Chapter 30- Paul's Final Days
As I was reading this week's chapter, the portion about Agabus prophesying that Paul would be bound by his own belt gave me cause for pause. In Acts 21, a prophet foretells that the "'Jews at Jerusalem (shall) bind the man who owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” He speaks these words as he is holding Paul's girdle (belt).
Those with Paul who heard this prophecy begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. As the rest of Acts tells us, Paul does go to Jerusalem where he is jailed and beaten, but continues to preach the gospel.
What stuck me about this passage was how in some ways it paralleled an episode in Christ's life when Jesus foretold of his death on the cross and Peter responded by telling the God of the universe that it wasn't going to happen! (Matthew 16)
That got me to thinking about unsolicited advice. In both instances neither Jesus nor Paul looked to others for advice. They had their marching orders from God and because of that, there was no need to discuss further. Christ told Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan", and Paul "would not be dissuaded".
Although seeking counsel from other Christians is not an unwise thing to do, ultimately a person is required to follow God's leading. Period. End of story. Final answer.
On a side note: Although my search was cursory at best, I could not find any scripture references that even encourage Christians to seek the counsel of other Christians. Hmmm. . .
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