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Questions for Acts 21:1-36 

Key verses 21:13

I AM READY TO DIE FOR JESUS

1. Describe the journey of the Apostle Paul and his companions from Miletus to Jerusalem (1-17). What can you observe about the reception of Paul and his companions by the disciples in each city? Reflect on the work of God that occurred in each region of Asia Minor.

2. What advice did the disciples and the prophet Agabus give to Paul about what would happen to him in Jerusalem (4, 10-12)? What was Paul’s response to them (13)? Reflect on Paul’s readiness to die for his mission received from Jesus. In what way did the disciples support Paul’s decision (14)? 

3. What suggestion did Paul receive when he visited James and the elders in Jerusalem (18-25)? What reasons might Paul have had for accepting their suggestion (26)? Discuss how Paul’s actions reflect his faith and efforts to build up the church of God. 

4. What disturbance did the Jews create when they saw Paul in the temple (27-29)? What suffering did Paul endure after being seized by them (30-32)? Whom did God use to rescue Paul from the danger of death (33-36)? Reflect on God's guidance and human obedience as presented in this passage.

Acts 2024 Juan Seo (Oct 5, 2024)

I AM READY TO DIE FOR JESUS

Acts 21:1-36

Key Verse 21:13

Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

When I was serving ministry in Venezuela, a brother came to me and said, “God has shown me His will through a dream. God wants me to marry Maria. Please tell her to marry me.” He told me he had prayed a lot about marrying her, and God had confirmed him. So, was that really God’s will? Since Maria was a beautiful girl, perhaps many brothers wanted to marry her. Do you know what my response was? “If it is truly God’s will for you to marry Maria, then God will also tell her to marry you in her dream. Until then, I cannot be certain that what you say is actually God’s will.” Many people want to know God’s will and often hope that God’s will aligns with their own desires. However, in many cases, God’s will is different from what we want. So, how can we discern God’s will?

Today’s passage covers the Apostle Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and the event of his arrest there. When Paul arrived in Tyre, the disciples there, through the Spirit, urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. It seems that while they were praying together, the Holy Spirit revealed to them what would happen to Paul in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit had already given Paul a revelation. In Acts 20:22-23, Paul says to the Ephesian elders, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” The Holy Spirit apparently gave the same revelation to the disciples in Tyre. However, Paul did not accept their request and left when the time came.

While Paul was staying at the house of Philip the evangelist in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Agabus is also mentioned in Acts 11, where he predicted through the Spirit that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. He had the gift of prophecy, particularly in foretelling events in the near future. Agabus took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” The way he delivered the prophecy was very striking. So, the believers there all pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. However, Paul’s decision remained firm.

Shall we read verse 13 together? “Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’” “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?” Paul’s heart was also broken by seeing their tears. Since he knew he would face great suffering in Jerusalem, he may have felt a desire to avoid that hardship. He could have thought that continuing to travel freely in the Gentile world, preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, would be better than being imprisoned in Jerusalem. However, Paul believed that going to Jerusalem was the task Jesus had given him. Last Sunday, we learned about Paul’s decision: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). One of the important reasons Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem was to deliver the offering that the Gentile churches had collected to help the Jerusalem church. Paul saw this as a very important mission, bringing unity between the Jewish church in Jerusalem and the Gentile churches. He also remembered that his mission was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and their kings. He knew that to fulfill this mission, he would suffer greatly for Jesus’ name. Therefore, he was not afraid of suffering. He believed that he had been called to suffer for the name of Jesus, so it was natural for him to endure suffering for His sake. That is why he firmly said, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

