Paul on Malta (Acts 28:1-10)

Most travellers today go to Malta on a plane, or on a cruise ship. Many interesting locations are suggested as places of interest, including taking bus tours to the spots where Paul is assumed to have been. While it is useful to look at where he had been, it is more helpful to read what happened, and the only place we can do so is in these few verses. Yet a lot happened.

First, the local people took care of them. After all, it is not every day that two hundred and seventy-six people come ashore as they did. Luke points out that the kindness shown to them was unusual, perhaps because they were not a threat. The good doctor takes care to mention that Paul helped gather sticks for the bonfire.

 

Second, the local people were astonished that Paul survived being bitten by a viper. Initially, they assumed that he was a murderer whom the gods had caught up with. Those gods had not been able to destroy him in the storm, but they now had managed to do so. At least, that is what they thought. But as with all superstitious people, they jumped to the opposite conclusion when Paul suffered no ill effects and they proclaimed that he was one of the gods.

 

Third, a local dignitary called Publius entertained them for three days. Paul visited the father of Publius and after praying for him healed him of a fever. If this was the fever known to have been common in Malta, it usually lasted for several months, or even a couple of years. The outcome was that many other sick people came to Paul, and he healed them as well (it is noteworthy that Luke the doctor was not involved in those healings; rather he verified that they had happened). So it is not surprising that when the company left on another ship, the Maltese gave them provisions for the sail to Rome.

 

I suppose that a question is, why does Luke mention those three incidents? We need to remind ourselves again that he is describing the activities of Jesus and here his activities through Paul. Jesus enabled the Maltese through his common grace to welcome the arrivals; Jesus through his grace prevented the bite of the viper from poisoning Paul; and Jesus through his grace healed many people through Paul, including the local dignitary’s father.

 

Another reason is to realise that just because something bad happens to a person it does not mean that a person is bad. The viper may have looked like a stick; and, after all, Paul had issues with his eyesight. It was superstitious for the Maltese to assume that Paul had done something bad. The fact is, we don’t know why Jesus allows to happen the things that happen.

 

A third reason is that Jesus had planned to commence a church in Malta. Luke tells us that Paul was there for three months, waiting for a ship to sail to Rome. Three months was ample time for Paul to get a church set up, longer than he spent in some other places. The storm had been sent for many reasons, but the commencement of a church in Malta was one of them.

A Mediterranean Sail (Acts 26)

Luke describes in some detail the initial sea journey from Caesarea to Myra in Lycia (the ship sailed past modern-day Israel and part of Lebanon and then along the coast of southern Turkey). In Myra, they changed ships and boarded one that was heading to Rome. The plan was to sail past Crete to Sicily and then north along the west coast of Italy to Rome. 

They had been held up on the first part of the journey, which meant that winter was approaching. It would be dangerous to try and sail to Rome, but despite Paul’s warning about the likely loss of everything, the decision was made to go. Paul’s warning here was not based on a secret message from God, but on his awareness of the sea in winter. However, the centurion was probably under orders to get to Rome as quickly as possible, and the boat’s owners would have wanted to deliver their cargo quickly and get more trade. So they decided to sail on to a harbour in Crete and winter there, because it was closer to Rome.

 

Things turned out as Paul feared. Instead of reaching the harbour in Crete, they were caught in a storm and despite their best efforts they had to jettison the cargo. The storm lasted for many days, with no sign of its ceasing. Paul, however, had been praying about the situation and about the people on the ship; and God had sent an angel to inform Paul that, while the ship would be lost, the life of all on board would be saved. The apostle was a man like us and he was afraid of the storm, but the angel also told him that he would yet stand before Caesar. Paul also knew that the way of rescue would involve running aground on some island.

 

The day arrived for their deliverance. Paul urged them to take some food because it would give them strength. It was another opportunity for him to show his faith in God. Having spent thirty-six verses describing the journeys, Luke now mentions the detail we have all been asking: how many people were on the ship? It is important to ask that question because the angel had told Paul that everyone on board would be saved in answer to his prayers.

 

As Paul had predicted, the vessel ran aground. The crew and passengers had to get to shore as best they could. Some of the passengers were prisoners, like Paul, and the soldiers wanted to kill them. But Paul had a special court appearance waiting for him, and that ensured that since he could not be killed, neither could the rest. But where had they all arrived? None of them knew. But we can say that they had reached the place where Jesus, in his providence, wanted them to be.

