In Acts 21:1-6, we find the apostle Paul approaching the end of his third missionary journey. Paul’s travels up to this point had brought him through many hardships along the way. Demetrius the silversmith, in his opposition to the gospel, had nearly incited a riot in Ephesus, producing a very threatening situation for the apostle and his companions. Additionally, at various other points along the path of this missionary journey, the Jews who opposed the gospel lay in wait for Paul, making travel very dangerous. Now, what is it, do you think, that would cause this dear Christian to subject himself to such dangers and troubles in order to encourage his fellow believers in far away places, and spread the gospel to those who had not yet heard? I believe the answer is love! We read in 1 John 4:7,8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one who loves is born of God, and knows God. He who loves not knows not God, for God is love.”
Paul, motivated by the love of God, was steadfast in encouraging the saints and spreading the precious seed of the gospel wherever he went. In Acts 19:21, we read that the dear apostle became convinced that he must return to Judea and go to Jerusalem. According to Acts 20:22-24, Paul was made well aware by the Holy Spirit that trials awaited him at Jerusalem, but he remained firm in his conviction that he must go there, come what may:“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, that I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul knew very well that trouble was before him if he went to Jerusalem. Bonds and affliction awaited him at the least; but for the love of God in his heart, and his desire to finish his course with joy, he was determined to press on.
After praying with the elders of the Ephesians at Miletus (Acts 20), Paul boarded a ship and sailed for the seaport city of Tyre in Syria:“And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara; and finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth” (21:1,2).
Tyre was an ancient seaport city on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was from this port that, in Old Testament times, ships had brought the cedars of Lebanon that were ultimately delivered to Solomon for the house of God. Ships carrying cargoes from Africa, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor had sailed to this port for centuries carrying goods to be traded, and caravans from the far and middle east brought trade goods to be exchanged in this city making this a great center of commerce. With all the mingling of people and different cultures from all over the known world, the city had a reputation for worldliness. It was into this scene that the apostle sailed on his ship which was scheduled to unload its cargo at Tyre:“Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unlade her burden” (21:3).
Paul needed to go on to Caesarea, but as no ship was apparently headed that direction right away, Paul and his companions disembarked and went into the city. I think it is important to note that in spite of the many and varied attractions that such a city may have afforded to men of the world, these saints preferred the company of the people of God:“And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days” (21:4). What a joy it must have been for Paul and his company to find believers in such a worldly place as Tyre! Have you ever found those of like precious faith in places where you did not expect to meet them? Many times as I have traveled over the years, my heart has been cheered to find believers in many distant places, and what an encouragement it has always been to enjoy together, if even for a brief time, the wonderful things of Christ! I don’t know whether Paul previously knew these Christians at Tyre or whether this was a first meeting, but the immediate bond of love between these brothers and sisters in Christ was quite evident. The apostle and his companions tarried with these disciples seven days, and one can only imagine how they occupied the time. I am sure there were meetings for the teaching of God’s Word and prayer; I am guessing too that they had time to remember the Lord together on the Lord’s Day (compare 20:7). What a blessing it must have been for them to enjoy together the fellowship that Christians have in Christ; is that not a foretaste of glory?
That bond of love between Christians was evident in several ways. First of all, the believers in Tyre, when they found out that Paul had in mind to go to Jerusalem, faithfully expressed the message that the Holy Spirit laid on their hearts, even though this message seemed contrary to the apostle’s plans. I believe their motivation included their sincere concern for the apostle’s safety. We read in verse 4 that the disciples of Tyre “said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” Paul loved his fellow Christians enough to go on a dangerous and arduous journey all through the middle east in part to encourage and bless them, and this love extended to the saints and his countrymen in Jerusalem where he was determined to go, yet where his life would be in great danger. The saints in Tyre loved and cared enough for the apostle that they did not want to see him come to harm, and this love caused them to speak the truth that the Spirit of God gave them, even though that message must have been difficult to deliver.
But in the end, Paul remained convinced that he must go to Jerusalem despite the dangers, and now he received the blessing and support of all the saints in this meeting:“And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city:and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed” (21:5). Is not this a beautiful picture of the love of God that brethren should have for one another? Note that the apostle held no disdain toward the Christians at Tyre for daring to give him a word from the Holy Spirit that was contrary to his own desires and plans. By the same token, the folks at Tyre were not miffed at Paul’s rejection of their warnings. The loving humility expressed on both sides is impressive.
On the day that Paul planned to leave Tyre and continue his journey to Jerusalem, with great troubles and trials awaiting him there, it must have cheered and comforted his heart greatly to have the entire assembly turn out to conduct him and his companions on their way! Not only the elders accompanied him, but all the Christians of the place, the men, women, the boys, and the girls came along! All of them left the city with Paul and walked with him down to the sea. I can almost imagine the scene—the smell of the salt breeze blowing inland, sea gulls calling, and the waves rolling rhythmically up onto the beach. Out in the harbor, perhaps the ship that Paul and his friends meant to board lay bobbing at its moorings. There upon that beach the entire company of believers knelt down in the sand and prayed together. Those prayers, I am sure, went both ways. Paul was undoubtedly praying for his beloved fellow believers in Tyre, and they were most certainly praying for him and the journey before him. This is how all the plans of the saints should be conducted, don’t you agree?
I am confident that as Paul took his leave of these Christians of Tyre, and as the assembly dusted off the sand from their knees and began to walk back to the city, the bond of love between them all remained strong, though they might not have expected to meet on earth again. Also, the prayers for one another were, I expect, frequent over time as a continual evidence of that love.
My dear brethren, the bond of love between us as believers is deeper and more abiding than the bonds between family members according to the flesh. Perhaps there are those of His children that God has privileged us to encounter only briefly while in this scene, yet what an encouragement we can be to them and they to us as we share together the precious things of Christ, and as we continually lift one another up in prayer. We may not be in the position of laying down our lives in the service of the Lord as Paul seemed to be faced with, but let us not fail to love one another.
Remember the Word of God in 1 John 4, “Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God.” All real love finds its source in God, for God is love. God so loved us that he gave His only begotten Son that we might have life in Him. We read in 1 John 4:10,11:“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
It is the love of God for one another that will cause us to seek to encourage and bless the saints, even when it means going out of our way. It is the love of God that causes Christians to seek out the fellowship of believers rather than the glittering attractions of this world. In Hebrews 10:25,26 we are exhorted, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” It is the love of God that causes us to pray for one another, even for those in distant places:“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph. 6:18). My dear brethren, let us love one another!