Verses 1-14
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Verse 5. Believers will provide refuge and support for you in your travels. Make friends of believers everywhere possible. And pray with believers and friends often.
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Verse 4, 10-12. The Spirit had revealed to these disciples, including Agabus, that Paul was going to be persecuted if he went up to Jerusalem.
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This is why they didn't want him to go. Paul already knew that he was going to be persecuted, but he was determined to go regardless (Acts 20:22-24). This didn't move him.
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If he went, it was as if he was knowingly walking into persecution, which didn't seem right to many. But Paul knew that it was right, and stayed true to his decision. God also approved of Paul's journey and work in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11).
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Know your own decisions, make sure they're godly, and stick to them.
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And understand that inevitable hardship is not a good reason not to take a certain action. Don't be afraid of hardship.
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Verse 14. There will be times when believers will disagree on what the right decision is. Regardless, let people make their own decisions and trust that God's will will be done, because it always is.
Verses 15-19
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Tell other believers about God's work in your life. This is encouraging to others and brings glory to God.
Verses 20-26
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Even though it was true that Paul preached that people should not be circumcised or to keep the law in order to be saved, certain Jews had exaggerated Paul's teaching, and thought that Paul was telling them to totally forsake the law of Moses. That part Paul never taught. Paul still respected the law of Moses and wanted to respect Jewish customs also.
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Verses 23-26. So, in order to avoid offending the Jews and to avoid being accused of improper behavior, if possible, Paul submitted himself to Jewish customs for entering the temple (Acts 24:17-18). See 1 Corinthians 9:20.
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Respect and submit to the laws and customs of the people who you're trying to reach.
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As long as you're not disobeying anything in the Word, if you respect people's customs and traditions, they will be much more likely to respect you, which will give you their ears when you want to preach the gospel.
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Verses 27-30
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Paul's efforts to properly enter the temple, although important, did not succeed in preventing the people from persecuting him.
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The reason was that Paul was previously spotted in Jerusalem alongside a Gentile believer. The Jews assumed that Paul had brought this Gentile into the temple, when Paul never did this. It was against the law to bring a Gentile into the temple.
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But even though he was still persecuted, Paul's proper behavior still worked to defend him when he was later accused in court (Acts 24:12-20). Paul was confident about his behavior, and he knew that the Jews could not prove anything they accused him of.
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Understand that even when you do everything you can to avoid offense, there will still be people who find excuses to do you harm. Don't worry about this. Only be concerned about keeping your integrity and respecting the laws of the people surrounding you, and this will defend you in times of need.
Verses 31-40
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Even after being beaten by the Jews and bound in chains by a Roman commander, Paul took advantage of this moment of calm to preach to the people who were beating him only moments ago.
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Paul was not afraid of the crowds. Do not be afraid to preach the gospel to anyone. It is important that all kinds of people hear the Word of God.
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