Keep The Comma
Devotion In Motion by Victor Tafoya
Acts 21:1-15
When you were in school, you found out how important punctuation was and today you will see it in action.
“Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.” Here a map is helpful… These are all port cities on what is today the Turkish Riviera, or the Turquoise Coast in southwest Turkey. Paul and his entourage were skipping along the coast, looking for passage on a larger ship that could cross the Mediterranean and land them in Israel. “And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.”
The Phoenician ports of Tyre and Sidon are in modern-day Lebanon – north of the Israeli border. This was Paul and his pal’s destination. “When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.” Obviously, Paul didn’t wait for a first-class cabin on a Carnival cruise. He hitched a ride on a freighter.
The apostle’s passion was who he could reach, not how he could roll. When the ship finally docked in Tyre it had carried Paul 400 miles – across the Mediterranean, under the island of Cyprus, and to the shores of Phoenicia. Verse 4, “And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days.” I’m sure Paul was tired when he reached Tyre, but notice how he recharges his batteries… Rather than isolate himself, he finds fellowship. Never underestimate the renewing power of hanging out with other believers. Christian fellowship was strategic even for a hearty believer like Paul.
And pay attention to verse 4. The phrase translated “finding disciples” implies an extensive search. Paul went out of his way to locate the local Christians. He had to “find” fellowship. It didn’t just come to him. And this is often what it takes for us to find meaningful fellowship. It takes nothing to attend church, but you have to find fellowship. You have to exert some initiative and search outside of your comfort zone. Rub shoulders until you find your niche. Paul found disciples, and they had a message for him, verse 4, “They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.” NT scholar FF Bruce translates “through the Spirit” as “under prophetic inspiration.”
Earlier in Acts 19:21 we’re told, “Paul purposed in the Spirit… to go to Jerusalem.” Yet here the Holy Spirit throws up a warning sign. Thus a question arises, “was Paul obedient or disobedient in going to Jerusalem?” And to me the answer is clear… I have no idea! And I’m not alone. Bible commentators are divided. Good men line up on both sides of the argument. If you’ve been a Christian for very long you realize discerning God’s will is not an exact science. Often, our vision gets murky… Yet Paul’s life gives us hope… Its twists and turns demonstrate that if we’re sincere, God is faithful. He gets us to where we need to be! Even when we make the wrong choice, though it may take a little longer.
Verse 5, “When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.” In short order, Paul and the Phoenicians became fast friends. When Paul set out for Jerusalem, the Phoenicians followed him to the outskirts of town. It’s interesting, though Paul rejected their warnings, the Phoenicians refused to be judgmental. Rather than get mad because he didn’t take heed to their advice, they still love Paul, and pray for him, and support him. I’m sure they trusted his intentions.
They realized, it’s up to each believer to follow God’s will as they see fit. Luke continues, “When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.” This was a short voyage down the coast. Ptolemais was the ancient name for the Israeli port of Acco – 9 miles north of modern Haifa. And Paul also found fellowship there… For “On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist…” Caesarea is 30 miles south of Acco.
It was the Roman governor’s headquarters in Israel. And if you’ve been with us to Caesarea you know why Philip settled there. It’s a gorgeous, seaside town. The water and sky are the bluest blue. And Paul “entered the house of Philip… who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.” Paul’s host, Philip, appears three times in the book of Acts. In Chapter 6 Philip is “one of the seven” – the first seven deacons in Jerusalem… In Chapter 8 he leads a revival in Samaria, and an Ethiopian to Christ… And here, he and his family have settled in Caesarea… Verse 9, “Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Philip’s girls were sexually pure and spiritually sensitive… Most dads are always reminding their daughters of God’s will, but Philip’s daughters were speaking God’s will to their dad and the church.
The Spirit had blessed them with prophetic gifts. What a guy this Philip was… a servant in the church, an evangelist to the lost, and a dad to his daughters. And this is the mark of a great man. Can he juggle the balls at church, in the world, and at home… Is he faithful in all three arenas? It’s been said, “We come into the world head first, we leave feet first, and in between it’s all a matter of balance.” Philip lived a blessed and balanced life. Some guys do well in the world – but fail at home and neglect their church… Other men serve the church and safeguard their home, but have no witness in the world… What made Philip great was he excelled in all three arenas! Verse 10, “And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.”
