There are certain passages of Scripture that I think I will always be curious about.  Acts 21 is one of those passages.  Verse 4 says that some disciples pleaded with Paul through the Spirit not to return to Jerusalem but Paul felt led by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem.  Let’s look together at this passage today.   

After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

So who was wrong?  Was it really the Spirit speaking to both Paul and the group of other believers?  Did the believers receive a message from God but misinterpret it?  This is probably the most common interpretation of this passage.  So if we have a sense that God is speaking to us, how do we ensure that we get the right message.  First we must compare our message to what we know of God from Scripture.  Then we must decide if we are really trusting in God.  Perhaps the Spirit was warning these disciples of danger and they did not trust God to use the situation for good.  God often does His very best work through challenging and difficult situations.  The God also speaks through our own desires when we are truly seeking His will in our lives.  Paul was willing and ready to die for the gospel.  Above all He wanted to follow God’s will.  I pray that we might all be as sensitive as Paul to the leading of God’s Spirit in our lives. 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave