Paul and his companions journey on their way to reach Jerusalem. He goes bound in his spirit to that point, but this is natural affection for his nation; it is not led on in the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are often reminded in Scripture that every man is a failure in himself, and in this beloved servant of the Lord, we find no exception. Jesus Christ, the Lord, is alone the faithful and true witness. Since his will, even in love to his people, is allowed to rule him, his walk is not any longer in the power of the Holy Spirit.
At Tyre it is manifest by some disciples who said to him, through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. It was a solemn warning from the Spirit, by the mouths of the brethren, but he did not heed it. The Spirit did not say it to Paul himself; then it would have been disobedience, but the Lord allows him here to follow Him in a far-off way Jesus waited on the Father, to do the Father’s will at all times. O, that we might learn by this to be single-eyed, to get our guidance from God!
Again we find (ver. 5) the affectionate parting of the dear saints with prayer. In Philip the evangelist’s house, they tarried many days. We are reminded here of Philip’s faithful service when acting as one of the seven in Acts 6 (see 1 Tim. 3:1313For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 3:13)). His four daughters were those that prophesied.
Agabus, a certain prophet, came down from Judea, and foretold what was awaiting Paul at Jerusalem, but Paul was deaf to all the reasonings and attempts to dissuade him from his purpose, and answered, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Seeing they could not persuade him, they said, “The will of the Lord be done.” Doubtless the Lord was over it all, and was still with His beloved servant, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” but he is not the servant now acting in the power of the Holy Spirit.
At Jerusalem the brethren received them gladly. He is now in the center of Judaism, not bearing testimony that God is done with it, but in his friendly affection for his Jewish brethren goes in with the customs and ordinances of the law.
The brethren glorified the Lord when he told them of his ministry among the Gentiles, and of what God had wrought among them through him. Then James and the elders persuade him to show himself to the thousands of Jews that believed, that he was a good Jew, subject to the law, in order to uphold the reputation of their religion, and to unite Christianity with Judaism. Paul falls into this snare, and accedes to their proposal, and was about to have an offering sacrificed for himself and those he was with, as if these were not abolished by the sacrifice of Christ. It results in no good to the Jews—they are not won by it. It is not the path of obedience.
The authority of the law, is not the liberty of grace. The power of ancient habits has dimmed the light, and men’s influence led him out of the way. This put an end to the public testimony of the apostle. God, in overruling providence, orders it so that he is taken as a prisoner to Rome, where he served Him in the truth, but he is not sent there as he wished to go, that is, as an apostle. He is the prisoner of the Lord. Yet out of that prison he could write, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the thing which happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.” Philippians 1:1313So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; (Philippians 1:13). The Lord cannot forget the faithful service of His beloved servant.
Paul’s action here only helped on their faith in their Jewish customs, and aroused the Jewish feelings against himself being seen with Trophimus, a Gentile, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple. The mob drew him out of the temple, and tried to kill him. The Roman captain carried him off to safety; the multitude following with shouts of, “Away with him.”
Paul tells the captain who he is—a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, and asks leave to speak unto the people. He spoke in Greek to the officer, and when there was silence, he addressed the people in the Hebrew tongue.