This is the last mention of John the Baptist in the New Testament. "Here at last, he wholly gives place to Christ" (Bengel). There was in John's disciples a thought of rivalry between John and Christ (John 3:26). John's ministry was to introduce Christ (v. 4). Once Christ had been introduced, John's ministry should have ceased and been replaced by Christ. John should have decreased, and Christ should have increased (John 3:30).

See note Acts 2:38³, point 2 and note Acts 8:16².

See note Acts 8:17^1a and note Acts 10:47^1b.

See note Acts 2:17⁴.

See note Acts 10:46^1a.

See note Acts 13:5¹.

See note James 2:2¹.

See note Acts 1:3⁴.

See note Acts 9:2^1c.

He might have been a teacher, and Paul might have rented his school and used it as a meeting hall, apart from the opposing Jews' synagogue, to preach and teach the word of the Lord to both Jews and Greeks for two years (v. 10).

See note Acts 2:43¹.

Referring to the surface, the skin, of the body. A medical term used at that time. Luke, the author, was a medical doctor.

See note Mark 1:23¹.

Confessing and making known denotes the most thorough and most open confession.

This word has also the technical meaning of magic spells, and that may be the meaning here.

This was to clear up their past life, which was sinful and demonic.

This was the deficiency in the result of Apollos's ministry, a ministry which lacked a complete revelation of God's New Testament economy. See note Acts 18:25².

See note Acts 2:38⁷, par. 2.

Each piece was approximately a day's wage.

Or, Thus, by the might of the Lord the word grew and was strong.

The purpose was to carry out Paul's loving concern for the need of the poor saints in Jerusalem. At that time Paul was in Ephesus on his third ministry journey, busy with a heavy burden to carry out his ministry in Asia (1 Cor. 16:8-9) and in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Cor. 16:5-7; Acts 20:1-3). Nonetheless, he still had a burden to spare part of his time for the needy saints in Jerusalem. When he arrived in Corinth, he wrote his Epistle to the saints in Rome, expressing the purpose of his trip and begging them to pray for him concerning this purpose (Rom. 15:25-31). Although he was an apostle set apart by God for the Gentiles (Acts 22:21; Gal. 2:8), Paul was still concerned for the Lord's interest among the Jews. His primary concern was for the Body of Christ universally, not merely for his part of the New Testament ministry among the Gentiles.

Besides this, his purpose in going to Jerusalem at this juncture might also have been to fellowship with James and the other apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding the Judaic influence on the church there. According to Paul's teachings in the Epistles to the Galatians and the Romans, the decision made by the conference of the apostles and elders in ch. 15 to resolve the problem concerning circumcision must not have been fully satisfactory to him. This undoubtedly troubled him because of his concern for God's New Testament economy, which is to build up the Body of Christ. James's word in Acts 21:20-22, after Paul had arrived in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-18), and his proposal that Paul participate in the four Jewish believers' Nazarite vow (Acts 21:23-24) seem to confirm this view.

Since the Lord the Spirit dwelt in Paul's spirit (2 Tim. 4:22; Rom. 8:10-11), Paul must have purposed according to the leading of the Lord the Spirit. See note Acts 17:16¹.

Paul did go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:17), and he did see Rome (Acts 28:14, 16).

This desire of Paul's was fulfilled by the Lord when He brought Paul to Rome through his appeal to Caesar (Acts 23:11; note Acts 25:11^1c).

A city treasurer of Corinth (Rom. 16:23; cf. 2 Tim. 4:20), of high rank, who probably had been converted by Paul's preaching in Corinth (cf. Acts 18:8) and had become an attendant to Paul.

It was at this time, in Ephesus, that the apostle wrote his first Epistle to the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 16:3-10, 19, and note 1 Cor. 16:8¹; 1 Cor. 4:17; 8-10, 17, cf. Acts 19:20-23; 20:1).

See note Acts 9:2^1c.

Not the Demetrius in 3 John 1:12.

A dirty and demonic trade. Those who practiced such a trade cooperated with the demons to possess and usurp people for Satan's evil kingdom (Matt. 12:26).

Artemis was the Ephesian goddess. To the Romans she was the goddess Diana (Latin).

Behind the idol worship were demons, who instigated the uproar against the apostle to disturb and frustrate the preaching of the gospel. This was Satan's fighting against God's spreading of His kingdom on the earth.

See note Acts 7:26¹.

See note 3 John 1:1².

Principal persons of the province of Asia.

Probably not because Alexander was a convert of Paul's preaching. (This Alexander was not the one in 1 Tim. 1:20 and 2 Tim. 4:14.)

Lit., Men, Ephesians. More dignified and solemn than simply "Ephesians."

I.e., fallen from heaven.

Or, regular assembly.

This was the sovereignty of the Lord; it preserved His apostle from the demonic uproar.