We met Agabus in, 11:28 when he predicted a famine. These two verses in Chapter 21, verses 9-10, give us a glimpse into the life of the early church, and the important role of prophecy. The Holy Spirit was active. Through ecstatic messages God spoke through men and women, prophets and prophetesses, to the church. God spoke to us through prophesy… And He still does. And “When (Agabus) 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.’” It was common for OT prophets to use visual aides to deliver their message. Remember, Jeremiah buried a sash…
Ezekiel laid on his side and dug a hole in the wall of his house… Here Agabus also goes theatrical. He grabs Paul’s belt and turns it into handcuffs. There’s an arrest in Paul’s future if he goes to Jerusalem. Twice now, the Holy Spirit has warned Paul of danger awaiting him. Verse 12, “Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then 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.” For a sold-out Paul it was Jerusalem or bust! Nothing was going to persuade him to steer clear of Jerusalem – not even the threat of death.
If necessary, he was ready to lay down his life for Jesus’ sake. The highest award given by the US government for acts of bravery in battle is the Congressional Medal Of Honor. Over the course of our history 3,522 medals have been awarded, usually by the President. It’s interesting, more Medals of Honor are awarded for falling on hand grenades to save comrades, than any other act of valor. Since falling on a live grenade is usually fatal these medals are awarded posthumously. Yet, here Paul falls on a grenade before the pin gets pulled.
He’s told his trip will end in incarceration, but he doesn’t care. He’s determined – wherever it takes him – whatever it costs him. You have to admire his valor. Verse 14, “So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” Apparently, everyone heard the prophecy correctly. If Paul went to Jerusalem he would be in danger. But they applied it differently. In light of the warning, Paul stiffened his resolve to go anyway. Whereas his pals wanted him to reconsider and change his plans. They all understood the prophecy. It had come from God, but they differed in its application. And this highlights how subjective it can be to discern God’s will. The same warning can be discerned by one person as a mere caution, and another as a stop sign.
Paul and his friends obviously disagreed, and even debated the matter, but in the end they stuck together. Paul’s pals respected their leader. They recognized his authority, and followed him though they disagreed. Here’s a lesson for us. What happens when you disagree with someone over God’s will in a situation? Especially when that someone is a person in authority. What do you do when your pastor, or boss, or a parent makes a determination concerning God’s will – an interpretation that affects you – and you object? I believe Paul’s pals had the right approach. They disagreed with their leader, and were not afraid to let him know. They were quite verbal. Yet when he rejected their advice, they submitted to his authority, trusted God to guide him, and they still followed.
They even helped Paul pack. Luke writes, “And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem.” For some of us this is a tough pill to swallow. It’s difficult for us to submit to someone else’s authority, especially when we differ on a critical issue. It reminds me of the hand dryer in the employee restroom. Above it a disgruntled worker had written, “For a message from the boss, press the button.” Obviously, there was bitterness in the camp… And it would’ve been easy for bitterness to develop in Paul’s pals. It’s no problem following, until the leader takes a path you don’t want to travel. A friend once told me, “It’s not really submission until you disagree.” Realize, I’m not talking about a decision that’s unbiblical or immoral or unethical. Those are easy choices – you follow the right principle, not the person. What I’m talking about are subjective, amoral issues. What do you do when your pastor – or husband – or boss choses a path you’re not so sure about? He even has you carry some baggage. The consequences of his decision are bound to affect you. What do you do?
Here’s what Paul’s friends did… First, they recognized that Paul’s intentions were good. Yes, he was hard-headed, but nobody doubted he was softhearted. He wanted to go to Jerusalem because of his love for Jesus and his love for the Jews. Second, they might not have agreed with Paul in this matter, but they trusted God to guide him. Rather than abandon ship because they disagreed with the skipper, they remembered Who was ultimately at the helm. On the Road to Damascus God knocked Paul off his high horse. He did it once, He could do it again if necessary.
They believed two truths: that Paul followed Jesus, and even more so, that Jesus would lead Paul. And third, they kept the comma. Read verse 14 without the first comma, “We ceased saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’” “We give up! Why waste our breath arguing with Paul? If he wants to jump off a cliff, let him jump!” Thankfully, that wasn’t their attitude. No, they kept the comma… It reads, “we ceased, saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’” They ceased their debating, and gave Paul the benefit of the doubt. Paul’s pals were a good example… They noted his good intentions. They trusted God to override any misdirection. They gave Paul the benefit of the doubt. Amen
Victor Tafoya
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