Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, July 30, 2013 Read – Acts 18:18-23 Luke now tells us of a quick trip by Paul back to Jerusalem and Antioch. Pricilla and Aquila accompany Paul as far as Ephesus where he visits briefly and promises to return, God willing. Even though Paul’s first visit to Ephesus is brief Luke tells us he went first to the synagogue and debated with the Jews he found there. They seem to welcome a longer stay but Paul is determined to get back to Jerusalem and to Antioch. Paul will in fact return to Ephesus in a very short time. In Luke’s mind this would have been Paul’s fourth visit to Jerusalem. Paul mentions nothing of such a visit in his letters – he does not return to Jerusalem according to his letters until he is bringing his offering to the Jerusalem church. Luke mentions nothing of an offering here. Why does Luke tell us of this visit? Perhaps because it really happened – that is not out of the question – but more likely Luke wants to reconnect Paul to the Jerusalem church. He has been away long enough. We need to remember that Luke is more concerned about theological consistency than he is about historical accuracy. Whether or not Paul actually made this trip is of little importance. As the journey is about to begin Luke tells us of a vow that Paul makes at Chenchreae, the harbor to the east of Corinth. Such a vow as Luke describes is not found anywhere else in Jewish practice. Nazarenes were known to enter a vow in which they would not cut their hair for a specific time – but Luke tells us that Paul cut his hair, not that he vowed not to cut it. Perhaps we should understand that Paul had been observing a Nazarene vow and decides to end it at this time. As we listen to Paul in his letter, it seems rather strange that he would do anything like this. We are at a loss to understand Luke at this point – and that really doesn’t matter. Once Paul reaches Caesarea, the port of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea, he journeys up to Jerusalem bringing greeting to the church and then heads briefly to Antioch. After spending an indeterminate amount of time there he is off again strengthening the church in Galatia. Other than that thought, from Luke’s point of view, that Paul journeyed to Jerusalem before returning to his missionary endeavors this story really has no importance. Luke doesn’t tell us anything about what happened in Jerusalem.