PAUL’S MISSIONARY PRIORITIES

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 3, 2023 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: May 3, 2023 from Acts 18:18-23

Theme: Christ-like character reveals itself in the priorities we keep while in the midst of the busyness of ministry and life.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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The passage we’re about to look at might seem—at first glance—to be an easy one to pass by. In fact, it almost seems anticlimactic after the ‘climactic’ events that had occurred in Corinth.

In Acts 18:18-23, the writer—Luke—tells us;

So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples (Acts 18:18-23).

This may seem like little more than ‘fill-in’ details about Paul’s missionary plans. But actually, this passage is important for a number of reasons. First one thing, it’s a transitional passage that tells us of what happened between the end of Paul’s second missionary journey, and the beginning of his third. The flow of the story of Paul’s history wouldn’t be complete without it. Second, it’s a passage that tells us about the beginnings of Paul’s very significant ministry in the city of Ephesus. Much of Chapter 19 will be occupied with the story of that ministry; and in this passage, we see the seeds planted that grew later into a very remarkable and challenging ministry in that city. Third, it shows us that a ministry opportunity that God had called Paul to set aside at one time in his ministry was taken up later. You’ll remember that, in Chapter 16, Paul and his missionary team had originally intended to go and preach the gospel in Asia Minor; and yet—as it tells us in 16:6—“they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia”. Perhaps this was because—in the sovereign plan of God—the conditions were not then ripe for the spread of that message. But as we come to this passage, the times are apparently about to be ripe. It tells us the story of the beginnings of the work in Asia. Seeds are planted in Ephesus that brought forth tremendous fruit later. So, as you can see, there are lots of reasons why this passage is important.

But perhaps the greatest reason why the Holy Spirit saw fit to include it in the Book of Acts for us is because of what it tells us about Paul himself. More than most, this passage gives us an up-close, personal, insider’s view of Paul’s priorities in the midst of a busy ministry. Luke—as it were—was led by the Holy Spirit to zero in on some of the details of Paul’s schedule; and let’s see what life was like, in the midst of ministry, for the greatest missionary in church history.

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It’s always fascinating to read biographies—especially biographies of someone whose life and work stand out in history in some way. It’s interesting to read about fascinating public figures, or artists, or cultural icons. It’s engaging to read about how one event led to another in their lives; so that the things that they are most known for unfold before us. But such biographies are especially interesting when they give us a close-up view of what such people did in the midst of their work. What were the personal priorities that they held on to while all of the other things were going on? What sort of values motivated them? What were the little ‘behind-the-scenes’ things that they were careful to do while they were doing all the other great things that we know about? Often, reading such details in such biographies gives us an insight into what made such people great.

And here—in this passage—we’re given just such a ‘close-up’ view of Paul. We’re shown what kind of things they were that he prioritized while in the midst of the busy work of ministry. They show us—in the midst of an unspeakably busy ministry—what his true character was like. It wasn’t all about accomplishment, and movement, and busyness. He valued the things that the Lord would want him to value. He pursued the things that the Lord would want him to pursue. He placed a high premium on faithfulness to matters of the soul. It wasn’t all about the busy work that he did in ministry. Rather, it was about what kind of man he was in the midst of that busy work.

And this helps us to learn to value these same kinds of priorities in the midst of our own life and service to the Lord. As this passage illustrates to us—and illustrates more clearly than most—Christ-like character reveals itself in the priorities we keep while in the midst of the busyness of ministry and life.

Let’s look again at the details of this passage; and let’s learn from Paul’s priorities in the midst of the work. First, we discover in him …

1. A COMMITMENT TO SEEING THINGS THROUGH (v. 18a).

We see this in the words that we find in verse 18; “So Paul still remained a good while.”

The place that he remained “a good while” in was Corinth. And that was after he had already spent a considerable amount of time there. In fact, as far as we can tell, Paul spent more time ministering in the strategic city of Corinth than in any other city he visited as a missionary.

