Acts 18 Footnotes

18:19-20 Paul’s visit probably lasted less than a week. His initial visit to the synagogue in Ephesus was apparently without incident. The discussions he had with the Jews showed promise. They urged him to stay. He promised to return if God willed. Paul would stay in Ephesus (19:10) longer than in most other cities. The work there would impact not only Ephesus itself but the entire province of Asia. Paul had been prevented from staying in Asia earlier (16:6). He gave evidence of having envisioned an extensive work in Ephesus because of its strategic location. Paul planned and strategized but was under the authority and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He would return to Ephesus on God’s timetable.

18:22-23 Paul greeted the Jerusalem church, having gone down from there to Antioch. This marks the second missionary journey’s end and the third journey’s beginning (see note on v. 22).

18:24-26 Being from Alexandria (the most important city of letters in the Greco-Roman world), Apollos is depicted as learned and eloquent. Christianity had already reached Alexandria by this time. Similar to the situation Paul encounters in chap. 19, here Apollos found his own knowledge deficient; he knew only John’s baptism and had not yet received the Spirit or been baptized into Christ. Apollos was then given more accurate instruction.