Astoria-Megler Bridge spanning Columbia River.
Sunday, 23 July 2023
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples Acts 19:1
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In the previous verse, which ended Chapter 18, it said that Apollos vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. With that remembered, Chapter 19 begins with, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth.”
The verb is present tense. Thus, it more rightly reads, “And it happened, in Apollos’ being in Corinth.” The two accounts, though presented one after the other, are occurring at the same time. This is the second and last time that Apollos is mentioned by name in Acts.
He will be mentioned again repeatedly in 1 Corinthians, and then one more time in Titus. However, the substance of his being mentioned in Acts is really found only in Acts 18:24-28. Therefore, there is a reason that Luke has been inspired to include him. He has no direct interaction with either Peter or Paul, the two main people of focus in Acts, and yet a particular section of the book has been dedicated to events surrounding him. As for the ongoing narrative, it continues with, “that Paul, having passed through the upper regions.”
Archaic translations say “coasts” instead of “regions.” But this isn’t the modern sense of coast. Instead of traveling along a seacoast, this involved inland travel along borders. From Galatia and Phrygia to Ephesus is the route. Two words are translated as the singular word “regions,” anōterika mere. The first word is found only here in Scripture. It signifies “upper.” The second word signifies a part, portion, or share. Thus, it is the “upper parts,” or “upper districts.”
Albert Barnes says, “These regions were called upper, because they were situated on the high table-land in the interior of Asia Minor, while Ephesus was in the low maritime regions, and called the low country.” After traveling through these upper parts, he “came to Ephesus.”
This shows the faithfulness of Paul to his words of Acts 18 –
“And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.’ And he sailed from Ephesus.” Acts 18:19-21
With Paul in Ephesus, it next says, “And finding some disciples.” Rather, the verb is an aorist participle, “And having found some disciples.” Luke is preparing the reader for the next thought to be presented.
Life application: With the short account of Apollos now complete, and with the reintroduction of Paul into the timeline, it must be asked, “What was the point of mentioning Apollos at all?” In other words, there were apostles, missionaries, and disciples all over the place at this time, spreading the word in various ways and with numerous people.
And yet, a man and the events of a short period of his time are introduced and quickly ended. With that complete, he will not be mentioned again in Luke’s narrative. This should cause us to stop and think about the “why” of what we are being told. The answer is not far off, but we can very easily miss it if we don’t intentionally ask ourselves, “Why was this included?”
As you continue to read the Bible and become more aware of such notations, take time to pause and ask yourself exactly that. This book we call the Holy Bible has been inspired by God. It is the word of God. Everything in it has been given for a purpose. So, contemplate what you have read, think about the events that occur, and consider the “why” of each thing that is included.
In this, you will be pleasing to the Lord who has put these things in it for you to consider. Think about your own situation. If you are cut off or ignored in the middle of a conversation, you will feel as if what you say is unimportant. If you speak out something and find out the person you were with wasn’t paying attention, you will be offended that they had no care about the instructions you were giving. If you write a heartfelt letter to someone and you later find out they never read it, you will wonder if you have any meaning at all to that person.
Aren’t these the same ways we treat God when we fail to heed His word, when we read it and don’t pay heed to what we have read, or when we neglect reading it altogether? As such, think of how pleased He must be when we actively participate and engage with His word! Treat your Bible time as if it is the most personal and intimate part of your life because it truly is. Just like prayer, it is a time spent with God because it is time spent hearing, heeding, and hoping in His word.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for not making Your word a priority in our lives. We cherish each letter from a close friend or family member. We long to hear the voice of those we love, we remember the words that are spoken to us by those we care about. May we be just as attentive, even more attentive, to Your precious and lovingly transmitted word. Amen.