Acts - Week 68

Week 68 Acts 21 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 21:13-14 

13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” 

When Agabus prophesied that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem, Paul’s companions and all the local believers begged Paul not to go there. Paul appeals to them to stop breaking his heart. He is determined to go to Jerusalem and even to die for Jesus if necessary. Finally, his friends gave up trying to dissuade him and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” 

REFLECT 

Have there been times in your life you had determined to do what you thought the Lord wanted in spite of suggestions and objections from your friends? 

RESPOND 

Talk with your disciple about how to encourage other believers. Also talk about what can be used to discourage them. Are you also determined to follow the Lord at all cost? Paul was willing to lay down his life if necessary. 

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 21:15-17 

15 After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. 16 Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers. 17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. 

Luke, the human author of Acts, and Paul’s other companions left for Jerusalem. There were also other believers with them. At Jerusalem they went to the home of a man from Cyprus. As an early believer he may have trusted Jesus as Savior when Paul and Barnabas were on the first missionary journey. Believers in Jerusalem welcomed the visiting party so that should have relieved those who had safety concerns.   

REFLECT 

Have you had the experience of other believers making you feel at home and safe? It is wonderful to see the love of Christ at work in the hearts of believers. 

RESPOND 

Discuss with your disciple what you can do to make other believers feel welcome. This may be in your local fellowship group, or in some other kind of setting. 

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 21:18-19 

18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. 

Paul gave a full account of how God had used him in reaching the Gentiles. Even the mention of the word “Gentile” was considered by most Jews to be offensive, but Paul was showing how they were part of the body of Christ when they believed in Him as Savior. The gospel was to go to all ethnic groups and Paul was telling how this had been done. No one is to be considered outside the reach of the gospel. 

REFLECT 

Do you have compassion for all ethnic groups even though their customs may be much different than yours? Do you realize Christ died for them just as He died for you? 

RESPOND 

In the days of racial divisions the only solution is to realize the real problem is not skin but sin. Read what Jesus said in John 13:34-35. Are you and your disciple doing this? 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 21:20-22 

20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 

The church leaders in Jerusalem faced a problem: thousands of Jews had believed and there were questions about the customs of the Mosaic law. These may have been only rumors begun by unbelievers who despised the message of salvation by grace through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. The leaders asked Paul what he thought should be done to solve this conflict. 

REFLECT 

Note that the debate is over customs, not necessarily over how one becomes right with God. Some today also get customs confused with the way of salvation.  

RESPOND 

Read Colossians 2:16-17 to see that Paul did not say Jews should never follow their customs but that one believer should not judge another believer in the matter of diets and days. He was clear, however, that salvation is not achieved through customs but only by believing in Jesus. 

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 21:23-24 

23 “Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. 24 Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. 

Although the church leaders in Jerusalem asked Paul what he thought they should do about this controversy, they told him what they thought should be done. This passage has caused a lot of controversy. Should Paul have done this or not? Some say he should not have; others say he was only going along with customs but not approving of a message of salvation. There are times in reading the Bible that not enough information is given to make a final conclusion.  

REFLECT 

There are times in your Bible reading you will not have answers to something you wonder about. You should always compare any unclear passage with other Scriptures that are clear on the topic.  

RESPOND 

Visit with your disciple about the need to check other Bible passages on focusing on a topic. If discussing salvation, the books of Romans and Galatians are the clearest and most direct in saying what it is and what it is not.