Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 18]
D and other documents may have been due to a desire to give a
reason for the language in verse 22 about "going up" to
Jerusalem. Whether Paul said it or not, it was in the spring when
he made this journey with a company of pilgrims probably going to
the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. We know that later Paul did
try to reach Jerusalem for Pentecost (20:16) and succeeded. As
the ship was leaving, Paul had to go, but with the hope of
returning soon to Ephesus as he did.
18:22 {He went up and saluted the church} (\anabas kai
aspasamenos t•n ekkl•sian\). The language could refer to the
church in Caesarea where Paul had just landed, except for several
things. The going up (\anabas\, second aorist active participle
of \anabain•\) is the common way of speaking of going to
Jerusalem which was up from every direction save from Hebron. It
was the capital of Palestine as people in England today speaking
of going up to London. Besides "he went down to Antioch" (\kateb•
eis Antiocheian\, second aorist active indicative of \katabain•\)
which language suits better leaving Jerusalem than Caesarea.
Moreover, there was no special reason for this trip to Caesarea,
but to Jerusalem it was different. Here Paul saluted the church
in the fourth of his five visits after his conversion (9:26;
11:30; 15:4; 18:22; 21:17). The apostles may or may not have
been in the city, but Paul had friends in Jerusalem now.
Apparently he did not tarry long, but returned to Antioch to make
a report of his second mission tour as he had done at the close
of the first when he and Barnabas came back (14:26-28). He had
started on this tour with Silas and had picked up Timothy and
Luke, but came back alone. He had a great story to tell.
18:23 {Having spent some time} (\poi•sas chronon tina\).
Literally, having done some time. How long we do not know,
probably not long. There are those who place the visit of Peter
here to which Paul alludes in Ga 2:11ff. and which we have
located while Paul was here the last time (Ac 15:35). {He
departed} (\ex•lthen\). Thus simply and alone Paul began the
third mission tour without a Barnabas or a Silas. {Went through}
(\dierchomenos\). Present middle participle, going through. {The
region of Galatia and Phrygia} (\ten Galatik•n ch•ran kai
Phrygian\). See on ¯Ac 16:6 for discussion of this phrase, here
in reverse order, passing through the Galatic region and then
Phrygia. Does Luke mean Lycaonia (Derbe and Lystra) and Phrygia
(Iconium and Pisidian Antioch)? Or does he mean the route west
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC18.RWP.html (10 of 14) [28/08/2004 09:07:08 a.m.]