 21, the book of Acts, verses one through three, and we'll get into our study. I am intending to teach the entire chapter tonight. Let's see what happens. Now, it came to pass that when we had departed from them and set sail running a straight course, we came to Koss the following day to Rhodes and from there to Petaro. And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her cargo. Let's begin there by setting up the context and then move on into the chapter. We know that Paul had been in Miletus and while he was there in the city of Miletus as it's recorded in chapter 20, he had met with the elders of the church of Ephesus. And so when we pick up here in chapter 21, he has concluded his meeting with the elders and he's now proceeding south. From Miletus, he went south to a place called Koss, passed by Rhodes, Petaro. And this is all located on the western shoreline of modern Turkey. And they were port cities and so each port Paul stopped in represents a day's journey. So it tells you how long it's taking him to get from point A to point B. Now, Petaro was a large and a very busy port city. From there, he went south to the island of Cyprus to Tyre and this would have been a journey of some five days. And so what we read here in a few verses is actually several days journey in the life of the apostle Paul. Now as this is happening, verse three again, it says we sighted Cyprus, passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, landed at Tyre and there the ship was to unload her cargo. Finding disciples, we stayed there seven days and they told Paul through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem. So we'll look at that for a few minutes because I wanna develop something with you here in verse four. Notice again, finding disciples, we stayed there seven days but it continues to say they told Paul through the spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, and this is just a sidelight, when you see going to Jerusalem, you'll always see it saying going up to Jerusalem. Now we know that he is traveling south and so we Americans wouldn't be thinking in terms of saying going up to Jerusalem because basically what we'd be saying is going down to Jerusalem because he's going south. But when you see Jerusalem being described in scripture, it is going up to Jerusalem. And the reason it's always saying going up to Jerusalem is because Jerusalem is higher in elevation. And so it's simply speaking about the fact that it's a city that is higher in elevation. So you always go up to Jerusalem. But with that said, he finds these certain disciples. Now, Tire's church was founded by Christians who had fled persecution that had taken place in Jerusalem. We saw that in chapter 11, verse 19 in the book of Acts. It says, those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Venetia, Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. So Venetia is in the region of Tire. And again, it's located on the southwest border of Lebanon. Now, as he's there, notice in verse four that they told Paul through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem. So what's going on? What does it mean when they said they told Paul through the spirit? What does that phrase mean? Well, that phrase would be speaking of a prophetic word that had come to Paul. We've seen that already in chapter 13 verses one through three how it says in the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manan who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul as they ministered to the Lord and fasted. The Holy Spirit said, now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them then having fasted and prayed, laid hands on them, they sent them away. So this is speaking of a prophetic word that is being given to the Apostle Paul. And again in verse four it says they told Paul through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem. Now, I want to develop this because it's important. It gives us some very basic insight into the movement of the Holy Spirit and how the work of the spirit is. The question would be, was this a prophecy to discourage him or to strengthen his resolve? Because he had, well, I'm getting ahead of myself but he had already received encouragement concerning what would take place. So is the Holy Spirit saying to him two different things? Don't go and yet warning him simultaneously. You see, Paul's very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We saw that in Acts 16 as an example verses six and seven where it says when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Missia, they tried to go into Bithynia but the Spirit didn't permit them. Paul was very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And so how is this working out and what are we looking at here when it says he was forbidden by the Holy Spirit? We know that he was prepared for what would already happen there. We saw that in chapter 20 in verses 22 through 24 where Paul had said in Acts 20, 22 through 24 now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that will happen to me there except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me but none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. He's been prepared and he's actually already been dissuaded in one form or another from going but this time here that people are saying you're not to go, don't be going but Paul was prepared for what would happen because as he had said in verse 24 of chapter 20 this is a ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus so the question has got to be asked why would the Holy Spirit seem to counter the orders Paul had already received? He already knew that he was supposed to go into that area he says I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem he already knew he was supposed to be going there and he also knew that the Spirit was warning him verse 23 again this Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me he's already been hearing that chains and tribulations await him he's also bound in the Spirit to go and fulfill this ministry so what has taken place? Well when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation there is the element of humanity that's involved there are times when the gifts are in operation when a gift is in operation when we can for a variety of reasons think that the Spirit is saying to do a certain thing when in reality what it is is that we are thinking if this is going to happen then we ought to warn them against it because the Spirit is testifying that chains and tribulation await him he is bound in the Spirit to go but when these who love him are receiving from the Lord these prophetic impulses, these words of the Spirit their response is don't go don't go how do we, how can we make that something that we would understand in the 21st century? My son Joseph before he got married was given an opportunity to go to another state to Missouri and he was participating in a kind of a retreat for several churches that had joined together there in Missouri and he told me at this time this is many years ago now he said well perhaps the Holy Spirit is leading me to Missouri and I said no maybe Missouri but not to Missouri I think that there are times when we don't want someone to go where God is calling them I think that's very possible what's happened to me where you know the Spirit is leading but you want to resist that because you just don't want to see that happen there's a human element when you're exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit these individuals are being told by the Spirit prompted by the Spirit that chains and tribulation are awaiting this great man of God and so their immediate human is don't go don't go and that's what they're trying to do they're trying to tell them not to go and it says here in verse four that they told Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem so there's an impulse where the Spirit is revealing to them that chains and tribulation await him their response to that is because of their love for him is don't go why? because we don't want you to go through pain we don't want you to suffer and you're going to see some things in a moment but that's just an introduction to that thought you see the Holy Spirit is preparing Paul for what is about to take place and out of loving concern they're warning him they're even trying to dissuade him from going well in verse five when we had come to the end of those days we departed, went on our way they all accompanied us with wives and children till we were out of the city we knelt down on the shore and prayed when we had taken our leave of one another we boarded the ship and they returned home and so neither the persecution nor the pleadings of well-meaning believers could deter Paul Paul knew that the tribulations and the pain that he would be going through was simply part of what he would endure as a follower of Christ in Acts 9 remember in verses 15 and 16 how the Lord God was speaking to a man by the name of Ananias and the Lord said to him go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake so Paul knew that what was awaiting him was actually part of what the Lord had designed for him and so thus he's going to embrace that and he's going to go verse 7 when we had finished our voyage from Tyre we came to Tomeas greeted the brethren and stayed with them one day on the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the Evangelist who was one of the seven and stayed with him now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied we stayed many days as we stayed many days a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea when he had come to us he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet and said thus says the Holy Spirit so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles now when we heard these things both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem Paul answered what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus so when he would not be persuaded we see saying the will of the Lord be done and so it says in verse 7 and I'll just touch in a few things but I want to move into something in a moment and make some practical application it says in verse 7 that they finished their voyage from Tyre came to Ptolemyas Paul was seeking opportunity to minister to believers the next day verses 8 and 9 we were Paul's companions departed came to Caesarea and as that happens we're introduced or reintroduced to someone by the name of Philip and I want you to see this and if you take notes you probably already have because I believe I already mentioned this to you but I want you to notice again in verse 8 it says we came to Caesarea came to Caesarea entered the house of Philip the evangelist in scripture Philip is the only one who's ever called an evangelist isn't that interesting he's the only one mentioned as by that name the evangelist when you look in the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 following in verse 11 it says he gave some to be prophets evangelists apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers and so what you have is you have the office of evangelist not every person is an evangelist but every person is a witness and every person is one are supposed to do the work of an evangelist but there is an office of evangelist and the evangelist was one who had the ministry of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ Philip was the only one mentioned as an evangelist and when you look in his life