Atos 21
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 21
Guzik - The practice of walking with a traveler to the outskirts of the city was traditional; yet the practice of kneeling on the shore together for prayer was uniquely Christian. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Acts) Jack Andrews - They didn’t just send the pastor out to send them off, but the whole church accompanied the missionaries back to the ship. Not just the men of the church, but their wives and their children. This was a big deal for the church at Tyre. They had shown Christian hospitality to the servants of God and they had shown Christian love to their brothers in Christ. This again was a send-off to remember! Luke records the people that went out with them. This was an all-inclusive send-off! They were taking full advantage of their time together and their opportunity that was before them. (Jack Andrews Expository Studies – Understanding Acts) Escorted (accompanied) (4311)(propempo from pró = before, + pémpo = to send) literally means to send before. In the NT the idea is to send forward on one’s journey, to bring someone on his way, especially to accompany for some distance in token of respect and honor (as in the present passage). Polhill adds that "Propempō is used of accompanying or escorting people to their point of departure and often has the additional nuance of giving them food and provisions for their journey. That may well have been the case in this instance." (NAC) PRAYER IS APPROPRIATE ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE God is omnipresent, so don't worry about Him not being attentive to your prayers! (Unless of course Ps 66:18 is true of you.) Arnold - Prayer may be made in any position, but the best position is that of kneeling, for it produces an outward attitude of humility and submission.
Atos 21
Guzik remarks that "It’s interesting that with these four daughters who had the gift of prophecy, none of them seemed to tell Paul anything about his upcoming time in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit could have used them, but He chose to use someone else." (Ibid) John
Atos 21
Guzik - The charges against Paul in Acts 21:28 were an echo of the charges Stephen was executed for (Acts 6:13-14+). Paul helped preside over that execution; now he is accused in a similar way. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Acts) Arnold quips that "They accused Paul of hating the Jews! opposing the Mosaic Law and speaking evil against the temple. For a Jew, this was like an American challenging motherhood, baseball and apple pie." (Sermon) Notice this slanderers brought three charges against Paul as they cried out - (1) Preaches/teaches against the Jews (a lie, read Ro 9:1-5+, Ro 10:1+); (2) Opposed the Law of Moses - "That was a particularly serious accusation in this setting, since the Jewish people were especially zealous for the law at Pentecost. Originally a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, in Paul's day Pentecost had come to be a celebration of the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Charging Paul at this time with teaching against the law was sure to infuriate the crowds." (MacArthur) (3) Spoke against this place (the Temple) - This same accusation was leveled against Jesus (Mk 14:5-58) and Stephen (Acts 6:13-14+) and was instrumental in their murders. And besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place - These pernicious purveyors of perversity were falsely accusing Paul of bringing Gentiles into the inner or second court, beyond the barrier restricting Gentiles. NET Note on into the Temple - The specific reference is to the Court of the Sons of Israel (see the note following the term "unclean" at the end of this verse). THE JEWISH "NO TRESPASSING" SIGN - which the Jews falsely accused Paul of violating taking a Gentile - The Temple Warning inscription, also known as the Temple Balustrade inscription or the Soreg inscription[2], is an inscription that hung along the balustrade outside the Sanctuary of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Two of these tablets have been found.[3] (HERE IS THE TRANSLATION OF ONE OF THESE RECOVERED STONES) - "No stranger is to enter within the balustrade round the temple and enclosure. Whoever is caught will be himself responsible for his ensuing death." NOTE: Click the picture of the Temple Complex above and read the note in the bottom left corner regarding the "soreg (click for more detail)" the low, latticed railing separating Temple courts (only for Jews) from the Court of the Gentiles.) (See notes on Eph 2:14) Josephus records that "When you went through these first cloisters unto the second court of the Temple, there was a partition made of stone all round, whose height was three cubits. Its construction was very elegant; upon it stood pillars at equal distances from one another, declaring the law of purity, some in Greek and some in Roman letters that no foreigner should go within the sanctuary" In summary, this physical barrier in the Temple Complex illustrated the barrier of hostility and hate that separated Jew and Gentile. God had originally separated Jews from Gentiles (cf. Isaiah 5:1-7; Mt 21:33) for the purpose of redeeming both groups, not for saving the Jews alone. In fact God had placed the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple Complex for the very purpose of winning Gentiles to Himself. It was meant to be a place for Jewish evangelism of Gentiles, a place for winning proselytes to Judaism and of thereby bringing them “near.” Instead the intervening dividing wall with its barrier shut the Gentile out from the presence of God! It was also that very court (the court of the Gentiles) that instead of using as a place of witness to the pagan Gentiles of the true and living God, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day usurped and converted to “a robbers’ den” (Mk 11:17)!