess whom not only “all of Asia” but “the inhabited earth” held in pious regard. Whether they knew it or not, there was about to take place in Ephesus the most tragic religious catastrophe.

In this manner did Demetrius stir up the anger of the workmen until it was thoroughly aroused, and, then, under the probable leadership of Demetrius himself, this rioting mob, for so it became, headed for the public theater grounds where the city’s political assemblies were held (Acts 19:27-29) As the shouting mob forced its way to the public theater some of them hesitated long enough to snatch up Gaius and Aristarchus who were “Paul’s companions in travel”.

Tradition asserts that Paul was quite ill at this time; a fact to which his Corinthian writings seems to lend credence. However, the record in Acts merely state that “when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not”, and that “certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater” (Acts 19:30-31)

By the time the angry mob had reached the theater, or shortly thereafter, the whole scene became a serious riot; they were all yelling various charges and the assembly was completely in an uproar; literally, “poured together” most of them having not the least idea why they were there. Evidently the workers whom Demetrius had inflamed with his oratory, as they marched in the direction of the public theater grounds, had picked up a considerable crowd of people along the way and these newcomers had joined in the riotous parade not knowing fully what it was all about (Acts 19:32)

For some reason which the narrator Luke does not make clear the Jews became extremely anxious to get a man by the name of Alexander to make “a defense unto the people” on their behalf. We can only assume that this unruly mob had more or less turned upon all the Jews in Ephesus, linking them with Paul’s activities, because of their hatred (the Jews) of idols and idolatrous activities in Ephesus. Unfortunately, however, when the Gentile Ephesians discerned that it was a Jew who was trying to speak to them, the whole crowd of them united immediately into “one voice” and, with mad enthusiasm, shouted for some two hours, yelling and shouting about the greatness of their Diana (Acts 19:33-34)

Probably after many disheartening attempts, the town clerk, whose responsibility would have been to keep the archives and preside at all the political assemblies, finally succeeded in calming down the mob enough to make a short speech. In an amazing show of wisdom and understanding he reminded the rioters that surely there was no one who did not know that Ephesus was the accepted sacred center for the worship of the goddess Diana and, therefore, they ought not to be raging so foolishly about it, but “keep quiet”. Furthermore, they had brought men by force to this arena that was not guilty of thievery or the like; not even guilty of violating the laws protecting the religion and worship of their goddess. If, however, Demetrius and his supporting laborers felt that they had a just ground of complaint against these men and others, “the courts are open, and there are proconsuls”. Or, again, if the crowd had anything to settle, or any further inquiry to make, they should leave it to the regular assembly. In the town clerk’s day the regular or ordinary assembly met three times a month.

The final and most potent factor in the town clerk’s argument was that they were certainly in grave danger of being charged with rioting because they had come together in this manner, having no reason for such action. If no one else in the crowd before him was aware of it, he was cognizant of the fact that the Roman government was very strict in supervision of such gatherings, fearing that such gatherings might easily be turned into political revolution. Luke abruptly ends this incident with the words “and when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly” (Acts 19:35-41)

Writing in II Corinthians 1:8-10 (Acts 20:17-19) Paul speaks of his activities here in Asia in the words “we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life”. This language would seem to indicate that the incident originated by Demetrius was the only one to which Luke gave much attention. The difficulty with Demetrius, many have determined, appears to represent a coming to a head of the pagan antagonism and Jewish rebelliousness and bitterness. But, all in all, Paul suffered many torments and persecutions while in Ephesus but which the record has not listed. If, as suggested, the incident inspired by Demetrius did bring to a head the persecution in Ephesus, we can understand the reason for the abrupt statement in Acts 20:1 that “after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go to Macedonia”.

As the result of a study of Paul’s Corinthian letters we discover that Paul was now gathering money among all his Churches to be distributed among the poor Christians in Palestine, and, also, that he was seeking to perfect the organization and program of all the Churches so that the work would be enable to continue successfully when he should fulfill his desire to journey to Rome and, he hoped, Spain. In respect to this problem of organization and program, one of his chief needs was to overcome the heresies and antagonisms of the Judaizers who were continually increasing their in-roads into the body politic; but there were moral and other problems that necessitated his attention.

