Following his emotional address to the Ephesians elders, Paul and his traveling companions left Miletus, sailing through Cos, Rhodes, and Patara, ultimately traveling past Cyprus to Tyre in Syria. The men stayed in Tyre for 7 days as the ship unloaded cargo, and they sought out other Christians in this place for discipleship and fellowship. These disciples there were urging Paul not to continue on to Jerusalem.
But at the end of these 7 days, all the Tyrian believers (including wives and children), accompanied Paul and his companions outside the city and knelt together at the beach in a time of blessed prayer in their sending off of Paul. The travelers then briefly stopped in Ptolemais and fellowshipped with the Christians there. They then came to Caesarea and stayed for some time with Philip the evangelist, one of the first 7 deacons called by the Jerusalem church in Acts 6. He had settled in Caesarea and had raised his family in the fear and admonition of the Lord, as evidenced by the gospel proclamation of his 4 daughters.
As Paul’s team remained in Caesarea for several days, a prophet named Agabus arrived. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, proclaiming that the man who owned this belt (Paul) would soon be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and delivered over to the Gentiles. With such a foreboding prophecy, everyone (including Paul’s companions), urged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
But Paul would NOT be deterred from the mission. Rather, his resolve was strengthened, even though such an urging from these dear saints had a significant emotional impact on him. He proclaimed to them that he was ready “not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). When the Christians saw the unwavering resolve and purpose that Paul had in continuing on to Jerusalem, his traveling companions stopped their urging and wisely committed this situation to the will of the Lord.
You can listen to this teaching on Acts 21:1-14 by clicking on the following link: Let The Will Of The Lord Be Done
