The beginning portion of this chapter covers the journey Paul takes to Jerusalem and the people he encounters.
Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem despite warnings about what will happen. He receives warnings from people "through the Spirit" who urge him not to go. This is not the same thing as the Spirit telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Rather, it seems that the Spirit warned other people what will happen to Paul and they decide to urge him not to go.
Whether God wants Paul to go to Jerusalem or not is not stated. It seems to be this is Paul's initiative.
Paul also encounters another prophetic man who demonstrates to Paul what will happen by using Paul's belt. He grabs Paul's belt and says that Paul will be bound in Jerusalem.
At Caesarea, we find Philip the Evangelist again. He has settled down and now has four daughters who are all prophetic. It is kind of cool to get a postscript on Philip's life. Likewise, a lot of the Biblical people who had more supernatural ministries don't seem to settle down and have a relatively normal life. Philip seems to have done that.
In Jerusalem, Paul meets with James and the elders of the church. They warn Paul that the Jewish believers are concerned that Paul is teaching a total renunciation of the Jewish ways and customs. I had to reread what James said several times because the reports actually seem true. However, I think the issue revolves around the total renunciation of being Jewish.
This is supported by James' restatement of the Council of Jerusalem and that they did tell the Gentiles that they do not have to follow the Jewish laws but for four specific areas.
Paul goes to the temple and is mobbed by Jews who are angry at the reports.
He is being beaten when the Roman commander comes and takes Paul away.
At the Roman stronghold, Paul convinces the commander to let him speak to the crowd. He does so in Aramaic and recounts the familiar story of how he persecuted Christians until being blinded on the road to Damascus.
An interesting detail emerges from this recounting. It seems that Paul first saw Jesus while in a trance in Jerusalem. At this time, Jesus said that he will send Paul to the Gentiles. Regarding the time that he saw the blinding light, Paul still refers to it as a light that spoke to him and not as seeing Jesus.
Paul tells the story and the mob want to kill him. The commander decides to just flog Paul at which time Paul reveals his Roman citizenship. It would be unlawful to flog Paul as a Roman citizen without first giving him a trial.
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