Acts 21:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

NIV: He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

NASB: Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.

CSB: This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

NLT: He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

KJV: And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

NKJV: Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

We know Paul, Luke, and several men from the churches Paul planted (Acts 20:4) are headed to Jerusalem. The men are bringing donations to the Jerusalem church from their own congregations in modern-day Turkey and Macedonia (Romans 15:26). Paul is compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem where he knows he will be imprisoned (Acts 20:22–24). Along their way, they stop in Caesarea.. It seems reasonable to think Philip's daughters do tell the rest of the church that Paul will be arrested. In the next breath, Luke says Agabus, the famous prophet from Acts 11:28–30, arrives and foretells the same thing.

The church in Caesarea, like Paul's companions, misunderstand the prophecy. The Holy Spirit is not directing them to rescue Paul from hardship. God is giving them the opportunity to encourage Paul as he prepares to face hardship.

The Bible makes no qualms about women prophets. Huldah validated the Law for King Josiah and prophesied God's judgment against rebellious Judah (2 Kings 22:14–20). Anna met the baby Jesus (Luke 2:36–38). Paul gave instructions to women prophetesses in 1 Corinthians 11:5. There are biblical debates about whether prophets still exist and the difference between speaking conviction versus forecasting the future. However, there is no question that at times, God chose women to be prophets.

Acts 21:7–16 records Paul and his companions stopping in Caesarea Maritima. They are there briefly with the evangelist Philip before finally arriving in Jerusalem. For months, now, the Holy Spirit has warned Paul that when he reaches Jerusalem, he will be imprisoned and afflicted (Acts 20:22–23). The church in Tyre tried to stop him from going; the church in Caesarea will beg him. Paul reorients their concerns: Jesus comes first and if Jesus wants him to be imprisoned, he will serve his Savior in prison. The Holy Spirit's influence is meant to prepare Paul, not discourage him.

In Acts 21, Paul returns to Judea from his third missionary journey and promptly gets arrested. He begins by visiting Philip in Caesarea Maritima. Church elders in Jerusalem ask Paul to help men fulfill a Nazirite vow, to dispel rumors he has apostatized his Jewishness. While doing so, Ephesian Jews accuse Paul of bringing one of his Gentile Ephesian companions into the temple. The Roman military tribune keeps the enraged crowd from tearing Paul limb from limb by arresting him.

Acts 21 fulfills the fears of many of Paul's friends. Throughout the last part of his third missionary journey the Holy Spirit has been telling him he will be arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23–25). When Paul reacts to dire personal prophecy, the Jesus-followers in Caesarea Maritima try to stop him from going on (Acts 21:8–14). Through a complicated trail of rumors, lies, and wrong assumptions, things go according to the Holy Spirit's foreknowledge and Roman soldiers arrest Paul. He will face the next 5 years in custody in Caesarea and Rome, but he will spread Jesus' story the entire time (Acts 22—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.