Acts 18:19–21

He stopped at Ephesus, the capital of the province called Asia, and reasoned with some Jews in the synagogue there. The Scriptures — that is, the ones the Jews had at the time, what we call the Old Testament — were clearly known and taught even in that centre of idol worship. Those in that small group already knew God as Creator and Lawgiver, and the Messiah as the hope of Israel.

Paul was also allowed to speak in the synagogue at Damascus, where he showed the Jews that Jesus was the Son of God (Acts 9:20). Often afterwards he "reasoned" or "disputed" (in Greek, dialegomai) with the Jews in their synagogues (Acts 18:4, 19; Acts 19:8).

God gave the apostle Paul a special call to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even so, he never lost sight of the unique place God had given to Israel, His earthly people. So he wrote to the believers in Rome, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). In line with this testimony of God's ways, when Paul arrived at Ephesus, he went into the synagogue himself and reasoned with the Jews.

Apollos was a gifted speaker by nature — he was a master of words. Careful study had made him "mighty in the Scriptures." Yet when he came to Ephesus, he did not know much about what God had done in Christ. He knew only what had happened up to the time when John's baptism introduced Jesus. What he did know, he taught faithfully in the synagogue. Aquila and Priscilla heard him and saw at once what he was missing. They gladly welcomed him into their home, so they could teach him more fully about what had happened through Christ. So God used these believers, who had no public gift of their own, to launch a very gifted man into his life of service.

They welcomed him so warmly that they would gladly have kept him longer, so he could meet their need. But it is strange to find that he is not ready to stay… Whatever the reason, Jerusalem is in his heart, as what follows shows. He says nothing about keeping the feast. He hurries up from Caesarea, greets the believers there, and does not stay. We are not shown what, if anything, came of it. The visit he wanted so much leaves a strange sense of something missing.

Nothing is easier than this. People who are only half aware of their own serious faults are quick to point, with eagerness and self-satisfaction, at anything Paul did that came from his excessive attachment to the ancient people of God — and Paul was a servant of Christ, deeply taught and devoted… Is it not wiser and holier to see instead how the sweetest affections can entangle even the most faithful and spiritual? Then we watch ourselves, so that lesser affections do not drag us into far worse wrongdoing. We are far behind him in self-denial, in tireless work, and in suffering for Christ.

God called the apostle Paul in a special way to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Yet he never lost sight of the distinct place God had given to Israel, His earthly people. So when he wrote to the saints in Rome, he said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). Paul acted in line with this testimony of God's ways. When he arrived at Ephesus, "he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews" (Acts 18:19). The result of this first visit is that the Jews ask to hear more of Paul's ministry. Other concerns weighed on the apostle's heart, so he is not free to say yes. But he promises to come back again, if the Lord will.

Here he found such a response that they would gladly have delayed his departure. They wanted him to minister to their need. But it is indeed strange to find that he is not ready to stay. Why? … Jerusalem is in his heart, as we see from what follows. In any case the account here is brief, even hurried. One cannot see what is really accomplished.

No results of this are mentioned. Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem for a coming feast, so he left despite the invitation to stay. He promised to return if God so willed. The account does not say whether God was leading him to go to Jerusalem at this time.

Such statements as these test the heart of the readers. If vain or proud, irreverent or self-righteous, they will probably fall into the trap of thinking, and even speaking, disrespectfully of the great apostle. This damages their own souls and injures others. Nothing is easier than this. People barely aware of their own grave faults will eagerly and smugly point out acts of Paul that sprang from his excessive attachment to the ancient people of God. And Paul was a servant of Christ so deeply taught and devoted… Is it not wiser and holier to see how the sweetest affections may entangle even the most faithful and spiritual, and to watch ourselves?

Now this will certainly involve giving up our own will, our own plans, our own management altogether. We must follow the cloud; we must wait always — wait only on God. We cannot say, "We shall go here or there, do this or that, tomorrow or next week." Every move we make must come under the regulating power of one commanding sentence — one we often write and speak far too lightly — "If the Lord will."

When he moved on, Paul had his two friends with him, and when he felt unable to remain at Ephesus, he left them there… During their eighteen months with the Lord's servant they had clearly learned much of the truth. When Apollos came to Ephesus, "Priscilla and Aquila… took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." Apollos was an eloquent and fervent Jew of Alexandria, mighty in the Scriptures. He spoke boldly in the synagogue about the things of the Lord as far as he knew them. But the Lord used two devoted and unassuming saints at Ephesus to open up to him truth he had never learned before.

The record a little later tells us that he did soon return to Ephesus, for one of the most blessed services even of his wonderful life.

With this long stay in Corinth Paul's second journey drew to its end. He left for Jerusalem and Antioch by way of Ephesus, where his stay was only short. He promised to return, "if God wills." That God did will it, we see in the next chapter.

It is well known that the clause within the brackets is not in the manuscripts of the highest character, though plenty of good authority supports it… The truth is that both may be true. Verse 21, if genuine, states what he meant to do in Jerusalem, though we are not told that he did it. Verse 22 lets us know that his heart had other objects before him than the purpose he had mentioned to the Jews of Ephesus. And the history that follows tells us that he did soon return to Ephesus for one of the most blessed services even of his wonderful life.

We see how far he was still bound to Jewish customs. He takes a vow and shaves his head in Cenchrea. He feels obliged in his heart to keep the feast at Jerusalem, and he gives this to the Jews at Ephesus as his reason for not staying in their city at that time. He is a true Jew, and acts like one. The Spirit records these facts so that we may understand the bonds which still held the spirit of the apostle. The state of a soul about its religious habits is one thing; the energy of the Spirit of God in declaring the truth is another.

The second thing we notice is that Paul should have shaved his head and taken a vow upon himself. Soon afterwards he told the Ephesian believers that he must push on to Jerusalem to keep the coming feast. Put the two together, and it is, to say the least, unexpected from the writer of the letter to the Galatians.

If vain or proud, irreverent or self-righteous, they will probably fall into the trap of thinking and even speaking disrespectfully about the great apostle. That damages their own souls and injures others… It is easy also to forget where they got the means of judging him in this matter: his own inspired writings, more than all other sources put together… Is it not a wiser and a holier conclusion to see how the sweetest kind of affections may entangle even the most faithful and spiritual?

Now this will certainly involve the surrender of our own will, our own plans, our own management altogether. We must follow the cloud. We must wait always — wait only upon God. We cannot say, "We shall go here or there, do this or that, tomorrow, or next week." One commanding sentence must govern all our movements — one we too often write and speak lightly — "If the Lord wills."

When we speak of the future, it is a healthy habit always to add, "if the Lord wills and we live." This is pleasing in His sight. It is a testimony of our submission to Him and our dependence on Him. Otherwise it is the boasting, self-glorying of the self-secure world, which boasts and plans without thinking of God and His will.

Guided by God again, the apostles remained, and met with great success. Human wisdom, it was plain, had no place in all this. So how necessary is God's direction and the Holy Spirit's oversight! Even an apostle could be mistaken about the field of work he should take up.