保罗前往耶路撒冷

21 我们和众人道别之后,乘船直接驶往哥士,第二天到达罗底,从那里前往帕大喇, 在帕大喇遇到一艘开往腓尼基的船,就上了船。 塞浦路斯遥遥在望,船从该岛的南面绕过,一直驶向叙利亚。因为船要在泰尔卸货,我们就在那里上了岸, 找到当地的门徒后,便和他们同住了七天。他们受圣灵的感动力劝保罗不要去耶路撒冷。 时间到了,我们继续前行,众门徒和他们的妻子儿女送我们出城。大家跪在岸边祷告之后,彼此道别。 我们上了船,众人也回家去了。

我们从泰尔乘船抵达多利买,上岸探访那里的弟兄姊妹,和他们住了一天。 第二天我们离开那里,来到凯撒利亚,住在传道人腓利家里。他是当初选出的七位执事之一。 腓利有四个未出嫁的女儿,都能说预言。 10 过了几天,一个名叫亚迦布的先知从犹太下来。 11 他到了我们这里,拿保罗的腰带绑住自己的手脚,说:“圣灵说,‘耶路撒冷的犹太人也要这样捆绑这腰带的主人,把他交给外族人。’”

12 听到这话,我们和当地的信徒都苦劝保罗不要去耶路撒冷。 13 但保罗说:“你们为什么这样哭泣,令我心碎呢?我为主耶稣的名甘愿受捆绑,甚至死在耶路撒冷。”

14 我们知道再劝也无济于事,只好对他说:“愿主的旨意成就。”

15 过了几天,我们收拾行装启程上耶路撒冷。 16 有几个凯撒利亚的门徒和我们一起去,并带我们到一个信主已久的塞浦路斯人拿孙家里住宿。

保罗会见雅各和众长老

17 我们抵达耶路撒冷后,受到弟兄姊妹的热烈欢迎。 18 第二天,保罗和我们去见雅各,众长老都在那里。 19 保罗向大家问安之后,便一一述说上帝如何借着他传福音给外族人。 20 大家听了,都同声赞美上帝,又对保罗说:“弟兄,你知道数以万计的犹太人信了主,他们都严守律法。 21 他们听见有人说你教导住在外族人中的犹太人背弃摩西的律法,不替孩子行割礼,也不遵守犹太人的规矩。 22 他们一定会听到你来这里的消息,这该怎么办? 23 请你听我们的建议,这里有四位向上帝许过愿的弟兄, 24 你和他们一起去行洁净礼,并由你替他们付费,让他们可以剃头,好叫众人知道你严守律法,循规蹈矩,关于你的传闻都是假的。 25 至于那些外族信徒,我们已经写信吩咐他们,不可吃祭过偶像的食物,不可吃血和勒死的牲畜,不可淫乱。”

保罗被捕

26 于是,保罗和四位弟兄第二天行了洁净礼,然后上圣殿报告他们洁净期满的日子,好在期满后让祭司为他们每个人献祭物。 27 当七日的洁净期将满的时候,有些从亚细亚来的犹太人发现保罗在圣殿里,就煽动众人去抓他。 28 他们高喊:“以色列人快来帮忙!就是这人到处教唆人反对我们的民族、律法和圣殿。他还带希腊人进圣殿,玷污这圣地。” 29 这是因为他们在城里见过一个名叫特罗非摩的以弗所人和保罗在一起,以为保罗一定把他带进圣殿了。

30 消息一传开,全城轰动。众人冲进圣殿把保罗拉出来,随即关上殿门。 31 正当他们要杀保罗的时候,有人把耶路撒冷发生骚乱的消息报告给罗马军营的千夫长, 32 千夫长马上带着军兵和几个百夫长赶来了。众人一见千夫长和军队,便停止殴打保罗。 33 千夫长上前拿住保罗,命人用两条铁链把他锁起来,问他是什么人、做了什么事。 34 人群中有人这样喊,有人那样喊,情形混乱不堪,千夫长无法辨明真相,便命人将保罗带回军营。 35 保罗刚走上台阶,众人便凶猛地拥挤过来,士兵们只好把他举起来抬着走。 36 众人挤在后面喊着说:“杀掉他!”

保罗的申辩

37 士兵们抬着保罗来到军营门口,保罗问千夫长:“我可以和你讲几句话吗?”千夫长说:“你也懂希腊话吗? 38 不久前煽动叛乱、带着四千暴徒逃到旷野去的那个埃及人是你吗?” 39 保罗说:“我是犹太人,来自基利迦的大数,并非无名小城的人。请准许我向百姓讲几句话。” 40 千夫长答应了,保罗就站在台阶上向众人挥手示意,他们都安静下来,保罗用希伯来话对他们说:

21 1 Paul goeth toward Jerusalem: 8 at Caesarea he talketh with Philip the Evangelist: 10 Agabus foretelleth him of his bonds. 17 After he came to Jerusalem, 26 and into the Temple, 27 The Jews laid hands on him: 32 Lysias the captain taketh him from them.