So, was it God’s will for Paul to go to Jerusalem or not? Did the disciples in Tyre receive a command from the Holy Spirit to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem? Did the Holy Spirit give his revelation to Agabus to stop Paul from going to Jerusalem? Paul had already received a revelation directly from the Holy Spirit that he would suffer in Jerusalem, and despite being urged twice by disciples through their own revelations to avoid going, he chose not to accept their request. So, was Paul going to Jerusalem against the Holy Spirit’s will, following his personal plans? Was there a contradiction between Paul and the other disciples regarding the will of the Holy Spirit? No, there was no contradiction. Nowhere in Scripture does the Holy Spirit command Paul not to go to Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit simply warned Paul that he would face suffering, be arrested, and be imprisoned in Jerusalem. The disciples interpreted this revelation as a sign that Paul should avoid Jerusalem, while Paul interpreted the same revelation differently, believing that even in the face of such suffering, it was God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem. It was a difference in interpretation of the same revelation. We can understand the hearts of the disciples who tried to stop Paul from going to Jerusalem. They loved Paul and wanted to protect him from suffering, just as Peter tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. On the other hand, Paul was ready to embrace suffering and was determined to go to Jerusalem despite the warnings. He knew that suffering was part of God’s will for him, just as Jesus knew that carrying the cross was God’s will for Him. Therefore, Paul was fully prepared for the suffering, trusting that it was part of God’s plan.

We all desire to discern God’s will during significant moments in our lives. When we look at God’s word, there are some questions for which we can find clear answers. For instance, if someone were to ask, “God, I need money right now. Is it your will for me to rob a bank?” We can clearly teach them what God’s will is in that situation. However, there are many questions that are difficult to find direct answers to in the Bible. For example, “God, after I graduate from college, is it your will for me to find a job in California?” Since the Bible doesn’t specifically mention California, we can’t find a direct answer to this question in Scripture. So, how can we know God’s will in these cases? There are several ways we can use to discern God’s will, but before discussing those, I’d like first to address the underlying meaning within this kind of question.

First, the question “How can we discern God’s will?” implies a belief that God is actively involved in our lives, moment by moment, with His will and purpose. If we do not believe that God is involved in our lives with His will, then asking such a question would be meaningless. The reason you seek God’s will for your life is because you believe in the living God. Next, we seek God’s will because we believe that God is good and that living according to His will is the most beneficial for us. If we do not believe that God’s will is good for us, there would be no need to seek it. We could simply live as we please. However, we seek God’s will because we trust He has good plans for us. Therefore, when we discover God’s will, we must have an attitude of obedience. It is not right to seek God’s will, expecting that He will endorse the plans we have already made. If that is our attitude, God may not reveal His will to us, because even if we find His will, we may not be willing to obey it. Therefore, we can discover God’s will when we have a humble heart ready to submit to His will.

I would like to present three ways to discern God’s will.

First, we must listen to God’s voice through prayer and His word. Do you believe God speaks to you? If so, you should trust that the Holy Spirit speaks to you through the Bible. Some people mistake their own thoughts for God’s voice. Listening to God’s voice through prayer and Scripture is the safest way to discern His will. Although the Bible is written in letters, when we pray and seek to hear the Holy Spirit, it becomes the living voice of God to us. Have you ever heard about the difference between the Greek words Logos (λόγος) and Rhema (ῥῆμα)? Logos refers to the general, universal word of God, and it is often understood as the written word. On the other hand, Rhema refers to the specific, direct communication of God’s word to an individual. Rhema is often understood as a personal, timely word that applies to a particular situation in the life of a believer. We usually understand God’s word intellectually, but there are moments when a specific Scripture comes alive to us personally as if God is speaking directly to us. These are Rhema.

Martin Luther, who led the Reformation, was a strict monk in his youth. He lived in fear due to a deep sense of guilt for his sins before God. However, he received Romans 1:17 as a Rhema: “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” At that moment, he was freed from fear by realizing that righteousness comes by faith. This Rhema became the foundation for him to lead the Reformation by faith. Another example is George Müller, who ran an orphanage. When he embarked on his work, he received Philippians 4:19 as a Rhema: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Müller made a firm decision to rely on God. As a result, without ever asking for financial support, he was able to care for over 10,000 orphans through prayer and faith for 50 years. Many of us have had experiences of receiving Rhema through prayer and Scripture. When we pray, instead of speaking too much, we should open our spiritual ears, ready to hear God’s voice. We must prepare ourselves to listen to Him.

