A Test or Well-intentioned Misguided Friends?

As Paul left Greece to return to Jerusalem, Acts 21:1-16 tells of many encounters along the way with fellow believers. He stayed with one familiar name to us, Philip. In verse 8, Philip is referred to as an evangelist. He had started out as a deacon to “wait on tables”, fled Jerusalem to avoid persecution. He spread the gospel as he went and hadn’t stopped. The gospel was obviously spreading. This could have been a time of great encouragement to Paul, but rather it appears to be very emotionally draining for him personally. Even as he left the leaders from Ephesus, verse 1 says that Paul and his team “had torn [themselves] away from them.” The departure from his friends was emotional. It becomes even more challenging as the story unfolds.

When he arrived at Tyre on the way to Jerusalem in verse 4-5, he found disciples there and spent a week with them. The passage says, “Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” When I first read this, I thought this may have been a case of well-intentioned friends who were misguided in understanding the work of God and call on Paul’s life. God prompts us toward his will and sometimes it’s our best friends who discourage us from following it. “You don’t want to do that; it will be hard.” “Do you know what you’re doing; that will be tough on your family.” We can be derailed by those who love us. We can be derailed by those who are well-intentioned.

But, in this passage, the intervention by the disciples was from the Holy Spirit – “Through the Spirit, they urged …” Was this a test? Paul had definitely been called and prompted by the Spirit to return to Jerusalem. I believe the competing directions were to test Paul. God’s will for us is a personal one. He calls us. He doesn’t call us through our friends. (Now friends may come alongside to prompt us, but the call comes from God.) Paul was about to endure hardship. With this competing direction from disciples and fellow believers, he had to affirm that he new what God’s will was. He couldn’t rely on his emotions or on input from his friends – he needed to spend time with God to affirm his calling.

Once Paul resolved “to continue on [the] way,” the friends came alongside him and prayed for him as he left. We see the challenge again as he was staying with Philip in Caesarea (verse 8-16). A prophet delivered a vision that Paul would be bound by his belt and handed over to the Gentiles. The people there pleaded with Paul not to go. Note Paul's response, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?" This was very emotional for Paul. What he needed at this time was encouragement. Well-intentioned friends were trying to protect him. Paul reaffirmed his calling, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” The passage says that “he would not be dissuaded.” In spite of their pleading, Paul was resolved to do God’s will.

The well-intentioned, caring friends were making this emotionally difficult for Paul. Once they knew his resolve, the people relented and turn it over to God, "The Lord's will be done." As we seek God’s will and direction for our lives, we need to spend time with God affirming His direction and strengthening our resolve. As friends, we should be cautious of our well-intentioned advice and seek to encourage one another in living out our purpose for God.