 

What lessons can we take from all this? One is that sometimes we have no idea what God is doing in providence. A second is that we can pray effectively in storms. A third is that angels are around God’s people. A fourth is that consistency, as seen in Paul, wins the respect of others, as seen in the centurion. A fifth is that changes in our plans, such as what to do with the ship, do not bring about any changes in God’s plans. A sixth is that believing prayer can deliver everyone on a ship even although the ship is lost.

Paul and Festus (Acts 25:1–26:32)

The Jews saw an opportunity of ambushing Paul if they could persuade the new governor Festus to send him back to Jerusalem. Festus did not fall in with their scheme and insisted that Paul have his say. When the trial came, the Jews could not prove their case whereas Paul insisted that he had not broken any laws. Nevertheless, Festus was willing to have the trial in Jerusalem, so Paul indicated that he would exercise his right as a Roman citizen to be tried before Caesar, a privilege which could not easily be denied him.

Sometime later, Festus had a visit from another important couple, Agrippa and his sister Bernice. Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who had tried to kill Jesus when he was an infant. Among Agrippa’s responsibilities from the Roman emperor was care of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and he also decided who would be the high priest. Therefore, it was not surprising that Festus asked for Agrippa’s help in the dilemma concerning Paul. After hearing what Festus had to say, Agrippa said he would like to hear Paul. So Paul was summoned once again to speak before an important audience.

 

Luke paints a graphic contrast between the pompous arrival of the dignitaries and the humble and solitary entrance of Paul. Of course, Paul was not alone, because Jesus was with him. Festus explained his dilemma: he did not believe Paul was guilty of any crimes that deserved death. Yet, since Paul had appealed to Caesar, Festus needed to have some information to put in an accompanying letter to explain why Paul had appealed.

 

After being invited to speak by Agrippa, Paul explained his situation. He spoke politely, recognising Agrippa’s authority. His account of his life is like the previous ones recorded already by Luke in this book. He admitted his initial and brutal hostility to the Christian movement before he had personally met the risen Jesus and received a commission from him to take the gospel to the world. This commission Paul had obeyed.

 

Festus, while acknowledging that Paul was very learned, assumed he was losing his reason. Paul responded by challenging Agrippa as to whether he recognised that Paul had spoken according to the teaching of the Old Testament prophets. Agrippa did not deny that he believed the prophets, but he was not convinced from Paul’s few words that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet Agrippa expressed no interest in hearing more about Paul’s message.

 

It is intriguing how Luke knew what Festus, Agrippa, Bernice and the other officials said in private. One of them must have informed Luke in some way. Maybe that person and others had been convinced by Paul’s speech about Jesus. The opinion of the dignitaries was that Paul had done nothing worthy of punishment, and he could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Of course, Paul’s appeal was a handy escape for them because there probably would have been riots among the Jews if Paul had been freed.

 

What lessons can we see in this incident? One is that the enemies of the gospel, represented here by the Jews, can persist in their hostility. Another is that the best sermons, such as the address here by Paul, are powerless in themselves to change a person’s heart. A third lesson is that the providence of Jesus works in the confusion and dilemmas of men. It was his will that Paul go to Rome and the most powerful of leaders were unable to prevent that happening.

Trial before Felix (Acts 24)

The trial before Felix was more serious than the previous one before the Sanhedrin. Even the Sanhedrin realised that was the case and so they sent with their delegation a spokesman called Tertullus who was probably a lawyer. His address can be described more as flattery than factual.

Paul would have been aware of Felix’s Jewish connections and of his reputation as not always being just. Therefore he was careful to present the governor with facts. Paul listed the various things he had done and identified that he was being accused because of his opinions about the resurrection rather than for his actions. He knew that it was not yet illegal in Roman law to be a Christian.

 

As a sensible governor, Felix was aware of all movements affecting his jurisdiction, including the existence of Christian groups. Before he could pass sentence, he wanted to hear evidence from the tribune. Until then, Paul would remain in custody. It does not look as if the tribune came to gave evidence. Felix’s decision was a delaying tactic.

 

Nevertheless Felix was curious about Paul’s beliefs and wanted to know more. It is not clear in what sense Felix was alarmed by Paul’s message. Sermons have been preached on the assumption that he was alarmed about his spiritual state, but it is possible that his alarm was because he considered Paul’s message dangerous. Luke points out that Felix was after a bribe.

 

Paul remained in custody for two years. Since he had not received money from Paul, he left the apostle in prison. Maybe the Jews had given Felix a payment and he wanted to do them a favour. Eventually he was moved elsewhere.

