The Apostle Paul was in a contemplative mood as he traveled down the western coast of Asia. After his all night session with the believers in Troas his fellow travelers boarded a ship and sailed to Assos, but Paul walked there. The Roman road from Troas to Assos was 31 miles long and it probably took Paul at least two days to cover the distance.

Some have compared Paul’s long walk to Assos to Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he died. The Holy Spirit continually spoke to Paul about the hardships that lay ahead of him in Jerusalem. Two days of solitary walking gave him the opportunity to come to terms with what God said would happen in the future.

Many people didn’t want Paul to face danger in Jerusalem, but he may have thought about the fact that Jesus faced similar opposition from his disciples when he went to Jerusalem for the last time.

By the time Paul rejoined his friends in Assos, he had made up his mind to continue to Jerusalem.

Last Meeting with the Ephesians

Paul was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem now, so he decided not to go inland and make any visits to the believers in Asia. When their ship stopped in Miletus he sent word to the Ephesian elders to come and meet with him there.

Paul had invested three years of his life in the Ephesian church. He faced violent opposition from the Jews there and nearly lost his life more than once. But he stayed on, winning souls and building disciples for Christ.

“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Acts 20:20-21

Now, standing before him was the fruit of his labors, the Ephesian elders from the church of Ephesus. Later – in Revelation 2:1-7 – Jesus himself would commend this church for its good deeds, hard work, perseverance, and spiritual integrity. For now, Paul told them to keep careful watch over themselves and the flock God had given them.

“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Acts 20:29-31

Paul knelt to pray with the elders and they wept as they embraced and kissed him.

“What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” Acts 20:37-38

Sailing to Tyre and Caesarea

Paul and his companions had to tear themselves away from the Ephesians to board a cargo ship and sail away. The ship stopped in one port after another until it finally turned southeast and sailed around the Isle of Cyprus into open waters. Perhaps Paul stood gazing at the island and reminiscing with his friends. Cyprus was the very first place Paul and Barnabas had gone as missionaries more than ten years earlier.

They crossed the Mediterranean Sea and landed in Tyre where the ship unloaded its cargo. Paul and his friends sought out the believers in Tyre and had seven days enjoying their hospitality. The Spirit prompted the people of Tyre to urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but when he decided to press on they all went with him to the ship. There on the beach they knelt and prayed for each other.

The travelers stopped in Ptolemais for a day and then went on to Caesarea, meeting with believers everywhere they went.

Philip the evangelist lived in Caesarea with his four unmarried daughters, all of whom had the gift of prophecy. While Paul and his friends were in Caesarea a prophet named Agabus came from Judea and warned Paul that if he went to Jerusalem, he would be bound hand and foot and handed over to the Gentiles.

Everyone pleaded with Paul not to go, but he had already made up his mind.

“Then 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.’ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’” Acts 21:13-14

Should Paul Have Gone to Jerusalem?

Bible scholars are divided over whether Paul disobeyed the Holy Spirit by going to Jerusalem. The Spirit prompted scores of believers to plead with him not to go; was he headstrong and disobedient in going anyway?

Some scholars believe Paul made a mistake in going to Jerusalem after all the warnings. They believe he could have done everything he did in the following years as a free man. He could have written the same letters, appeared before the same officials and traveled to Rome without being in chains. They think Paul was, as his friends perceived him, headstrong and self-willed about going directly into a dangerous situation.

Other scholars believe that the people who tried to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem misread the Spirit’s prompting. They looked at the dire prophecies about what would happen to Paul and felt they were responsible to stop him if they could.

Paul believed that he had already settled this issue and he was going to go to Jerusalem, no matter what lay ahead. He had the offering from the Gentiles to deliver to the church, and he wanted to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost when so many of his countrymen would be there. He hoped to preach Christ to the Jews because he had such an overwhelming desire to see them saved.

So Paul went to Jerusalem and his loyal friends went with him, and they stayed in the home of Mnason, a Hellenistic Jewish believer from Cyprus.

Paul Arrives in Jerusalem

Paul had asked the church at Rome to pray that he would be well received when he got to Jerusalem, and he was.

“When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God.” Acts 21:17-20

The elders were excited to tell Paul that thousands of Jews had become Christ followers. However, they still revered the Law of Moses and they had heard that Paul taught the Jews living among the Gentiles to turn away from the Law.

Paul never told Jewish people to forsake the Law. He defended the Gentiles against having to adopt the Law, and he made it clear that keeping the Law didn’t save anyone, but he didn’t ask Law-abiding Jews to give it up.

His Christian brothers and sisters suggested that Paul join four men who were going to the temple to fulfill religious rites related to vows they had made. If he paid their expenses the Jews would see that Paul still respected the Law.

Paul is Arrested

The next day Paul went with the men and joined them in the rituals related to their vows. Then he notified the temple officials that he would be back in seven days to complete the rituals and make an offering.

Some Jews from Asia, the province where Paul had ministered for three years and faced so much opposition, saw Paul and started a riot against him.

“Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place.” Acts 21:28

They accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple to defile it and soon people ran from all over the city to join the fray. They dragged Paul out of the temple and began beating him.

The commander of the Roman troops in the city brought some soldiers and broke up the mob. When the commander learned that Paul was the cause of the riot, he arrested him and bound him in chains. He tried to question Paul, but there was so much noise and confusion he ordered that Paul be confined in the barracks.

The soldiers hoisted Paul off the ground and carried him to safety while the crowd continued to shout, “Get rid of him!”

Paul was undaunted by all this. He had already decided how he would respond to persecution in Jerusalem. Tomorrow we will see him give his testimony to the very people who just tried to kill him.