Acts 21:12

12 When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:12 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 21:12

And when we heard these things
These prophecies, concerning the binding of the apostle by the Jews, and the delivery of him to the Romans, and saw the symbolical representations of these things:

both we;
the companions of the apostle, Luke and the rest:

and they of that place;
of Caesarea, Philip and his daughters, and the disciples that lived there:

besought him not to go up to Jerusalem;
which was an instance of weakness in them, though an expression of their affection to the apostle; in the disciples of Caesarea it might arise from pure love to him, and a concern for his safety, and the continuance of his useful life; and in his companions it might be owing partly to their sincere love to him, and partly to the fear of danger which they themselves might conclude they should be exposed to; and this request was made with tears, as is evident from what follows.

Acts 21:12 In-Context

10 After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to see us.

11 He went right up to Paul, took Paul's belt, and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers."

12 When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem.

13 But Paul wouldn't budge: "Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You're looking at this backwards. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can't you see that?"

14 We saw that we weren't making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. "It's in God's hands now," we said. "Master, you handle it."