Day 348 – Paul – Journey #3 (Arrest in Jerusalem)

• On Paul’s way home, at the end of his third journey, he briefly stopped at a number of places including Caesarea. There he met a prophet named Agabus. What did he prophesy about Paul? What was Paul’s unsurprising response?
• When Paul arrived back in Jerusalem, I’m sure he was looking forward to a few days’ rest! The Christians in Jerusalem were delighted to see him again, but they were concerned about a rumour that was going around about his teaching. Can you see what the rumour was in Acts 21:20-21?
• The men in verse 23 had taken a Nazarite vow, just like Samson had all the way back in the time of the Judges. Do you remember what this meant? Go back and look at your notes if not.
• What did the people ask Paul, in Acts 21:23-26 to do to show that he respected the old customs? Did Paul agree? How does this show that Paul was willing to “be all things to all people”?
• This passage also show us an interesting insight into what some of the officials were worried about at the time. They thought that if people were taught about free grace in Jesus, people would think that they could be free to sin all they want, and that there would be anarchy! Some Jewish leaders thought that there would be no motivation to lead a “righteous” life if there wasn’t the prospect of punishment. How can we understand grace in such a way that doesn’t lead to this “I can do what I want” mentality?
• In Acts 21:27 onwards, Paul was attacked by a mob of Jews. What was the crowd angry about? Who rescued him in verse 35?
• Paul was allowed to address the Jewish crowd, and we can see what he said in Acts 22. His main point was to underline his own Jewish upbringing. Try and work out his main point in each of these sections: Acts 22:3-5, 6-11 and 12-16. What language did Paul use? Why?
• What made the crowd angry again in verses 21-23? How did Paul talk his way out of a flogging?
• Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, written when he was in prison, is full of encouragement. It links in to the passages in Acts with his comments in Philippians 3:4-11. Here Paul reminded his readers that he was once a “perfect Jew” too, but that counted for nothing compared to knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:8). In fact, he describes being willing to lose everything in his life for the joy of knowing he has been justified (verse 9), sanctified (verse 10) and glorified (verse 11) through Jesus.
• How do you think Paul’s words in Philippians 3:12-21 about “keeping going” would have helped him though the tough times we’ve read about? When you’re going through tough times, what do you hold onto for comfort and encouragement? I highly recommend marking this chapter and coming back to it from time to time to put Christ back into perspective in your life.

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

Wow – what words! Paul claimed that anything that isn’t Jesus is worthless compared to knowing Him. He was willing to lose it all to gain Christ, and to be found in Him. These aren’t the words of someone who was ambling along quietly knowing a bit about Jesus and once a week saying a couple of prayers. This was someone who had encountered what it is to know Christ, and realised that there is nothing on earth that could match up. Whatever struggles Paul came up against – and we saw more of these in Acts 21 and 22 today – he dealt with them in the power of Christ.