 

We may ask what was going on with this delay. Some suggestions can be made. First, Paul was able to help the Christians in Caesarea. Second, this seems to have been the only period Luke spent in Israel and he may have collected the information for his Gospel during this time. Third, the timetable of events belongs to Jesus.

Paul leaves Jerusalem, for the last time (Acts 23:12-35)

The Jews were determined to get rid of Paul and forty of them produced a plan in which they would kill him in an ambush. They thought it was an act of religious devotion since they believed that he was an heretic. The tribune should be approached to have another trial, and while Paul was on the way to the trial he would be killed. Given that such an action could involve severe reprisals from the authorities, we can see the determination and the desperation of Paul’s opponents. 

We should not be too surprised that there were such zealots. Indeed, the high priest Ananias, who presided over Paul’s appearance at the tribunal and would have given his approval to the plan to kill Paul, was himself killed a decade later by zealots appalled at the high priest’s policies of compromise with Rome. 

 

Somehow Paul’s nephew heard of the planned ambush, and this discovery is one of the little things that Jesus does when thwarting an action. It is touching to see Paul meeting this relative for the last time on earth, probably. His nephew was probably a child, and here we have an example of Jesus using a child in his providence.

 

Once the tribute was informed of the plot, he took steps to ensure Paul’s safety. It is hard not to wonder if Jesus had provided for Paul an august departure from the city that had rejected his message. After all, it is not every day that a preacher gets a military escort to safety! And the man who wrote many letters now had a letter written on his behalf. Indeed, in it the tribune wrote that Paul had done nothing worthy of death, which Felix the governor would have noticed.

 

Paul seemed to be going from one place to another without any clear sign of progress. Of course, Caesarea is on the path to Rome, so whether the trials were progressing or not, Paul was heading in the right direction, the direction that his King was leading him on. But he would be in Caesarea for a while.

 

Paul before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-11)

Paul had once been a member of this august body, even casting his vote against Christians. No doubt, he had seen unusual actions during meetings, but very few would have matched what happened to him. After only speaking a sentence, he received a wallop on the face! 

Clearly his words about serving God all his life had caused offence. Ananias the high priest realised what Paul was claiming. The apostle was affirming that he had not abandoned the faith he had been taught as a child; rather he had kept to it, even although it had meant accepting that Jesus was the Messiah.

 

Paul responded to the slap by pronouncing a judgement on the high priest for not following the law. Perhaps, surprisingly, Paul did not know what the high priest looked like, but when he found out, he quickly apologised for his response. It has been suggested that one reason for why Paul did not recognise the high priest was his poor eyesight.

 

One way to defeat opponents is to divide them. Paul realised that his audience were composed of Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sadducees did not accept the existence of a spiritual world or of the possibility of a resurrection. In contrast, the Pharisees accepted both. Paul knew that because he had been a Pharisee in the past. All he had to do was mention truths that the Pharisees believed but which the Sadducees did not, and the outcome would be no verdict. This is what happened.

 

The tribune must have been getting more confused. Was it possible to find out who this man Paul was? The day before the Jews were united in condemning him; now a significant group, the Pharisees, were supporting him. He could see that Paul could be harmed by the Sadducees, so once again he had to rescue the apostle from a mob.

 

In addition to all this, Paul had an amazing experience when the Lord came and stood by him. ‘The Lord’ in verse 11 refers to Jesus. Probably, he appeared in a vision, but nevertheless it was a real visit. We are not told what Jesus looked like, but we are told what he said. Basically, he informed Paul that he would yet testify in Rome, a reminder from Jesus that he is in charge, and a reminder to Paul that he would not be killed in Israel.

 

The visit from Jesus reminds us that Jesus speaks calmly to his people and not like the verbal onslaughts provided by the mob. Moreover, he speaks clearly, so that his words are easy to understand. And he also speaks comfortably, giving assurance that he is in charge of all things, including everything that affects his people.

Paul’s defence (Acts 21:37–22:30)

The Roman tribune had assumed that Paul was an Egyptian religious leader who had led a revolt a few years previously, and then went on the run. When he discovered that Paul was a polite Jew from Tarsus, he saw no reason why Paul could not address the hostile crowd. I assume verse 1 is where we get the phrase ‘fathers and brethren’ from, although Paul was using it to describe those of his nation and not a General Assembly. His address was not a sermon, but a legal defence.

This is the second time in Acts that Paul’s conversion experience is given, and it is not the last. On each occasion, Paul is sensitive to his audience. Here, speaking to a Jewish crowd, he highlights his Jewish background and beliefs. The listeners did not oppose the various details until he mentioned that the Lord had sent him to the Gentiles. They did not mind Gentiles becoming Jews as proselytes, but they hated the possibility of Gentiles becoming God’s people without becoming Jews. They had moved miles away from knowing God.