remember with me chapter 8 of the book of Acts because in chapter 8 of the book of Acts it speaks concerning him going to the city of Samaria he's in the region of Samaria preaching the gospel and he's speaking to many people there but later on we see him encountering a single individual who's an Ethiopian eunuch and so that shows us that as an evangelist he was concerned not only with cities but he was also interested in individuals so an evangelist is somebody who has a ministry office whereby they take the gospel and proclaim it with the intent for someone to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that's what Philip is he's an evangelist he's an individual who goes out and shares the gospel in such a way that people will hear a clear message of the gospel and come to faith in the Lord interesting thing about the Calvary Chapel movement is that Pastor Chuck Smith was a teacher of the word but he was in his heart an evangelist as a matter of fact in my pastor's early days Chuck was an evangelist he was a traveling evangelist and he and his brother Paul used to go as the Smith brothers and they would sing songs and then Pastor Chuck would evangelize that's what he did for a long time and so Mike Pastor always had a heart for evangelism he always had a desire to see people saved there were things that God had to do in his life and his story is well known and I'm not here to repeat all of it but he did have a heart to see people saved but God had to work in my pastor in such a way that he became more open and gracious towards people and less legalistic and restrictive because he's the one as mentioned before that would go with his wife Kay to Huntington Beach and look at the hippie kids as the kids would walk by aimlessly and they represented everything bad to his generation my father and Chuck were the same age and so when I would hear Pastor Chuck I would hear my father and I used to tell my wife Marie if my dad was a pastor he probably would be like Chuck because he identified with Chuck because they came from the same cut of cloth and so when my dad would be with me and he'd hear Pastor Chuck he loved him why because he really identified and understood him and my dad hated hippies too and he had a hippie son on top of that but Chuck had gotten to this point where he said you know these lost kids something has to be done he was an evangelist and he would be there by Huntington Beach and the kids would come walking by and who knows it's very possible that he may have hated me too because I hung around at Huntington that's where I hung around and so I never wore shoes either I had long hair you know we'd be there partying and things like that I mean that's what we did and it is very possible that we wandered past them before but he said that he would be seated there and he would see these hippies come by and he'd be disgusted with them and he'd say they need to take a bath they need to cut their hair they need to put shoes on they need to get a job and he would just sit there grousing you know angry and he'd go and he'd turn to his... he'd say you'd look at Kay and he'd want to say these kids are... and when he'd look at Kay Kay would be crying and praying because she saw the lostness of that generation you see Chuck being a evangelist a man who had a heart to see the lost saved he was extremely convicted by his attitude towards the lost and that's when he began to say God I want to meet a hippie and his daughter brought one home and he was all excited about that he got a chance to meet a hippie a real hippie and the rest is history because ultimately he met a man by the name of Lonnie Frisbee and Lonnie had a charismatic kind of personality he was the epitome of a hippie he had the long hair, long flowing beard robes, long kind of shirts that he wore very typical hippie and talked a lot about love and community and Jesus and Chuck saw in him that he had an ability to communicate to young people gave him an opportunity to do a study young people started coming the young people would come to the study end up going to Sunday services with Chuck and midweek services with Chuck and the Jesus movement took off and it all began because Pastor Chuck and men like him and others like him had a heart for evangelism you know we look at Greg Laurie's ministry and just this weekend you had the summer harvest with so many people showing up and so many things occur through that ministry and Greg would be the first to tell you that it began because Pastor Chuck had a heart for Greg Laurie and evangelism and Greg was doing a Monday night study there in Costa Mesa and many kids were coming many people were showing up for a long time and finally Pastor Chuck said I'm gonna bankroll something I wanna as a church rent the Pacific Amphitheater and I want to have you just give it just a you know an evangelistic message let's see what God does because Pastor Chuck was really big on ventures of faith so let's see what God may want to do today was his attitude and the rest is history the rest is history just taking an opportunity to preach the gospel to reach the lost it's interesting to note that the only person once again in scripture referred to as an evangelist is Philip but that doesn't mean that you and I don't do the work of evangelism because you see when I got saved I was told by the follow up minister that I was to read the Bible I was told that I was to learn to pray I was told that you need to have a communion or community with fellow believers and I was told to tell somebody so we were all all of us from the Jesus movement were encouraged to be evangelists we were taught that the most selfish person on the face of the earth is the Christian who goes to heaven alone and so what you