Sha’ul’s Third Missionary Journey ~ Part 2

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As I mentioned in my last post, we returned to the Book of Acts. In this post, Sha’ul continues his Third Missionary Journey in Acts 19:1.

Talmidim Rebaptized

During Sha’ul’s third missionary journey (circa 52–57 CE), he returned to Ephesus, where he stopped briefly on his second missionary journey (circa 49–51 CE). This time, he stayed in the city for about three years.

19 ¹ While Apollos was in Corinth, Sha’ul completed his travels through the inland country and arrived at Ephesus, where he found a few talmidim. ² He asked them, “Did you receive the Ruach HaKodesh when you came to trust?” “No,” they said to him, “we have never even heard that there is such a thing as the Ruach HaKodesh.” ³ “In that case,” he said, “into what were you immersed?” “The immersion of Yochanan,” they answered. ⁴ Sha’ul said, “Yochanan practiced an immersion in connection with turning from sin to God, but he told the people to put their trust in the one who would come after him, that is, in Yeshua.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua; ⁶ and when Sha’ul placed his hands on them, the Ruach HaKodesh came upon them; so that they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. ⁷ In all, there were about twelve of these men.

A particular group of people are considered here, like Apollos (Acts 18:25), who had known of God’s involvement in “salvation history” up to the time of Yochanan the Immerser but had not known of Yeshua. After instruction, they are immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua, that is, into all that He is (Acts 2:38, Mattityahu 28:19). Thereupon the Ruach HaKodesh, of whom they had never even heard, visits them in power and with the same charismatic phenomena as were manifested in the one hundred twenty at Shavuot (Acts 2:4), in the people of Shomron (Acts 8:17), probably in Sha’ul (Acts 9:17), and in Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44–48).

Ministry in Ephesus

⁸ Sha’ul went into the synagogue; and for three months he spoke out boldly, engaging in dialogue and trying to persuade people about the Kingdom of God. ⁹ But some began hardening themselves and refusing to listen; and when these started defaming the Way before the whole synagogue, Sha’ul withdrew, took the talmidim with him, and commenced holding daily dialogues in Tyrannus’s yeshivah. ¹⁰ This went on for two years so that everyone, both Jews and Greeks, living in the province of Asia heard the message about the Lord.

In Ephesus, the development of opposition to the Gospel within the synagogue was relatively slow in coming – it took three months. But when it did come and grew strong enough to obstruct communication of the Gospel, Sha’ul made a strategic withdrawal to Tyrannus’s yeshivah. The Hebrew word yeshivah comes from the word that means sit; it signifies a place for learning Torah.

But this raises a question worth exploring, namely, whether Sha’ul withdrew from the synagogue to a Jewish environment or a Gentile one. Or even more strongly, was he forgetting about the Jews altogether and instead “turning to the Goyim” (Acts 13:46, 18:6)?

The answer is No!!! The text states that he continued evangelizing all who would listen for two years so that everyone, both Jews and Greeks … heard the message about the Lord.

⁸ Sha’ul went into the synagogue, and for three months, he spoke out boldly, engaging in dialogue and trying to persuade people about the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom was the constant focus of Yeshua’s teaching from the start of His ministry (Mark 1:14–15) to after His resurrection (Acts 1:3). Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised that it was the focus of Sha’ul’s preaching through the book of Acts (see 28:30–31). The goal of redemption is that Believers in Yeshua HaMashiach would live their entire lives under God’s sovereign rule as Kingdom talmidim.

⁹ But some began hardening themselves and refusing to listen, and when these started defaming the Way before the whole synagogue, Sha’ul withdrew, took the talmidim with him, and commenced holding daily dialogues in Tyrannus’s yeshivah. ¹⁰ This went on for two years so that everyone, both Jews and Greeks, living in the province of Asia heard the message about the Lord. ^[1]

As happened in the past, some unbelieving Jews became hardened and defamed the Way.“The Way” was an early title for Christianity (see, e.g., Acts 9:2; 19:23; 24:14, 22). Believers in Yeshua were to follow a new way of life because Yeshua is “the way” (see John 14:6; Romans 6:1–7). So, Sha’ul moved his teaching and discussions from the synagogue to Tyrannus’s Yeshiva. How effective was that? He taught there every day for two years so that all the residents of Asia, Jews, and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. Sha’ul was incredible!

In our next post, we continue to explore Sha’ul’s Third Missionary Journey beginning in Acts 19:11.

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^[1] Acts 19:1–10.