21:5,6
After they had spent a week with them, they all went with to say farewell to Paul and his companions. Whole families went, indicating that whole households were converted to Christ. Again we have reference to them kneeling down to pray. Kneeling to pray is a good posture to adopt. The “correct” posture does not ensure right prayers, but it does help. It helps us to adopt the right attitude in our minds, one of reverence and humility. Finally they boarded the ship and went on their way.
21:7-9
This is quite a cruise ship! The next stop was Ptolemais, where they again greeted the disciples there. There was just a one day stopover here. Next was Caesarea, and we are getting on to more well known Biblical territory. There they met Philip the evangelist, one of the seven chosen to “serve at tables” (see Acts 6 and 8). He had four daughters and they all prophesied. Back in Acts 2:17,18 Peter had quoted from Joel 2:28 about sons and daughters prophesying. This was quite unusual in those days, but God’s Spirit is poured out on all. Cessationists sometimes argue that the gifts were there to affirm the apostles and so are no longer valid. This has always seemed to be something of a stretch to me (ok, totally without Biblical foundation), and here is an example where it is difficult to see what Philip’s daughters prophesying has to do with affirming the apostles. As they were virgin daughters, and given that marriage tended to occur at a young age in those times, it is likely that the daughters were quite young.
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