Second, we must examine whether our motives are right before God. If our motives are pure before God, we will find peace in our hearts through the assurance that comes from God. But if we are pursuing something out of selfish desire, we will never experience true peace from God. Instead, we will continually face a guilty conscience and doubts about our decisions. In general, if we strongly desire something, it is often not God’s will. If you feel that something from your selfish desire is God’s will, it is good to immediately question it, because our human desires can easily obscure God’s will. There is a high chance that we may deceive ourselves by attaching and interpreting God’s will according to what we want. On the other hand, if God’s will seems to go against what we want, it may be worth trusting. In such cases, it is good to deny ourselves and take up our cross. When we reach that point and find peace, it is likely that the path we did not originally desire is indeed God’s will. Look at the example of Jesus. He did not want to go to the cross, and in Gethsemane, He prayed to God, asking for the cup of suffering to be taken away. However, Jesus desired to fulfill God’s will and carried the cross. The same was true for Paul. Paul did not want to go to Jerusalem, but he knew that it was God’s will for him to go and suffer there. So, he prayed and willingly obeyed God’s will.

Third, we must believe that God intervenes in our practical, everyday lives and carefully observe how He changes our circumstances. We need to trust that if something is God’s will, He will open the door for us, and if it’s not His will, He will close the door. If God opens the door, we should accept it as His will, obey, and follow. As we studied in Acts 16, the Holy Spirit guided Paul’s mission team according to His will. He blocked their way to Asia, and later, He also prevented them from going north. Finally, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia, and they crossed over to Europe. If we are spiritually awake and seek to live according to God’s will, He will surely guide us in His ways.

However, it is impossible for us, as imperfect beings, to fully understand the deep will of God. In fact, there is something more important than knowing God’s will—it is trusting God. While we may not fully grasp His will, if we love God and desire to live according to His will, He will surely lead us in His ways. This is living faith, the faith that pleases God. Consider the example of Abraham, the father of faith. When he received the command from God to “go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you,” he obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. The same was true for the Apostle Paul. He did not know what would happen to him in Jerusalem, yet he trusted that God would guide him on the best path. Paul was ready to suffer and even die for the name of the Lord Jesus. Then, God protected him and allowed him to fulfill the purpose for which he was called: to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel. In line with the vision God had given him, Paul eventually went to Rome as a prisoner and preached the gospel there.

One day in 1995, my shepherd asked me if I could go to Venezuela as a missionary. I had prayed about going to Russia as a missionary before, but Venezuela was completely unfamiliar to me. I didn’t even know it was in Latin America. I began seeking God’s will, and after many days of prayer, God gave me the word, “You will be a blessing” (Gen 12:2) as a Rhema. At that moment, the burden in my heart was lifted, and I felt peace from heaven. So, I responded to my shepherd that I would go to Venezuela as a missionary. Then, he told me that it would be good for me to marry Missionary Ana Choi, who was already in Venezuela. I didn’t know who Ana Choi was, but I believed that it was the best path for the mission in Venezuela, so I accepted. That was the best decision of my life! However, I needed more assurance. Moreover, I had to tell my mother that I was going to Venezuela and that I was getting married. I knew this would be a great shock to her, so it was a major challenge for me. But in prayer, I received the word, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex 14:14) as a Rhema. Then, my older brother told my mother that I was going to Venezuela, and she accepted it. She even gave me the money she had saved for me to use for my wedding expenses. God Himself had opened the way for me to go to Venezuela. With that assurance, I was able to serve God’s mission, preaching the gospel to Venezuelan college students and raising them as disciples of Jesus.

Today, we learned how to discern God’s will. First, we must listen to God’s voice through prayer and His word. Second, we must examine whether our motives are right before God. Third, we must believe that God intervenes in our practical, everyday lives and carefully observe how He changes our circumstances. If we receive the same response from God through these three ways, we will be able to draw closer to God’s will. In addition, we learned that trusting God is more important than discerning God’s will. I pray that we may live each day trusting God, seeking to please Him with our faith. As we have been saved through the love of Jesus, who died on the cross for us, I also pray that we may be willing to serve Him with the decision to be ready to die for Christ Jesus. Amen.