 

The tribune may not have understood Paul’s defence because it was delivered in Aramaic. But he could see that Paul’s words inflamed the crowd. Therefore, he had to find out what Paul’s motives were, and since he knew that flogging usually opened lips, he resolved to use that method. We should realise that flogging was not like getting the belt in school. It could lead to lasting physical damage. Yet it was not until the last minute that Paul revealed to a centurion that he was a Roman citizen, and the centurion knew that such persons could not be flogged.

 

The tribune realised that things had moved beyond his pay grade. Although the tribune was also a Roman citizen, it was not as prestigious as Paul’s status. Since Paul could not be tortured, he had to be tried by other methods. The tribune decided to call a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

 

This incident has several lessons. One is that we should speak politely to those in authority. A second is that we should speak relevantly to our listeners. A third is that when witnessing we should identify some common grounds before highlighting the difference between the gospel and whatever they believe. A fourth is that we can use secular privileges if we have them. A fifth is that we have no idea what Jesus will arrange for us in his providence.

Paul and another mob (Acts 21:17-36)

When Paul reached Jerusalem, he informed the elders about what had happened in his recent missionary journey. No apostles are mentioned as being present, apart from James the brother of Jesus, so probably by now they had left Jerusalem to take the gospel elsewhere. The elders were very glad to hear Paul’s report and praised God for the success of the gospel.

Yet there was a problem in the church in Jerusalem regarding Paul and his message that the Gentiles should not keep the ceremonial law. A false rumour said that he also taught Jews that they did not need to keep it. The elders knew that the rumour was false, but in order to show that it was false, they deemed it wise for Paul to participate in a “ceremony which was similar to the one he had made a few years earlier with regard to a Nazarite vow. Paul was happy to do so.

 

This seemed to be an answer to the dilemma until some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul and his friend Trophimus together. Trophimus was a Gentile from Ephesus and those Jews assumed that Paul had taken his friend into the temple. When an occasion rose for pointing this out, they seized Paul and tried to have him executed. News of the attempt, however, reached the Roman garrison and soldiers brought an end to the show trial.

 

What lessons can we learn from this account? One is that sometimes common sense solutions don’t work. The strategy of the elders unravelled because of something they could not have foreseen. No doubt the devil instigated the Jews from Asia and the mob hysteria.

 

Yet we have to remember that Luke is describing the activities of the risen Christ. So where was Jesus and what was he doing at this time? He was on the throne, he ensured that the soldiers heard of the kidnap of Paul, and he used them to deliver his servant by arresting him. After all, his plan was for Paul to go to Rome, and here was a small step forward in that plan, although it may have seemed like a giant step backwards. But that is the way it often is.

 

Paul’s road to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-16)

Luke describes the journey from Miletus to Jerusalem, which can be followed on an atlas. It was a sea journey of several hundred miles, followed by a journey overland. In Tyre, the travelling party found disciples with whom they spent a week. These disciples were aware through the Spirit that trouble faced Paul in Jerusalem and so they urged him not to go. But he went on.

Later in the journey, they came to Caesarea where they stayed many days with Philip who had gone there about twenty years previously after the incident with the Ethiopian treasurer. During that time a prophet called Agabus arrived and acted out the same information about Paul being arrested in Jerusalem. Again he was urged not to go, and again he went on.

Luke’s brief account of the journey highlights important details. One is the willingness of Christians to provide hospitality to travelling Christians. Paul and his friends were shown hospitality in Tyre, Ptolemais, Caesarea and Jerusalem. 

Another detail concerns the four daughters of Philip, each of whom had the gift of prophecy. We are not told where they exercised this gift, but their possession of it was a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel about the age of the Spirit that Peter quoted in his sermon recorded in Acts 2:17-18.

A third detail is one that puzzles some who are confused by Paul’s response to the information revealed to the disciples in Tyre and to Agabus by the Holy Spirit concerning his arrest in Jerusalem. They wonder if Paul refused to heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit. We should note that the Spirit had already told Paul that he would suffer in Jerusalem (Acts 20:22-23). Also, the details revealed to the disciples and Agabus was initially information that they chose to interpret as a warning whereas it could have been given to them so that they would pray for Paul. After all, information and interpretation are not the same thing. Paul regarded the information as preparation for what was ahead of him and not as a reason that he should not go to Jerusalem.

