Luke's Perspective on Paul's Disobedience of the Holy Spirit

[Berserk]

In Acts Paul tells the Ephesians that they will never see him again and that the Spirit has warned him that "imprisonment and persecutions" await him in Jerusalem (20:22-25). When the prophet Agabus warns Paul that imprisonment awaits him in Jerusalem, Paul declares that, if necessary, he is ready to die for Christ in Jerusalem. But what does his travel companion Luke think about Paul's resolve? Shockingly, Luke declares that Paul is disobeying the Holy Spirit by his insistence on going to Jerusalem: We looked up the disciples and stayed there [at Tyre] for 7 days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4)." Is Paul's disobedience of the Spirit's instruction the reason why a disheartened Luke chooses not to recount the story of Paul's martyrdom in Rome after his arrest in Jerusalem?

Paul feels called to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and Spain is the end of the earth in his understanding. So he is determined to evangelize Spain after he delivers the Gentile collection to the poor in Jerusalem (Romans 15:22-29). If he had heeded the Spirit's prohibition of his collection delivery to Jerusalem and sent one of his assistants to make that delivery, Paul might have fulfilled his complete missionary vision. Or at least that seems to be what Luke thought. Instead, Paul must content himself with some witnessing under guard in Rome (Acts 28:23ff.)

Paul is probably the most important and spiritually effective Christian who ever lived. How poignant and fascinating it is that a man who lived such a Spirit-guided life would ultimately make a decision that defied the will of the Holy Spirit! What hope then is there for us to live lives totally guided by the Spirit?

What do you think of this analysis?

 

[Davy]

Jesus had already told him to go, knowing it would also lead to his going to Rome and preaching The Gospel.

Acts 19:21
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'
KJV

Acts 23:11
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.'
KJV

 

[FHII]

They obeyed what the spirit had them do. That does not mean Paul didn't disobey the spirit, which told him to go.

Paul said, "follow me, as I follow Christ". His life and death we're and example that we must give our life up for Christ. No. That's not saying we must be martyred as he was (though many over the next 300 years took it to mean that).

The Holy Spirit told the disciples to warn Paul. They obeyed. The same Spirit told Paul to go, he obeyed. We benefit from knowing Paul knew he was in danger and seeing his reaction to knowing. He obeyed anyway.

It's a little bit more powerful knowing Paul knew what he was getting into before he did it.

 

[marks]

In Acts Paul tells the Ephesians that they will never see him again and that the Spirit has warned him that "imprisonment and persecutions" await him in Jerusalem (20:22-25). When the prophet Agabus warns Paul that imprisonment awaits him in Jerusalem, Paul declares that, if necessary, he is ready to die for Christ in Jerusalem. But what does his travel companion Luke think about Paul's resolve? Shockingly, Luke declares that Paul is disobeying the Holy Spirit by his insistence on going to Jerusalem: We looked up the disciples and stayed there [at Tyre] for 7 days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4)." Is Paul's disobedience of the Spirit's instruction the reason why a disheartened Luke chooses not to recount the story of Paul's martyrdom in Rome after his arrest in Jerusalem?

Paul feels called to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and Spain is the end of the earth in his understanding. So he is determined to evangelize Spain after he delivers the Gentile collection to the poor in Jerusalem (Romans 15:22-29). If he had heeded the Spirit's prohibition of his collection delivery to Jerusalem and sent one of his assistants to make that delivery, Paul might have fulfilled his complete missionary vision. Or at least that seems to be what Luke thought. Instead, Paul must content himself with some witnessing under guard in Rome (Acts 28:23ff.)

Paul is probably the most important and spiritually effective Christian who ever lived. How poignant and fascinating it is that a man who lived such a Spirit-guided life would ultimately make a decision that defied the will of the Holy Spirit! What hope then is there for us to live lives totally guided by the Spirit?

What do you think of this analysis?

I've long found it interesting that no fruit is recorded to Paul's account from the time he arrived at Jerusalem, until he was on the ship for Rome.

I think 2 years of ministry was lost by Paul's insistence to preach to the Jews, in spite of the Holy Spirit's warning.

We shouldn't get too stuck on our own plans, I don't think.

Much love!

 

[Berserk]

Jesus had already told him to go, knowing it would also lead to his going to Rome and preaching The Gospel.
Acts 19:21
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'
KJV Acts 23:11
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.'
KJV

Davy and FHIII overlook the plain meaning of 21:4, that "the Spirit prohibited Paul from going up to Jerusalem:
"Through the Spirit, they ["the disciples"] told Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4)."