ought to do is tell somebody and so in the life of Philip this evangelist you see that he's called by God to go out and do the work of ministry and thus he's an evangelist and so it says again in verse eight on the next day, we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea which is a city there on the coast of Israel we go there we've been there many times and entered the house of Philip the evangelist who is one of the seven so that tells us he's all the way back first mentioned in chapter six is one of the seven who ministered to the widows and it goes on to say in verse nine and I'll give you some more insight into this this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied now that's interesting in this way when it says who prophesied it obviously is they were those who spoke forth the mind of God to people there are those who say that that could also be a way of referring to them as being like what we today would refer to in the church as a deaconess somebody who has ministry responsibilities that are spiritual in nature now it's interesting how it says he had four virgin daughters there's a reason why he would say he had four virgin daughters it wasn't simply to applaud their virtue but it was giving us some insight because when it says he had four virgin daughters who prophesied he's pointing out that they were those who were set apart for service to God by referring to them in this way it's a way of saying they are set apart individuals for total service you see being unmarried was to be preferred over being married because marriage brings with it care some of you say oh I'm married I don't have any care so you're lying you're a big liar no marriage brings cares with it the apostle Paul was an unmarried man and in 1 Corinthians chapter seven verse eight he said this he said I say to the unmarried and to the widows it's good for them if they remain even as I am it's good to be unmarried is what he's saying he goes on in the same chapter 1 Corinthians seven verse 26 and he says because of the present crisis I think it is best to remain as you are which is unmarried and then in verses 34 and 35 he said there's a difference between a wife and a virgin the unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord that she may be holy both in body and in spirit but she who is married cares about the things of the world how she may please her husband and this I say for your own profit not that I may put a leash on you but for what is proper and that you may serve the Lord without distraction and so and it's right up that these were four virgin daughters that's another way of saying that they are set apart for service to the Lord they're unmarried and thus they're undistracted and these four virgin daughters that are mentioned here as being the daughters of Philip are simply being spoken of as those who are servants of Lord and thus they can travel with their father and they can minister to the women that they encounter by bringing words of encouragement to them they were not pastors but they had the ability and anointing to speak for the Lord they weren't pastors but they did have the capacity to be moved by the Spirit to communicate the ways of God to people someone said it is perfectly possible that they may have confined their ministrations to those of their own sex and accompanying their father in his missionary journeys gained access to women both among Jews and Gentiles and brought them to the knowledge of the truth and so today and I'll just say this briefly because that's not here in the passage and I don't need to run down this rabbit trail very long but today there is quite a bit of argument related to women preachers the Bible doesn't teach that women can be pastors because when you read Titus chapter one and 1st Timothy chapter three it's very clear that the office of pastor is held by men but that doesn't mean that women do not have the capacity to communicate the gospel when people to Jesus Christ and do a variety of other ministries they are restricted from being a pastor so you're never gonna see pastor Marie here as long as I'm alive because she's not called to nor qualified to hold the office of pastor but women have other roles and offices that they do hold and they're able to communicate by the spirit to people and encourage them but in terms of being a teacher of the whole church as a pastor that's not for them and in 1st Timothy chapter two verse 12 Paul said it like this I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man and he goes on to say in a beautiful way she must be quiet oh I love it in 1st Corinthians 1434 he said women should remain silent in the churches they are not allowed to speak must be in submission as the law says and so there is a right and a wrong way to be in a church service and the male the man was the one who was as the pastor had the role of pastor and he would communicate from the pulpit as I am that doesn't mean that a woman couldn't assume a pulpit under the relationship she has with the pastor and communicate certain things she can't but she can't hold the office or the title of pastor these were young women who ministered who prophesied spoke the word of God and they were set apart to do that verse 10 as we stayed many days a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and when he had come to us he took Paul's belt bound his own hands and feet and said thus says the Holy Spirit so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles now when we heard these things both we and those from the place pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem and Paul answered what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus so Agabus we've seen him before he had spoken concerning a famine we