Paul’s response reveals his outlook on life. He was devoted to serving Christ, that was his priority. As for whether he lived or died, he left that outcome with the Lord. So also did his friends, and that is where we should leave every matter.

Paul and the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20:13-38)

Paul was on his last journey to Jerusalem. And he was aware that he would not be in Ephesus again. So he asked the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him in Miletus, a port a short distance from Ephesus. He knew that spiritual dangers would come, even in that congregation, and the elders would have to deal with them.

Paul reminded them of the manner of his service in Ephesus. He had done all he did there while tentmaking at the same time. He had ensured that he did his tasks humbly despite the opposition he had received from the Jews. He had taught what was profitable whether in the hall of Tyrannus or in house groups. He had the same message for Jews and Gentiles. His dedication was such that he knew he was free of the blood of all men. He had left them an example of service. He highlighted the importance of caring for the weak.

The apostle knows that he is going to be arrested In Jerusalem. Since this information had come from the Spirit, Paul knew that his arrest was inevitable. But he had no desire to avoid it if that was how his ministry was going to finish.  All he wanted was to be faithful to his calling from the Lord.

What did he want the elders to do? He wanted them to be alert to the wolves that would come to try and destroy the sheep in Ephesus. He even said that some of the elders would start leading the believers astray through wrong teaching. Therefore, he wanted the elders to ensure that what they said and did was always right. The Holy Spirit had given them that role. They had to remember that the church was not theirs, but that it belonged to Jesus who had purchased his people on the cross. 

Paul also quoted a saying of Jesus that is not found in the Gospels: ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’ The elders, as with all other Christians, had received a lot from God. As with all other Christians, they were expected to give of their time and talents to the service of their Master.

 

Then Paul prayed for them, and he and the elders had a very emotional parting. They would never see one another again until they met in heaven. The love of the elders for Paul was obvious as they kissed and embraced him.

What emphases come from his words? They are a reminder that the Christian life is primarily a call to faithfulness, that spiritual danger is constant, that the church needs protection, and that church life is serious.

A Service in Troas (Acts 20:7-12)

This brief account of the meeting in Troas is one of the few descriptions in the New Testament of a church service. Not that it mentions all that happened – Luke does not refer to singing or praying. But we can see that the service took place in the evening of the first day of the week after darkness had fallen. It was held in a room on the third floor, probably in the house of a wealthy person. The temperature was very warm, which caused at least one person to fall asleep.

The service is described as gathering to break bread, which highlights the prominence that was given to the Lord’s Supper. At that time, there would not have been a worship service without the Lord’s Supper. It was preceded by a long address by Paul which lasted until midnight. After the incident with Eutychus, they had the Lord’s Supper and a fellowship meal, and then they had a long time of fellowship, until daybreak.

The obvious feature of the service is that it was not governed by the clock. Some of the worshippers probably went straight to work after the service was over. One of the striking features of twenty-first century church life is the short amount of time that Christians spend together in the presence of the Lord. Is there a connection between that and the absence of the Lord’s power? Of course, there is no merit in a longer service if nothing spiritual occurs. But how we spend our time will make us spiritually richer or spiritually poorer.

Another surprising detail is that they did not make a big fuss about the astonishing miracle that occurred during the service when Eutychus was raised from the dead. They did not let it distract from the focus of their gathering, which was to spend time together with God. Eutychus was not even sent home after his dramatic experience. Instead, after his recovery, he joined in the fellowship that went on until daylight.

I suppose we could ask what made that service memorable. Was it because the famous apostle was present? Or was it because a remarkable miracle had occurred? Or was it that a group of sinners met together grateful to God for Jesus? Or was it that Jesus was present by the Holy Spirit, as is the case in every service? 

By the way, you may be interested to know that Andrew Bonar thought the case of Eutychus was a warning to beadles about being careful about the heating during a church service. 

New stages (Acts 20:1-6)

Paul had been three years in Ephesus, but the time had come for him to move on. Luke summarises the next stages of Paul’s travels which involved him going back to Macedonia (where he had planted churches in Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea) and Greece where he had planted churches in Athens and Corinth. This journey took several months, including three months at Corinth. It was during this time in Corinth that he wrote his letter to the Romans.

Luke does not mention one reason why Paul was in Corinth which was to add to a collection he was gathering to help the poor believers in Jerusalem (Paul refers to the response of the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2). He had planned to sail to Jerusalem from Corinth, probably after the winter was over, but opposition from some Jews forced Paul to change his plans and head back north through Macedonia.

