The Third Missionary Journey
The Third Missionary Journey
Paul’s voyage back to Antioch was interrupted by a brief visit to Ephesus, the principal city of the Roman province of Asia. He must have been so impressed by its strategic importance, that he went almost straight there at the beginning of his third missionary journey.8 After three months’ preaching in the synagogue he broke fresh ground in evangelistic method. He hired “the hall of Tyrannus,” presumably a secular school or lecture hall, and here every day for two years, according to some manuscripts “from the fifth hour to the tenth” (that is, from 11 AM to 4 PM), he argued the gospel. Assuming that he worked a six-day week, this represents 3,120 hours of gospel argument. It is not surprising that as a result “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:8–10).
While he was in Ephesus, the Corinthian church gave him much cause for anxiety on both doctrinal and moral grounds. His first letter to them (mentioned in 1 Cor. 5:9) has been lost. However, on receiving disquieting news from some Corinthian travelers, who also brought with them a number of questions from the church, Paul wrote them a second letter which is our First Corinthians. In it he is able to thank God for the gifts with which Christ has enriched them (1 Cor. 1:4–9) but he deplores the factions into which the church has been split and their false view of the ministry which lies behind the factions (1 Cor. 1:10–4:21). He also expresses indignant horror at the immorality and litigation which they are tolerating among their members (1 Cor. 5–6), and at the irregularities they are permitting in public worship (1 Cor. 11). In answer to their questions he writes about marriage (1 Cor. 7), about the eating of food offered to idols (1 Cor. 8–10), and about the use and abuse of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12–14). He then summarizes his gospel and emphasizes particularly the resurrection of Christ and of Christians (1 Cor. 15). This letter evidently failed to have its desired effect, for Paul decided to visit Corinth personally. He later referred to this as a “painful visit” (2 Cor. 2:1), because apparently one of the church leaders openly defied his authority. So serious was this challenge that on leaving Paul wrote them yet another letter (usually referred to as the “severe letter”), insisting that the offender be punished. This letter also seems to have been lost, unless (as some scholars believe) it has somehow found its way into 2 Corinthians 10–13. At all events, the severe letter was heeded and the offender was duly disciplined. Paul was overjoyed to hear from Titus of their loyalty (2 Cor. 7:12–14) and immediately wrote to them again.
In this letter, our Second Corinthians, he begs them now to “forgive and comfort” the rebel, who has received a sufficient punishment (2 Cor. 2:5–11). He goes on to write of the glory, problems and responsibilities of the Christian ministry (2 Cor. 3–6), devotes two chapters to the appeal that he has launched to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia to raise money for the impoverished church of Judea (2 Cor. 8–9), and concludes with a lengthy defense of his apostolic authority (2 Cor. 10–13).
He mentioned in this letter his intention to pay them a third visit (2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1), which eventually came to pass. Ephesus boasted a magnificent temple to the goddess Artemis (or Diana), which was one of the seven wonders of the world. As the number of Ephesian converts from idolatry grew, the silversmiths saw a strong threat to their trade in shrines or souvenirs of the goddess (Acts 19:23–41). A serious riot ensued, and Paul left the city for Macedonia and then Achaia (Acts 19:21–22; 20:1–2).
It appears that the apostle stayed about three months in Corinth in the home of Gaius, and that from here he wrote his great Letter to the Romans (Rom. 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14). In it he tells the Christians in Rome how eager he is not only to visit and encourage them, but also to preach the gospel in the world’s capital city (Rom. 1:8–15) and then to travel on into Spain (Rom. 15:18–29). So he takes the opportunity to unfold at length this gospel which is committed to him and to which he is committed. He describes the terrible degradation of humankind, and argues that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in the fact of their sin and guilt. Neither is there any distinction between them regarding the offer of salvation:
For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. (Rom. 10:12–13; 1:16; 3:22–23)
This salvation is a free gift offered by God’s grace, grounded upon Christ’s death and—as the Old Testament itself makes plain—received by faith not earned by works (Rom. 3:21–5:21). Faith not only justifies the sinner, but unites him to Christ. And “in Christ,” that is, joined to Christ by faith (invisibly) and by baptism (visibly), the Christian begins an altogether new life of freedom. He is free from the dominion of sin through slavery to God (Rom. 6), free from the bondage of the law through the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 7:1–8:13) and free from all fear of evil, whether in life or in death, through the assurance of being God’s child forever (Rom. 8:14–39).
Next Paul wrestles with a problem which troubled him deeply: How is it that the Jews, God’s specially privileged people, have not accepted Jesus as their Messiah? It is certainly not that God’s word of promise has failed. The strange phenomenon of their unbelief can be understood in the light partly of the mysterious process of God’s election (Rom. 9), partly of their own rebellion as “a disobedient and obstinate people” (Rom. 10, especially v. 21) and partly of a broad historical perspective that one day “the fullness” of Jews as well as Gentiles will come in and “so all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11, especially vv. 12, 25–26).
After this exposition Paul comes back to the life of practical holiness which, because of “the mercies of God,” all his people should lead—in mutual service (Rom. 12), in conscientious citizenship (Rom. 13), and in the brotherly love which accepts even the weak believer who has an overscrupulous conscience (Rom. 14–15).
Leaving Corinth, Paul and his companions began their long journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:3–21:16), taking with them the now completed collection for the Judean church. Among the ports at which they called were Troas (where Paul’s sermon lasted till midnight and their fellowship till daybreak!) and Miletus (where Paul gave a moving address to the elders of the Ephesian church).