Acts (Written)

From Antioch to the regions of Galatia and Phrygia

Monday, 17 July 2023

After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. Acts 18:23

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The verse more precisely reads, “And having stayed some time, he departed, passing through successively the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples” (CG).

Paul’s journey had taken him to Caesarea, up to the church, and then down to Antioch. With that remembered, it now says, “And having stayed some time.” Without giving any further specifics, only guesswork can be made as to how long he remained in Antioch. However, if it was an extended period, Luke’s normal way of describing it would be something like “many days.” Therefore, the time spent in Antioch was probably not very long. With that, it next says that “he departed.”

This now begins Paul’s third and final missionary journey beginning as the first two from Antioch. From there, Luke immediately records that he was “passing through successively the Galatian region and Phrygia.” These were areas already visited by him as is recorded in Acts 16:6. There it said –

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.”

Galatia is mentioned first this time because it is the region that he would travel through first if traveling by land from Antioch. As he traveled through these areas, it says that he was “strengthening all the disciples.”

This was a necessary thing to do. The book of Galatians shows the utter dysfunction that occurred at one point after Paul had left them, falling into the trap of the Judaizers. Hence, it was right that he would stop at the churches and ensure they were being faithful to the Lord, holding fast to His grace. It is a main point of Paul’s writings and it was surely the main point of discussion at each church he visited.

At the same time, he would have instructed them concerning not falling into the trap of license. Just because the believers were not under law, they were not to take advantage of their freedom and engage in the lusts of the flesh. Because of his love for all of the churches, one can imagine Paul repeating the same admonition to each church that he will speak to those in Ephesus as recorded later in Acts concerning this matter –

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:29-31

Paul was adamant that works of the law were excluded before God as a means of pleasing Him. And yet, he was just as adamant that the churches were to remain pure, holy, and free from works of the flesh.

Life application: Of the contents of Paul’s travel on this journey, which will arrive at Ephesus in Acts 19:1, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“St. Paul went straight from Antioch to Galatia, passing through the Cilician Gates and by Mazaca, or Caesarea, as it was called by Tiberius Caesar, in Cappadocia, and not visiting the Churches of Lycaonia. He proceeded from Galatia through Phrygia to Ephesus. The distance from Antioch to Tarsus was one hundred and forty-one miles, from whence to Tavium in Galatia was two hundred and seventy-one miles, making the whole distance from Antioch to Tavium in Galatia four hundred and twelve miles, or about a three weeks’ journey including rest on the sabbath days. From Galatia to Ephesus would be between six hundred and seven hundred miles. The entire journey would thus be considerably more than a thousand miles, a journey of forty days exclusive of all stoppages. Six months probably must have elapsed between his departure from Antioch and his arrival at Ephesus.”

Depending on how long he stayed with each church, the duration may have been even longer. It is unknown if he had a horse, if he traveled in a wagon, or if he walked. Regardless of how he went, the distance was long and would have been exhausting each day, but he pressed on because of his love for the gospel and his desire to share it with others.

How about your time with the Lord? Are you too busy to give Him time each day to be in His presence reading His word? Are you remembering Him as you take your meals, receive the daily abundance of His open hand of grace, or interact with others? Is the beauty of a sunrise sufficient for you to thank Him for what you have beheld?

Remember the Lord in all you do. Don’t pack Him away for an hour or two on Sunday morning but be with Him in your heart and soul all day every day. With every joyous moment, or in every testing or trial, allow your mind to include Him in what is happening. Live a life of faith by being faithfully aware of His presence at all times.

Glorious God, You are with us whether we acknowledge it or not. You know every moment of our existence and it is up to us to either include You in our thoughts or exclude You from them as You see our lives unfold. Help us to remember Your presence and to live in accord with it at all times. May we be people of faith who are always faithful to You. Amen.

Ephesus to Caesarea to Jerusalem to Antioch.

Sunday, 16 July 2023

And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. Acts 18:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Luke uses participles to keep the motion rolling along. The verse more accurately reads, “And having landed at Caesarea, having gone up and having greeted the church, he went down to Antioch” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul took leave of those in Ephesus, noting that he needed to keep the coming feast in Jerusalem. He did, however, commit to returning if it was the Lord’s will. With that, it now says, “And having landed at Caesarea.”