saw that in chapter 11 verse 28 but here a specific prophecy is given again the Holy Spirit prepares Paul and again people want to dissuade him they're actually asking Paul to compromise what he knew God was leading him to do and the problem is as Paul knows that the cost of discipleship is not what has been called a low cost affair because following Jesus isn't an easy path when you read your scriptures you see that over and over again it's something by the way that I think the church needs to awaken to once again we need to be aware of the fact that there is a cost of following Christ like Jesus said in Luke 9.23 you pick up your cross daily and you follow him there is a cost to that Matthew 10.22 says you'll be hated by all for my name's sake he who endures to the end will be saved 2 Timothy 3.12 says yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution and Philippians 1.29 says 40 you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake and so that was part and parcel of the gospel so when you go through tough times when people say things against you maybe even physically attack you be aware of the fact that is part of being a Christian you've been prepared by the word of God and so as they're saying no don't do this Paul it's already been prepared and he's willing to do exactly what God told him to do Paul wouldn't be turned aside from his goal in Philippians 3 verses 13 and 14 he said this he said I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus I'm not going to be deterred I'm going to go forward no matter what the cost may be and that's what Paul did and so they're trying to persuade him but he will not be dissuaded it's interesting when you look at verse 14 how it says when he would not be persuaded we ceased which tells me that Luke was involved also and attempting to change the mind of Paul well Paul wouldn't have his plans changed so they resigned themselves to God's will for Paul and what did they do they committed him into the hands of the Lord verse 15 and after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain I don't know how to say that menacin of Cyprus an early disciple with whom we were to lodge and when we had come to Jerusalem the brethren received us gladly and so he yields to the Lord his determination to obey the Lord motivates him and I didn't point this out but I want to say it again when he said what do you mean in verse 13 by weeping and breaking my heart can you imagine that I mean what Paul was going through at that time was I don't need your discouragement I need your encouragement he already had gone through an emotional time with the Ephesian elders who were weeping because he said that they would see his face no more and it kind of washed everything else away that he had been saying because just the thought that they would no they would no longer see him broke their heart when you when you go through experiences with people in ministry let me share something that won't make sense to many of you because it just won't but when you pour your heart into people when you minister to people and you're vulnerable to people as a minister like Paul you become very tender to them you become tender to their tears you become very open to their heart for you and when they're saying Paul please don't go it it touched him to the core when when I began as an assisting pastor my children were very small my daughter Corinne was three years old about three years old or four years old when this happened no she was three she was three years old when this happened I was leaving on a men's retreat for a weekend it was a Friday and my ride had arrived and I was about to leave to go to the mountains for a retreat and I was busy serving the Lord as an assisting pastor and I put a lot of hours into my time in the office and in Corinne's life the first year of her life because I was going to school and as working a job I was doing a lot my baby didn't see me because I would work full-time then I would drive to school then I would end up going to board meetings every week I was busy and so when she was born her first year of her life little over the first year of her life was spent sleeping between her mother and me because I didn't see her very much I would come home and it would be 10 or 11 at night very often and I'd been gone all day I was working I was going to school I was doing ministry and my baby didn't see me much then I got ordained into ministry and I started doing retreats and doing Bible studies and doing counseling and coming home and spending 8 hours 10 hours and sometimes 12 hours a day in the office and my baby didn't see me that much and so I still remember it was a Friday and I was going to go to a retreat and as I was about to go to the retreat my daughter Corinne was standing at the door and as she was standing at our front door and I was about to walk out I looked down at my three-year-old and I said to her I love you baby I'll be back soon she didn't have any concept of time she's only three and she looks at me and I still remember this she looks at me and she kind of straightens up and she says I've got to pray and she runs away she runs away and I watch her as she runs through the front room and runs around a corner and so I opened the door and I came back into the house and I followed to see where she went and she was in the hallway with her little fat hands on her eyes weeping, weeping and I broke my heart and out down I held her what do you mean breaking my heart like this on our screen door in the same house David had been born David was born actually we moved into our house the day my David was born and there was a screen door that my children would climb on David and Corinne would climb on the screen door and they'd