Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 21
Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 21:
Paul continues his journey southward to Jerusalem. Along the way, Paul is repeatedly told of events that will befall him in Jerusalem and some try to use this to dissuade him from going there. Prayer and fellowship with other disciples continues to be an important part of his ministry (vs. 4-5). In the coastal city of Caesarea, Paul meets Philip again (Ch 8) and Agabus, a prophet who had earlier foretold of a coming famine. Here Agabus undertakes a prophetic action, does something that will reveal what will ultimately happen to Paul (vs. 10-11). Paul finally reaches Jerusalem and finds out there is a rumor going around that he has been encouraging Jewish and Gentile believers to ignore the Torah Law (vs. 21). Others accuse Paul of bringing Gentiles into the Temple (vs. 28). The religious vigilantes try to kill Paul (vs. 30) but the secular Roman government intervenes (vs. 32-33) to determine what Paul might have done.
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 21:
Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem
1 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail. 3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 And when our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were outside the city; and kneeling down on the beach we prayed and bade one another farewell. 6 Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the brethren and stayed with them for one day. 8 The next day we de parted and came to Caesarea; and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 And he had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, 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.’ ” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “The will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we made ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Paul Visits James at Jerusalem
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them.
Paul Arrested in the Temple
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; more over he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying, “Away with him!”
Paul Defends Himself
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
In this chapter, we hear how the Church has already grown to "many thousands" of believers in just a few short years after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In our day, the Church is shrinking and people are losing their faith. Why might the early Church have experienced such amazing growth, and what might the Church of today learn from the early Church?
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Separándonos de ellos nos hicimos
a la mar y fuimos derechos a Cos, al
día siguiente a Rodas y luego a Pátara.
2 Encontramos una nave que zarpaba
para Fenicia, nos embarcamos en ella
y partimos. 3 Avistamos la isla de Chipre
y, dejándola a nuestra izquierda, continuamos
navegando rumbo a Siria. Llegamos
a Tiro, donde la nave debía dejar
su carga. 4 Encontramos a los discípulos
y permanecimos allí siete días. Movidos
por el Espíritu, ellos le decían a Pablo
que no subiese a Jerusalén. 5 Concluidos
aquellos días salimos para continuar el
viaje. Nos acompañaron todos con sus
mujeres e hijos hasta fuera de la ciudad.
Puestos de rodillas en la playa, hicimos
oración, 6 nos despedimos unos de otros
y subimos a la nave. Ellos se volvieron a
sus casas. 7 Nosotros, terminado el viaje
por mar desde Tiro, arribamos a Tolemaida,
saludamos a los hermanos y permanecimos
un día con ellos.
8 Al día siguiente partimos y llegamos
a Cesarea, donde fuimos a casa de
Felipe el evangelista, que era uno de los
siete, y nos quedamos con él. 9 Tenía éste
cuatro hijas vírgenes que profetizaban.
10 Llevábamos allí varios días cuando
llegó desde Judea un profeta que se llamaba
Ágabo. 11 Vino a nosotros, tomó el
cinturón de Pablo y atándose las manos
y los pies dijo:
–Esto dice el Espíritu Santo: en Jerusalén,
los judíos atarán así al hombre
a quien pertenece este cinturón, y le entregarán
a manos de los gentiles.
12 Cuando lo oímos, tanto nosotros
como los del lugar le rogamos que no
subiera a Jerusalén. 13 Entonces Pablo
respondió:
–¿Qué hacéis llorando y afligiendo
mi corazón? Yo estoy dispuesto no solamente
a que me aten, sino también a
morir en Jerusalén por el nombre del
Señor Jesús.
14 Como no podíamos convencerle,
dejamos de insistirle y dijimos:
–Hágase la voluntad del Señor.
15 Después de estos días, acabamos
los preparativos y subimos a Jerusalén.
16 Venían con nosotros algunos discípulos
de Cesarea, que nos llevaron a casa
de un tal Mnasón, chipriota y antiguo
discípulo, en donde nos hospedamos.
17 En cuanto llegamos a Jerusalén,
los hermanos nos recibieron con alegría.
