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Acts
  
E - PAUL'S IMPRISONMENT IN JERUSALEM AND IN CAESAREA (ACTS 21:15-26:32)

1. Paul arrives in Jerusalem and tells the brothers about his ministry (Acts 21:15-20)
15And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem.16Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.17And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.19When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.


The partners in travel rushed from the shore of the Mediterranean to the heights of the mountains of Jerusalem, and spent the night with a Cypriot named Mnason, who was probably a friend of Barnabas and an early member of the community of the saints, who expectantly awaited the coming of his Lord. From this man Luke, undoubtedly, heard many details about the miracles of the Holy Spirit since the founding of the church.
At last Christ’s triumphal procession arrived in the glorious city of Jerusalem, where they spent the night with brothers and friends, who delighted to hear of the works of the living Lord throughout the whole world. They magnified him for bringing many nations into membership in His church. The members that supported preaching to the Gentiles had not passed away from the Jerusalem church. But these men were few in comparison with those of the legalistic sector, which was filled with misguided enthusiasm for the law.
The next day Paul and his company went to see James, the brother of Jesus, and the Jerusalem church elders. We do not know if Peter and John were present at that time in Jerusalem. Luke accompanied Paul, together with the company that represented all the European and Asian churches. They delivered the generous contributions they had gathered from their churches as a gift to the troubled church of Jerusalem. Amazingly, Luke does not write a word about the delivery of this contribution. He considered money to be of secondary importance, which was not worth mentioning. People were more important than money. The Gentile believers, in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt, were the greatest wonder. The sacrifice flowing from their love appeared as a guarantee of Christ’s triumph in them.
In the presence of gentile witnesses Paul spoke of the works of Christ in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, Troas, Ephesus, etc. He magnified the power of Him who was raised from the dead, who made saints out of sinners, and who made those who were not His people to be His people. The legalists could only live in accord with rituals of law, which were intended to safeguard from this world. The gentile believers, however, were tangible proof of the working power of Christ, which was bringing eternal salvation even to the heathen nations.