put their feet at the bottom where the screen connected with the rest of the door and their little toes had pressed the screen itself out and I never repaired that because they would hold on to the door crying as I left both of them they would be there holding on to the screen door crying as I went to the car to take off for the weekend do my ministry they did that for a long time a long time so when Paul is saying why are you breaking my heart I understand that I understand you're wanting me not to do what God has called me to do it's hard enough to be obedient but when you weep and you and you cry like this it makes it even harder and that's what was taking place these people say don't do it Paul don't do it you're going to suffer we can't stand the idea of you hurting don't do it what do you mean by breaking my heart like this was his response I'm willing not only to go to Jerusalem but to die for Jesus Christ that was his resolve and that's one of the reasons why God used him in such a mighty way as he kept the kingdom in front even when his heart was broken by those who would say please don't go he yielded to the Lord his determination to obey is what motivated them verse 18 on the following day Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present when he had greeted them he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry and when they heard it they glorified the Lord they said to him you see brother how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed and they are all zealous for the law but they have they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs what then the assembly must certainly meet for they will hear that you've come therefore do what we tell you we have four men who have taken a vow take them be purified with them pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing but that you yourself also walk orderly keep the law but concerning the Gentiles who believe we've written and decided that they should observe no such thing except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols from blood from things strangled and from sexual immorality so the church in Jerusalem has received Paul with love hospitality and he gives an account of what the Lord has been doing amongst the Gentiles and as he does so he's revealing his accountability to the leadership he's a vessel being used by the Lord verse 19 says he tells in detail those things that God had done through and he's not boasting he's simply sharing about what God has done when it says they heard it they glorified the Lord and said to him now they're going to begin to give him some advice and instruction you see many of the Jews who were believers in Jesus had remained devoted to certain aspects of the law and so even though they were believers they were observing feasts and and Sabbaths and dietary laws and even ritual vows they saw these as being established by God so they honored God by observing them but it's creating a real tension and so James has to deal with a problem that's going on now because in verse 21 he's they're they're saying that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise the children nor to walk according to the customs so there's a problem that's being created right now and people think that you are not valuing the traditions that have been given to us and thus that he's saying we've got to find a solution to this he says these things these accusations have been drilled into the hearts of Jewish believers and they think that you're trying to undermine the faith that was delivered to us by Moses now these who are spreading these things are opponents to the gospel they're opponents to Paul and they're saying that that Paul is teaching the Jews to forsake Moses and abandon their heritage now here's the question did Paul teach Jews to forsake the law and the answer is actually no what he did is he taught them to properly interpret it because if you properly interpret the law Paul would teach they would come to faith in Messiah he had said to the Romans in chapter 10 verse 4 Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes what that means is the law points to Jesus Christ so if you look at the law that was delivered to Moses it's going to point to Messiah to the Galatians in chapter 3 verses 24 through 26 he said the law was putting charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith now that faith has come we are no longer into the supervision of the law you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus you see what happens is when you would become aware of the law you'd become aware of the fact that you're a sinner through the law you'd also become aware of the fact that you have you have a judgment awaiting you and so Jesus Christ was intended Jesus Christ actually drew you through the law to see the freedom that you have in him and so Paul would preach that you could have a relationship with God through Christ to fulfill all the requirements of the law and so as for Paul teaching them to cease following Jewish customs that wasn't true you see as long as they didn't violate the spirit of grace those things were acceptable in Romans chapter 14 verses 5 and 6 it says one person esteems one day above another another esteems every day alike let each be fully convinced in his own mind he observes the day observes it to the Lord he who does not observe the day to the Lord he does not observe it he who eats eats to the Lord he gives God thanks he does not eat to the Lord he does not eat gives God thanks there's a lot of freedom that we have under the grace of God and so the law for those who wanted to participate in it he's not saying that it's going to save them he's simply saying I understand you have certain scruples pertaining