Paul changes gears as he finalizes his ministry in Corinth for the time and begins to set his sights on heading back home to Jerusalem and Antioch. But his time in Corinth has paid off, especially as the core group he has impacted shows up in a surprise visit in Cenchrea.
Acts 18:18-22; Ephesians 1:17-21
Only a stone’s throw away, a merchant ship with three masts sits in the Cenchrea harbor awaiting its departure. Like an army of ants, Its crew busily climbs on and off while making more room for additional cargo, while a short but girthy man barks out orders without lifting a finger to help.
Seated on a bench nearby, Silas observes the ship and its crew making its final preparations. “It’s been a while since we’ve sailed, hasn’t it.” He says.
Paul slightly moves his head to look in Silas’ direction, but he doesn’t want to pull any sudden movements with a razor over his head.
“Keep your head straight.” The ornatrice warns. “This is sharp.”
“Yes, maam.” Paul complies, as he notices a swath of long, peppery strands of hair fall to the ground.
Laughter is heard a few feet away, as Aquila makes another joke with his wife and Timothy. Paul shifts his eyes away from the ship and towards the three and lets out a deep breath.
“You!!!” A female voice is heard from behind. “Paulus, you have changed our world.” She says.
Paul starts to turn his head.
“Uh uh.” The ornatrice warns again. “Stop moving your head.”
“I’m sorry.” Paul says.
“Keep turning it, and you will be.” She threatens.
The other female comes into view and stands in front of him.
“Chloe?” Paul says. “I thought that might be you.”
“We couldn’t let you sneak away without a proper send off, now could we?” Chloe pats Paul on the shoulder and walks over to Silas.
“Ow!” Paul suddenly cries out. He winces. “What are you doing back there?” He asks.
“I’m removing these stray hairs from around the neck.” She says. “Especially these long scraggly gray ones.”
“Why is he shaving his head?” Chloe quietly asks Silas.
Silas looks over at Paul, who appears to be writhing in pain. He rubs his own neck, as he empathetically witnesses the ornatrice pluck out each of his gray neck hairs, one by one. “Ooooh. That looks like it hurts.
They both cringe at the ordeal.
Silas finally explains. “He’s completed his Nazarite vow.”
“His what?” Chloe asks.
“His Naza.” Silas barely gets out.
“Chloe.” Paul affectionately says. “Corinth is eight miles away from here. Did you come alone?”
“Well… kind of, anyway.” Silas mutters out to the air, as Chloe turns and walks away.
“Oh, heavens no.” Chloe replies as she walks towards him. “We had quite the caravan.” She looks over Paul’s shoulders and yells behind him. “Hey everyone, let’s let our man of the hour get a look at you.”
Priscilla nudges Aquila to notice the group behind Paul and both make room for the stream of people coming to see them off. “Woah.” She mumbles. “That’s a long way to walk to say goodbye.”
Aquila shrugs. “I dunno, hon. We’ll be walking a lot further than they did to follow this guy. Two years ago, we said, this is the place! Remember? No more moving.”
Priscilla concedes while the small bon-voyage crowd comes into Paul’s view.
“Hey, don’t let this bald man scare you.” Chloe teases. “It’s the same man we have come to love and adore.”
“Thanks for that, Chloe.” Paul sarcastically drips as he deadpans back at her. He shifts his eyes up and asks, “Are we almost done? Ow!” He yells out.
“Now we’re done.” The ornatrice exclaims with satisfaction. She then wipes off his head a final time. Not a trace of hair to be found.
“What about blood?” Paul jokes. “Any of that there?”
Looking directly into his eyes and holding the razor in front of his face, she replies. “No… but there could be.”
Paul raises his hands in surrender and replies. “Yes. Yes. I suppose you’re right.”
…
As the crowd lingers towards the merchant ship, Paul locks eyes with Timothy. “Hey.” He says while pointing over at them. “That’s your brood now.”
Timothy smiles.
“I suspect your work here will be harder than it was in Thessalonica.” Paul contemplates.
