Acts 21
After the completion of his letter to the Romans, Paul journeys toward Jerusalem, bringing a collection from Gentile assemblies intended to support the poor there. Though he is greeted warmly by the assemblies of Messiah, the Jewish community is weary of him because of rumors circulating that he has taught to abandon Moses, circumcision and Jewish customs. To remedy this, Ya’aqov (James) tells him to take four men and pay for their expenses to be purified, have their heads shaved, and for a sacrifice to be offered for each of them. Then, the elders will know that he keeps Torah and the rumors are baseless (21:21-26).
When the seven days of purification are almost completed, Jewish elders from the Diaspora who earlier had seen Paul in the city with an Ephesian man, falsely accuse him of bringing a Gentile into restricted Temple areas. This sparks a riot. Roman centurions intervene to prevent him from being beaten to death, bound him in chains and take him away for questioning. When Paul reveals he is a Greek speaking Jew from Tarseus in Kilikia, the commander allows him to address the crowd. Paul speaks to them in Aramaic.
Acts 22
He tells them that he is a Jewish man, instructed by Gamaliel, a known Pharisee, and is zealous for God. He admits that he once persecuted the followers of “the Way” even to death, imprisoning both men and women. He explains that on his way to Damascus to bring back those being persecuted a vision came upon him and changed him. Blinded, he was led to a devout Jewish man in Damascus who told him he would be a witness for God, and called him to go and be immersed. Then when he returned to the Temple he had another vision: the Messiah saying to him to get out of Jerusalem because they would not receive his testimony there.
The crowd listens intently until he says that the Messiah told him to “go to the Nations (Gentiles)” with his testimony, but at this they fall into an uproar and call for his death. Paul is taken away again to be flogged and interrogated as to why, but tells the Commander he is a Roman citizen by birth and by their laws it is unlawful to beat him before he is tried.
Acts 23
The next day, the commander brings Paul before the Council of Jerusalem to plead his case. He tries to explain that he is and always has been a man of God, but they rebuke him. Then, seeing both Pharisees and Sadducees in attendance, cries out that he is a Pharisee and he is being persecuted for belief in the Resurrection. This effectively turns the trial into a theological debate with the other Pharisees claiming he has done nothing wrong. The commander removes Paul again from the chaos.
That night he sees another vision telling him he will testify in Rome.
A group of more than 40 Jewish elders plot against Paul to kill him. When the commander is warned of this, he tells his guards to march toward Caesarea (Judea’s Roman Capital) and bring Paul to Governor Phelix. He writes to him explaining the situation and that he is sending Paul to him as a Roman citizen and his accusers to state his crimes. When Phelix learns Paul is from Kilikia, he promises him a fair trial and orders him to be guarded in Herod’s Praetorium.
Acts 24
Five days later the High Priest Ananias, Jewish elders and their Roman prosecutor, Tertullos, come before the Governor to accuse Paul. Tertullos describes Paul as a pest, stirring up dissent among the Jews and the ringleader of the “Nazarim sect” who profaned the Temple. They wanted to judge him but the Roman Commander Lusias took him away.
Paul defends himself, saying he neither argued with anyone nor incited a riot anywhere in the city, and there was no proof of either accusation. He continues that he worships the same God of their fathers and trusts everything written in the Torah and the Prophets (24:14), and expectation of resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous- as do these men. After several years of being a missionary, he was bring purified according to their customs- but some Jews (who are not in attendance) falsely accused him. And even at his trial before the Sanhedrin they found nothing against him until he declared the accusations were on account of his belief in Resurrection.
Phelix, having knowledge of “the Way” (24:22) postpones the trial then, saying he will wait on Commander Lusias to come and testify. Then he orders Paul be guarded but have rest, and not to hinder his own people from tending to him.
Phelix and his Jewish wife visit Paul and listen to him speak about his faith; Phelix repeatedly summons him hoping to be bribed for his freedom. After two years of this, Phelix is succeeded by Porkios Phestos. Not wishing disorder among the Judeans for releasing him, Phelix leaves Paul imprisoned.
Acts 25
Phestos travels to Jerusalem, and the Elders bring charges again against Paul, asking that he be sent to them for trial- secretly planning to ambush and kill him before he arrived. Phestos explains it is not Roman custom to send a man to trial before facing his accusers, and that they may come to Caesarea to do so.
In Caesarea, Paul is again brought before the Elders to be accused, and again they have no proof of the charges. He claims he has committed no sin against the Torah of the Jews, or the Temple or the Emperor (25:8). Phestos asks him if he will be taken to Jerusalem to be tried, but Paul declines, saying he will be tried as a Roman citizen since he has done nothing wrong against the Judeans, and appeals to be brought before Caesar (at this time Emperor Nero).
Following the trial, King Herod Agrippas- the grandson of Herod the Great and Client King of Judea- and his daughter come to Caesarea.
