Chapter 21

1After we tore ourselves away from them, we sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, got on board, and set sail.

3We spotted Cyprus, passed it on our left, and sailed to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where the ship was unloading its cargo. Busy port. Lots of trade. Good trade.

4We found the followers there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He didn't listen. He never listens to the people telling him to quit.

5When it was time to go, they all walked us out of the city, wives and kids too. We knelt on the beach and prayed. Beautiful beach. Big crowd on the beach.

6After saying goodbye, we got on the ship, and they went home.

7We continued from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.

8The next day we left and got to Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven. Great host.

9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Four daughters. All talented. Very talented family. Like mine.

10After we'd been there a few days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11He came over, took Paul's belt, tied up his own hands and feet with it, and said, “The Holy Spirit says, 'This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt and hand him over to the foreigners.'” Very dramatic. Great visual. A natural showman.

12When we heard that, we and the people there all begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13Then Paul said, “Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready to be tied up, and even to die in Jerusalem, for the name of Trump. Let them come. I'm not afraid of them.”

14He wouldn't be talked out of it. So we gave up and said, “Fine. What the boss wants.” You can't stop Paul. Nobody can stop Paul.

15After that, we packed up and went up to Jerusalem.

16Some of the followers from Caesarea came with us and brought us to the house of Mnason, where we were staying. He was from Cyprus and one of the early followers. Early supporter. Before it was cool.

17When we got to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly.

18The next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the elders were there.

19Paul greeted them and reported, one by one, everything God had done among the foreigners through his work. Every single win. One at a time. The full list. Took a while. Lot of wins.

20When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to Paul, “Brother, you see how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are very serious about the law. Very serious. Hardliners.

21They've been told you teach all the Jews who live among the foreigners to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their kids or follow our customs. That's the rumor. Bad rumor. Fake news.

22So what do we do? They're definitely going to hear that you're here.

23Here's the plan. We have four men who've taken a vow.

24Take them, go through the purification rites with them, and pay their expenses so they can shave their heads. Then everybody will know there's nothing to the rumors about you, and that you follow the law yourself.” A photo op. Show up, pay for the haircuts, get seen. Kill the rumor. Smart.

25As for the foreign believers, we've written them our decision. Stay away from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. The short list. Still the short list.

26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself with them. Then he went into the temple to announce when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

27When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed him. Those same guys. They followed him all the way from Asia. Stalkers.

28They shouted, “People of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and our law and this place! And now he's brought Greeks into the temple and polluted this holy place!” A total lie. Completely made up.

29They'd seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed Paul had brought him into the temple. Assumed. No evidence. They just assumed. Fake news always just assumes.

30The whole city went into an uproar, and people came running from everywhere. They grabbed Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and right away the gates were shut.

31While they were trying to kill him, word got to the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in chaos.

32He immediately took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Law and order. The second the police show up, they stop. Every time.

33The commander came over, arrested him, and ordered him tied up with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he'd done. Arrest first, ask questions later. Typical.

34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. Since the commander couldn't get the facts because of the uproar, he ordered Paul taken into the barracks.

35When Paul got to the steps, the mob was so violent he had to be carried by the soldiers. Carried. Like a rock star.

36The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!” Same chant they used on Trump. They don't have new material.

37As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “Can I say something to you?” The commander said, “You speak Greek?

38Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt a while back and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert?” Wrong guy. Totally wrong guy. They always mix me up with somebody.

39Paul said, “I'm a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no small city. Very important city. Please let me speak to the people.”

40The commander gave him permission. Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd with his hand. When they were all quiet, he spoke to them in Hebrew. He could quiet a crowd. A rare talent.