The end of Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey

Introduction

Here we are coming to the final leg of Paul’s second missionary journey. We find him in Corinth and he will soon depart Corinth and will continue preaching the Gospel.

Paul was always on mission, which is to get the Gospel to every creature. We will see him enlist a couple to help him in this endeavor.

Paul leaves Corinth vs. 18

Paul tarried or stayed in Corinth for a good while.

While most cities drove Paul out, the leaders in Corinth seemed to leave Paul alone.

Remember back to Paul’s vision in verse 9-10 where the Lord told him that no man would hurt him, because God has much people in the city.

Paul started a church there and saw much fruit, and he didn’t do it through enticing words, but through the word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:4 “4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”

He sailed from Corinth to Syria from Cenchrea where he shaved His head for he had taken a vow while in Corinth.

The vow he had taken was the Nazarite vow

It was a special pledge of separation and devotion to God.

It was usually made in gratitude to the Almighty for gracious blessing or deliverance. In Numbers 6, God Himself inaugurated the nazarite vow.

Numbers 6:2–5 “2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: 3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.”

The vow was usually for a specific period of time, but some that took the vow where for a lifetime (Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist)

At the end of the specific time there was a ceremony found on Numbers 6:13-21

Numbers 6:13–21 KJV 1900

13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 14 And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, 15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings. 16 And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: 17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. 18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. 19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven: 20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. 21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

Notice that Paul didn’t sail alone but took Aquila and Priscilla with him.

Paul’s time in Ephesus vs. 19-21

When Paul arrives in Ephesus the Bible tells us that he would leave Aquila and Priscilla there.

Ephesus was an important city due to its location, and it was the capital of the Roman province of Asia.

While in Ephesus, Paul goes into the Synagogue to reason with the Jews.

Again this is no new task for Paul, he would reason with the scriptures proving over and over that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Notice we only see a one sided reaction to Paul’s preaching here in Ephesus, and that is they wanted him to stay.

Instead of staying, he told them he could not stay any longer because he had to get back to Jerusalem to keep the feast.

Though we aren’t sure if this had to do with the vow that Paul had taken or if it had to do with timing as the weather closed the great sea until mid march, we know that Paul couldn’t stay in Ephesus long.

Its important to note that it would have been easy for Paul to stay in Ephesus, where people were hungry for preaching, as this was very uncommon along his missionary journeys but he was yielded to the Spirit so when the spirit told him to move, he moved.

The lesson for us is no matter how comfortable we are, we must listen to the spirit if He is moving us.

Then we see Paul reference God’s sovereignty as he says “I will return again unto you, if God will”

On that note Paul left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus and sailed for Jerusalem.

Paul reports to Antioch vs. 22-23

When he landed at Caesarea he went up and saluted the church.

While Jerusalem isn’t mentioned here almost every time that Jerusalem is mentioned they go up to Jerusalem.

It is very likely that Paul stopped by and saluted the Church in Jerusalem.

While he was here he likely did what he told the church of Ephesus he was going to Jerusalem to do.

Then we see him go down to Antioch

He spent some time in Antioch, reporting of what God had done through his second missionary journey.

When his time was finished in Antioch, he went and began his third missionary journey.

He went to Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen the disciples that were there.

Between verse 22-23 there us a distance of close to 1500 miles covered.

As Paul did on the beginning of his second missionary journey, he went to the churches to strengthen them.

Acts 15:36 “36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.”

Aquila and Priscilla help Apollos in Ephesus vs. 24-28

The third missionary journey of Paul is briefly sidelined to tell us about a man named Apollos.

Apollos was a Jew born in Alexandria

Some from Alexandria argued with Stephen in Acts 6 before he was martyred.

He was an eloquent man

This means he was well spoken

He was mighty in the scriptures

he was likely taught in the nest synagogues

He had somewhere along the way have a gospel encounter and was taught in the way of the Lord

Luke tells us he was fervent in the spirit

Paul uses the same word when instructing Christians how to be Romans 12:11 “11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

He spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord

It seems that his only flaw was that he only knew the baptism of John and not the Baptism of Jesus, which Paul will teach him in chapter 9

As he was preaching in the Synagogue, Aquila and Priscilla, took him aside and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

One commentary explains it this way “They explained to him the rich fullness of the truth concerning the Messiah’s atoning death and resurrection.”

Apollos could have ignored the tentmakers, but instead was teachable, and took what they said to heart.

Apollos was disposed or inclined to go to Achaia, the brethren wrote exhorting words asking the disciples to receive him

Apollos mightily convinced the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

We can learn a lot from Apollos that we can use in our Christian life.

We should be mighty in the scripture

We should be fervent in the Spirit

We should speak boldly about Jesus

We should be teachable in our Christian life.

We should tell others the Gospel.

Conclusion

Christian, would any of the things said about Apollos be said about us?

Has their been a time in your life where you have placed your faith in Jesus? If not why not today? It simple

We must first realize that we are sinners in need of a saviour

Jesus Christ is that Saviour and he lived a sinless life, died on the cross, was buried and three days later he rose from the grave paying the debt of our sin.

Do you believe that today? Come this morning and we can show you from Gods word how you can be saved.