"Paul purposed in the spirit (Greek: "en to pneumati"), when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome (Acts 19:21)."
Davy and FH III misinterpret 19:21 to mean that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome. This interpretation can be summarily dismissed on 3 grounds:
(1) It makes the Holy Spirit contradict Himself by first inspiring Paul to go to Jerusalem and then prohibiting him from doing so.
(2) This contradiction is removed once it is recognized that the Greek expression "en to pneumati" routinely designates the human spirit in the NT (see Acts 18:25; Mark 2:8; 8:12; Luke 10:21; John 11:33; 13:21; 1 Corinthians 7:34; 2 Corinthians 2:13). So no Davy, there is no grounds for your claim that "Jesus had already told him to go, knowing it would also lead to his going to Rome and preaching The Gospel.
(3) Rome had already been evangelized prior to Paul's visit. The reason why Paul wants to visit Rome is his hope that Roman Christians will launch his missionary visit to Spain (Romans 15:23-28), so that he can truly fulfill his vision of spreading the Gospel throughout the known world. But by disobeying the Holy Spirit's prohibition in Acts 21:4 Paul lost his chance to bring the Gospel to Spain.

 

[Davy]

Davy and FHIII overlook the plain meaning of 21:4, that "the Spirit prohibited Paul from going up to Jerusalem:
"Through the Spirit, they ["the disciples"] told Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4)."

"Paul purposed in the spirit (Greek: "en to pneumati"), when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome (Acts 19:21)."
Davy and FH III misinterpret 19:21 to mean that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome. This interpretation can be summarily dismissed on 3 grounds:
(1) It makes the Holy Spirit contradict Himself by first inspiring Paul to go to Jerusalem and then prohibiting him from doing so.
(2) This contradiction is removed once it is recognized that the Greek expression "en to pneumati" routinely designates the human spirit in the NT (see Acts 18:25; Mark 2:8; 8:12; Luke 10:21; John 11:33; 13:21; 1 Corinthians 7:34; 2 Corinthians 2:13). So no Davy, there is no grounds for your claim that "Jesus had already told him to go, knowing it would also lead to his going to Rome and preaching The Gospel.
(3) Rome had already been evangelized prior to Paul's visit. The reason why Paul wants to visit Rome is his hope that Roman Christians will launch his missionary visit to Spain (Romans 15:23-28), so that he can truly fulfill his vision of spreading the Gospel throughout the known world. But by disobeying the Holy Spirit's prohibition in Acts 21:4 Paul lost his chance to bring the Gospel to Spain.

You haven't understood the Scripture. In Acts 21, it was the apostles that told Paul not to go to Jerusalem, not The Holy Spirit nor Christ speaking directly to Paul. Don't confuse that.

Acts 21:12-15
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
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.'
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, 'The will of the Lord be done.'
15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
KJV

Notice that Acts 19:21 and Acts 20:22 was PRIOR to Acts 21...

Acts 19:21
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'
KJV

Acts 20:22
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
KJV

Did you get that? Paul ALREADY knew he would be bound if he went to Jerusalem, before those in Acts 21 warned him. But the fact that he also knew it would be a stepping stone to Rome reveals that Jesus had already shown him. Paul's knowledge of it prior to Acts 21 confirms this, and Acts 23:11 confirms this.

 

[marks]

Acts 20:22
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
KJV

Did you get that? Paul ALREADY knew he would be bound if he went to Jerusalem, before those in Acts 21 warned him. But the fact that he also knew it would be a stepping stone to Rome reveals that Jesus had already shown him. Paul's knowledge of it prior to Acts 21 confirms this, and Acts 23:11 confirms this.

"Bound in the spirit", doesn't that mean he felt constrained inside himself to go? Having already purposed in the spirit to go?

I can't think of where Jesus told Paul to go to Jerusalem, can you point me to it? I'd like to check that.

Much love!

 

[Davy]

"Bound in the spirit", doesn't that mean he felt constrained inside himself to go? Having already purposed in the spirit to go?

I can't think of where Jesus told Paul to go to Jerusalem, can you point me to it? I'd like to check that.

Much love!

Acts 19:21
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
KJV

Is there something wrong with my posting Scripture in color that it's so difficult to read? I've already posted that proof here, what two times already??

 

[Berserk]

Davy: "You haven't understood the Scripture. In Acts 21, it was the apostles that told Paul not to go to Jerusalem, not The Holy Spirit nor Christ speaking directly to Paul. Don't confuse that."

On the contrary, it is you who continually miss Luke's point by failing to read my posts carefully.
You act as if Luke simply makes these 3 points about Paul's planned trip to Jerusalem:
(1) that the disciples warn Paul not to go to Jerusalem (21:12);
(2) that the Holy Spirit warns Paul that he will be arrested and persecuted if he goes to Jerusalem (20:22-24);
(3) that Paul is willing to die, if necessary, by bringing the collection to Jerusalem (21:13)

What you don't get is Luke's explicit claim in 21:4 that the Holy Spirit actually prohibits Paul from going to Jerusalem:
"Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem."
This sentence expresses a prohibition, a command from the Holy Spirit mediated by "the disciples" at Tyre that Paul disobeys. It overrules Paul's own conviction about what the Spirit wants him to do (20:22) and can't merely be construed as a warning of the negative consequences of Paul's trip to Jerusalem. Your confusion arises from 3 oversights:

(1) your failure to distinguish Luke's disagreement with Paul's resolve from the disagreement of church leaders who discourage his planned visit (2) your failure to recognize that in the NT the phrase "in the spirit (19:21)" routinely means 'in the human spirit" as opposed to "in the Holy Spirit." Otherwise, 19:21 contradicts 21:4 by implying that the Holy Spirit contradicts Himself!
(3) your failure to recognize that Paul's disobedience of the Spirit's prohibition prevents Paul from fulfilling his mission to preach the Gospel to the ends of the known earth by evangelizing Spain (see Romans 15:23-28).

