Acts 19:21

St Paul's Plans for his Journey from Ephesus

21. After these things were ended The foundations of the Ephesian Church seemed fully laid, when sacrifices of such a kind had been made by the converts, and so St Paul feels that he may leave the seed sown in good hope that it will grow.

Paul purposed in the spirit i.e. had settled it in his own mind.

when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia Intending, no doubt, as was his wont, to visit the churches which had been founded on his previous mission (chapp. 16 18) from Philippi to Corinth.

to go to Jerusalem With contributions, as we know, collected throughout the other churches for the needs of the central organization of the Christian movement. See 1 Corinthians 16:1-3. There this intended journey through Macedonia and to Corinth is alluded to, and the reason assigned for the Apostle's lingering in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-9) "I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost, for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." The opening of the door was manifest in the burning piles of magic books, of the many adversaries we read in this chapter in a description which might justify the Apostle in using the language of the Psalmist, "Great bulls of Bashan close me in on every side." Perhaps such a thought was in his mind when he wrote of "fighting with beasts at Ephesus" (1 Corinthians 15:32).

saying. After I have been there, I must also see Rome Of the long cherished desire which he had to visit the Imperial City, the Apostle speaks Romans 1:13, in which passage he intimates that the purpose had been often entertained, but hitherto disappointed.