And [a]as we launched forth, and were departed from them, we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the day following unto the Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara.

And we found a ship that went over unto Phoenicia, and went aboard, and set forth.

And when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed toward Syria, and arrived at Tyre: for there the ship unladed the burden.

And when we had found disciples, we tarried there seven days. And they told Paul through the [b]Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

But when the days were ended, we departed and went our way, and they all accompanied us with their wives and children, even out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, prayed.

Then when we had embraced one another, we took ship, and they returned home.

And when we had ended the course from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

And the next day, Paul and we that were with him, departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of (A)Philip the Evangelist, which was one of the [c]seven Deacons, and abode with him.

Now he had four daughters, virgins, which did [d]prophesy.

10 And as we tarried there many days, there came a certain Prophet from Judea, named Agabus.

11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

12 And when we had heard these things, both we and others of the same place besought him that he would not go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered, and said, What do ye weeping and breaking mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus.

14 [e]So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

15 And after those days we trussed up our fardels, and went up to Jerusalem.

16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

18 And the next day Paul went in with us unto James: and all the Elders were there assembled.

19 [f]And when he had embraced them, he told by order all things, that God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministration.

20 [g]So when they heard it, they glorified God, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousand Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the Law:

21 Now they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews, which are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their sons, neither to live after the customs.

22 What is then to be done? the multitude must needs come together: for they shall hear that thou art come.

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men, which have made a vow,

24 Them take, and [h]purify thyself with them, and [i]contribute with them, that they may (B)shave their heads: and all shall know, that those things, whereof they have been informed concerning thee, are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest and keepest the Law.

25 For as touching the Gentiles, which believe, we have written, and determined that they observe no such thing, but that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from that that is strangled, and from fornication.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day was purified with them, and entered into the Temple, [j]declaring the accomplishment of the days of the purification, until that an offering should be offered for everyone of them.

27 [k]And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia (when they saw him in the Temple) moved all the people, and laid hands on him,

28 Crying, Men of Israel, help: this is the man that teachest all men everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place: moreover, he hath brought Grecians into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

29 For they had seen before Trophimus an Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Temple.

30 Then all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the Temple, and forthwith the doors were shut.

31 [l]But as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was on an uproar.

32 Who immediately took soldiers and Centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

33 Then the chief Captain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

34 And one cried this, another that, among the people. So when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be led into the castle.

35 And when he came unto the grieces, it was so that he was borne of the soldiers, for the violence of the people.

36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

37 And as Paul should have been led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

38 Art not thou the [m]Egyptian who before these days raised a sedition, and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

39 Then Paul said, Doubtless, I am a man which am a Jew, and citizen of Tarsus, a famous city of Cilicia, and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

40 And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the grieces, and beckoned with the hand unto the people, and when there was made great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Footnotes

  1. Acts 21:1 Not only men simply, but even our friends, and such as are endued with the Spirit of God, do sometimes go about to hinder the course of our vocation: but it is our part to go forward without all stopping or staggering, after that we are sure of our calling from God.
  2. Acts 21:4 They foretold through the Spirit what danger hanged over Paul’s head, and this they did as Prophets: but of a fleshly affection they frayed him from going to Jerusalem.
  3. Acts 21:8 He speaketh of the seven Deacons which he mentioned before, Acts 6.
  4. Acts 21:9 They had a peculiar gift of foretelling things to come.
  5. Acts 21:14 The will of God bridleth all affections in them which earnestly seek the glory of God.
  6. Acts 21:19 God is to be praised, who is the Author of all good sayings and deeds.
  7. Acts 21:20 In things indifferent (of which sort were not the traditions of the Pharisees, but the ceremonies of the Law, until such time as Christian liberty was more fully revealed to the Jews) charity willeth us to conform or apply ourselves willingly so far as we may, to our brethren which do not stubbornly, and maliciously, resist the truth, but are not thoroughly instructed especially if the question be of a whole multitude.
  8. Acts 21:24 That is, consecrate thyself: for he speaketh not here of the unclean, but of such as were subject to the vow of the Nazarites.
  9. Acts 21:24 That it may be known, that thou wast not only present at the vow, but also a chief man in it: and therefore it is said afterwards, that Paul declared the days of purification: for although the charges for the Nazarites’ offerings were appointed, yet they might add somewhat unto them, Num. 6:21.
  10. Acts 21:26 The Priests were to be advertised of the accomplishment of the days of the purification, because there were sacrifices to be offered the same day that their vow was ended.
  11. Acts 21:27 A preposterous zeal is the cause of great confusion, and great mischiefs.
  12. Acts 21:31 God findeth some even amongst the wicked and profane themselves, to hinder the endeavors of the rest.
  13. Acts 21:38 Touching this Egyptian which assembled thirty thousand men, read Josephus, book 2, chap. 12.