However, it cannot be denied that Luke passes over this present ministry in Macedonia with but the briefest reference. It remains for other sources to reveal that, while here in Macedonia, he waited anxiously to hear from Corinth concerning the effect of his first letter to them, and them, in due course, to send on to them that letter which in our New Testament canon is designated II Corinthians. It is likely that several months, perhaps a year was occupied in “going through those parts and giving much exhortation” before Paul “came into Greece” (Acts 20:2)

In his second Epistle to the Church at Corinth, particularly in what is now determined as the first two chapters, it is indicated that Paul stopped at Troas for a time, there expecting to meet Titus upon his return from a trip to Corinth. When Paul does not locate Titus he becomes greatly burdened in his spirit and moves over into Macedonia (II Corinthians 2:12-13) As he is laboring in that area Titus arrives on the scene and brings such a good report of the Church at Corinth that Paul is relieved and elated (II Corinthians 7:5-9; 13-16)

Finally moving down from Macedonia into Greece, he stays among the Grecians for three months. Once again we possess only one verse to cover the activities of a relatively long period of time. It is more than likely, however, that he spent the greater portion of the time in straightening out the troublesome affairs in the Church at Corinth (I and II Corinthians) It is also commonly reported that he wrote the Epistle to the Romans from Corinth at this time. If so, we gather from the Epistle to the Romans that Paul had now concluded that his work in the Eastern area of the Roman Empire is just about completed and that he is now casting his eyes towardRome and Italy; and Spain.

In any event, it was about this time that Paul appears to have crystallized his determination to make another trip to Jerusalem. For some time now he had been gathering money for the poor Christians in Palestine and it seems that his determination was to leave Greece and sail to Syria; possibly making as direct as possible a journey to Antioch. But Acts 30:3 reveals that a sudden change of plans was forced upon him for “as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia”. The reason given for this change of plans is that he learned that a plot against his life was being formed against him by the Jews.

Taking with him representatives gathered from the various Churches, as listed in Acts 20:4, avoiding possible assassination aboard ship, joined once again by the physician Luke who, from here on to the end of Acts, uses the personal pronoun “we”, Paul sails from Philippi and made the journey to Troas. Notice, however, that because Acts 20:5 states “these (of the preceding verse) going before tarried for us at Troas”, it is generally accepted that Paul sent the Church representatives on ahead and, by himself of with Luke, made the journey to Philippi and thence to Troas. When all have arrived safely in Troas the weary travelers tarried seven days.

It was while this group was visiting among the brethren at Troas that the revelation is made that the Church met together on the first day of the week “to break bread”. This startling departure from the established practice of meeting, as heretofore, on the Jewish Sabbath indicates the growing custom in the early Church wherein the first day of the week, the day commemorating the resurrection of Christ, was slowly replacing the Jewish seventh day. Thus was the early Church becoming more and more a distinct and separate group from the Judaism out of which it was claimed to have arisen. The reference to “breaking bread” undoubtedly had to do with an observance of the Lord’s Supper.

As Paul was now engaging himself in journeying from Church to Church, holding a series of farewell meetings all along the way, it is obvious that he would have had much to “discourse with them”, and it is not particularly surprising that, here at Troas, he “stretched his speech along to the extent of midnight”. The farewell service was held in an “upper chamber” that had “many lamps” and the heat from the lamps, along with the crowded condition of the room, caused a young man by the name of Eutychus to fall soundly asleep with the tragic consequence that he tumbled through the window in which he was seated, falling two stories to the ground. The accident occurred at about the midnight hour and, of course, disrupted the speech of Paul.

