Today’s passage: Acts 21:1-16
Helpful thoughts:
- The word for “departed” in verse 1 means to tear away. It was very hard for Paul and his ministry partners to leave Ephesus and the elders of the churches.
- Philip the evangelist and one of the “seven” was one of the seven deacons from the church at Jerusalem.
- Paul knew what the Lord Jesus had called him to do (20:24). The Spirit was revealing to these other brothers and sisters what was coming and they longed for Paul’s safety. But, Paul was willing to die if that was what the Lord wanted him to do. As we know, this death would eventually come, but not without much more ministry even while he was in prison.
Questions to consider:
- Why would it have been so hard for Paul to leave Ephesus? What kinds of ministries had developed there? Where had the fruitfulness of that ministry spread according to the previous chapters? Would anyone have blamed Paul if he’d decided to stay there?
- Why were people weeping and struggling? What desires would have been tugging in different directions in their hearts?
- What was Paul’s motivation to go? What was his greatest desire? Who was it his pleasure to please? How can this make our decisions easier and yet seem crazy to the world around us?