Acts 18:19-22 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And he came to Ephesus,— For the short time that the apostle now continued at Ephesus, which seems to have been but one sabbath-day, he went into the synagogue, and discoursed with the Jews, and with such Gentiles as usually attended the synagogue service, concerning the Christian doctrine; but when they desired him to stay longer with them, he refused, and took his leave of them, telling them, Acts 18:21 that he must by all means go up to Jerusalem, upon the account of his being under the Nazarite's vow; for it was a maxim, that if any one had vowed the Nazarite's vow out of the land of Judea, he was bound to go into the land, and there fulfil his vow. The apostle added, that he chose to be at Jerusalem time enough to keep the approaching festival in that city; and this not from any apprehension that he was obliged in conscience to celebrate the Jewish feasts, but for the reason above given, and because he desired to seize that opportunity of meeting a great number of his countrymen at Jerusalem, to whom he might preach the gospel, or whom, if already converted, he might farther instruct, or might remove the prejudices which were groundlesslyimbibed against himself. Departing therefore from Ephesus, he sailed to Caesarea, from whence he went up to pay his respects to the Christian church at Jerusalem; which, as it was the mother-church, or the first of all the Christian churches, was, by way of eminence, called the church. When he had seen the Christians at Jerusalem, affectionately saluted them, and made his offering as a Nazarite in the temple, he left theplace, and went down to Antioch in Syria, and there ended his second apostolic journey. Concerning Ephesus, see the note on Acts 18:1 of the next chapter.