Acts

Journey to Jerusalem

When we finally said goodbye to them, we set out to sea and sailed directly to Cos, then the next day to Rhodes; from there, we headed to Patara.

There we found a ship bound for Phoenicia; we boarded and set sail.

We caught sight of Cyprus but passed it on our left as we continued toward Syria. We landed at Tyre, where the ship had to unload its cargo.

We found the disciples there and stayed for a week.

Warned by the Spirit, they advised Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

When the time came, we left and continued our journey. All of them, including wives and children, went out of the city with us, and on the beach, we knelt and prayed.

After that, we said goodbye to each other; we boarded the ship, and they went back home.

We continued our journey, sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and spent a day with them.

The next day, we left and traveled to Caesarea. There we stayed at the house of Philip, the evangelist, and we stayed with him. He was one of the Seven,

and he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

We spent some days there, until a prophet named Agabus came from Judea. He came to us, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own hands and feet with it, saying:

“Thus speaks the Holy Spirit:

‘This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the foreign power.’”

When we heard this, we, along with the people of Caesarea, begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then he replied:

Why are you crying and hurting my heart? For I am willing not only to be imprisoned but also to die in Jerusalem for the sake of the Lord Jesus’ name.

When he would not be persuaded, we gave up and said: “The Lord’s will be done.”

After this, we prepared ourselves and headed up to Jerusalem.

Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and took us to the house of a Cypriot, where we were to stay. He was named Mnason and was one of the early disciples.

In Jerusalem

When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly.

The next day, Paul went with us to James’ house, where all the elders had gathered.

After greeting them, Paul started explaining in detail everything God had done among the non-Jews through his ministry.

After hearing this, they all praised God, but they said:

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews in Judea have come to believe, and all of them are zealous for the law.

Yet they have heard that you teach Jews living in pagan nations to turn away from Moses, telling them not to have their sons circumcised and to abandon Jewish customs.

We will gather the assembly because, in any case, they will hear that you have arrived.

Then, do as we tell you.Four men among us have made a vow.

Take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay the sacrifice for them to shave their heads. In this way, everyone will know that nothing they have been told about you is true; instead, you are continuing to keep the law.

As for the non-Jews who have become believers, we sent them a letter to tell them that they are only required not to eat meat offered to idols, blood, or the flesh of strangled animals; and also to avoid prohibited sexual conduct.

The next day, Paul took the men; with them, he purified himself and entered the temple to announce the day the sacrifice would be offered for each of them to complete their purification.

Arrested in the Temple

As the seven days neared their end, some Jews from Asia who saw Paul in the temple began to incite the whole crowd. They seized him,

shouting:

“Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who is spreading his teachings everywhere against our people, our law, and this Sanctuary. And now he has even brought non-Jews into the temple area, defiling this Holy Place.”

Because they believed they saw him in the city with Trophimus, a Greek man from Ephesus, and thought that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Then chaos erupted throughout the city. People rushed from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him outside the temple. Immediately, the gates were closed.

They would have killed him if not for a report reaching the commander of the Roman troops that all of Jerusalem was rioting.

Immediately, the commander gathered some officers and soldiers and rushed down to the crowd.

When they saw the commander and the soldiers, the crowd stopped beating Paul.

The commander approached Paul, arrested him, and ordered him to be chained with two chains; then he asked who he was and what he had done.

But some in the crowd shouted one thing and others another. Due to the uproar, the commander couldn’t determine the facts, so he ordered Paul to be brought to the fortress.

When Paul reached the steps, he actually had to be carried up by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob,

for a multitude of people followed shouting:

“Kill him!”

Just as he was about to be taken inside, Paul said to the commander:

“May I say something to you?”

He replied:

“So you speak Greek!

Are you not the Egyptian, then, who caused a riot some time ago and led a band of four thousand terrorists out into the desert?” Paul answered:

“I am a Jew, a citizen of Tarsus, a well-known city in Cilicia. I beg you, let me address these people.”

The commander agreed.

So Paul, standing on the steps, motioned to the people with his hand and, when they were silent, he began to speak to them in Hebrew.