Acts 21

Sometimes an act of bravery, commitment, and unbelievable resolve captures our imagination and inspires us to examine ourselves for hidden reservoirs of such qualities within ourselves. Such acts, though are rare and noteworthy. They are often history-worthy events. Two come readily to mind for me:

• Who can forget the images and reports from 9/11/2001 of firefighters charging up dozens of floors of stairs, heavily loaded with their gear, when their every instinct for self-preservation must have been yearning to run the other way? I wonder, would I have the courage to keep my resolve in the face of the flames, the heat, the weight, and the height?

• Who (of us Texans) can forget the history of a small group of men commiting to buy the time for an army to be raised by attempting to hold a ramshackle fortress (The Alamo) against impossible odds. Would I have been willing to stay for near certain death for the sake of the mere chance that my sacrifice could buy time for a sufficiently strong army to be raised?

Paul's resolve in Acts 21 is another of those cases. I hope I would follow God with the same passion -- even in the face of persecution.

This chapter needs to be kept in the context of Acts 20, where we pick up the following details:

• Paul was firmly set on a quick return to Jerusalem.

Acts 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

• His motivation was that he was "compelled by the Spirit".

Acts 20:22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there,

• He had already had multiple warnings that persecution and prison would result.

Acts 20:22 ...I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me.

• He regarded his own life and safety as worth less than the completion of the task God had given him to complete.

Acts 20:24 But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace.

• He expected to never see these beloved brothers in Christ again.

Acts 20:25 "And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again.

Now, in Acts 21, the story continues:

• The disciples at their next stop repeatedly tell Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.

• A prophet comes to predict that Paul would be bound and handed over to Gentile authorities

Despite all of this, Paul insists he is willing to be restrained or even killed for Jesus' sake.

He made it to Jerusalem, makes an effort to heal the growing rift between those who come from, and continue to cling to, Judaism and the new crop of Gentile believers.

He is the victim of rabble-rousing and misunderstandings.

He is mistaken for a 1st-century terrorists -- one of a group of assassins known as the Siccarri.

He prepares to address the crowds accusing Him.

Now, I'll admit to lingering questions about some aspects of these events:

• How did Paul know with such certainty that God wanted Him to go to Jerusalem at this time?

•  What does it mean that the disciples told Paul "through the Spirit" not to go?

But it leaves me with even more questions about myself:

• Would I keep moving toward a destination I was repeatedly warned away from if I really believed God wanted me to go there?

• Would I have the humility to yield to take steps not strictly required of me, just to try to assuage the sensitivities of people with misplaced priorities in the growth of the Kingdom of God?

• Would I have the boldness or presence of mind to approach one already taking oppressive actions against me with the expectation of any consideration?

• Would I, in the face of persecution, put a greater priority on the work God has set before me, than on my very life?

• If I start to think that I would -  how does this square with the difficulty I have in being vocal about my faith in the face of mere disapproval (a far cry from real persecution)?

My Prayer

Father, I'm puzzled by parts of this passage. Help me to grasp your will for me with the clarity and certainty that Paul had. And help me, when I know your will for me, to pursue it with single-minded intensity, with humility, and with selflessness.

SCOTT PURCELL | Elder

Scott committed his life to Christ as a child under the teaching of his parents and church. He graduated from Ozark Christian College in 1989 with bachelors degree in Biblical Literature and served 8 years as Minister of two churches in Missouri and then 3 years as a Church Planter in San Marcos. Since then, he has worked as a technical trainer at Dell and Rackspace. In 2008 Scott and Nan joined HCBC-NW and then Hutto Bible in 2011. Scott serves in Small Group leadership, as secretary to the Elder board, and as the elder over IT and Discipleship. Scott and Nan have been married since 1985 and have three children (Mindy Schultea (married), Kate, and Matthew) and two grandchildren.

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