Paul's Adherence to His Resolution to Visit Jerusalem; Acts 21:1-16 Part 3

Church History: Date: A.D. 53–57

The disciples of Tyre, though they were none of Paul's converts, yet they showed great respect for him. Though they had only been with him for seven days, yet it was, as if he had been some great man, they all came together, with their wives and children, solemnly to take leave of him, to beg his blessing, and to bring him as far on his way as the sea would permit them.
They parted with prayer, as Paul and the Ephesians elders had done.

We left one another, with affectionate embraces and expressions of love and grief. We boarded the ship and left, and they returned home again, each complaining that this is a parting world. When they arrived at Ptolemais, Paul asked for leave to go ashore there, to salute the brethren, to enquire of their state, and to testify his good will to them; though he could not stay long with them, yet he would not pass by them without paying his respects to them, and he stayed with them one day, perhaps it was a Lord's day; better a short stay than no visit at all.7
When Paul and his company arrived at Cæsarea, he planned to stay awhile because this was the place where the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, and the Holy Spirit fell upon them. Their host was Philip the evangelist, whom we left at Cæsarea many years ago, after he had baptized the eunuch (Acts 8:40), and there we now find him again. He was originally a deacon, one of the seven that were chosen to serve tables, (Acts 6:5). He was now and had long been an evangelist. He was the one that went about to plant and water churches, as the apostles did. He gave himself, as they did, to the word and prayer. He had used the office of a deacon well. He had a house at Cæsarea, fit to entertain Paul and all his company, and he told them that they were welcome to it. They entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, and they stayed with him. Philip had four maiden daughters, who prophesied. It intimates that they prophesied of Paul's troubles at Jerusalem, as others had done, and dissuaded him from going; or perhaps they prophesied for his comfort and encouragement, in reference to the difficulties that were before him.