Why did God allow such a disruption to Paul’s plans since he was taking aid to needy people in Jerusalem? One reason was for Paul’s longterm benefit. In verse 6, the pronoun ‘we’ resumes. Luke had stayed in Philippi several years earlier, but he now resumed travelling with Paul and as a doctor he would remain with Paul for the next few years. On one occasion, when in prison in Rome, Paul would write, ‘Only Luke is with me.’ But it happened because previously God arranged for Paul to return to Macedonia and for Luke to rejoin him. It is important to remember that God has longterm reasons for his acts in providence.

Luke also records the names of the individuals who went with Paul on the journey. The men probably went as representatives of the churches who had given to the collection. They came from three geographical areas – Macedonia, Galatia and Asia – and this reminds us of the success of the spread of the gospel. It also reminds us of the nature of Christian love, that they were willing to help believers whom they had never met physically. When they reached Jerusalem, they would be examples to a discouraged church of how Jesus had found lost sheep from other races and they had become believers.

Counting the cost (Acts 19:23-40)

Every so often on the news, an economic correspondent will give an opinion on the state of things and the effects of certain introductions by the government. Usually, we are told that that there are winners and losers. That certainly was the case in Ephesus when the government of Jesus introduced a previously unheard-of policy that caused severe economic repercussions. Ever wondered about the economic effects of a revival? Ephesus let’s us know.

Those mainly affected were the silversmiths  who previously had a lucrative trade making and selling images of Artemis, a goddess one could carry around in a pocket or on your neck. Instead of the goddess carrying her devotees, they carried her and imagined that something beneficial happened as a result. The silversmiths grasped that their little goddesses could do nothing about the situation, so they decided to help her and themselves, otherwise the tourist trade in Ephesus would collapse, with global consequences.

 

The outcome was not a protest march, but a riot. The silversmiths grabbed two of Paul’s companions and took them into the theatre. The new Christians prevented Paul from joining his friends, as did some of the city leaders (it is extraordinary how easy Paul found it to make friends in high places, and enemies). The Jews thought this was a good moment to get involved against the Christians, but having refused to listen to the gospel, how could they read providence? In any case, they discovered that the citizens did not want to hear them.

 

The town clerk dismissed the mob by pointing out that Artemis should be able to take care of herself, and no evidence had been provided that the Christians had said anything about her. Obviously, they had more important ideas to speak about. The rioters were in danger of offending the authorities.

 

Still, what do we imagine the economic effects of a nationwide revival would be? And would people be very annoyed, like the silversmiths?

Religious Confusion (Acts 19:11-21)

Ephesus was a centre of religious competition, as were most cities at that time. The competition after Paul arrived led to a confrontation in the invisible world. Paul, as an apostle, had been given by God the power to perform miracles. There is no indication that Silas or Timothy could do them.

 

Exorcisms were and are a common feature of different religions. Some Jewish travelling exorcists observed that Paul’s use of the name of Jesus in delivering the oppressed from demon possession was very effective, so they decided to imitate him. Their strategy was misguided in thought and painful in result because the demon inhabiting a man overpowered the seven Jews in a brutal manner.

 

The outcome of that encounter had consequences. The people of Ephesus realised that the message preached by Paul was very powerful. After all, he had not been beaten up by a person he tried to deliver from the powers of evil. Also, believers decided to stop all contact with demonic activities and some of them who had worked in such activities got rid of their books of magic in a display of public repudiation. I wonder what the equivalents are today. Heard anyone say ‘touch wood’ recently! 

 

So despite the confusion of religions, the gospel continued to flourish. The progress was such that Paul realised it was time to move on. He wanted to take the gospel to Rome after another visit to Jerusalem. Therefore he made preparations. Since he could not use email, he sent Timothy and Erastus. Erastus was the city treasurer (Rom. 16:23), and no one would interfere with him.

In this brief account, we see what life was like for the church in a first-century city. It is also a description of what the church will face in a twenty-first century city in Scotland. We have a culture of religious diversity; yet we still have gospel preaching, and sometimes a prominent person in society supporting the Christian faith. 

Saying a lot in a few words (Acts 19:8-10)

Luke takes three verses to describe Paul’s two years of apostolic service in Ephesus. What did he do? He followed his usual strategy of bringing the gospel first to the Jewish synagogue, and he spent three months doing so. We are told what his message was about – the kingdom of God, and when some of the Jews became antagonistic he moved to another location. His time there had influenced some because when he ceased preaching there, he was followed by those Luke calls disciples. But Paul saw no reason to stay on in a location where his message was attacked vehemently.

