Acts 18:23 to 21:16 – Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

Paul Sets Out Again – Read Acts 18:23

In just a single verse Luke hurriedly changes the scene once again. After returning from his second missionary journey, Paul “spends some time” in his home base of Antioch, but sets out again revisiting the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. Luke gives us only the briefest of accounts and simply states that Paul traveled “from place to place, strengthening the disciples.”


Paul and Apollos in Ephesus – Read Acts 18:24 to 19:22

The brevity in describing the beginnings of Paul’s third missionary journey point to Luke’s desire to give the readers of Acts a more detailed picture of important events that are now set to occur in Ephesus. In chapter 18, Luke described how Paul had traveled to Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla, believers he had met in Corinth, and how Paul departed for Antioch after just a short initial stay. Now in chapters 18 and 19 Luke describes a phenomenon that was probably typical in the early church – another traveling missionary who is spreading a somewhat different interpretation of the ministry of Jesus.

While Paul was away in Antioch “a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.” Apollos, as a native of Alexandria, has had all the benefits of the great tradition of Jewish scholarship there (this is the city where the Septuagint was translated), and Luke describes him as a “learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.” Apollos begins to preach about Jesus, accurately according to Luke, but Apollos “knew only the baptism of John”, a baptism of repentance. Priscilla and Aquila, still in Ephesus, hear Apollos and “explained the way of God more adequately” – in other words, corrected Apollos in light of faith, grace and salvation through Jesus as preached by Paul. Apollos, a knowledgeable and eloquent preacher, is encouraged by the believers to travel on to Corinth and they write ahead to the church so he is welcomed there.

After Apollos leaves for Greece, Paul arrives back in Ephesus from Antioch. Paul inquires of the believers there if they had received the Holy Spirit from the teaching of Apollos. The answer is that the Holy Spirit was not known to them, and that they were baptized by “John’s baptism.” Now Paul undertakes to baptize them – a second time - into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul places his hands on them “the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Luke is drawing attention to the fact that different kinds of Christianity were circulating at that time and to note that the baptism as practiced by Paul carried with it the power of the Holy Spirit.

Apollos is received in Corinth and preaches to the church there. Paul later mentions him in his first letter (I Corinthians 1:10-12 and 3:1-9, written while Paul was staying in Ephesus) to appeal for unity in the church. Apollos is also mentioned in one of Paul’s last letters – Titus 3:13, so their relationship was apparently cordial and not competitive. But Luke seems to leave no doubt about whose authority was greater in theological matters.

Meanwhile Paul begins preaching in the synagogue at Ephesus, speaking “boldly there for three months.” This had the usual effect – many within the Jewish congregation took offense and publicly maligned the Christians. Paul then separates from the synagogue and the believers start to meet in a separate, secular lecture hall. Paul stays on in Ephesus preaching for a total of three years so that “all the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”

Ephesus is a Greek city and Paul also interacts with the non-Jewish inhabitants. Luke reports that the Holy Spirit gave Paul the power to heal so that “even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick.” Some Jews tried to appropriate Paul’s popularity by claiming to be able to drive out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. This backfires spectacularly when Luke describes how the demon turns on the Jews, claiming they are not empowered by Jesus, and beating them bloody. This led to a widespread renown – and some fear - for the Christian church in Ephesus and Luke reports “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

It is at this point that Paul decides to undertake a collection campaign for the relief of the Christians in Jerusalem. He plans to revisit the churches in Macedonia and in Corinth, soliciting contributions, and then presenting the donations to Jerusalem church. Given the content of his recent letter, Paul probably wanted to visit Corinth to make sure the church there was in good order. He also plans to travel to Rome, and he sends his associates Timothy and Erastus ahead to Greece to lay the groundwork for this fundraising effort.


The Riot in Ephesus – Read Acts 19:23-41

Paul’s celebrity as a healer and exorcist soon leads to trouble. Ephesus is the location of a famous temple to the Greek god Artemis – we know her as Diana. There was a regular traffic of Greek pilgrims coming to the temple to offer sacrifices. A local industry had sprung up around the temple making silver images and amulets of Diana to sell to these pilgrims. These were more than souvenirs – they were thought to have actual powers when worn. Paul was preaching – and demonstrating – that the only true power came from God, not Artemis/Diana. A silversmith named Demetrius – a prominent local citizen – saw that the livelihood of all was under attack by these Christian beliefs.

