The Book of Acts | God’s Revelation of Transition

Session 59 Acts 18:17-25

Acts 18:12-22 | The Second Missionary Journey: Corinth, Part 2

• Verses 12-16 – see session 58
• Verse 17 –
  • Who are the Greeks? It was very likely the hellenist Jews, who, being of the same logical thinking heritage as Gallio, were upset with Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue (who evidently had replaced Crispus, v. 8).
  • Had these Hellenist Jews warned Sosthenes that this was going to be a humiliating loss? What was the outcome of this beating? We do not know for sure.
  • There is an intriguing mention of Sosthenes our brother in 1 Corinthians 1:1. Perhaps this event caused Sosthenes to remove himself from the Synagogue and join with Paul?
• Verse 18 –
  • After a good while Paul took a boat headed for Syria, with stops first in Cenchrea (not far from Corinth) and Ephesus (v. 19).
  • What kind of vow was Paul keeping?
    • The only Biblical vow we know of that involves cutting hair was the Nazarite vow, which was a temporary vow taken as a dedication vow to the Lord for a particular time period.
    • During the vow, the “nazarite” was not to cut his hair, but it was to be cut upon completing the vow.
      • The problem with this view is that the hair was to be presented with a sacrifice on the altar, which Paul could not do (not being in Jerusalem).
      • Some have said that the hair could be cut and retained for the next arrival at the Temple, which is possibly why Paul rushes to Jerusalem in vv. 19-21 (see v. 21, KJV only due to a textual variant).
    • In the end, we only know what is said in the text, and the type and meaning of the vow is speculation.
• Verses 19-21 –
  • In this passage, we have the first introduction of Ephesus, and gives us insight to the audience we should expect to see in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
  • While Paul had left ministry in the synagogue in Corinth, he has not left that ministry altogether.
    • In Ephesus, he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
    • No doubt, his logic concerns the identity of Jesus as the Messiah.
    • His logic seems to be well received, for they desired him to tarry longer time with them.
    • Paul, however, was in a rush to get to Jerusalem, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem. These words are left out of modern versions.
    • Paul’s presence likely had something to do with the vow seen in Cenchrea.
    • We do not know which feast Paul was desiring to keep.
• Verse 22 –
  • It is interesting that Paul makes a very quick trip to Jerusalem, simply summarized with the words that Paul had gone up (Jerusalem is the only place to which one goes up in the New Testament).
  • As quickly as he arrived, he left for Antioch, and thus the second missionary journey comes to a conclusion.

Acts 18:23-28 | The Third Missionary Journey: Ephesus

• Verse 23 –
  • We do not know how much time that some time is. Some speculate that Paul spent as much as a year in Antioch.
  • Now Paul begins to backtrack his previous journeys in order to strengthen all the disciples.
    • Note that some argue that disciples is a word that is only used of those of the previous dispensation.
    • However, those of Galatia (as we know from the book of Galatians) were Gentile believers, not kingdom-Gospel believers.
• Verse 24 –
  • Here, Luke takes a diversion. While Paul is on this journey, Apollos comes to Ephesus. Paul is not there but Aquila and Priscilla live there (as we saw in vv. 18-19).
  • Apollos was an eloquent man.
    • The Greek is λόγιος [logios], which is related to speech. By implication in involves knowledge of the facts.
    • The word apologetics comes from the prefix apo (from) logios (speech).
      • Any training in apologetics should involve, by nature, training in speech.
      • Furthermore, the old practice of teaching elocution was training in eloquence.
      • These are things which should be more valued in the Christian community than they are today.
  • Foundational to eloquence is a knowledge of the facts.
    • Apollos was mighty in the scriptures, no doubt a reference to his knowledge.
    • If one is eloquent but has no substance of speech, he is just a “talking head.”
• Verse 25 –
  • The teaching of Apollos was not unbiblical, it was simply uninformed about the new dispensation.
    • Apollos was fervent in the spirit. If this refers to the Holy Spirit, then Apollos was (as it appears), part of Peter’s flock.
    • The things he taught were of the Lord. However, they were dispensationally dated, because they remained in the era of the baptism of John, which was one of repentance.
  • First, this verse seems impossible from a non-dispensational point of view.
    • Those who believe the church started with John (or any time during the baptism of John) must reconcile their theology with this verse.
  • Second, this also implies that there is another baptism that is not of John.
    • This could be the Spirit baptism, though that baptism was also present from the days of Pentecost.
    • It could also be, in my estimation, a symbolic water-baptism of testimony rather than a water-baptism of repentance.