 

Luke mentions an interesting title of the Christian message when he calls it ‘the Way’. Probably, this is connected to Jesus’ description of himself as the way (John 14:6). It is obvious that the Christians believed that there was only one way. Of course, the description poses the question, ‘Way to whom or where?’ The answers are obvious: the way to God and the way to glory, and both occur through faith in Jesus. 

 

The location that Paul moved to was a lecture hall owned by a man called Tyrannus. Since it is unlikely that he was given that name by his parents, it must have been a nickname given by his students indicating his method of instruction. Paul would have used the lecture hall when it was available, probably in the afternoons, for two years. Since he did so daily, even if he spoke only for an hour each time, it was a lot of time teaching. But obviously people came to hear him from all the province called Asia, and they would have taken the message back to their towns and villages.

In both the synagogue and the lecture hall, Paul reasoned with those present. This means that his addresses could be logically followed by his listeners. Some would have disagreed with him, but they would have understood what he said. His message registered with their minds and caused either acceptance or rejection. It is still the same. People are saved through understanding a message from the Bible and others reject a message from the Bible even when they understand what has been said. To some it is a savour of life to life, to others a savour of death to death, as Paul later wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Maybe he was thinking of those afternoons in the lecture hall of Tyrannus as well as the three months in the synagogue! 

Some things take a long time (Acts 19:1-7)

John the Baptist had been dead for a quarter of a century by the time Paul came to Ephesus on his third missionary journey. Yet such had been the influence of John’s message that twelve Jews living in Ephesus were still adhering to what he had said about the coming of the Messiah. Those Jews must have been in Israel, maybe visiting, when he was preaching there and were baptised by him.

 

There were two obvious issues regarding those followers of John. One was their baptism and the other was what they knew about the Holy Spirit (John had mentioned that the Messiah would baptise with the Spirit). In fact, they knew very little about the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean that the Spirit had not been working in their lives. They were living in the crossover period between the kingdom being largely limited to Israel and the new way in which it was revealed in the church.

 

Their ignorance revealed that they although they had heard about the coming Messiah they had not realised that he had come. They knew not that he is Jesus. Their response to this information was to accept that Jesus is the Messiah, which shows that the Spirit had been working in their hearts. Immediately, they were willing to identify publicly with Jesus by being baptised in his name, another evidence that the Spirit had been working secretly within them.

 

Imagine what it must have been like for those disciples of John, waiting twenty-five years or so for a Messiah who had come twenty-five years previously. Perhaps they said when they met one another, ‘I wonder if he has come yet.’ What a blessing we have in possessing the knowledge of what had happened when Jesus came!

 

The Holy Spirit enabled them to speak in tongues and prophesy. They experienced a mini-Pentecost, evidence that despite the lateness of their entry into the church they would not be second-class Christians. Jesus graciously confirmed that they were now his disciples.

Paul’s third missionary journey begins (Acts 18:23-28)

In verse 23, Luke summarises how Paul revisited the churches that he had started on his first missionary journey and which he had visited again on his second journey. Now, for the third time, he went to the churches in two provinces in modern-day Turkey – Phrygia and Galatia. Obviously, his actions reveal his pastoral concern for those churches. We know from the letter to the Galatians that doctrinal error had influenced the churches in Galatia and Paul would have wanted to ensure that all trace of that error had gone.

Paul’s intention was to return to Ephesus, which he had visited briefly during his second journey. The church in Ephesus was later to become very prominent and Luke says a lot about it in Acts. Here he mentions an incident in the synagogue there involving a man who became an important leader in the church, Apollos. 

Apollos was basically an Old Testament believer in the Messiah who was not aware of all that Jesus had done. He had accepted the teaching of John the Baptist and could preach eloquently and courageously. In God’s providence, Priscilla and Aquila, who had stayed on in Ephesus, realised the deficiencies in Apollos’ message and helped him to better understand the gospel. Apollos humbly and no doubt gratefully accepted what he was told. 

God had been at work in Ephesus, probably through Priscilla and Aquila and their tentmaking business, and people had been converted. Luke refers to ‘brothers’ there who commended Apollos to the church in Corinth. Their action reveals that contact was taking place between churches.

Ephesus had its needs, and so to did Corinth. Apollos once again revealed his boldness by going to a place where the Jews had strongly opposed the gospel when Paul and his friends were there. He did not shrink from confronting those Jews in public as well as helping the believers there. Yet as Paul later informed  the Corinthians, Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but it is God who gives who gives the increase. And it remains that way still.

