Acts 18:19

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Acts 18:19

In the previous verse, Paul left Corinth along with Priscilla and Aquila. While in Cenchrea, he cut his hair because of a vow. Leaving Cenchrea, which is the port from which they would have sailed, it next says, “And he came to Ephesus.”

Of this journey, the Pulpit Commentary states –

“No voyage across the AEgean was more frequently made than that between Corinth and Ephesus. They were the capitals of the two flourishing and peaceful provinces of Achaia and Asia, and the two great mercantile towns on opposite sides of the sea. (Howson, vol. 1:454).”

They also note that the voyage would take from ten to fifteen days. As for Ephesus, this is the first mention of it in Scripture. Abarim says that the name is derived from the Hittite name Apasa. That comes from appa, behind or after which is related to the Greek word epi, on or upon. They define the meaning as “Later Place,” or maybe “Place Very Much at the Back.” Their reasoning for this is that it is at the mouth of a river on the coast. Thus, it would be comparable to Land’s End or The Boondocks.

Of the city itself, Ellicott notes –

“It had been one of the early Greek colonies on the western coast of Asia Minor. It fell under the power of Alyattes, King of Lydia, and his successor, Croesus. It had from the first been celebrated for the worship of Artemis ... and her Temple, with its sacred image, and stately courts, and its hundreds of priests and priestesses of various grades, was visited by pilgrims of all nations. It was one of the cities in which East and West came into close contact with each other, and the religion of Greece assumed there a more Oriental character, and was fruitful in magic, and mysteries, and charms.”

As for the words, “And he came,” some translations say “they” instead of “he.” This would be because of the next clause, “and left them there.” As the focus is on Paul, saying “he” is probably the correct rendering. Regardless of this, after the arrival in Ephesus, one of two things occurred:

1. Paul left them at the arrival point and – as was his usual custom – he went seeking after his countrymen. If this is what the words are referring to, then the narrative continues with the next words, “but he himself entered the synagogue.”
2. The words “he left them there” are followed by a parenthetical set of verses that end in verse 21 – “And he came to Ephesus, and left them there ... And he sailed from Ephesus.”

Either way, the next thought in the narrative is his entering into the synagogue. Being an aorist participle, it properly reads, “And he himself, having entered into the synagogue.” Despite all the grief that he had repeatedly suffered from his own Jewish countrymen, one can see the desire he had to tell them of what he knew. One can almost sense the passion of the words he will later write to those in Rome –

“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.” Romans 9:1-3

It is because of this burning desire for them to know their Messiah that he sought them out. And so, having entered into the synagogue, it next says he “reasoned with the Jews.” The verb is not one of ongoing action, but that he went in and reasoned as in a transient act. The verses ahead will explain why he didn’t stay longer, but he at least made the effort to go in and make himself and his position known to these Jews.

Life application: If you are traveling, do you seek out a church to attend while you are in the area? Or, if your church has streaming online services, do you take advantage of attending with them even when you are traveling?

It’s hard to figure that anyone would take a vacation and say, “We are not going to church while we are on it,” but some people do this. If your priority is your vacation, your priorities are out of whack. You don’t need to go on a set day or a set time, but simply ignoring fellowshipping with others because you are vacationing speaks volumes about your priorities.

Do you eat while on vacation? If so, why? What is the purpose of eating? It is to be fed. While on vacation, go to church.

Heavenly Father, help us to always make church attendance a priority in our lives. Even if we have other things to do, this is one thing that we can do to honor and worship You, to learn about You, and to fellowship with others. May our priorities, which reflect the state of our hearts, be set on You. Amen.