18-23 Paul, Priscilla,
and Aquila leave Corinth
Verse 18: After a lengthy stay in Corinth, Paul departs. Luke first mentions the destination – Syria – then recounts the itinerary of the trip. Priscilla and Aquila travel with Paul. In Cenchrea, Paul takes on a vow (a solemn promise to God), possibly a Nazarite vow. He shears his hair, presumably to let it grow for the period of time of the vow. This is perhaps also connected to his going to a feast in Jerusalem.
Cenchrea was the port nearest Corinth,
perhaps within five miles. The modern Cenchrea is a village known as Kechries.
Phebe is described as “a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans
16:1). When the church at Cenchrea was constituted in not mentioned in Luke’s
history, but during the long time Paul was at Corinth seems likely.
Verse 19: First, they sail east across
the Aegean Sea and stop at Ephesus. As his manner was, Paul visits the
synagogue and there reasoned with the Jews about Jesus being the Christ. Here
also he will leave behind Priscilla and Aquilla as he continues his journey.
Verses 20-21: Unlike some other places,
the Jews in Ephesus, rather than opposing Paul, desire that he would spend more
time teaching about the Messiah. However, Paul cannot agree; he has a goal and
must depart. “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem” –
missing in the modern critical texts and modern translations based on them –
explains why Paul must cut short his journey. Before sailing away, he promises
to return “if God will.” The faithful Christian learns and comes to understand that,
above and beyond our goals and plans, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do
this, or that” (cf. James 4:13-17).
Verse 22: Crossing the Mediterranean
Sea, Paul lands at the port of Cæsarea. From there he goes to Jerusalem, to keep
the feast and salute the church. “gone up” often expresses travel to Jerusalem
(cf. Acts 15:2: 21:4, 12; 25:9; Luke 9:51; 18:31; Mark 10:32), and getting to
Jerusalem by the time of the feast was the goal he mentioned (v. 21).[1]
What feast this may have been is unclear. The three major feasts for which
Israelite males returned to Jerusalem were the feast of unleavened bread
(Passover), the feast of weeks (Pentecost), and the feast of tabernacles. See Exodus
23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16. Passover is perhaps the most likely to be referred to
as “the feast.” John Gill writes:
…this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: which perhaps was the Passover, since that often went by the name of the feast: the why he must by all means keep it, was not because it was obligatory upon him; nor did he always observe it, as appears from his long stay at Corinth, and other places; and besides, as a Christian, he had nothing to do with it; but either because of his vow, (Acts 18:18) or because he knew he should have an opportunity of preaching the Gospel to great numbers…[2]
From Jerusalem Paul travels back to Antioch Syria (v. 18), to the church from whence he had been recommended to the grace of God for the work.
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