In Acts Luke recorded only a brief reference to The Hasty Visit at 18:22 (NIV) as follows:
"When he landed at Caesarea, he went up [to Jerusalem] and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch."
The expressions "he went up" and "greeted the church" and "went down" in Acts 18:22 infer that Paul visited Jerusalem after landing at Caesarea. Briefly stopping at Ephesus ca. CE 52 Paul visited the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews (Acts 18:19) but apparently only to determine the desirability of a future visit. He refused an invitation to stay longer stating "I absolutely must by all means keep this feast [of Tabernacles] that cometh in Jerusalem but I will return to you again if God wills" and he sailed to Caesarea. If his vow was of the nature of a Nazarite vow (Numbers 6) he needed to go to Jerusalem to complete the vow for he could not partake of the symbolic wine at the annual observance of the Passover (Numbers 6) as those fulfilling a Nazarite vow couldn�t drink wine.
Paul left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and hastened on to Caesarea, Jerusalem, and Syrian Antioch (Acts 18:19-23). When Paul arrived at Caesarea ca. CE 52. he greeted the local church and apparently quietly went up to Jerusalem (Acts 18:21). This was the fifth Jerusalem visit and apparently for the Feast of Tabernacles which fell September 26-October 3. Paul privately completed his vow during the Feast of Tabernacles in ca. CE 52 and then went on to Antioch of Syria (Acts 18:22) where he wintered ca. CE 52-53. In Antioch of Syria, more or less his home base, he spent some time.
Page last updated: 04/30/06 03:05 PM.
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