Demetrius called together a great crowd and whipped them into an uproar, The mob seized two of Paul’s associates, Aristarchus and Gaius visiting from Macedonia, and hauled them into the public theatre and began shouting out various charges and epithets. Paul wanted rush into the theatre and address the mob, but this probably would have had led to tragic results, and he was wisely held back by some of the believers.

After about two hours of loud commotion the city clerk appeared and managed to quiet the crowd. In a masterful speech the clerk – who may have been a believing Christian – defuses the situation and recommends that the aggrieved silversmiths seek legal compensation. He reminds the crowd that rioting is not looked upon kindly by the Romans, and that the whole issue should be settled with due process. With that, the crowd is dismissed and the threat of violence dissipates.

But it was a very close call and Paul decides to leave on his fundraising trip to Macedonia straightaway. He encourages the disciples in Ephesus and heads for Greece, no doubt with a heavy heart. Altogether Paul had spent three years building up the church in Ephesus, only to see it now threatened by its own success.


Paul’s Early Epistles

It was during this time that Paul began writing letters to the various congregations that he had founded. These are collected and known in our New Testament as Epistles. There is much scholarly debate about the sequence of the letters Paul wrote to the various congregations he founded in Asia Minor and in Greece. The earliest letters were probably written during Paul’s second and third missionary journeys. It is usually assumed that the first letters he wrote were to the church in Thessalonica – I & II Thessalonians. These were probably written during his second missionary journey while he was staying in Corinth, just a few months after he first visited Thessalonica. (Some scholars argue that Paul’s letter to Galatians precedes Thessalonians as the churches in Galatia were the first congregations he founded.)

Paul writes to the church in Corinth while in Ephesus (third missionary journey) and we know this as I Corinthians. (An earlier letter to the church a Corinth in mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians, but its contents are unknown to us.) I Corinthians was in response to a series of problems that had arisen in that congregation concerning propriety in worship and the disciplines of the Christian life. The Second Letter to the Corinthians followed a few months later as Paul was traveling on his fundraising tour – in fact II Corinthians often reads like a solicitation for support, especially in the later chapters.

At about the same time, while Paul is in Ephesus, (or possibly while visiting Corinth) on his third missionary journey, most scholars believe he writes a letter to the churches in Galatia – we know it as the Epistle to the Galatians. The old tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians are again surfacing. Other traveling missionaries have visited Galatia with a narrower version of Christianity that included circumcision and adherence to Hebrew Law. Paul writes to defend his theology and to convince the Galatians that he has proclaimed the full redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ.

At this time Paul also writes a letter to the early church in Rome. Paul knows Rome will be an important center for Christianity – it is, after all, the heart of the Roman Empire and he has already decided to travel there. We know from Luke’s description of Apollos that other preachers were traveling through the Mediterranean and Paul wanted to be sure that his message was clearly understood and not misinterpreted. The Epistle to the Romans is the clearest exposition of Paul’s theology we have and is an important book in our New Testament. Much of Luther’s theology, in fact, can be traced directly to Romans and Galatians.

The later epistles - Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and the Pastoral letters - are written while Paul is in prison in Caesarea or Rome (see Acts 23 through 28) and have a somewhat different character. But the letters Paul wrote during his second and third missionary journeys show an active, mature theology that is trying to deal with the many problems facing the early church.


In Macedonia and Greece – Read Acts 20:1-6

Luke gives us just six verses to describe Paul’s trip through Macedonia and Greece to Corinth. Paul visits the churches – Philippi, Thessalonica and most likely Berea and Derbe - collecting funds for the relief of the Christians in Jerusalem. There is another reason for taking up a collection and presenting it in person: the Council of Jerusalem had apparently not completely resolved the tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Perhaps a substantial relief effort by the “Gentile churches” to the Jerusalem church would go a long way towards reducing these theological differences. Paul mentions these fundraising efforts in three of his epistles written about this time: I Cor 16:1-4, II Cor 8:1-4, II Cor 9:1-2 and Romans 15:25-26. With his collections completed, Paul now begins his journey towards Jerusalem, accompanied by representatives of the various churches.

Instead of sailing directly from Corinth to Syria, Paul decides to retrace his route through Macedonia because of – surprise - another plot against him; he is taking a different way home to confuse his adversaries. When Paul reaches Philippi Luke writes again in the first person: “we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” Paul is trying to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost because he knows that the maximum number of Christians will be there for this important festival and he can make his presentation. This gives him 50 days to complete his trip from Corinth – a fast pace for those times.


