Acts 21:18-40

18 And the following day Paul went in with us to 1James, and all 2the elders were present.
19 After he had greeted them, he 3began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his 4ministry.
20 And when they heard it they began 5glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all 6zealous for the Law;
21 and they have been told about you, that you are 7teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them 8not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to 9the customs.
22 "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23 "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who 10are under * a vow;
24 take them and 11purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may 12shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.
25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, 13having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, 14purifying himself along with them, 15went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul Seized in the Temple

27 When 16the seven days were almost over, 17the Jews from 18Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! 19This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has 20defiled this holy place."
29 For they had previously seen 21Trophimus the 22Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they 23dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.
31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the 24Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
32 At once he 25took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be 26bound with 27two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.
34 But among the crowd 28some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into 29the barracks.
35 When he got to 30the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;
36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "31Away with him!"
37 As Paul was about to be brought into 32the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?
38 "Then you are not 33the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out 34into the wilderness?"
39 But Paul said, "35I am a Jew of Tarsus in 36Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."
40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on 37the stairs, 38motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the 39Hebrew dialect, saying,

Cross References 39

  • 1. Acts 12:17
  • 2. Acts 11:30
  • 3. Acts 14:27
  • 4. Acts 1:17
  • 5. Matthew 9:8
  • 6. Acts 15:1; Acts 22:3; Romans 10:2; Galatians 1:14
  • 7. Acts 21:28
  • 8. Acts 15:19f; 1 Corinthians 7:18
  • 9. Acts 6:14
  • 10. Numbers 6:13-21; Acts 18:18
  • 11. John 11:55; Acts 21:26; Acts 24:18
  • 12. Acts 18:18
  • 13. Acts 15:19f, 29
  • 14. John 11:55; Acts 21:24; Acts 24:18
  • 15. Numbers 6:13; Acts 24:18
  • 16. Num 6:9, 13-20
  • 17. Acts 20:19; Acts 24:18
  • 18. Acts 16:6
  • 19. Acts 6:13
  • 20. Matthew 24:15; Acts 6:13; Acts 24:6
  • 21. Acts 20:4
  • 22. Acts 18:19
  • 23. 2 Kings 11:15; Acts 16:19; Acts 26:21
  • 24. Acts 10:1
  • 25. Acts 23:27
  • 26. Acts 20:23; Acts 21:11; Acts 22:29; Acts 26:29; Acts 28:20; Ephesians 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 2:9
  • 27. Acts 12:6
  • 28. Acts 19:32
  • 29. Acts 21:37; Acts 22:24; Acts 23:10, 16, 32
  • 30. Acts 21:40
  • 31. Luke 23:18; John 19:15; Acts 22:22
  • 32. Acts 21:34; Acts 22:24; Acts 23:10, 16, 32
  • 33. Acts 5:36
  • 34. Matthew 24:26
  • 35. Acts 9:11; Acts 22:3
  • 36. Acts 6:9
  • 37. Acts 21:35
  • 38. Acts 12:17
  • 39. John 5:2; Acts 1:19; Acts 22:2; Acts 26:14

Footnotes 20

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