Acts 21:15-18. "And after those days, we took up our carriages, and went to Jerusalem. There went with us, also, certain of the disciples of Cæsarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge." At Jerusalem, not so much as a house, to harbour them, could they have been assured of, but for this old disciple--fellow countryman, of Paul's old patron, the Son of Consolation, Barnabas. Not even with him could they have been assured of this token of friendship, had he not either been already of their party, or detached himself to meet them, and afford them the assurance: although, at Cæsarea,--from some cause, of which, while the effect is brought to view, no intimation is given,--they were fortunate enough to obtain a hospitable reception, Acts 21:8, at the house of Philip. This, however, be it observed, was not Philip, the Apostle, whether it may have been Philip, styled here the Evangelist:--one of the seven trustees, or directors, Acts 6:5, to whom, with his six colleagues, under the name, so inexpressively rendered, in the English, by the word _Deacons_,--the management of the common fund had, by the suffrages of the disciples, been committed, must be left to conjecture. 17. "And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren," Acts 21:17, "received _us_ gladly." What _brethren_? The Apostles, or any one of them? no: The elders? no. Who then?--Who, but such of the members of the Church, as, notwithstanding the general repugnancy,--as testified at Tyre, and afterwards, by prophet Agabus, at Cæsarea,--could, by the influence of the Cypriot Mnason, or otherwise, be prevailed upon to see them. And, _to_ whom was it, that this sort of reception, whatsoever it was, was afforded? Was it to Paul? No: it was to _those_, who, on other occasions, were with _him_; but, with _whom_, on this occasion, his prudence forced his pride to submit to be. Witness the next verse, Acts 21:18; "And the day following," not till the day following, "Paul went in with us unto James." _With them_--with these his attendants--did Paul, then and there, go in:--not _they with him_. At the house of James--mark well, now--who were the persons present? Answer--"all the elders." But, forasmuch as these elders were, _all_ of them, present,--notice, within the compass of the two fragments of two days,--notice, to and by all of them must have been given and received: for it has just been seen, whether, between any of them, on the one hand,--and Paul, or, so much as any one of his attendants, on the other,--there could have been any such sort of good understanding, as to have produced any the least personal intercourse, but at, and on, the occasion of the general and formal meeting:--a meeting, which--as will be seen presently--had, for its sole object, the imposing upon him, in the event of his continuance at Jerusalem, an obligation: an obligation--to a man in his circumstances--it has been seen, of how perilous and repulsive a nature.