Those who first reached the stricken youngster discovered that he had been killed in the fall, but Paul, on coming down, declared that his life was still in him, fell on him and embraced him and restored him; and the young man was well and hearty the next morning when Paul and his company left. The accident had the good effect of thoroughly waking the whole assembly which, after again breaking bread (another observance of the Lord’s Supper?), listened as Paul extended his sermon until day break. It was a night that none of them would ever forget; Paul had talked long and said much (Acts 20:8-12)

Leaving Troas Paul sends his company by boat to Assos while he himself, for reasons unannounced, but possibly because he yet feared assassination onboard ship, set out to walk the twenty-five miles across the isthmus. In due course Paul met his fellow-travelers at Assos from whence they immediately sailed and came in three days to Miletus. As the anniversary of Pentecost was rapidly approaching, Paul now “was hastening, if it were possible from him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost”. This determination to be in Jerusalem to observe the anniversary of Pentecost caused him to decide to by-pass Ephesus in his journey. Nonetheless fromMiletus he sent for the elders of the Ephesian Church to come to him, making a hasty journey down to the seaport at Miletus, “that he might not have to spend time in Asia”.

Quickly responding to Paul’s call the elders came from Ephesus and there seems to have been a considerable company of them or, perhaps, they may have been joined with some of the Ephesian Church membership. This later thought is the most likely, seeing that the Church at Ephesus would have desired to include all the Christians in, and in the neighborhood of, their city. To this large assembly Paul preaches and admonishes concerning the Christian warfare (Acts 20:13-36)

Chief among the statements he made to them was, first of all, his declaration that he had assuredly lived an exemplary life before them which they themselves knew. Then, if they wondered at his calling them to Miletus, he is proceeding to Jerusalem with such a strong conviction of duty that he feels bound in his spirit because at this time he is being led as a bond-man of the Holy Spirit; but he is not frightened, though he knows not what will befall him there, because “the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me”. Yet, though he is not afraid to make the journey, he is certain of one fact “I know that no longer shall you see my face, you all among whom I went about preaching the kingdom”. Although tradition states that Paul did make a trip eight or nine years later on to Ephesus, there is no proof to back up this assertion. The obvious fact is that Paul, within himself, had no intention to return again. It could be, however, that the Holy Spirit did return him to this field of labor. Notice, also, that Paul did not say “never again” but “no longer”.

In one of the most all-inclusive and sweeping statements in the New Testament Paul continued “I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men; for I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God”. Literally translated Paul said “If you are lost, I am innocent of your damnation, having done everything to save you”.

Then Paul’s sermon turned upon the subject nearest to his heart. With a burdened heart, filled with care can concern for their future, he warned them that “I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them”. Some thirty or so years later John the Revelator wrote that they had become guilty of leaving their “first love” and were under the threat of the Lord coming and removing “thy candlestick out of his place; except thou repent”. By the second half of the second century Ephesus, as a Church, was almost extinct. The prophecy of Paul was not humanly inspired.

In his final argument to arouse their spiritual inclinations, he again calls upon his own actions to serve as an example for their Christian living “I coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me; and when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing, most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they should behold his face no more, and they brought him on his way unto the ship”.

Sent on their way after this lingering farewell, the missionary party sailed through the archipelago of Southeast Asia Minor, sailing by day and stopping over night in different ports to assure safety of ship and passengers. Arriving at Patara, in Lycia, they were fortunate to locate a ship sailing directly for Tyre, in Phoenicia, and they took passage. As the ship had a large cargo to unload at Tyre, the missionary party took advantage of the stopover to locate some of the Christians there, spending seven days here. While fellowshipping with the believers at Tyre the brethren said to Paul; “through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem”. Paul, notwithstanding, refused to listen to their plea and, at the end of their stay, took leave of them on the beach in a similar fashion to the farewell at Miletus; and thusly departed them (Acts 21:1-6)

Their ship brings them on their journey to Ptolemais, arriving the next day, and there they “saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day” (Acts 21:7) Leaving Ptolemais the next day, the missionaries traveled toCaesarea where they entered in the house of Philip the evangelist “who was one of the seven”, former friend of Stephen (Acts 6), “who had four virgin daughters, who prophesied”. A prophet named Agabus, who had come down to Philip’s house from Judea (Acts 11:28) was also there (Acts 21:10-14)

