How do we navigate spiritual disputes when both parties believe they “know” God’s will? Sometimes, we just have to trust God. “God’s will be done!”
Scripture:
Leviticus, chapters 23-24; Psalm 24; Acts, chapter 21
Acts 21:1-14 (NASB):
Now when we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Ture; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. After looking up the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
In Caesarea
When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived in Ptolemais, and after greeting the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. On the next day we left and came to Caesara, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.
As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”
Observations: God’s Will Be Done!
They Told Paul “Through the Spirit”
This passage begins with Paul and his companions making their way toward Jerusalem. In the previous chapter, Paul had bid farewell to his friends in Ephesus. That farewell (Acts 20:18-35) featured two main themes. First, that Paul considered that the Spirit called him to go to Jerusalem. Second, he believed that he would never see these Ephesian friends again. Paul clearly believes that it is God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem, whatever danger may arise there.
It’s important to keep that in mind as we consider today’s passage. Paul “knows” that the Spirit wants him to go to Jerusalem. On the other hand, his friends in Tyre kept telling him, through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem (emphasis added). How can we reconcile these two positions? Paul believes that it’s God’s will for him to go. His friends are telling him “through the Spirit” not to go. Who is right? Regardless of who was “right,” Paul keeps going.
“This Is What the Holy Spirit Says”
They next arrive in Caesarea, and stay at the home of Philip the evangelist. Luke notes that Philip was “one of the seven.” These seven the overseers from Acts 6. In chapter 8, Philip went to Samaria after Stephen’s death and the persecution of the believers. He succeeded in sharing the gospel there, resulting in the title “Philip the evangelist.”
By this time, many years later, Philip lives in Caesarea with four daughters who were prophetesses. We don’t know whether they prophesied anything with regard to Paul, but someone else did. Agabus, a prophet from Judea, came to Caesarea. We first encountered Agabus in chapter 11, when he prophesied – accurately – that a severe famine would take place. Agabus was a prophet because God did what he prophesied. When he arrives, he tells them what the Jews were going to do to Paul. “This is what the Holy Spirit says.”
“God’s Will Be Done!”
Luke tells us that when Paul’s friends heard what Agabus prophesied, they began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. If the Spirit sent Agabus to prophesy, didn’t that mean that He was warning Paul not to go? When Paul’s friends in Tyre told him not to go to Jerusalem through the Spirit, shouldn’t Paul have listened?
Paul may have listened, but he didn’t do what they wanted. They begged him not to go. He said, “I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
That is a hard argument to counter. Paul “knew” that the Spirit was leading him to Jerusalem. How could he disobey? His friends understood. They trusted the Lord: “God’s will be done!”
Application: God’s Will Be Done!
“This Is What the Holy Spirit Says”
This passage presents a quandary for us. On the one hand, we trust Paul’s ability to hear and understand what the Spirit was saying to him. Ever since that day on the road to Damascus, Paul had devoted himself to doing whatever God said:
- In chapter 13, he and Barnabas responded to the Spirit’s call to “the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2)
- When the Jews in Pisidian Antioch stirred up trouble, he obeyed the Lord’s command to turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47)
- Although he wanted to travel through parts of Asia Minor to preach, the Spirit forbade him to do so. Instead, Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia, and he immediately obeyed the Spirit’s call (Acts 16:6-10)
- In Corinth, the Spirit told him to “go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10). Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching and preaching.
That’s why he would not change his mind. He “knew” the Spirit’s plan! But how do we explain all of his friends speaking “through the Spirit” or telling him “what the Spirit says”? Do we just say, “Well, Paul was the apostle, so he was right”? Did his friends misunderstand “what the Holy Spirit says”? Did they what they wanted?
We need to remember that Paul’s friends were believers too. The Spirit spoke to them, just as he spoke to Paul. Whenever we start to think that we have a monopoly on hearing the Holy Spirit, we are on very thin ice!
“God’s Will Be Done”
Paul’s friends understood that they could not change his mind. Notice that this doesn’t mean that they decided they were “wrong” about what the Spirit was saying to them. Paul was convinced that he knew what the Spirit wanted, and he obeyed. His friends did the only thing they could do: they said, “God’s will be done!”
What does that mean, exactly? It means that they understood that if Paul was correct, they should not try to change his mind. If Paul was wrong, then God could help him to understand. They didn’t change their minds about what they believed, and they didn’t start to think that Paul was “wrong.” They simply trusted God’s will, saying, “God’s will be done!”
We all have times when we need to take a step back and leave things in God’s hands. (If we believe that we never misunderstand God’s will, look out!) One of God’s major works in our lives is to help us to be humble. Pride says, “I know what God wants, and nobody can change my mind!” Humility says, “This is what I believe, but if I’m wrong, I want God to show me.” That means trusting God to show us His will.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for reminding us that no matter how long we’ve been walking with Jesus, we may still misunderstand how You are working. Help us to embrace the humility that Jesus modeled. Help us to trust You even in our disagreements. Remind us that we don’t have to fight through every disagreement. Paul and Barnabas parted ways and trusted God to work. We can do the same, with Your help. Help us to allow You to work – in our lives and in the lives of others. Amen.
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