And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing." And he sailed from Ephesus. Acts 18:19-21

When Paul left Corinth he sailed across the Aegean and Icarian seas to Ephesus.

As was his custom, Paul went to the synagogue to reason with Jews. Though Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, he started in the Jewish synagogues when entering a town. Why? First, because he had such a burden for his Jewish brethren to believe. Second, he went first where people would likely be willing to talk about God and the scriptures.

Paul was often rushed out of town because of persecution. The folks in Ephesus wanted more! We never know how people will respond to the message of Christ and the gospel. Though man (maybe even most) rejects the gospel and those who declare it, some will listen and believe. Let us persist, undaunted by previous experiences.

Oddly enough, in this case, even though the people wanted Paul to stay, he declined. He left Priscilla and Aquila there to continue the work of the ministry, and moved on. Though Paul was zealous to preach Christ, he knew he was not the only one who could do so. Priscilla and Aquila took over. Don’t think you are the only one your unbelieving family and friends can hear from. This is especially true if you sought to speak about Christ and were not warmly received. Pray the Lord to send someone else with whom your loved ones might be more receptive.

Paul hoped to return, but as we learned in earlier posts this week, Paul’s promise to return was conditioned with the words, “God willing.” This is a wise example to follow regarding intentions that we do not know we can fulfill.