Acts 21-24

I neglected to note that in the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th chapter we have the start of Paul's Third Missionary Journey (which lasted approximately four years). Scholars tend to date the first journey from 46-48 CE, the second from 52-54 CE and the last from 54-58.

Significant Events in Paul's Third Missionary Journey*
54 A.D.
Paul begins his third missionary journey. He leaves Antioch and goes to Ephesus.

Priscilla and Aquila are already in Ephesus and make contact with Apollos. After teaching him thoroughly about Christ, they and the brethren send Apollos to Corinth.

55-56 A.D.
Paul continues to stay in Ephesus.

57 A.D.
In the Spring at Ephesus Paul writes 1 Corinthians.
In Summer he leaves Ephesus for Troas. He proceeds to Philippi.

It is in Philippi during the Autumn that it is believed Paul wrote II Corinthians. Titus arrives in the city.

In the Winter Paul goes to Corinth, where he writes the book of Galatians.

58 A.D.
In the Spring Paul writes the book of Romans.
Paul leaves Corinth and goes to Philippi and Miletus.

In the summer (Pentecost) Paul arrives in Jerusalem. He is arrested and sent to Caesarea.

The last eight chapters are the beginnng of the end for the life and ministry of Paul. Much like Jesus before him, he has fixed his eyes on Jerusalem. Even Agabus' vision of persecution and imprisonment and the pleas of the Christian community do not deter him. When Paul gets to Jerusalem, he is warmly welcomed but also warned that a growing Jewish Christian movement and a growing Gentile Christian movement have set up mistrust. Obviously the church rumor mill has a L-O-N-G history! It's been said of United Methodists that you can believe and do anything and be one of them. The Jewish Christians had "heard" something similar about the Gentiles. For expediency's sake Paul and his fellow leaders are obliged to shave their heads and go through purification rites so their faithful intent can be validated. But the Jewish temple leaders are ready and set up a disturbance to get Paul put in prison.

In Acts 21:37-22:21, Paul gives his testimony. It has developed some clarity since Luke's version of it in Acts 9. Notice that Paul includes his call to the Gentiles in his testimony. Two things emerge here. First, the most important thing you and I have to offer is "the gospel according to us," our faith story. It certainly must be measured against God's Word so that we aren't just creating something odd or self-glorifying. But each of us has a story that is unique and it communicates God's love uniquely with people. Second, we gradually become clearer about God's purposes for us as we go along. In the gospels, there is some evidence that Jesus even experienced that. In 22:20, we find out that not only was Paul there at the stoning of Stephen, but was the one that approved it. I can't help but wonder if "the glowing face of Stephen as he was being stoned" isn't something that haunted Saul and became part of his conversion experience. With the Jews, he spoke Aramaic and placed himself on common ground with them. He probably called himself Saul. When he is threated with imprisonment and flogging,he conveniently references his Roman citizenship. He is Paulus.

After being released for being a Roman citizen, the commander decides to mediate the situation by bringing the Sanhedrin and Paul together. Paul (Saul) uses the opportunity to play divide and conquer by claiming that he was there because he believed in the resurrection (something Pharisees believed and Sadducees did not).
Paul, in the midst of this crisis, receives a vision that tells him, he will be making testimony in Rome. It is clear from the book of Romans that Paul had always wanted to go there, perhaps even to convert Nero himself. A plot is hatched to have have a meeting where Paul would have opportunity to clarify himself with the religious leaders, another opportunity to kill him. Thanks to his nephew blowing the whistle on the plan, Paul, for his own safety, is transferred to Caesarea, to be tried by Felix the governor.

Chapter 24 gives us another name for the Christian community, "the Way." Paul has now been before fellow Jews and persecutors and made his testimony. He has done the same with his commander and the governor. He will continue up the political line, all the way to the top. Paul, rather than seeing these obstacles as defeats, sees them as opportunities to tell his story.