As this prophet Agabus came among the gathering of the saints at Caesarea he appropriated Paul’s girdle and bound himself tightly hand and foot and then explained his strange action by declaring, as he introduced his prophecy with the Old Testament formula of “thus saith Jehovah” (only notice that for the word “Jehovah” he here places the name of the Holy Spirit), that in Jerusalem the Jews would thus bind the owner of the girdle and turn him over to the Gentiles, the Jews and Gentiles combining in a drastic persecution. This unexpected and startling prophecy so unnerved the believers that both the members of Paul’s party and the local Christians United in their decision that Paul ought not to make this trip, plying him earnestly with their appeals.

Paul’s answer to their anxious appeals was his demand “what do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”. With obvious sadness Luke continues the narrative “and when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, the will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:10-14)

Scholars have disagreed, oftimes violently, over Paul’s determination to proceed to Jerusalem in the light of repeated warnings against what was scheduled to take place there. Some have demanded that he went forth in direct opposition to the recognized leadership of the Holy Spirit; others have pointed out that Paul gave conclusive evidence of being entirely in the center of the Lord’s will at this time. No one can truthfully deny that Paul seemed possessed of the idea that the Lord’s cause demanded his presence in Jerusalem at this time and that he appears to have regarded so many testimonies of the Holy Spirit the revelation that persecution awaited him only to reveal and test the depth of his courage and loyalty, that the entreaties of his friends were to be regarded as temptation and affliction.

It is rather obvious that a full understanding of Paul’s reasons for going to Jerusalem cannot be achieved through the study of the book of Acts. But the Epistles which he wrote do provide the answer there were two widely divergent ideas of salvation existing among the membership of the early Church. Paul was, or course, the champion of a salvation that rested directly and entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ, achieved through faith in Him, and of a subsequent religious experience that permitted the Spirit free movement in His worship and fellowship in us. Notwithstanding the firmness of his own convictions, Paul did understand the other idea well. He knew that it called for Christ as the consummation of a system of law and ceremonial, having as its lodestar the bringing of all men to reach Christ through the system and worship contained in this ceremonial system.

As a result of the difference of opinion, complete opposites in the approach to salvation and Christian living, two great dangers faced the early believers. One extreme danger was that the ceremonial, judaizing party would eventually prevail and so corrupt Christianity as to thoroughly destroy its essential characteristic as something altogether new and different and, consequently, doom it to another mere religious sect. The other, and equally extreme danger, was that these two divergent opinions would finally result in the rending in twain of the early believers and the establishment of two denominations.

Paul obviously understood that, while two separate denominations might possibly free Gentile Christianity from the evil incubus of Judaizing elements, it would also bring about the serious error of cutting off the Gentiles from necessary historical connection with the revelation of God through the past ages which, in Paul’s clear thinking, would be almost, if not equally fatal, to permitting the growth of the Judaist element in the Church. But, most of all, such a division would eventually destroy Judaic Christianity and rob the Church of her Jewish brethren who were as true and sincere as the Gentile brethren.

Evidently Paul felt that by going to Jerusalem, on his person carrying the great love offering of the Gentiles (in the main) for the Jewish brethren, reminding all of the unity that bound the Jew and Gentile together in Christ, by going over once again with the Jerusalem leaders the points of understanding arrived at in Acts 15, that the impending danger which closed in on him from every side could be averted and possibly solved.

Now it must be admitted that Paul’s visit to Jerusalem on this occasion did avert the tragedy that he feared; even at so great a cost to himself! If we thus interpret his determinate action to go to Jerusalem, we are forced to understand how, like Jesus Christ before him, “he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51) We are also forced to understand that Paul would have interpreted these prophecies of coming trouble at Jerusalem as information from the Lord and not His prohibition. He had informed the Ephesian believers that “I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there” (Acts 20:22) Now he had been informed as to the nature of things which were to befall him at Jerusalem.

And so, as Paul sets his face to go to Jerusalem, Luke ends the narration of the third missionary journey with the words “and after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:15)