Luke tells us, "Paul stayed in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila." (Acts 18:18a) The Lord prevents any further persecution against Paul at Corinth. When he leaves this city he leaves by his own choice because it's time to continue his journey. Two of the friends he made at Corinth end up accompanying him to Ephesus.
"Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had made." (Acts 18:18b) Paul has evidently made a Nazirite vow. The Hebrew word nazir means "to be separated or consecrated". To perform a Nazirite vow a Jewish man or woman must enter into it willingly, it must be for a specific period of time, and the person's hair must not be cut for that period of time. During the days of the performance of the vow the person must abstain completely from the fruit of the vine, meaning no wine or fermented drinks can be consumed and no grapes or raisins can be eaten. The person also is not allowed to be in the presence of a dead body, so attending funerals is forbidden. Once the time allotted for the vow has been completed, a sacrifice must be made and the hair is cut and placed in the fire underneath the burnt offering. This is a very simplified explanation of the Nazirite vow. For a more detailed explanation see Numbers 6:1-21.
Luke doesn't tell us precisely why Paul makes this vow. As a Christian he is not required to take or perform such vows. Even a Jew wasn't required to take or perform a Nazirite vow. It could be that Corinth was such an ungodly city that he felt the need for a daily reminder, in the form of this vow, that he was consecrated to the Lord and called to be an apostle. Or it could be that he made the vow in gratitude because the Lord kept him safe at Corinth and allowed him to complete his time there without further persecution.
"They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to spend more time with them, they declined. But as he left, he promised, 'I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples." (Acts 18:19-23) The Holy Spirit evidently leads Paul from Ephesus or else he would have remained there longer. Priscilla and Aquila remain there instead to teach and encourage the young church. Paul visits the believers at Jerusalem and then returns to his home church at Antioch, the church who supported his missionary journey, and shares with them all the great things God has done. Then he sets out again to revisit the churches of Galatia and Phrygia.
"Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately." (Acts 18:24-26) The Holy Spirit has called this man to do great things for the name of the Lord. Apollos felt the first excited stirrings of his heart when he heard the preaching of John the Baptist. He had been baptized by John or by one of John's disciples. He believed the testimony of John about Jesus of Nazareth, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) He didn't know everything he needed to know about Jesus, but he knew enough to proclaim Him as the Messiah. Priscilla and Aquila recognize the calling of God on Apollos, so they take him into their home and instruct him more fully on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They do their part to equip him for the Lord's service and, since he has only received the baptism of repentance that John preached, we can confidently conclude he was baptized in the name of Christ at Ephesus.
Apollos is ready now to go out into the world and be used for the Lord's kingdom. "When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah." (Acts 18:27-28) Corinth was the capital Achaia and we know Apollos did a great deal of work at Corinth, for Paul mentions him several times in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul says that he himself planted the seed of the gospel in Corinth and that Apollos watered the seed. Apollos stepped in and worked with the church there after Paul's departure, and he was so highly respected in the region that Paul has to remind the citizens that they are followers of Christ, not of Apollos or anyone else. (1 Corinthians 1:10-17)
The church is growing by leaps and bounds in the book of Acts. God is calling preachers and teachers and missionaries from every region where the name of Christ has been preached. The message of Christ is turning the world upside down and inside out, changing hearts and lives, making new creatures out of the old.
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