to that but they're saying that he's saying for sake Moses and it's an accusation so what do they want to do well what they want is they want him to go and to pay for a certain a certain I don't know what the word would be well it says it here pay their expenses so they may share their head there are some who had taken what is called the a vow of a levite and it was a temporary vow a vow that would that they would observe which meant that they were being separated for a time unto the Lord in order for Paul to be able to deal with the accusation they said why don't you go with them enter into the temple pay their pay the fee that you have and thus they'll see that you're not opposing they'll see that in reality that you're harmless as pertaining to their particular accusations that they're making so he says take them and be purified with them and pay their expenses now in verse 25 and 26 concerning the Gentiles who believe we've written and decided that they should observe no such thing except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols from blood from things strangled in sexual immorality and so the Gentiles aren't under the law and so keep that in mind verse 27 now when the seven days were almost ended the Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple stirred up the whole crowd laid hands on him crying out men of Israel how this is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people the law and this place and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and as defiled this holy place for they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple and all the city was disturbed and the people ran together seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple and immediately the doors were shut now this is interesting how he phrases this as they were seeking to kill him that's kind of casual isn't it as they were seeking to kill him news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar immediately he immediately took soldiers and centurions ran down to them when they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul the commander came near and took him commanded him to be bound with two chains he asked what he had who he was and what he had done some among the multitude cried one thing some another so when he couldn't ascertain the truth because of the tumult he commanded him to be taken into the barracks when he reached the stairs he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob for the multitude of the people followed after crying out away with him this convicts me I mean this is a man who's out there in front of all these people and there's a riot occurring and sometimes I especially in my early days walking with the Lord I was intimidated to speak to one person and this is somebody who says I'm willing not only go to Jerusalem but to die and that's what's taking place they're beating him and they're wanting to kill him and as this is taking place you can almost hear the uproar you can almost hear the noise the tumult there's so much yelling there's so much anger that's taking place that the authorities are drawn in and they come and they actually are rescuing him and pulling him away and as this is taking place there's all these charges that are being cried out that are being cried out you know this is Paul he's trying to destroy all the law and everything and what is happening is this has really been stated as the beginning of the end for Paul but you know what else it is it's an opportunity he's going to have the opportunity to speak to his Jewish brethren he had been prepared Agabus had prepared him for the upcoming arrest and now Paul is going to fulfill what he had said it's going to he wants to go and he wants to speak to them and yes he said I am prepared to die so as this is taking place verse 37 as Paul was about to be led into the barracks he said to the commander I love Paul he's amazing may I speak to you he replied can you speak Greek are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the 4 000 assassins out into the wilderness Paul said I'm a Jew from Tarsus in Solicia a citizen of no mean city no insignificant city I implore you permit me to speak to the people so when he had given him permission Paul stood on the stairs motioned with his hand to the people and when there was a great silence he spoke to them in the Hebrew language saying and that's where we're going to stop one last thought we'll wrap up and we'll look at this next time we're together you're not the Egyptian guy who was a false prophet who recently had led a rebellion brought thousands of people into the Mount of Olives and tried to riot against Roman authorities you're not that man because that had happened Josephus, a Jewish historian writes concerning this particular event and the Egyptian who had led this particular rebellion against Rome actually escaped arrest there were those who who were part of the riot and trying to overthrow Rome and 400 of them got killed and 200 of those who had rebelled against Rome were incarcerated so this commander thinks that Paul is the Egyptian who led that insurrection and that's why he asks them that are you not the Egyptian who sometime ago stirred up the rebellion so he thought this must be a rabble rouser because of all that's going on when in fact Paul is saying no I'm not an Egyptian I'm actually a Roman citizen and the reason I can speak Greek is because I'm an educated individual capable of communicating in many languages and so he established himself and his authority even in his communication to this commander he says what I really want to do is I want to speak to these people and the commander gives him the opportunity and next time we're together we get a chance to see what he said