Timothy nods.
“Lots more to distract people here.” Paul goes on. “Too many competing interests vying for their love and affection.”
Timothy stays quiet, as the two observe the group chatting it up with one another in the distance.
“You’re probably wondering, ‘how long?’” Paul asks.
Timothy, lost in his thoughts, continues to quietly stare out at the boat.
Paul breaks the silence. “I don’t know when I’ll return, but I don’t plan on sticking around in Antioch or Jerusalem for any amount of time.”
“Then why are you going back?” Timothy finally asks. “We’ve made so much progress out here.”
“We have.” Paul replies. “And… we will continue to do so with your diligent work. I’ve been away for three years, Timothy. To be honest, I don’t know what I’ll find upon my return. My greatest concern is that the others will revert back to Judaism or some form of it. I noticed it in Lystra, when I came back for you, and together we saw this happening in Iconium and Antioch Pisidia too. The tiny house churches in Galatia were already feeling more and more like synagogues and not Spirit led communities.” He lets out a long breath. “Timothy, my son. We have made so much progress that we cannot afford losing ground on the homefront.”
“But you’re talking about the apostles themselves.” Timothy says with surprise. “They built the Church. After they have accomplished so much? Do you think they would revert to following the Law?”
“It’s already been a point of contention.” Paul replies. “And, I suspect it will continue to be so, especially if Peter and John were somehow to leave to lead ministries in other cities. That’s why I have to check in and get a feel for things. I’ve already rebuked Peter once for giving preference to his own fellow Jews over the gentile believers. When in Antioch, his behavior changed and made the Gentile converts feel like they were inferior to their Jewish brethren. Don’t you see?” Paul asks. “The pressure for living under the Law is so great, that reversion back to the Law is no different than gravity keeping us glued to the earth. It’s a natural force.”
The ship ebbs and flows with the gentle tide. A bell gongs nearby giving warning for departure, as a flock of seagulls circle above it and take turns plunging in on their potential quarry.
“I think that’s us.” Paul guesses. He then points at Erastus. “I think our Lord is up to something with that guy.”
“Erastus?” Timothy asks. “Yeah, we’ve spent a lot of time together since you had the blowout with the synagogue in front of Gallio.”
Paul stares and slowly nods. “Is he still clerking for him?”
“Yeah.” Timothy replies. “For now, anyway. He has a lot on his plate as a Freedman under Gallio’s service. I would like to see him dedicate his time fully to us though.”
Shrugging, Paul says. “Hmmm. Who knows what the Lord will do there? I suspect God will use him wherever he serves, and who’s to say that God hasn’t used him best right where he’s at?”
“You never know how God will surprisingly use you to bring others to him.” A voice from behind announces.
Both men turn around simultaneously, surprised to see the two men in front of them.
“What?” Crispus asks. “You think walking eight miles is too far for a send off?” He winks at the other man next to him.
Paul and Timothy stare speechless at the man standing on his right.
Crispus laughs. “I told you they wouldn’t know to say if you showed up. For the first time… ever… you’ve been able to keep them quiet.”
Sosthanes shrugs.
…
As the captain barks a litany of coordinating orders, the merchant ship slowly drifts towards the outer harbor to await a tow into the queue.
Aquila heads over to the side and points. “There! Can you see it?”
The others stand and stretch momentarily before heading over.
“Have you ever been here?” Silas asks Aquila.
“Once.” Aquila says. “When our family made its way to Rome.” He laughs. “From backwoods Pontus to the epicenter of the world.”
“You can’t take the hick out from the sticks.” Priscilla teases as she joins in the conversation.
“You miss it?” Silas asks.
“What? Pontus? Let’s see,” Aquila lists. “Do I miss the bitter cold with little opportunity for work.”
“Yeah, but your family.” Silas empathizes. “Didn’t you leave them behind?”
“Not exactly.” Aquila shrugs. “Sure, we have many who stayed behind, but my immediate family and I went together.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get back?” Silas presses.
Aquila and Priscilla look at one another with amusement.
