15. “But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.”
What a commentary on the spiritual condition of those who had, as God’s chosen, earthly people, received His oracles! These divine communications—the revealed mind of Jehovah meant for Israel’s blessing—were, to the Gentiles, nothing more than ethnic traditions of a troublesome people. The Jews’ public testimony was such that it caused the “name of God” to be “blasphemed among the Gentiles through you” (Rom. 2:2424For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. (Romans 2:24)). How solemn!
How vital to live the truth of God (fully revealed to man through Christianity) in daily reality, love and devotion. We are an “epistle [of Christ]... known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:22Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (2 Corinthians 3:2)).
16. “And he drave them from the judgment seat.”
How vastly different from the days of Ezra, who was commanded to “set magistrates and judges, which may judge all... such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not” (Ezra 7:2525And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. (Ezra 7:25))! By the Jews’ rebellion against God they had forfeited the opportunity to teach the law of God to Gentiles.
17. “Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.”
Previously Crispus, who had believed Paul’s gospel message and had been saved with all his house, had been chief ruler of the synagogue. Faith in Christ doubtless cost Crispus his place among the Jews in Corinth. A believer in Jesus would never be allowed to fill such a prominent religious position in local Jewish society. Crispus lost his life in this world for “My sake and the gospel’s” but found it preserved for eternity (Mark 8:3535For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)).
Sosthenes ascended to that place of local Jewish repute saving his life in this world later reaping the unjust outburst of Gentile wrath.
Let us measure everything that seems lost for Christ’s sake in this world in the balances of eternal glory. When there, it will be fully revealed from what we were spared in this world by bearing the precious name of Jesus through our pilgrim path.
18. “And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.”
Priscilla and Aquila are with Paul ministering to him not as under a Jewish vow, but in full Christian liberty. This is the way in which God would have each serve Him in the full liberty of divine grace.
19. “And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.”
The Apostle faithfully carries the gospel “to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.” His motive was deep love for God’s earthly people. His heart, as Joseph’s of old, yearned for them, that they might be turned from their blindness and guilt individually and as a nation to believe in the One they had despised and crucified.
May love (for Christ, for His own and for lost souls) always be the only motivating factor of our service.
20. “When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not.”
The Spirit of God seemed to be at work among the Jews in the Ephesian synagogue. Unlike other Jews encountered in his missionary journeys, these desired that Paul would stay longer with them.
Love for the Jewish nation apparently caused him to neglect a promising opportunity. Let us be found “redeeming opportunities” (Col. 4:55Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5) JND).
21. “But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.”
It did not seem to be God’s will that Paul go to Jerusalem, and the result was that he never again visited the Ephesian assembly, though he wrote a divinely inspired epistle to them from prison.
We would fear to criticize the beloved Apostle, but may we never even for love’s sake assume a lower place or service than that which we are called to and have as members of the body of Christ.
In one sense, Christians do have feasts to keep—morally, the feast of unleavened bread (1 Cor. 5:88Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)), and, in actual fact, the remembrance of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:23-2623For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23‑26)).
22. “And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.”
The Apostle allowed nothing to cause him to “miss” visiting an assembly where Christians were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though his desire to visit Jerusalem hurried him on his way, he did not fail to stop long enough to visit the brethren in Caesarea. Are we diligent in not allowing circumstances to keep us from gathering to the Lord Jesus with those of “like precious faith”?
23. “And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”
The desire and effect of Paul’s ministry was to strengthen the disciples the work of a pastor and teacher. Paul was orderly in his ministry, for the One he served is “not a God of disorder” (1 Cor. 14:3333For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33) JND). There is never an excuse for a believer to live in disorder or to allow his life, home or work to be characterized by confusion.
24. “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.”
Eloquence is not enough to fit one for God’s service-nor is knowledge. The Scriptures held moral weight in Apollos’ life he walked in what he knew. Let each be diligent to walk according to the light they have then more will be given.
Ed.