Acts 21:10-19 The Will of the Lord is Being Done
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Acts 21:10-19 The Will of the Lord is Being Done
[Study Aired August 20, 2023]
Act 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Act 21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
Act 21:12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
Act 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Act 21:15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
Act 21:16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Act 21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Act 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
Act 21:19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
In our last study Paul had just arrived in Caesarea in the house of Philip the deacon/evangelist.
Act 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Paul is now in Caesarea in the home of Philip, the deacon turned evangelist. He had bypassed Ephesus because he was determined to be in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, already having been told by the holy spirit that “bonds and afflictions” were waiting for him at Jerusalem:
Act 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
Act 20:22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
Act 20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
The word ‘Pentecost’ means ‘count fifty’ or ‘fifty count’ because it was fifty days from the days of unleavened bread, which feast we are told Paul spent at Philippi:
Act 20:4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
Act 20:5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
Act 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
These seven men, plus Luke, are Paul’s traveling companions. Luke is the eighth man traveling with Paul to carry a gift from all the Gentile churches up to “the poor saints… at Jerusalem”:
Rom 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
After the days of unleavened bread, Paul and his traveling companions spent five days traveling from Philippi to Troas, and they spent another seven days in Troas. That is twelve of the fifty days Paul needed to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. It took another day for Paul to walk the 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Troas to Assos:
Act 20:13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
Act 20:14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.
That day of walking and then sailing to Mitylene was the thirteenth day since leaving Philippi after the days of unleavened bread.
Mitylene is a city on the island of Lesbos, which is visible from Assos. “We took him in and came to Mitylene” presents that part of his journey as taking place on that same day.
Act 20:15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
It took another day to get to the island of Chios. That would be the fourteenth day, then another day to get to Samos, on the fifteenth day after leaving Philippi. Paul and his traveling companions would have arrived at Miletus on the sixteenth day.
I wondered why Trogyllium did not appear on the maps of Paul’s journeys, and I discovered that:
“Trogillium is on the cape where the Turkish mainland comes within a kilometer of the Greek island of Samos.” (https://www.ephesustoursguide.com/must-see-places-in-turkey/trogyllium.html)
It was here in Miletus, 30 miles south of Ephesus, that Paul sent for the elders of Ephesus:
Act 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
Act 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
If it took Paul a whole day to walk across the 25 miles of the peninsula from Troas to Assos then it would have taken a man at least a day to go to Ephesus and at least another day for the elders of Ephesus to go the thirty miles south to Miletus. That is assuming they all Immediately dropped what they were doing and came just as soon as Paul sent word.
We are up to at least eighteen days having passed since the days of unleavened bread and the elders of Ephesus are just arriving in Miletus. Paul speaks to the elders of Ephesus on the nineteenth day and warns them that some of them will become grievous wolves, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. He also tells them on that day that “ye… shall see my face no more”.
On that day, the nineteenth since the days of unleavened bread, Paul told the Ephesian elders:
Act 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Act 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Act 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
After leaving the Ephesian elders in Miletus, Paul and his traveling companions go to the island of Coos. That would be day twenty, “and the day following unto [the island of] Rhodes [day 21] and from thence to Patara [day 22]. At least three weeks and one day, twenty-two days, have passed since Paul and his companions kept the “the days of unleavened bread” in Philippi. Now Paul and company begin the longest leg of their journey, sailing from Patara to Tyre:
Act 21:1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them [the Ephesian elders in Miletus], and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
Act 21:2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
Act 21:3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
Here is the map we have been using to follow Paul and his “traveling companions”:
https://www.conformingtojesus.com/images/webpages/pauls_third_missionary_journey1.jpeg
The wording leads us to believe that they did not stop on the island of Cyprus and went straight to Tyre from Patara. That being so, they no doubt got to Tyre much quicker than if they had been disembarking and having to “find [another] ship” going their way, as has been related to us up to this time. I Googled the question, “How many days did Paul spend sailing from Patara to Tyre?” This is what I got:
“The second ship sailed directly from Patara to Tyre. Since it didn’t make overnight stops at ports, it would have easily averaged 67 miles (108 kilometers) per day to cover the 400 miles in 6 days.” (End Quote)
Here is our breakdown of the number of days that have passed by the time Paul reaches Tyre after leaving Philippi:
5 days from Philippi to Troas
7 days in Troas (Acts 20:6)
