Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria
18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters[d] and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.
19 They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21 As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later,[e] God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem[f] and then went back to Antioch.
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.[g]
Apollos Instructed at Ephesus
24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit[h] and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. 28 He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.
5 comments:
I was intrigued by the head shaving bit. Still blednging the two together it seems.
Blessings
cas
"blending the two together"? i'm pretty sure paul was jewish, no? ;-)
priscilla and aquila's tactful way of approaching apollos, and the apparent humilty and openness of apollos in accepting a new idea was refreshing...
jewish yes, but also freed from the law
i'm thinking paul did not shave his head as a condition of the "law" in terms of salvation... continuing to follow jewish rites / customs was perfectly natural and not a conflict in any way.
maybe that is what you mean by "blending", but i just see it as who paul was -- still 100% a jew living in the grace and revelation of the Messiah...
Sure, I see your point. I guess my thought came from the whole circumcision debate and gentile believers.
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