Communication is an important element of discipleship. Learning from Jesus involves listening to Him.
But taking in God’s Word is only half of the package; speaking is the other part. The Bible lists several ways God wants us to share what’s on our minds:
- Praying
- Evangelizing
- Teaching
- Encouraging
- Prophesying
I’m sure I left something out, but you get the idea! Receiving the Word is awesome, but so is expressing it. And the Holy Spirit helps us do both.
Over the past few weeks (see posts one, two, and three), we’ve explored different aspects of the communicative dimension of discipleship. In particular, we looked at apparent contradictions in the book of Acts. Well, I have one more to show you, so let’s get started!
“And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’” – Acts 21:14 (NASB95)
This verse is similar to the one we dealt with last week (Acts 11:18) which described how the Jewish Christians gave up arguing with Peter about his interaction with Gentiles. Hearing him recount what the Lord did before and during Peter’s ministry at the house of Cornelius, they concluded that “even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
The Jewish believers weren’t totally quiet; they spoke what was on their minds. Luke writes out a superficial contradiction to stress the transition from one state of mind to another.
This is repentance in action.
Luke uses the same literary technique in Acts 21:14. The context of this verse is Paul’s intended trip to Jerusalem.
“Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.” – Acts 20:16
Getting to the city was his goal, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy. (Not the trip, the ministry!) A few verses down, Paul says,
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. – Acts 20:22-24
Wherever the apostle spread the gospel, he met with resistance. He knew all about spiritual warfare from first-hand experience. The Holy Spirit reminded him at every juncture that he would be facing troubles and trials. I think the Spirit was trying to reinforce his resolve. He wanted Paul ready to endure any difficulties and remain loyal to Jesus Christ.
Notice also that Paul says he is “compelled by the Spirit” to visit Jerusalem. The verb translated “compelled” is deo which is often translated as “bind.” Here’s how Luke uses the word in Acts:
- Before he became a Christian, Paul wanted to arrest Jews who believed in Jesus (Acts 9:2, 14, 21; 22:5).
- In a jail, Peter was bound with two chains (Acts 12:6).
- And Paul did get arrested in Jerusalem; he himself became a prisoner of Rome (Acts 21:33; 22:29; 24:27).
So the Spirit bound Paul before the Romans did. He was a prisoner of Christ before Rome claimed any jurisdiction over him.
It seems as though Paul had no choice. He had to travel to Jerusalem.
Or did he?
“After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” – Acts 21:3-4
Well, that’s interesting! The same Spirit who bound Paul was telling him not to make the trip to Jerusalem.
This looks like another contradiction!
But Luke’s not done.
After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” – Acts 21:10-13
Now, the prophet Agabus didn’t prohibit Paul from going to the city. He merely demonstrated what would happen to him after he arrived.
The church wasn’t happy with this, but Paul was prepared for prison or even death. (By the way, the verb translated “tied” in vs. 11 and “bound” in vs. 13 is deo.)
It was after Paul’s declaration that the church quieted down. They withdrew their opposition to the apostle’s plans and accepted his journey to Jerusalem as the will of God (Acts 21:14).
Was it God’s will?
- Yes–Paul was bound by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:22)
- No–Christians by the Spirit told him not to go (Acts 21:4)
Did Luke make a mistake here? Or was he reporting the interplay of personal, social, and spiritual elements of actual historical events?
I believe it’s the latter. Life isn’t neat; we wish it was, but things get messy! Our commitment to Christ might be simple and decisive, but walking it out takes faith and wisdom.
We’re inclined to assess matters on our own and then ask God to verify our conclusions. Sometimes, He goes along with our practice, but on other occasions, He’s less predictable.
We have a good idea of what’s going to happen, but we’re not sure.
That’s how Paul felt.
Recall in Acts 20:22-23 that he confessed his ignorance and his knowledge. Paul didn’t know for certain what would happen to him in Jerusalem, but he knew the Spirit had been warning him about trials in several other cities. Why would Jerusalem be different? Maybe it would, and maybe not. Paul would accept either outcome. He left his future in Christ’s hands.
One of our aims as disciples is growing in godly wisdom. We seek to understand the truth of Scripture and how it relates to every area of our lives.
But some things are outside our purview.
In Acts 21:22, the verb translated “happen” is sunantao which is translated “meet” five of the six times it occurs in the Greek New Testament. In other words, Paul was telling the church that he didn’t know what he’d meet up with when he went to Jerusalem.
I decided to see how often this verb gets used in the Greek Old Testament, and I noticed something. The word occurs 44 times, but of those instances, seven are in Job, seven in Proverbs, and three in Ecclesiastes. 17 instances in three wisdom books is more than any other grouping (14 in the Torah, six in history books, once in the Psalms, and six times in Isaiah).
This tells me that meetings or happenings are the concerns of wisdom. God gives us wisdom to know how to deal with people and situations. Much lies outside our control, so we need the Lord’s help to manage our affairs in ways that please Him.
That’s the circumstance Paul found himself in.
And we often do, too.
When we’re in a tight spot, we can depend on the Holy Spirit. Even if He tests us, we can still rely on Him. He cares about our conditions, but He cares even more about our hearts. The Lord will offer us options; we can proceed or hold back. Either way, we’re under His authority and we can be confident of an outcome that glorifies Jesus.
And as His followers, that’s our chief desire.