Phestos seeks Agrippas’ council, admitting he is at a loss of how to deal with the situation. He thought the accusers would charge Paul with lawful crime only to find out they issue is a question of religion and theology. Agrippas asks to hear Paul’s defense himself and Phestos, who needs an actual charge in order to send him to the Rome (25:25-27) agrees.
Acts 26
Paul starts by saying he is fortunate to have Agrippas as his judge, since he is an expert in Jewish customs and disputes. He explains again that he was brought up by a Pharisee and he himself adhered strictly to their religion. But now he is being persecuted for the same expectation of the promise made to the patriarchs and hoped for by all twelve tribes of Yisrael. He testifies that he himself was like his accusers, imprisoning and voting to put to death followers of the Messiah, until his vision on the way to Damascus.
He tells the court that the Messiah told him his role was to open the eyes of the Nations, that they may be turned from darkness to light and from the enemy to God, through faith in Him unto a share among the holy ones (26:18). In obedience, Paul went to Damascus and then Jerusalem, then the regions of Judea and the Nations declaring repentance and resulting good works (26:20). It was on account of this that the Jews are accusing him, not for going against God or His Torah.
He points out he has said nothing outside what Moses and the Prophets said would happen (26:22); that the Anointed would suffer, being firstfruits out from resurrection, and declaring light to both the Jews and the Nations (26:23). Phestos interrupts calling him insane, but Paul appeals to Agrippas saying he knows that the King knows these things to be true and believes the Prophets.
Amongst themselves, Agrippas and the others find that Paul has committed no crimes- but because he has appealed to the Emperor, he legally must be kept and sent to him.
Acts 27
Luke accounts how Paul, and some other prisoners were given into the hands of a centurion named Julius, and he and a Macedonian named Aristarchus accompany them on a boat. They sail to Lysia where the board an Alexandrian ship headed for Italy.
They reach a harbor called Fair Havens on Crete. Paul warns that continuing the voyage will be dangerous, but because Fair Havens was not considered a comfortable harbor to spend winter in, the captain and sailors convince the centurion to continue on.
At first, the weather seems favorable, but then a violent wind called the “Northeaster” drives the ship off course for many days. The crew becomes desperate securing lifeboats, tying ropes around the hull to hold the ship together, and later throwing cargo and equipment overboard to lighten the ship. For many days, there’s no sun and no stars, so they cannot navigate and so do not know where they are.
Some sailors plan to escape in the life boats. Paul declares that they must reach Rome; he has had a vision that they will survive, but only if they stay together. The Romans soldiers cut away the lifeboats and Paul encourages them all to eat, publicly thanking God and blessing the food. After they all eat their fill, the crew throws the remaining wheat cargo into the sea to make the ship lighter, hoping to beach it more safely.
When daylight comes, they don’t recognize the coast line but see a shore and plan to beach the ship there, but they hit a reef; the bow is stuck and the stern begins to break apart. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners- standard Roman procedure because they could escape- but Julius stops them. He then orders anyone who can swim to jump overboard and everyone else to cling to pieces of the ship and float to shore.
Acts 28
Once ashore, they learn that the island is called Malta. The natives are kind and build them a fire. Attracted to the warmth, a viper comes out of some brush and bites Paul, but he shakes the snake off and comes to no harm. Because he does not die, they conclude he must be a god. A man named Publius hosts them for three days. During that time, Paul visits and lays hands on the man’s dying father and heals him. After this, many come to be healed.
After three months, a trade ship from Alexandria named the “Twin Brothers” (Castor and Pollux, Greek god-sons of Zeus) which had spent the winter on the island ferries them on their journey. The natives honor Paul and his men, and give them supplies.
Eventually they arrive at Puteoli (near modern Naples) and a community of Believers waits for them and hosts them for a week. News of Paul’s arrival spreads quickly, and Believers from Rome travel out to meet him from the Forum of Appius (a marketplace ~40 miles from Rome) and rest area called the Three Taverns. Paul is permitted to lodge in his own quarters with a soldier guarding him.
After three days, Paul calls together local Jewish elders, explaining his imprisonment and false charges, and how he came to be in Rome. They tell him they know nothing of his crimes, and they will hear what he has to say because they have heard news of the “the Way” all over the province.
They set a day to meet with Paul, and he witnesses to them from morning to evening about Yeshua, from Moses and the Prophets. Some are convinced and some are not; many leave when Paul says
Rightly the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit) spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,
Go to this people and say,
“In hearing you will hear and not understand, and in seeing you will see and not perceive! Has grown dull indeed the hearts of this people, and with ears heavy they hear. And they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and should turn back, and I will heal them.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
“Known therefore be it to you that to the Nations has been sent this salvation of God, and they will listen!”
– Acts 28:25-28
Luke goes on to report that Paul stays under house-arrest for two years, but he welcomes many, always proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching the Way of the Yeshua Messiah.
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