As Paul began his journey back to Jerusalem, he was faced with an ominous prophecy from a man named Agabus. When this prophet visited Paul and his companions, he took Paul';s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it, then told Paul that the owner of the belt would be bound likewise by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans (Acts 21:10–11).

Those words certainly came to pass. Paul was welcomed by the Christian church leaders in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17), who listened as he told them of the things God had done during his travels and who later asked him to deal with some misunderstandings about his teachings among Jewish believers. It wasn';t long, however, before he was beaten and nearly murdered in a mob scene near the Temple that arose over the perception that Paul had broken Jewish law. It was only because he was taken into custody by a Roman authority that Paul survived (Acts 21:27–36).

Some of those opposed to Paul';s teachings wanted him dead on the spot, but it was only because of his knowledge of the law of that time that he survived. What followed was an arrest by the Roman authorities and a series of defenses on Paul';s own part.

The book of Acts records many instances where Paul defended himself: in front of the crowd who wanted him dead (Acts 22:1–21), before the body of Jewish religious authorities (23:1–10), before Governor Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea at that time (24:10–21), and before King Agrippa (26:1–29).

Study Questions

How do you think believers God has called to service should respond in the face of fear and opposition to the work they are doing?

How would you respond if you were falsely accused or even punished as Paul was even though he';d committed no crime?