¹⁰As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” ¹²When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

Paul’s determination to visit Jerusalem was not to be sidetracked. As we mentioned before, the Spirit was not trying to hinder him from going but was warning him of what to expect when he got there. It was the people “begging” him not to go.

Paul stayed in Caesarea for “some days,” probably being ahead of schedule to arrive in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). He may have pictured the benevolence he was bringing as an offering of firstfruits of his gospel labors (see Acts 24:17).

Agabus was a prophet of the OT style who came to Caesarea from Judea, probably on the specific mission to speak to Paul. We met Agabus earlier, at the outset of Paul’s first mission tour in Acts 11, when he was prophesying in Antioch about a coming famine. Often the prophets would use visual symbolism to convey truth (see the antics in Isa. 20:2–3; Jer. 13, 19:1–15, 27:2; Ezek. 4:1–17). Modern educators recognize the value of visual aids in the learning and communication process, as an attention-getter and also as a memory device. God was making the message very clear and memorable—probably not so much for Paul’s sake, but to showcase Paul’s determination, resilience, and undeterred love for his fellow Jews in Israel as an example for all believers to follow.

The emotional outbursts of his companions and the believers in Caesarea challenged Paul’s determination, but he was not dissuaded. He resolved even more pointedly to continue to Jerusalem. In the end, they all gave up trying to convince him otherwise and fell back on the will of God. There was nothing more they could do. Paul did not have a martyr complex, but he would not allow the fear of death to hinder his commitment to the honor and glory of “the name of the Lord Jesus.”

O Lord Jesus, I desire above all else to glorify Your Name in my world.