In Acts 18 and 19, we continue to highlight the essential role which Matthew’s Gospel played in Paul’s evangelistic endeavors. But first, let’s recap some of our prior observations and assertions:
- Matthew was published coincident with the events of Acts 10–11 and Mark shortly thereafter.1
- These texts were immediately accepted as authoritative Scripture, as having been published by apostles or approved by them.2
- Paul followed the same method in his ministry, as he would later encourage Timothy to pursue in 1 Timothy 4:13: grounding his exhortation (encouraging, strengthening) and teaching in the public reading of Scripture, including Matthew’s Gospel.3
- References in Acts to encouraging, strengthening, teaching, reasoning from or examining the Scriptures (per Paul’s common practice in the synagogues), should all be understood as leveraging Matthew’s Gospel.4
- Phrases like “the word,” “received the word,” or “the word of the Lord,” particularly when used in the context of “Scripture” (e.g., Acts 17:10) or the above activities, suggest that Matthew’s Gospel is at least partially in view.5
Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1–17)
In Corinth, Paul could once again be found every Sabbath reasoning in the synagogue and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:1–4). As before, we can visualize Paul as speaking from both the OT and Matthew’s Gospel. Since the passage goes on to note that “Paul was occupied with the word (tō logō), testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus” (18:5, ESV), there is again an implication that the word in view refers not only to the spoken word, but also to the written word.
Paul in Ephesus, Antioch, and on to the Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:18–23)
From Corinth, Paul sets sail for Syria. As his travels take him through Ephesus he enters the synagogue and returns to his favorite activity, reasoning with the Jews. Ultimately, he arrives at Caesarea Maritima, makes a quick visit to Jerusalem, and then returns to Antioch.
After a short time, he departs on his third missionary journey, traveling through Galatia and Phrygia, going “from one place to the next … strengthening all the disciples.” Per our earlier observations and assertions, we can again visualize Paul as employing Matthew’s Gospel as he strengthens the churches.
Apollos (Acts 18:24–28)
Shifting away from Paul, the focus of the story now turns to Apollos, as he arrives in Ephesus from Alexandria. The narrative reports that he was “competent in the Scriptures” (18:24) which, of course, should immediately lead us to question whether the author has in view the OT (akin to Acts 1:16; 8:32, 35) or Matthew’s Gospel, or both. So which is it? I believe that the following verse clarifies such:
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord … and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John (18:25)
Does this not align with what we find in Matthew? On the premise of an early Matthew, this passage provides insight into the spread of Matthew’s Gospel within the decade after the resurrection, as Matthew was apparently in circulation in Alexandria by the late AD 40s or early AD 50s.
Given that Matthew’s Gospel does not tell the story of Pentecost, Apollos evidently knew only of the baptist of John; therefore, Priscilla and Aquila pulled Apollo aside and explained “the way of God more accurately.” This side-story then concludes with Apollos refuting the Jews, showing them “by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus” (18:28), akin to Paul’s practice.
The Baptism of Jesus Prevails over the Baptism of John (Acts 19:1–10)
After Apollos moves on to Corinth, Paul arrives in Ephesus. There he finds twelve disciples who knew only of John’s baptism; although, whether they were disciples of Jesus or of John the Baptist is debated.6 However, given that Christians had been actively at work in Ephesus for some time, I find it hard to believe that the twelve were merely followers of John. If they were indeed disciples of Jesus who had an inadequate understanding of the resurrection and no familiarity with Pentecost, then this would suggest that they were only familiar with the teachings within Matthew’s Gospel, akin to Apollos’ prior situation. Paul proceeds to baptize them in the name of Jesus and they are filled with the Spirit. They begin speaking in tongues and prophesying, thereby demonstrating that the baptism of Jesus surpasses the baptism of John. We will return to this theme of superiority shortly.
For three months Paul is able to reason in the synagogue concerning the kingdom of God, but eventually he shifts to reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus—this “continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (19:10). Here again we find “the word of the Lord” referenced in close proximity with Paul’s ministry of reasoning, which we already argued included the reading and studying of Matthew’s Gospel. Hence, we should understand that everyone (hyperbolically) across the region heard the preaching which leveraged Matthew’s Gospel. Hence, not only does the NT report the spread of word of the Lord—presumably including Matthew’s Gospel—within Alexandria, the capital of the Roman province of Egypt (as suggested by Acts 18:24–26 above), and across the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia (per 1 Thess. 1:5–8)7, but also now across the Roman province of Asia.
The Word of the Lord Prevails over Books of Magic (Acts 19:11–20)
As Paul’s ministry in Ephesus continues, the sick are being healed and evil spirits are being exorcised. Not to be left out, the seven sons of Sceva attempt to invoke the name of Jesus to exorcise evil spirits for themselves. Unfortunately, this doesn’t go well for them and they end up fleeing naked and wounded from a possessed man. But through this event, the name of the Lord Jesus is exalted and many of those who are now believers bring their magic books and publicly burned them, which all leads to the author’s summary, that “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (19:20).
There is a delightful irony in this story. If we accept that “the word of the Lord” has in view Matthew’s Gospel, then the author has drawn a rich contrast between magic books and the Spirit inspired written record of the Son of God. In other words, the written word has just done battle with a stack of now charred books. Indeed, just as the baptism of Jesus has prevailed over the baptism of John, so the word of the Lord has prevailed over these books of magic.
Summary
We began this blog post by recapping some of our prior observations and assertions. Within the pages of Acts 18–19, we’ve also now seen:
- Additional instances in which Paul is encouraging, strengthening, teaching, and reasoning from or else examining the Scriptures, all of which involve Matthew’s Gospel.
- Additional instances in which “the word” and “the word of the Lord,” are used in the context of “Scripture” or the above activities, which suggest that Matthew’s Gospel is at least partially in view with these references.
- An indication that Apollos had been trained in Matthew’s Gospel while in Alexandria.
- A statement that the “word of the Lord,” which presumably included written copies of Matthew’s Gospel, had now spread across the Roman province of Asia.
- An ironic characterization of the word of the Lord, embodied by Matthew’s Gospel, as having defeated books of magic.
In the next post in this series, we will consider Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian elders, as our final reflection within Acts.
- See “The Church Fathers” ↩︎
- “New Insights into Acts 14 and 15: Encouragement” Moore, A Trustworthy Gospel, 129. Also refer to L. Timothy Swinson, What Is Scripture? Paul’s Use of Graphe in the Letters to Timothy (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014), 151–52, 182. ↩︎
- See “New Insights into Acts 14 and 15: Encouragement” ↩︎
- “New Insights into Acts 16 and 17: Reasoning with God-fearers, Jews, and pagan philosophers.” ↩︎
- “New Insights into Acts 16 and 17: Reasoning with God-fearers, Jews, and pagan philosophers.” ↩︎
- Bruce contends that they were disciples as Jesus, asserting that Acts consistently uses disciples to refer to Christians. Frederick F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, Revised, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 363. Schnabel joins those who contend that these were merely disciples of John the Baptist. Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 788. ↩︎
- “New Insights into Acts 16 and 17: Reasoning with God-fearers, Jews, and pagan philosophers.” ↩︎
