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Acts 18:18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.
AFTER 18 months in Corinth, Paul left for Syria. He had come from that general area on his way to Philippi. Apparently the Holy Spirit directed him to return there, so Paul could begin more new churches and strengthen others that had been meeting for years. Priscilla and Aquila had become much more than Paul’s tentmaking partners. He later referred to them in Romans 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. Fellow workers are close companions who do the same work together. Priscilla and Aquila would become effective church building pastors and teachers. It was time for the tentmakers to be disciple makers. This is God’s way. As the Holy Spirit grows Jesus’ church, he continually chooses many people to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12) Each work we do for Jesus is about serving him to build his church. As Paul departed Corinth, he stopped in Cenchrea, a southern port of Corinth, to get his hair cut off because of a vow he had taken. Was this at the end or beginning of a vow? It seems that Paul’s knowledge of God would deter him from taking a vow that required an external sign such as a full head of hair and beard or no hair at all. Isn’t a vow – a promise – to God from the heart good enough? Consider that when you confess your salvation in public, you are speaking a vow. Your purpose is to exhibit the Lord’s love and grace as you live into Jesus’ commands. Your promise and confession require only the outward sign of a godly life. Perhaps Paul had engaged in the Nazirite – meaning “separation” – vow that required, among other restrictions, no razor to hair and beard (Numbers 6:4). The vow could be as long as a person desired. Perhaps Paul committed himself to remain separate from Corinth’s many temptations. Sometimes external signs help us to remain faithful to God against a particular threat. Is a cross our sign today? Do you wear a cross on your clothes or have a cross in your home? If you do, may it be your reminder of your vow to follow the Crucified, Resurrected, Ascended One. Paul gave us a good way to live into our vow to God: Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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AuthorBob James Archives
February 2025
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