Seized in the Temple

“I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Acts 21:13

Paul’s friends begged him not to go to Jerusalem. A prophet had warned that Paul would be tied up and handed over to his enemies there. Everyone was crying.

“Why are you crying and breaking my heart?” said Paul. “I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

When they saw that Paul wouldn’t change his mind, they said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

So Paul went to Jerusalem. The believers there welcomed him warmly, and he told them all the wonderful things God had done among the people who weren’t Jews.

But a few days later, while Paul was at the temple, some men who hated him saw him there. They stirred up the whole crowd. “This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this temple!” they shouted.

The whole city was in an uproar. People came running from everywhere. They grabbed Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and began to beat him.

Word reached the commander of the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem that the whole city was rioting. He took soldiers and officers and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

The commander arrested Paul and had him bound with two chains. “Who is this man, and what has he done?” he asked. But some people in the crowd shouted one thing and some another. The noise was so loud that he couldn’t find out the truth. So the soldiers carried Paul up the steps towards the army barracks, because the crowd was so violent.

At the top of the steps, Paul asked the commander, “May I speak to the people?”

The commander said yes. So Paul stood on the steps, in chains, and held up his hand. A great hush fell over the crowd. And Paul began to speak to them in their own language.

He told them his story: how he had hated the followers of Jesus, how he had been on his way to Damascus to arrest them, how a bright light had shone around him and Jesus had spoken to him, and how his life had changed for ever.

Paul had just been beaten by an angry mob. He was standing in chains. But the first thing he wanted to do was tell those same people about Jesus!

That night, the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! You have told people about Me here in Jerusalem. You must tell people about Me in Rome too.”

Read it in your Bible: Acts 21:10–40; 22:1–21; 23:11

Dear Jesus, thank you that you stand near your people when things are hard. Please give me courage to tell people about you, like Paul did. Amen.