I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Acts 21-22

As Paul was traveling to Jerusalem, several prophets warned that he would be imprisoned if he went there.  Paul expressed a willingness to be imprisoned, and even to die, in service to Christ.  We should emulate Paul in this.  However, at no point in his account does Luke explain to us why Paul felt that he had to go to Jerusalem.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit was directing Paul to Jerusalem. or perhaps Paul was going to Jerusalem for his own reasons.  We should be willing to do God’s will even if it means persecution and suffering, but we need not seek out persecution and suffering.  Having said that, sometimes the fact that persecution and suffering will result from certain actions is evidence that God desires us to take those actions.  Which is complicated by the fact that sometimes the reverse is true.  We should not seek out persecution and suffering for their own sake, but we should embrace them when they result from doing God’s will.  In summary, I am not convinced that it was God’s will for Paul to go to Jerusalem to be arrested, but Paul was not acting counter to God’s will by going to Jerusalem.