The Returning Missionary - Acts 18

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

I’m not sure what vow Paul would have taken that would have caused him to cut his hair or why he took a vow.  It is interesting that this is in the descriptions of Paul’s missionary journey.  It certainly adds to the humanness of Paul.

Paul’s new friends, Aquila and Priscilla stay in Ephesus.  I assume Silas and Timothy have stayed in Corinth.  No description as to their whereabouts are provided.  Paul finally makes it back to Jerusalem and Antioch.  Corinth has become the furthest westward location for Paul on this trip.  He stayed there at least 1 ½ years, probably closer to 2 years. 

²³ 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 all the disciples.

Paul goes and visits all the churches in the area.  This is the beginning of his 3^rd missionary journey. Through his preaching and descriptions of his travels and the salvation to some Jews and many Gentiles the churches are encouraged (“strengthened”).  (I’m assuming this is what he talked about.)

I remember when there were people who would travel church-to-church.  That was their ministry.  They would sing to the church and/or preach.  They were evangelist but not in a modern built-up event kind of way.  I remember that they would come and work at the church for a week or two, doing anything the church needed done whether it was painting, yardwork, or cleaning toilets.  They would provide special songs and an encouraging message.  Then they would travel to the next church. 

I sense that Paul is traveling church-to-church and encouraging the believers with the news of his missionary journeys and how God has been with Him and is reaching the world.

As I work with foreign missionaries, they do this same type of thing to their home congregations and the churches that send them.  They take a time to come back from the field and describe what has been ongoing in that work.  Unfortunately, too many churches act only as bankers and want to know what their “investment” has prospered in terms of numbers.  Too few churches take the missionaries in and provide a sincere effort to care for the missionaries and their families first, then discuss how they can help the missionary in the work.