Probably to show the hurried nature of Paul’s travels, Luke skips all of the interim stops that would have been made as the ship traveled the long distance from Ephesus to Caesarea. He will continue to convey almost nothing about what Paul does for what would be an extended period of time, brushing over many major events in just two verses.

Upon arriving at Caesarea, he would probably have visited friends there, maybe including Philip the Evangelist who will be introduced in Acts 21. Or it might be that he secured passage to Jerusalem and went right there. As it next says, “having gone up and having greeted the church.”

All of his time in Jerusalem is summed up in five Greek words. Even the name of the city is left out of Luke’s narrative. And yet, there would have been a considerable number of things he did, including spending a week enjoying the feast he had mentioned in the previous verse to those in the synagogue in Ephesus. Likewise, he had family in Jerusalem that he surely would have visited. Also, during that time, there surely would have been long periods of telling all that had happened in his previous years of travel. Despite that, Luke next records that after this, “he went down to Antioch.”

Some scholars believe this is the time when the events of Galatians 2:11-14 occur. As noted in the commentary on Acts 15:35, that is unlikely. Rather, Paul would have received his welcome and then he would have surely spent a great deal of time repeating all that he had been up to over the past three years, just as he would have done in Jerusalem. Despite this, these words are all that is recorded concerning the trip to the church that sent him forth with Silas some three years earlier (Acts 15:40).

Life application: The amazing brevity of Luke’s words now is instructive. God is revealing to us things that are pertinent to our spiritual lives. Despite the considerable time involved in the trip from Ephesus to Jerusalem and then on to Antioch, nothing that occurred was relevant to the redemptive narrative that is found in the pages of Scripture.

This may have been Luke’s way of expressing Paul’s desire to get back onto the mission field, but it is ultimately information that was inspired by the Holy Spirit. In just a few verses, Paul will again be in Ephesus, and the narrative of his time there will slow down to a crawl as minute details of events are brought forth by Luke.

Pay heed to these things as you read Scripture. We are being given just what God feels we need to understand the history of the church and the unfolding of His plan of the ages for His people. At this point in the narrative, God is moving away from having His attention on Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people and onto the Gentile areas of the world.

The next time Paul is in Jerusalem, Luke will spend a great deal of time explaining the events that take place. And yet, those details will confirm this movement from Jew to Gentile and from Jerusalem and Israel to the nations beyond. Contemplate such things and know that we are being given valuable insights into the very mind and heart of God.

Heavenly Father, Your word is an incredible journey through the history of mankind as it reveals how we are being brought back to a close and intimate relationship with You once again. May we carefully and methodically consider each detail of this precious treasure all of our days. Thank You for this wonderful word! Amen.

Such a precious baby. Spent the week hiding from a chihuahua.

Saturday, 15 July 2023

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 18:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul did not consent to staying longer in Ephesus. That thought continues now with, “but took leave of them.”

They had asked him to stay longer, demonstrating that his reasoning with them was sufficient to pique their interest and to bring them to a desire to hear more.  However, his pressing business called him away.

As for the words “took leave of them,” it is the same word just used in verse 18:18 where Paul took leave of the brethren at Corinth. This time it would be less difficult as he was probably invigorated at having found an opening in Ephesus and knowing that he could come back and continue with his evangelization of those in the synagogue. Next, he explains the reason for his needed departure, “saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem’”

This would probably have made them more determined to believe that he was a sincere follower of the truth. Why would a charlatan be so devout in his religious duties and yet promote falsity? As for the feast, this may be the Passover. However, it could also be Pentecost. Either way, he may have intended to meet up with many others coming for that feast as well as meet with the church in Jerusalem.

If this was for Pentecost and he missed that, the next feast would not be until Tabernacles in the fall. Traveling at that time of year would be far more dangerous. Regardless of which feast, he was determined to make it, and so he was urged within himself to be in Jerusalem. Despite this, he next says, “but I will return again to you, God willing.”

This will occur as is recorded in Acts 19:1. As for the words, “God willing,” despite being an apostle, he had no true idea from day to day what the Lord planned for him. This was true in Acts 16 when he and those with him were frustrated from going into Asia. And without the vision of the man from Macedonia, he would not have known to head in that direction.