Paul completes second missionary journey (Acts 18:18-22)

After almost two years in Corinth, Paul left the city by sea, sailing first to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila, and then on to Caesarea by himself. The church in Corinth was located in the harbour area of Cenchreae (see Romans 16:1). No mention is made here of Silas or Timothy, so perhaps they stayed on in Corinth or went elsewhere. Timothy would travel later with Paul.

Often, images of Paul depict him as bald, which he could have been. Luke tells us though that Paul had enough hair to cut it off in connection with a vow he had taken. His cutting off his hair indicates he had taken a Nazarite vow, perhaps as an expression of gratitude for a blessing he had received or a deliverance he had experienced. He would take the cut hair with him to the temple in Jerusalem as evidence he had taken such a vow, and there the hair would be burned along with a sacrifice.

Perhaps we are surprised that Paul did this after him rebuking those who had insisted that Gentiles should keep the ceremonial law. Paul did not approve of that teaching, but he had no objection to a Jew doing so for personal reasons. He may have decided to use this method to reassure Jews that he was not antagonistic to them. After all, he did say that sometimes he behaved like a Jew in order to win some of them to Christ.

In Ephesus, Paul had time to visit the synagogue and interact with the Jews about Jesus, who wanted to know more. Although he did not stay long in Ephesus, he promised to return there if God allowed it. Any questions those Jews had could be dealt with by Aquila and Priscilla, who stayed on in Ephesus. 

After arriving in the port of Caesarea, Paul went up to the church in Jerusalem before going to Antioch. We can imagine the report that he gave about the spread of the gospel in old and new places. The older churches would have rejoiced at the formation of new ones as the kingdom of Jesus spread.

Providence (Acts 18:1-4)

What was Paul feeling when he came to Corinth? He tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5: ‘And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.’ How would God help him?

In Corinth, Paul made two people who were to be his close friends. Priscilla and Aquila are not only mentioned by Luke as helping Paul in Corinth, but they also helped him in Ephesus when he left Corinth, and later Paul mentions them as using their house as a location for some believers in Rome to meet. 

 

Why were they now in Corinth? Luke says that they had been forced to leave Rome by the emperor because they were Jews. Providence seemed to be against them. Maybe they were concerned about the future. Would Corinth also throw them out? After all, Paul would tell them that he recently had basically been thrown out of Thessalonica and Berea.

 

But they were Christians, and Christians believe that Jesus is the Lord of providence. The primary reason for them leaving Rome was not the whim of the emperor but the will of Jesus. In his timing, he arranged for them to be in Corinth when Paul was looking for a place to stay, and the rest of the story is history. Their home gave him a base to work as a tentmaker and where he could talk to people about the faith. They would also have encouraged him since he was feeling low when he reached Corinth after his experiences in other places in Greece.

Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1)

Luke tells us in this verse that Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. We might think that he left Athens immediately without seeming to help the small group of disciples in Athens. But it is not likely that they were left alone quickly. Sometimes, we need to engage in detective work and compare biblical details.

Acts 17:15 tells us that Paul had given instructions that Silas and Timothy should come to him in Athens. Luke does not mention that they did, but Paul does in 1 Thessalonians 3:1 where he says that he and Silas sent Timothy back to Thessalonica from Athens to see how the church in Thessalonica was getting on. 

 

Paul then went on to Corinth, where he expected Silas and Timothy to join him (Acts 18:5). Where was Silas when Timothy went to Thessalonica and Paul went to Corinth? He may have gone somewhere else, or he may have waited in Athens. In any case, Paul did not leave Athens immediately after his talk to the Athenians, and he may have remained a couple of weeks or a month there. 

 

There is something else that we can notice about Paul’s going to Corinth and that is the speed by which the gospel was brought to the major cities of ancient Greece. Three or four months’ earlier, he had his friends had arrived in Philippi in the north and planted a church there. Then they had gone inland to Thessalonica and planted a church there. Then they went further south to Berea and a church was planted there as well. 

 

From there, Paul went to Athens and a small congregation commenced there. Now he was in Corinth, and before long a church would be there. We also know from 1 Thessalonians 1 that the new church there was taking the gospel to other places in the country. So within a few months, the gospel had borne fruit. In Presbyterian language, they could have started to meet as a presbytery.

 

So God was at work in all the difficulties and hindrances and concerns that Paul and his team experienced. Now they were to see what God would do in Corinth because they probably had not seen such a place before. Corinth was infamous for its immorality.