 

[Davy]

Davy: "You haven't understood the Scripture. In Acts 21, it was the apostles that told Paul not to go to Jerusalem, not The Holy Spirit nor Christ speaking directly to Paul. Don't confuse that."

I didn't confuse that. It's others here that are confusing it.

And I did... understand the Scripture, and even revealed the proof from Scripture that Paul had a calling from Jesus the others obviously didn't know about.

Acts 19:21
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'
KJV

Paul already knew he had to go to Jerusalem, from there be delivered up in Rome. If he had not gone to Jerusalem, he would not have been delivered up to Rome. He had a calling to go beforehand, and reveals this if you heed the Scripture...

Acts 20:22-25
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

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.
KJV

 

[Berserk]

Davy: "And I did... understand the Scripture, and even revealed the proof from Scripture that Paul had a calling from Jesus the others obviously didn't know about."

You keep ducking the point at issue: in 21:4 Luke expresses his disagreement with Paul's sense of calling to go to Jerusalem!

Acts 19:21 'After these things were ended, Paul purposed Y, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'

You also keep ducking the point that in the NT the expression "in the spirit" routinely means "in the human spirit."

 

[Davy]

Davy: "And I did... understand the Scripture, and even revealed the proof from Scripture that Paul had a calling from Jesus the others obviously didn't know about."

You keep ducking the point at issue: in 21:4 Luke expresses his disagreement with Paul's sense of calling to go to Jerusalem!

Acts 19:21 'After these things were ended, Paul purposed Y, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'

You also keep ducking the point that in the NT the expression "in the spirit" routinely means "in the human spirit."

No, I covered all that in my earlier posts. It's you that keeps ducking my responses in those posts and instead is trying to make up baloney.

Acts 23:11
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.'
KJV

You totally bypassed explaining that.

Also, if you want me to know when you respond to me, use the Reply feature instead of just putting up a colon with my name.

 

[Episkopos]

In Acts Paul tells the Ephesians that they will never see him again and that the Spirit has warned him that "imprisonment and persecutions" await him in Jerusalem (20:22-25). When the prophet Agabus warns Paul that imprisonment awaits him in Jerusalem, Paul declares that, if necessary, he is ready to die for Christ in Jerusalem. But what does his travel companion Luke think about Paul's resolve? Shockingly, Luke declares that Paul is disobeying the Holy Spirit by his insistence on going to Jerusalem: We looked up the disciples and stayed there [at Tyre] for 7 days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4)." Is Paul's disobedience of the Spirit's instruction the reason why a disheartened Luke chooses not to recount the story of Paul's martyrdom in Rome after his arrest in Jerusalem?

Paul feels called to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and Spain is the end of the earth in his understanding. So he is determined to evangelize Spain after he delivers the Gentile collection to the poor in Jerusalem (Romans 15:22-29). If he had heeded the Spirit's prohibition of his collection delivery to Jerusalem and sent one of his assistants to make that delivery, Paul might have fulfilled his complete missionary vision. Or at least that seems to be what Luke thought. Instead, Paul must content himself with some witnessing under guard in Rome (Acts 28:23ff.)

Paul is probably the most important and spiritually effective Christian who ever lived. How poignant and fascinating it is that a man who lived such a Spirit-guided life would ultimately make a decision that defied the will of the Holy Spirit! What hope then is there for us to live lives totally guided by the Spirit?

What do you think of this analysis?

I see Agabus as being off on this. He is right about what will happen to Paul. But he draws the wrong conclusion. He interpreted what he received from the Spirit as a warning for Paul not to go.

 

[Berserk]

Acts 23:11 "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.' KJV

Davy: "You totally bypassed explaining that."

Duh, that's because it's irrelevant to Luke's point. By 23:11 Paul has already gone to Jerusalem in defiance of the Holy Spirit's prohibition in 21:4! So a compassionate Jesus now resorts to Plan B and encourages him to testify in Rome while a prisoner. God does not cease using us when we fail to follow His guidance! And you keep ducking the point that Paul's error forfeits his chance to fulfill his calling to evangelize Spain.

Episcopos: "I see Agabus as being off on this. He is right about what will happen to Paul. But he draws the wrong conclusion. He interpreted what he received from the Spirit as a warning for Paul not to go."

The Holy Spirit's prohibition of Paul's plans in 21:4 has nothing to do with Agabus.