For him to speak confidently about a return to Ephesus, and then not return as indicated, would say a lot about his state before the Lord. But more, James poignantly explains the reason for Paul’s words –

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:13-17

It is arrogant to claim a right to the future that one does not possess. Even if God promised Paul twenty more years of life, unless he also specifically promised him a return to Ephesus, it may be that his final twenty years would be spent ministering in Rome or Spain. Unless something is specifically revealed by the Lord, we must leave the future in His hands. With that understood, the verse ends with, “And he sailed from Ephesus.”

With these words, Paul’s second missionary trip is essentially ended. The next two verses are a part of the travels back to Antioch, but the substance of the mission trip is now behind him.

Life application: Other than the moment in which we presently exist, we have no idea what will transpire next. The ground could quake under us and the roof could then fall on us – life over. The future is known only to God, and we are to leave that unknown sea of time up to His will. In invoking His will, we can then follow the admonition of Scripture and say, “we shall live and do this or that.”

Both life and what is done with that life are up to God’s allowances. However, this is not a fatalistic approach to the future by any stretch of the imagination. Two things are occurring in James’ words –

1. If the Lord wills, we shall live (solely a decision of the Lord).
2. If the Lord wills, we shall do this or that (based on the granting of the first statement that we shall live, we will then act with the freedom to choose what we will do).

The concept of free will in man is seen throughout Scripture, and it is revealed even in our acknowledging His sovereignty over the future. The Bible does not portray the fatalistic view of Islam or various other religions. Nor does it portray the autocratic rule of God – even in salvation – which is held to by Calvinism. Instead, it reveals that God is wholly sovereign over all things, and yet He has factored in our free will desires and actions. This is seen for example in Paul’s words, such as in 1 Corinthians 4:19 –

“But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.”

Paul freely chooses to come to those in Corinth, and yet He understood that the Lord may not will him to do so. There is a synergism that is being displayed in the life of man who works within the confines of God’s overall sovereignty.

Allow God to be God and place yourself under His guiding hand in all you do. Never arrogantly boast about the future but give room for Him to be glorified as the One who controls time and all that occurs within it, even as He allows you to choose your path in the process.

Lord God, we know that our lives are directed by Your overarching hand of providence. And yet, You allow us to act freely in what decisions we will make. When our desires and decisions align with Your overall plan for us, then we will get what we wish. When they don’t, then we will be directed according to Your purposes for us. So, why should we worry? Everything will come out as it should because we are in Christ and thus Your children. Amen.

Beautiful greyhound. Totally petrified of our chihuahua.

Friday, 14 July 2023

When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, Acts 18:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul entered the synagogue at Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews. He must have had an initial positive effect on them because it next says, “When they asked him to stay a longer time with them.”

The verb is a present participle, “And they, asking for more time to remain with them.” This is not uncommon. When Paul would go to the synagogues, they usually did not reject him outright. Rather, they would have him return on subsequent Sabbaths, or they might even study with him daily. Curiosity about the Messiah, especially if He had come, would have been a topic of delight to the ears of those in attendance.

It is usually later that the Jews would start to argue against him. This would be after they observed Paul’s desire to evangelize the Gentiles while placing no burden on them concerning circumcision, law, etc. It is at this point that their heads would steam up and eventually their lids would blow. However, in this instance, their asking him to stay resulted in a negative response. As it next says, “he did not consent.”

The word translated as “consent” is found only here in the New Testament, epineuó. The word is, however, found in classical Greek medical literature. It is derived from epi (upon) and neuó (nod). Thus, it is to give assent or agree to. In this case, they got no agreeable nod to their request. The reason is coming in the next verse.

Life application: In Acts 16:6, it said, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” Instead, the missionaries were called to Macedonia. Now, after so much time has lapsed, Paul has entered Asia and spoken forth his words about Jesus.

However, at this time, his words are cut short because of another pressing matter. Despite this, he will return and a great and effective ministry will arise. Eventually, a letter will be written to the church from Paul which is now known as the book of Ephesians. Also, Jesus will address this church in Revelation 2, using them as the example of the church that has left its first love. Despite this, they will have positive words spoken of them as well.

There may be times in your own life when you want to do something and you are hindered from doing it. And yet, later you get a foot in that door and are able to really start something great. Once this happens, you may look back and say, “If I had initial success in this, it would have ultimately failed because of this or that.” You couldn’t see it at that time, but later you are able to see why God’s timing was perfectly set forth for later success.

