The Bible is filled with the names of minor characters, one of whom is Agabus who twice appears seemingly out of nowhere with a message from God. The first of these occasions is in Acts 11 and the second occurs in Acts 21. In addition, Grogan mentions that a much later church tradition included Agabus among those sent out in Acts10:1 and taught that he was eventually martyred.
Beale discusses one of the key terms found in the first two of these references: “symaino can overlay with the more general and abstract idea of 'make known' in the sense of 'indicate,' 'declare,' 'be manifest.' But its more concrete and at least equally common sense is 'show by a sign'...Both the abstract and concrete senses are found in the LXX [i.e. Septuagint]. Of its five other NT occurrences [in addition to Revelation 1:1], two have the sense of 'make known' (Acts 11:18; 25:27), though one (Acts 11:28) may have the nuance of symbolic information (if it is parallel with the prophetic mode of symbolic revelation by the same prophet in Acts 21:10-11)...”
Acts 11:27 We may rightly wonder where Agabus came from. S.E. Johnson points out that although there are few specifically named prophets in the NT “Prophets were numerous in the early church (see...1 Cor. 12:28-29).”
“Very early in the history of the church, people known as prophets are recognized and given leadership in the believing community. We find some prophets having an itinerant ministry (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10) while others function as part of the ongoing leadership of the congregation (Acts 13:1; 15:22, 32).” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)
And another anonymous article in DBI states: “The term prophet appears fourteen other times [in addition to naming specific prophets] in the NT in reference to contemporary prophets, usually in the plural, suggesting that prophecy was a common part of the experiences of early Christians.”
But in marked contrast to the Old Testament prophets, “The prophets of the [NT] community do not make any independent contribution to the prophecy; their function is to teach (cf. the teaching of the false prophetess in Rev. 2:24)...The evidence of Acts 11:28 and 21:11 does not support the idea of the prophets producing utterances in the name of the historical Jesus; rather Agabus speaks here by the Spirit.” (C. Brown)
Acts 11:28 This famine is confirmed in Josephus' Antiquities 20:2, where he states that 46-47 AD was
the worst for Jerusalem. Although the famine was not widespread, such inclusive language as “all the
world” is used elsewhere in Acts. That means that the famine was probably after Herod's death in 44
AD, not before, thus demonstrating that the order of events in the Bible is not always chronological,
but may be according to a literary scheme. Thus, we can propose the symmetrical arrangement below:
A. Mission of mercy to Jerusalem Church (11:27-30)
B. Herod's persecution (12:1-4)
C. Church prays for Peter's release (12:5)
D. Angel releases Peter (12:6-11)
C'. Peter appears to the church (12:12-17)
B'. Herod's fate (12:18-23)
A'. Mission of mercy concluded (12:24-25)
The difficult of pinning down the exact chronology of this event is explained by Bruce: “It is not clear
how long before the famine Agabus's prediction was made. Probably the Antiochene Christians set
aside money systematically until the time of need actually came...”
Acts 11:29-30 “The prophecy of Agabus stirred up loving generosity among the saints in Antioch, who
knew that the Judean brethren would be the chief sufferers, so that each gave according to his ability – a
principle afterward to be established on a wider scale in 2 C. 8:9.” (Trencherd)
Acts 21:10 “Barrrett...refers to and rightly rejects A. Ehrhardt's hypothesis that Agabus followed Paul
like Elisha follows Elijah while the latter predicts his imminent departure.” (Marshall)
Acts 21:11 Marshall points to the Old Testament prophets who also often acted symbolically and cites
such texts as I Kings 11:19-40; Isaiah 8:1-4; 20:1-2; Jeremiah 13:1-11; 19:10-13; and Ezekiel 4-5, but
notes that “there is no precise parallel to his specific action (the closest is Jeremiah wearing a yoke on
his own neck to symbolize subjection to Nebuchadnezzar [Jer. 27]).”
Selter agrees with this assessment and adds: “In Acts 21:11 Agabus (like the prophets of the OT; cf. Isa.
20:21, Jer. 13:1ff.) carried out a symbolic action with Paul's girdle (a long cloth worn about the waist),
to indicate the coming arrest of Paul. 'The accompanying word of interpretation Thus says the Holy
Spirit! corresponds to the OT Thus says Yahweh!...”
“Luke's concern...is not so much with the fulfillment of Agabus' prophecy as with the generous
response of Antioch's church...They gave each according to his ability, just as the Jerusalem believers
had previously distributed 'to anyone as he had need' (2:4; 4:35). I have often wondered if Marx knew
these two passages and bracketed them in his mind.” (Stott) It would not be at all unlikely since early
Marxism has often been rightly labeled by historians as a Christian heresy.
Acts 21:11-12 Some feel that Paul was going against the clear prophecy he was given by going on to
Jerusalem. However, Harris explains: “It is noteworthy that Agabus's subsequent prophecy at Caesarea
(Acts 21:11) that predicts Paul's suffering in Jerusalem and begins 'Thus says the Holy Spirit' does not
include an injunction or exhortation to Paul not to go to Jerusalem.” He suggests that verse 12 “may be
paraphrased thus: 'Prompted by a prediction of the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.'”
Acts 21:13 Stott notes that Paul's words in this verse “are almost identical with Peter's: 'Lord, I am
ready to go with you to prison and to death.' The difference was that in the event Peter had faltered and
failed (though in the end he suffered and died for Christ), whereas Paul was true to his word.”
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