It began when he had spent a long time working in that city as a tentmaker with his believing friends Aquila and Priscilla. What’s more, he spent many Sabbaths in the synagogue in Corinth ‘reasoning’ with the Jews and Greeks. When trouble arose and he grew fearful, the Lord met with him in a vision and told him;

“Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).

And that’s when we’re told that “he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (v. 11). We’re not told much about the events of that time. It was most likely a time of simple, ‘nuts-and-bolts’, regular work in teaching the church in Corinth. And even then—after a year-and-a-half of labor in this difficult field of ministry—the city was thrown into an uproar again because of the ministry of the gospel. And yet, even after all of this trouble—we’re told “So Paul remained a good while”. And what a result! We are blessed even today by the letters and words of instruction that he passed on to the believers in Corinth. Just think of how much poorer we would be today if Paul had quit this difficult ministry too early! Instead, he stayed put in a difficult field of work, and saw things through until the work was done.

Sometimes, our character in Christ is shown in how—in the midst of busy labors—we stay at our post and see the work to the end. It shows that we truly believe what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58;

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Another thing we see in Paul from this passage is that he prioritized …

2. A PERSONAL DEDICATION AND DEVOTION TO GOD (v. 18-21a).

We see this in verse 18; when we’re told—after a long time of ministry in Corinth—“Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.”

What does it mean that he had taken ‘a vow’? The explanation is found in the fact that it was associated with having his hair cut off. Paul—in the midst of his ministry in Corinth, and perhaps even before—had apparently followed the Jewish tradition laid down in the Scriptures and had especially devoted himself to God as a Nazirite. Back in Numbers 6, God told His people through Moses that, when someone wished to voluntarily separate themselves unto Him in a unique way, they were to let the locks of their hair grow long, and they were to keep themselves from wine and from contact from any dead bodies and from anything unclean. “All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord” (Numbers 6:8). This was ‘a Nazirite vow’—a vow of special separation unto God. And when the time of separation was completed, the Nazarite was to cut off his hair; “because his separation to God is on his head” (v. 7).

Now; whatever the reason was that Paul—the devout Jewish man—had set himself apart for God in this way isn’t told to us. It may have had much to do with the trials in ministry that he experienced along the way. It may have had to do with the fact that the Lord told him to keep faithful to his ministry in Corinth. Cenchrea is just a few miles away from Corinth; and with his Jewish friends Aquila and Priscilla with him—before he left Corinth to set sail on his planned trip to Syria—he had his hair cut off as a sign of the completion of his vow. This shows us that, even in the midst of a very busy ministry, he still took the time to be devoted to God.

We also see this in verses 19-21. We’re told about how he came to Ephesus. How exciting it would have been to now—finally—be able to minister in Asia Minor. But even then, there was a higher priority involved. We’re told in verse 19, “And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.” The “they” that he left there in Ephesus were Aquila and Priscilla. (We’ll read more of their ministry in Ephesus in verses 24-28.) It seemed like a very favorable opportunity for ministry. The Jewish people seemed to welcome his preaching. But verses 20-21 tell us, “When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem …” (vv. 20-21a). The “feast” was Passover; and Paul felt led by the Lord very strongly that that’s where he needed to be.

Now; not all ancient copies of Acts contain his words about going to the feast. But if these words were genuinely spoken by Paul, then—once again—they give us some insight into the inner workings of his heart. Even when the ministry was prosperous and busy, and even when the opportunities seemed especially fruitful, he would not let himself be pulled away from a personal devotion and dedication to the Lord.

So few of us learn this important lesson! We get so busy in the work of the Lord that we forget that the Lord doesn’t need our busy work. What He wants is us. As He Himself once said;

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Any kind of busyness—even busyness in the Lord’s work—that ends up taking us away from a personal devotion to the Lord Himself is definitely not from Him. We should learn to follow Paul’s example; and place a priority on our personal devotion to the Lord Himself.

Now; you’ll notice in verse 21 that Paul didn’t leave the matter hanging with the Ephesians. He told them that he needed to be in Jerusalem for the feast; but added, “’but I will return again to you, God willing.’ And he sailed from Ephesus.”