Remember this when you hit snags along the road of life. Just because you are frustrated from accomplishing something now, it doesn’t mean you have failed. It may be that the Lord is keeping you from failure. Be sure that if you are in Christ, He is looking out for your ultimate good. This is certain.

Lord God, how amazing it is to occasionally stop and evaluate life as it has gone by and to see those times that seemed so frustrating, but now seem like propitious moments where You have guided us away from disaster. We can’t see it, but You can. Help us to be people of faith who faithfully follow Your leading through this life that we are living. May we be willing to accept that You are guiding us according to Your wisdom. Amen.

Ruins of synagogue in Ephesus.

Thursday, 13 July 2023

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Acts 18:19

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul left Corinth along with Priscilla and Aquila. While in Cenchrea, he cut his hair because of a vow. Leaving Cenchrea, which is the port from which they would have sailed, it next says, “And he came to Ephesus.”

Of this journey, the Pulpit Commentary states –

“No voyage across the AEgean was more frequently made than that between Corinth and Ephesus. They were the capitals of the two flourishing and peaceful provinces of Achaia and Asia, and the two great mercantile towns on opposite sides of the sea. (Howson, vol. 1:454).”

They also note that the voyage would take from ten to fifteen days. As for Ephesus, this is the first mention of it in Scripture. Abarim says that the name is derived from the Hittite name Apasa. That comes from appa, behind or after which is related to the Greek word epi, on or upon. They define the meaning as “Later Place,” or maybe “Place Very Much at the Back.” Their reasoning for this is that it is at the mouth of a river on the coast. Thus, it would be comparable to Land’s End or The Boondocks.

Of the city itself, Ellicott notes –

“It had been one of the early Greek colonies on the western coast of Asia Minor. It fell under the power of Alyattes, King of Lydia, and his successor, Croesus. It had from the first been celebrated for the worship of Artemis … and her Temple, with its sacred image, and stately courts, and its hundreds of priests and priestesses of various grades, was visited by pilgrims of all nations. It was one of the cities in which East and West came into close contact with each other, and the religion of Greece assumed there a more Oriental character, and was fruitful in magic, and mysteries, and charms.”

As for the words, “And he came,” some translations say “they” instead of “he.” This would be because of the next clause, “and left them there.” As the focus is on Paul, saying “he” is probably the correct rendering. Regardless of this, after the arrival in Ephesus, one of two things occurred:

• Paul left them at the arrival point and – as was his usual custom – he went seeking after his countrymen. If this is what the words are referring to, then the narrative continues with the next words, “but he himself entered the synagogue.”
• The words “he left them there” are followed by a parenthetical set of verses that end in verse 21 – “And he came to Ephesus, and left them there … And he sailed from Ephesus.”

Either way, the next thought in the narrative is his entering into the synagogue. Being an aorist participle, it properly reads, “And he himself, having entered into the synagogue.” Despite all the grief that he had repeatedly suffered from his own Jewish countrymen, one can see the desire he had to tell them of what he knew. One can almost sense the passion of the words he will later write to those in Rome –

“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.” Romans 9:1-3

It is because of this burning desire for them to know their Messiah that he sought them out. And so, having entered into the synagogue, it next says he “reasoned with the Jews.” The verb is not one of ongoing action, but that he went in and reasoned as in a transient act. The verses ahead will explain why he didn’t stay longer, but he at least made the effort to go in and make himself and his position known to these Jews.

Life application: If you are traveling, do you seek out a church to attend while you are in the area? Or, if your church has streaming online services, do you take advantage of attending with them even when you are traveling?

It’s hard to figure that anyone would take a vacation and say, “We are not going to church while we are on it,” but some people do this. If your priority is your vacation, your priorities are out of whack. You don’t need to go on a set day or a set time, but simply ignoring fellowshipping with others because you are vacationing speaks volumes about your priorities.

Do you eat while on vacation? If so, why? What is the purpose of eating? It is to be fed. While on vacation, go to church.

Heavenly Father, help us to always make church attendance a priority in our lives. Even if we have other things to do, this is one thing that we can do to honor and worship You, to learn about You, and to fellowship with others. May our priorities, which reflect the state of our hearts, be set on You. Amen.