1 day (25 miles; 40 kilometers) from Troas to Assos (Acts 20:13) and then sail
to Mitylene which can be seen from Assos (Acts 20:14)
1 day from Mitylene to Chios (Acts 20:15)
1 day from Chios to Samos/Trogyllium (Acts 20:15)
1 day from Samos/Trogyllium to Miletus (Acts 20:15)
1 day for a messenger to travel from Miletus to Ephesus (Acts 20:17)
1 day for the elders to travel from Ephesus to Miletus (Acts 20:18)
1 day (estimated) spent with the Ephesian elders in Miletus (Acts 20:18-38)
1 day from Miletus to Cos (Acts 21:1)
1 day from Cos to Rhodes (Acts 21:1)
1 day from Rhodes to Patara (Acts 21:1)
6 days (400 miles sailing 67 miles per day) from Patara to Tyre (Acts 21:2-3)
28 days total
Paul would have arrived in Tyre on the 28th day since the days of unleavened bread. There are twenty-two days more until Pentecost when he and his traveling companions arrive in Tyre, and we are told:
Act 21:4 And finding disciples, we tarried there [in Tyre] seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Act 21:5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Act 21:6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
Twenty-eight plus seven equals thirty-five. There are now just 15 days until Pentecost, and Paul and his company are leaving Tyre for Ptolemais:
Act 21:7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
If it took a day to get to Ptolemais, and they spent a day with the brothers there, we are now up to day thirty-seven since leaving Philippi. There are now only thirteen days left before Pentecost.
Act 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
If it took another day to travel to Caesarea from Ptolemais, Paul would have arrived at Philip’s house in Caesarea on the thirty-eighth day with twelve more days to Pentecost:
Act 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea were all Jewish churches which were establish upon the persecution which arose about Stephen, and yet they are all very fond of the apostle Paul.
Act 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
This is the same Agabus who had come from Jerusalem to Syrian Antioch way back before Paul and Barnabas had made their first missionary journey. When Agabus had come down to Antioch, he prophesied of a drought which prompted the church at Antioch to send aid to the saints in Judea, and they sent it by Paul and Barnabas:
Act 11:25 Then [soon after the stoning of Stephen] departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Act 11:27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
Act 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Act 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
Act 11:30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Act 21:11 And when he [Agabus, a certified prophet of God] was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
This is the positive application of being “bound hand and foot”. It is the futile attempt of the adversary to stop the work of the Lord’s anointed, stopping them physically from either walking or working with their hands in the Lord’s service. Yet it is an evident and manifested fact that the epistles Paul wrote from his prison house in Rome have never ceased to be used by God to spread His gospel throughout all the world in every generation. Being “bound hand and foot” by this evil world and being “dead in the streets of Babylon the great serves only to magnify the gospel of the kingdom of God within the heavens of His disciples.
Php 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Php 1:13 So that my bonds [“bind hand and foot” (Act 21:11)] in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
Php 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Here is the negative application of being bound ‘hand and foot’:
Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Act 21:12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
“We” are Luke and Paul’s other traveling companions who mistook the work of the holy spirit to prepare Paul’s heart for the trials that were just around the corner… they mistook this preparation for an admonition to avoid Jerusalem.
“They of that place” were those in Philip’s house and the church at Caesarea. They, too, thought that a prophecy of coming events was an admonition to avoid those impending events. Paul was mature enough to know that it is only “through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of heaven”, and that it is only “if we suffer with Him, we will be also glorified together with Him.” Their comments were in the same vein as Peter’s when he rebuked Jesus for saying He would be killed.
Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Act 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
As Paul later tells us up front:
Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
That is the exact opposite of “the voice of a stranger” which will always “speak unto us smooth things”:
Isa 30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
The Lord’s sheep know His voice, and they also recognize the words of a stranger who is ‘speaking smooth things and prophesying deceits’:
Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
This next verse reveals that even Paul’s traveling companions and “they of that place” knew that whatever took place happened only by “the will of the Lord”:
Act 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
“The will of the Lord [is] being done… in “all things” because that is exactly what the Lord tells us is the case:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
The sovereignty of God extends to even the worst sin ever committed, and the Lord makes that very clear:
Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Act 21:15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
“Those days” were the “many days” mentioned in verse ten which Paul and his traveling companions spent in the house of Philip there in Caesarea:
Act 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
We have accounted for the passage of thirty-eight days since Paul and his traveling companions left Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, with the intent of being in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost. When Paul arrived at Philip’s house there were only 12 days left before Pentecost.