There is a great deal to learn from Paul’s important qualification to that promise: “God willing”. This shows us yet another priority in the character of this great man; and that was …

3. THE SUBMISSION OF HIS PLANS TO GOD (v. 21b).

No one was a greater ‘planner’ than Paul. He kept a tight schedule, and worked things out carefully in advance. But as we can see here, he left room in his planning for the Lord to change the plans. In fact, he was so submitted to the sovereign plan of God in advance that he made “God willing” the great superintending principle of his planning.

Pastor James had much to say about this. In James 4:13-17, he wrote;

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:13-17).

James put his finger on the matter. To not be willing to take God’s sovereignty into account—and to refuse to make “God willing” the keynote of our planning—is boastful arrogance and pride. It is, in fact, sin. This is even true in ministry. Paul learned that he must submit his missionary plans to the sovereign will of God. And if a man like Paul had to do so, how much more do we! May God help us to learn from Paul’s personal priority; and to submit our plans to the greater plan of the Lord!

Now; Paul’s journey to Jerusalem took him almost 400 miles across the sea. And when he finally came to the coast of the land of Israel, we’re told—in verse 22—“And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch.”

And here, we see yet another priority in the life and ministry of this man Paul; and that is …

4. A CONNECTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO HIS BRETHREN IN CHRIST (v. 22).

We’re told that after landing at Caesarea, he made the land journey “up” (that is, to Jerusalem); and it was there that he “greeted the brethren”. These would have been “the brethren” who were the leaders of the church in Jerusalem—the very leaders that he had previously gone to in Acts 15 in order to seek a decision on an important theological matter. He made sure that he preserved his connection with them. And then, when his time with them was through—and after he had fulfilled his intention to be present for the feast—he then took the long journey north (which, to him, was “down”) to Antioch. He went to the very brethren in Christ that had originally laid hands on him, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to send him and Barnabas off onto the mission field. He no doubt came back to them, in part, to share the good news of how much further God had opened the door for the Gentiles to believe on Jesus.

In the midst of his busy labors, Paul took the time to be with his brothers and sisters in Christ and to keep them informed of what the Lord was doing. He gave them the opportunity to rejoice with him; and he allowed them to minister to his spirit in return. He put a priority on people. He needed them, and they needed him. We also need our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should have the kind of attitude he expressed when he wrote to the Roman believers in Romans 1:11-12;

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me (Romans 1:11-12).

We are going to spend an eternity in joyful fellowship with one another in Christ. And so, like Paul, we should make sure that we’re never so busy doing the Lord’s work that we don’t have time to fellowship joyfully with the Lord’s people.

And finally, notice one more thing that the apostle Paul prioritized in his busy life of ministry; and that is …

5. A LOVE FOR THOSE HE SERVED (v. 23).

He must have had a greatly refreshing time in Antioch. It was his home church; and it must have delighted him to be back home again. But his heart was also drawn to those that he was sent by his home church to reach. He was concerned for their souls and for their ongoing welfare in the Lord. And so, as verse 23 tells us; “After he had spent some time there [that is, in Antioch], he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”

What a lesson this is to us! He couldn’t be content with simply having good missionary results to report. Paul put people over programs. He put the strengthening of souls over the stories of success. He genuinely loved the people he had reached for Jesus. This would have been the second time that he had gone back to revisit those he had formerly reached for the gospel. And it shows us—more than almost anything else—where his heart truly was. It was reflected in what he once wrote to the Thessalonian believers;

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20).

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May God give us this kind of heart for the people we serve—that their blessedness in the sight of Jesus becomes “our glory and joy”. And indeed, may God increasingly give us all of these heart-felt priorities in ministry that Paul had. When you review them, you find that they reflected the priorities of our Lord Himself at work in him. He was committed to seeing things through and finishing the work the Father gave Him. He put a priority on dedication and devotion to His Father. He submitted Himself to the Father’s plans. He remained connected with those who He had made His ‘brethren’. And He deeply loved those He saved.

Truly, Christ-like character reveals itself in us best through the priorities we keep while in the midst of the busyness of Christ’s work.

AE