“We dunno.” Aquila says.
“Yeah,” Priscilla adds. “Now that we seem to be following you guys around everywhere you go…”
Paul gives one final look over the side of the boat at the jetty that makes up the enormous man made harbor. Nearly tripping over a bag of grain, he makes his way over to the conversation.
“Wait,” Silas asks the couple. “Are you coming with us to Syria?”
Aquila looks over at Paul and says, “No. I don’t think that’s the plan. We’re itching to see what we can be doing here in this town. Is this your first time here?”
“Ephesus?” Silas asks while laughing. “Most of these cities have been firsts for me.”
“Well.” Priscilla chides. “You’ve had quite the orientation, haven’t you. Jailed, flogged, ran out of town…” she points at Paul. “Stick around with this guy and you’ll be living in luxury.”
The group laughs.
Silas grins and replies. “Yeah, I’m not sure how much opulence I can handle here.”
The ship abruptly slows as a crew emerges out from nowhere. Several ropes are thrown over the side to secure it alongside the pier, and like a well-oiled machine, the crewmen immediately start to unload the haul.
Paul looks up to see the columned strewn arcade a short distance away. He pats Silas on the back and says, “Ephesus! Well, let’s see what mischief we can cause here.”
Priscilla laughs at this and retorts. “I give it a week.”
…
We’re going to stop here for today:
Leaving Timothy behind to continue the work in Corinth for a season, Paul, Silas, Aquila and Priscilla make their way to Ephesus. While Aquila and Priscilla will make Ephesus their new home, Paul and Silas stay for only a week or two before they move onto Caesarea Maritima, Jerusalem, and eventually Antioch.
Whether Silas stays in Jerusalem or Antioch, we’re not completely sure, but it’s good to note that by this time in AD 52, the Christ following community in Antioch had become a large hub for ministry among the early church. While the church in Jerusalem continued to also be a hub for apostolic ministry, the levels of tension were percolating once again between specific Jewish groups and the Roman government under Claudius’ appointment of Herod Agrippa II in AD 53. The Romans would act, some of the zealous Jewish factions would revolt, and then Rome would squash the factions in a brutal response–further unsettling the peace in this region.
Reading the “writing on the wall”, some of the apostolic leaders, such as Peter, John and some of the others were itching to be doing ministry elsewhere, especially as during this decade many Jews migrated towards cities like Antioch, Alexandria and even Ephesus later on.
As has been the case with Paul since he stepped foot into the mission field, his greatest concern has been the threat of new believers and new communities reverting back to the Law for worship and daily practice. For those with Jewish backgrounds, this was an everyday occurrence. Paul understood all too well where his greatest problem lay.
That said, Paul’s message was not to avoid the Law altogether, as many accused him of doing, but to understand that obedience to the Law is not the same as being empowered by God. We’ve unpacked this at length before, but it’s helpful for us to be reminded about one of the Apostle Paul’s most central messages directed at the early church. Our right standing before God is not made possible due to our attempts to fully obey the Law. No, that mindset only leads to our shortfalls, our attempts to rationalize our shortcomings, and even our condemnation for not measuring up.
No…
When we stand exposed before God, it will become plainly clear to us that our ability to stand in His presence has been made possible by the sacrificial work of sinless Jesus who traded places with sinful us. Furthermore, our standing before God will reveal how God worked within us, how He called us, how He promised an inheritance for us, and how His power flowed through us. Our “work” will have been a work of trust and surrender before the God who rescued and empowered us.
At its core, faith is trusting God’s ways to be best, and letting our responses, our choices reflect that trust. Instead of a mindset of compliance, ours is to be a mindset of total transformation that comes by trust in the One who made this possible.
As we wrap up today’s episode, let me leave you with a passage that Paul would later share with the church in Ephesus.
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
— Ephesians 1:17-21
May the boundless greatness of God be abundantly clear in you who trust Him more than you trust yourselves. Furthermore, may you engage in the total transformation that comes from trusting God with everything. With that, let’s move forward… together.