Caesarea is a two-day journey to Jerusalem. Paul could conceivably have spent ten days with Philip in Caesarea and still have time to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost.
The “we” of verse 15 would have been Paul, and Luke and the seven men traveling with him to bring the gift of their Gentile congregations up to the suffering saints in Judea and Jerusalem to be distributed by the Jerusalem elders.
Act 20:4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
Act 21:16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Mnason of Cyprus apparently also had a house in Jerusalem at which it had been arranged for Paul and his company to lodge. The body of Christ provides for its own in every city, and it does so with cheerfulness:
2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Paul Visits James for the Last Time
Act 21:17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
The decrees of the elders of Acts 15 had been being shared by Paul with all the churches he established, and while there were false prophets accusing Paul of teaching the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, James and all the elders who knew Paul knew that was a lie being told by false brothers. Therefore “When we were come to Jerusalem the [true] brethren received us gladly.”
Act 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
This particular ‘James’ is not the “James, the brother of John” who was killed by Herod at the time Barnabas and Saul had taken a gift from the church at Syrian Antioch up to Jerusalem during the days of unleavened bread shortly before their first missionary journey. This ‘James’ is the brother of Christ and the author of the book of James.
Act 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
Act 12:2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Act 12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
We know this is the Lord’s brother because Paul mentions “James, the Lord’s brother” as the apostle who was at Jerusalem when he first came back to Jerusalem from Damascus, three years after his conversion on the road just outside of Damascus:
Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Paul informs us that Christ had appeared to His brother James alone after His resurrection. Notice the order of these various appearances after His resurrection:
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Here in 1 Corinthians 15:5 and Luke 24:34 are the only two scriptures which tell us that Peter was the first apostle to see the Lord after His resurrection. Paul also says “He was [later] seen of James; then of all the apostles” at his ascension for the last time.
Here Paul tells us that “[Christ] was seen of James”, and then he informs us that “James the Lord’s brother” was made one of the apostles (Gal 1:19) by the time Paul returned to Jerusalem after his first three years of his ministry in Damascus. This demonstrates the high regard Paul gave to “James the brother of the Lord” as the leader of the church in Jerusalem:
Act 21:18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
It had been agreed many years earlier that Paul and Barnabas would concentrate their efforts on “going to the Gentiles” while Peter and the other Jewish apostles would go to the Jews first:
Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.Gal 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Paul and Silas shared these “decrees of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem” with all the churches “as they went” on their journeys.
Act 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
Those decrees expected the Jews to continue observing the law of Moses while the Gentiles were to do “no such thing” as we will see in our next study:
Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Act 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
This is a temporary agreement which lasted until the temple was destroyed. It initiated a period called “the time of reformation” which we all live as we come out from under the burdens of Babylon and into the freedom from all the traditions of men and all the ‘bondage under the elements of this world’ (Gal 4:1-10, Col 1:8-20).
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Act 21:19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
The Lord has ordained that a reformation requires a certain amount of time in the lives of every man.
The point we need to understand is that there was no doctrine of ‘two administrations’ which was intended by the holy spirit to keep the Jews separated from the Gentiles in perpetuity.
Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the [singular] gospel;
Rom 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Lest there be any question of whether the Jews were intended to remain under the law of Moses, Paul makes clear that “wall of partition between us [is being] broken down”:
Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; [“The decrees of the elders… and the holy ghost” stating that the Jews much continue to keep the law of Moses]
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
What a wonderful message! Why would anyone want to return to a burden “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”
Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
It is the churches of the great harlot system, with all their laws and traditions, which are the modern ‘schoolmaster’ from whom we are being delivered.
In our next study we will see that even Paul was still “under a schoolmaster” at this time in his life.
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- Zec 14:9-21 "In that day Shall There be one LORD, and His Name One" (September 7, 2023)
- The Biblical Overview of the Plan of God - Part 3 (October 25, 2014)
- Study of the Book of Esther - Est 9:1-19 Thus, the Jews Smote All Their Enemies (November 23, 2020)
- Study of the Book of Esther - Est 6:1-14 What Shall be Done Unto the Man Whom the King Delighteth to Honour? (September 7, 2020)
- Awesome Hands - part 45: "Let my son go that he may serve me" (October 23, 2013)
- Acts 21:10-19 The Will of the Lord is Being Done (August 19, 2023)