18 Al día siguiente vino Pablo con
nosotros a casa de Santiago, y allí se reunieron
también todos los presbíteros.
19 Después de saludarles les narró
una por una las cosas que había obrado
Dios en los gentiles por su ministerio.
20 Ellos, al oírle, glorificaban a Dios,
y le dijeron:
–Ya ves, hermano, cuántos miles de
judíos han recibido la fe, y todos son celosos
seguidores de la Ley. 21 Han oído
decir de ti que enseñas a todos los judíos
que habitan entre los gentiles que
se aparten de Moisés, hablándoles de
no circuncidar a sus hijos y no vivir las
tradiciones. 22 ¿Qué podemos hacer? En
cualquier caso se enterarán de que has
llegado. 23 Haz entonces lo que vamos a
decirte: hay entre nosotros cuatro hombres
que deben cumplir un voto; 24 llévalos
contigo, purifícate con ellos y paga
sus gastos para que se rapen la cabeza,
y vean todos que no hay nada de lo que
han oído decir contra ti, sino que también
tú caminas en la observancia de la
Ley. 25 En cuanto a los gentiles que han
creído, les hemos escrito ya nuestra decisión
de que se abstengan de la carne
sacrificada a los ídolos, de la sangre, de
los animales estrangulados y de la fornicación.
26 Se llevó entonces Pablo a aquellos
hombres y, al día siguiente, después de
haberse purificado con ellos, entró en el
Templo y anunció el plazo de los días de
la purificación, para saber el día en que
podría presentar la ofrenda por cada
uno de ellos.
27 Cuando estaban a punto de cumplirse
los siete días, unos judíos venidos
de Asia, al verlo en el Templo, alborotaron
a la muchedumbre y le echaron
mano 28 gritando:
–¡Auxilio, hombres de Israel! Éste es
el hombre que enseña a todos por todas
partes contra el pueblo, la Ley y este lugar,
y que ha introducido incluso a unos griegos
en el Templo y ha profanado este lugar
santo 29 –era que habían visto con él en
la ciudad al efesio Trófimo, y creían que
Pablo le había introducido en el Templo.
30 Se agitó toda la ciudad y se formó
un tumulto de gente. Entonces, apresaron
a Pablo, lo arrastraron fuera del
Templo y cerraron inmediatamente las
puertas. 31 Intentaban matarlo, cuando
se le anunció al tribuno de la cohorte
que toda Jerusalén se encontraba alborotada.
32 Éste enseguida se llevó con él
a soldados y centuriones y corrió hacia
ellos, quienes, al ver al tribuno y a los
soldados, dejaron de golpear a Pablo.
33 Se acercó el tribuno, lo prendió y ordenó
que fuera atado con dos cadenas,
y le preguntó quién era y qué había hecho.
34 Como en la muchedumbre unos
gritaban una cosa y otros otra, y no podía
averiguar nada con claridad a causa
del tumulto, mandó conducirlo al cuartel.
35 Cuando llegó a las escaleras tuvo
que ser llevado por los soldados a causa
de la violencia de la gente, 36 pues la multitud
seguía detrás gritando:
–¡Mátalo!
–¿Hablas griego? 38 ¿No eres tú el
egipcio que hace pocos días promovió
una rebelión y llevó al desierto a cuatro
mil sicarios?
39 Pablo respondió:
–Yo soy judío, de Tarso de Cilicia,
ciudadano de esta ciudad no desconocida.
Te ruego que me permitas hablar
al pueblo.
40 Le concedió el permiso, y Pablo,
de pie en lo alto de las gradas, hizo una
señal a la gente con la mano. Se produjo
entonces un profundo silencio y comenzó
a hablarles en lengua hebrea:
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
En este capítulo, veremos cómo la Iglesia ya ha crecido a "muchos miles" de creyentes en tan sólo unos pocos años después de la resurrección de Jesús de entre los muertos. En nuestros días, la Iglesia está disminuyendo y la gente está perdiendo su fe. ¿Por qué la Iglesia primitiva pudo experimentar un crecimiento tan asombroso, y qué podría aprender la Iglesia de hoy de la Iglesia primitiva?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).