Day 277: Acts 21:7–14

Since he would not be persuaded, we stopped talking and simply said, “The Lord’s will be done!” (v. 14).

Acts 21:8 tells us Paul and the others disembarked in Caesarea and stayed in the house of Philip. Philip is first mentioned in Acts 6:5 in the list of the seven original deacons. Not only was he a Spirit-filled Christian and a very wise man, he was also an extremely effective evangelist. We can compile something of a profile based on Acts 8:26–40. When we see his faithfulness, it is no wonder he had four daughters who prophesied. We considered the rich heritage Timothy received from his mother and grandmother. Philip’s faithfulness obviously had a similar effect on his daughters.

Young people are far more likely to surrender their lives to serve God when they’ve seen genuine examples firsthand. Many are touched by the faithfulness of youth ministers, Sunday school teachers, and pastors, but nothing can match the lasting impact of a faithful parent. If my children don’t think I’m genuine, no one else’s opinion matters to me. On the front page of my Bible, I’ve written a reminder I’m forced to see every time I open it: “No amount of success in ministry will make up for failure at home.”

What do you think Paul made of these four women who prophesied? You may be wondering if he had to be resuscitated when he met them. In his defense I would like to say that Paul was the first to recognize women with the gift of prophecy (when he taught spiritual gifts in 1 Cor. 11). A study of the entire life and ministry of Paul reveals an interesting fact. He had a vastly different outlook and attitude toward women than many people suppose. Unfortunately many people have based their thinking about him on a couple of excerpts from his writings. Knowing Paul, if he had disapproved of Philip’s four daughters, he would have been the first to tell him!

What exactly were Philip’s daughters doing anyway? What does prophesying mean? The original word is propheteuo, which means “to declare truths through the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit . . . to tell forth God’s message.” A prophet is a “proclaimer, one who speaks out the counsel of God with clearness, energy, and authority.” In ancient days, prior to His completed revelation, God often used prophets or “proclaimers” to warn people about the future. Virtually all God wanted foretold, He ultimately inspired in His written Word, the Bible. So the gift of prophecy is most often used today as the proclamation of God’s truth. Whether or not they foretold any part of the future, Philip’s four daughters—in today’s terms—were Christian speakers!

In Acts 2:18 God said He would pour out His Spirit on both men and women. I believe the growing numbers of strong Christian men and women speakers are examples of God’s fulfillment of His promise. I am convinced we are living in the midst of a significant work of God on His kingdom calendar.

Speaking of prophets, Paul encountered another at the house of Philip. His name was Agabus. And like Ezekiel of old, Agabus delivered his message through an enacted parable. By tying his own hands and feet, Agabus predicted that imprisonment awaited Paul in Jerusalem.

Agabus must have been extremely convincing because his actions had a far greater impact than the disciples’ words in Tyre. On his last stop, although Luke and the others accompanied Paul to Tyre, only the Phoenician disciples urged him not to go to Jerusalem (see 21:4). In Caesarea, after Agabus’s prophetic performance, Luke, the other missionaries, and the people all urged Paul not to go (see v. 12).

In turn, Paul also responded with strong emotion. Though he could hardly tear himself away from the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:37, he never wavered in his resolve. He also remained unmoved when the disciples in Tyre urged him not to go. Yet we see him respond with enormous emotion when his beloved associates—Luke, Timothy, and the others—wept and pleaded with him not to go. Let’s try to capture an accurate picture. These men were not just crying. The original word for “weeping” is the strongest expression of grief in the Greek language. These men were sobbing. Paul responded tenderly, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?” (Acts 21:13 hcsb).

Paul’s beloved friends were so crushed over what awaited him that their strength dissolved, their noble sense of purpose disintegrated, and they begged him not to go. Had he not been so convinced of the Spirit’s compelling him to go, he surely would have changed his mind. He voiced his determination to each of them: “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 13b hcsb).

We sometimes feel as if we’re playing tug-of-war with God. In bitter tears we sometimes let go of the rope, tumble to the ground, and cry, “Have your way, God! You’re going to do what You want anyway!” God is not playing a game. He doesn’t jerk on the rope just so He can win. In fact, He doesn’t want us to let go of the rope at all. Rather than see us drop the rope and give up, He wants us to hang on and let Him pull us over to His side.

God’s will is always best even when we cannot imagine how. Surrendering to His will doesn’t mean you lose. Ultimately it means you win. Keep hanging on to that rope and let Him pull you over to His side. One day you’ll understand. And you’ll see His glory.