Acts 21

"For I am ready ... even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (v13). Paul believed that "to live is Christ, to die is gain". He was known for befriending unclean Gentiles and teaching them God's ways, so going to Jerusalem was dangerous. The most zealous law-keepers, both those who believed Christ and those who didn't, objected to Paul. He went to the Temple to fulfill a vow, but instead caused an uproar.

The ancient world, like our own, preferred everyone to stay in their own subculture. Jesus breaks down the wall, uniting those the world divides (Eph 2:14).