At Troas – Read Acts 20:7-12

At Troas while waiting for a ship headed east, Paul and his companions are having dinner one night in the third story of a house. Paul was scheduled to leave the next day on foot – he planned to meet the east-bound ship at Assos after some solitary walking time. Paul had much on his mind and his after-dinner speech runs very long. A disciple named Eutychus nods off to sleep and, in a freak accident, somehow falls out the window. After dropping from such a height the young man is “picked up, dead.” But Paul goes downstairs, puts his arms around the lifeless form and announces: “Don’t be alarmed. He’s alive!” And so he was. Paul continues his speech – until daybreak – and everyone is relieved at the revival of Eutychus. Note that Luke does not quote the speech itself, as he frequently does. Recall that Luke also records the raising of Tabitha by Peter (Acts 9:40) and perhaps this episode in Troas is described not to record what Paul has said on this occasion, but rather to give Paul a similar stature among the apostles and to emphasize the great power of those anointed with the Holy Spirit.


Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians – Read Acts 20:13-38

Luke and the delegation headed for Jerusalem board the ship at Troas while Paul walks to Assos, the next port of call. Paul joins them on the ship at Assos and they sail down the coast of Asia Minor to Miletus. They did not stop at Ephesus – Paul did not want to get side-tracked by his many acquaintances there – but at Miletus he sends for the leaders of the Ephesian church for a quick meeting. Miletus is within walking distance to Ephesus, so the elders oblige and arrive a short time later.

Here Luke records another long speech, this time by Paul to the elders of the church of Ephesus. Paul speaks of grave dangers ahead – the Holy Spirit has warned him of prison and hardship. Paul also states that this will be the last time anyone from Ephesus will see him again, and this causes the elders much concern - Paul had, after all, worked with them for three years. Paul concludes with a quote from Jesus “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” They have a final prayer together and accompany Paul solemnly back to the ship.


On Towards Jerusalem – Read Acts 21:1-16

Luke continues to write in the first person. Leaving Miletus, the ship makes good progress to Cos, Rhodes and Petara, ports along the Asia Minor coast. They change ships and then cross the Mediterranean to Syria and call at the port of Tyre staying there seven days unloading and re-loading cargo. Paul and his companions stay with some local believers while waiting to continue the sea journey. These believers “through the Holy Spirit” urge Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem, but Paul is determined to deliver the donations raised on this trip in person. Luke reports that Paul and his companions sailed with the ship southward, which stopped at the port of Ptolemais. Paul and his compainions leave the ship at this point and walk to Caesarea. There they stay with Philip, who has apparently lived in Caesarea all this time (about 20 years, see Acts 8:40) and he has four grown daughters.

A more serious warning to Paul now appears in the person of Agabus, a believer and prophet from Judea. Agabus was first mentioned in Acts 11 and correctly predicted a future famine – Luke significantly notes that this prophesy was through the Holy Spirit. Agabus now dramatically takes Paul’s belt and, binding himself with it, declares: “In this way will the Jews take the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” The believers now plead with Paul to call off his trip to Jerusalem, but Paul is adamant. Finally they give up trying to persuade him and say simply: “The Lord’s will be done.”

Paul and his party continue on toward Jerusalem and an uncertain reception.


Links of Interest

Detailed commentary on chapter 18 here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch18.html

Detailed commentary on chapter 19 here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch19.html

Detailed commentary on chapter 20 here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch20.html

Detailed commentary on chapter 21 here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch21.html

Map of Paul’s Third Missionary Journey here: http://goodnewspirit.com/pauljourney3.htm

A detailed chronology of Paul’s life and Epistles is here: http://www.bombaxo.com/paulchron.html


Study/Discussion Questions

1. Why do you suppose there were several versions of Christianity being circulated?

2. When Paul baptizes and the Holy Spirit appears, what is Luke saying about the priority of Paul’s version of Christianity?

3. Why do you think that Paul’s miracles and healings typically occur among Greeks and not Jews?

4. What does Paul’s letter to the Galatians indicate about the decision of the Council of Jerusalem?

5. What does the content of Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church seem to indicate about his abilities as a pastor?

6. How many letters did Paul write while staying in Ephesus?

7. Why did Paul have so many companions from the churches in Macedonia and Greece on his return to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4)?

8. Why does Luke recount the raising of Eutarchus in such detail?

9. Why do the believers at Tyre and Caesarea plead with Paul not to enter Jerusalem? What has Paul done to antagonize those in Jerusalem?