¹⁸Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. ¹⁹They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, ²¹but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. ²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. ²³And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Our passage before us may seem easy to skip over as literary filler to simply advance the story to the next major event. But important details provide the continuous backstory that bring the movements of Paul to the fore. After continuing on at Corinth for a while, despite the persecution, he, along with Priscilla and Aquila, left for Syria. In other words, Corinth was the western-most point of his second mission tour, and now he was heading back to his home church in Antioch from which he was sent out. Priscilla and Aquila, being quite mobile themselves, easily went along with Paul, and were about to have a significant ministry in the training of Apollos.

Curiously, in Cenchrea we find Paul taking part in a distinctly Jewish custom, cutting his hair for a vow. How is it that this apostle who preached so ardently against the necessity of keeping the Law of Moses would now be practicing something prescribed in that very same Law? Lest we think this is an anomaly easy to slough over, it became a big issue in Jerusalem at the end of his third mission tour. He was advised by the Christians there to give the appearance of supporting such a practice, thus showing a favorable impression of the Law (Acts 21:24). Commentators wrestle with how to understand this.

We must keep in mind the distinction between cultural practices and religious piety, on the one hand, versus performing religious deeds as a means to gaining righteousness. Paul was opposed to the latter, but not to the former. There was still value in making vows to God and fulfilling them. Today, many Christians practice fasting, similarly, as a means for drawing closer to God. We commit to praying and reading the Word regularly. These activities don’t aid in gaining righteousness, but they help us grow in our relationship to the Lord.

Paul’s next stop was Ephesus, but his personal time there was short, leaving this mission post in the hands of Priscilla and Aquila, while he left for home (i.e. Antioch) and to revisit the churches planted on his first mission tour

Lord, I desire to draw closer to You through my personal daily commitments.