For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
This verse comes from the book of Acts, which records the early spread of Christianity following Jesus' resurrection. Paul was one of Christianity's most important early missionaries — a man who had actually persecuted Christians before a dramatic encounter with Jesus changed everything about him. He is on a journey back toward Jerusalem and chooses to sail past Ephesus, a major city in what is now western Turkey, deliberately bypassing it to save time. Ephesus was a place where Paul had spent years building relationships and planting a church — skipping it was not a small thing. Pentecost was originally a Jewish harvest festival celebrated 50 days after Passover; for early Christians, it carried the additional weight of being the anniversary of the Holy Spirit's arrival on the first followers of Jesus. Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem for that day.
Father, give me the clarity Paul had — to know what I'm moving toward and what I need to pass by to get there. Help me recognize the good things that aren't the right things for this moment, and give me the courage to keep moving when staying would feel so much easier. Amen.
Imagine sailing past a city where your closest friends live — people you poured years of your life into, who are waking up to another ordinary Thursday without knowing you're on a ship nearby, choosing not to stop. Not because you don't love them. Because something is pulling you somewhere else more urgently. Paul's decision to bypass Ephesus is one of those small verses that tells a large truth: living with real purpose sometimes costs you the *good* thing in order to reach the *right* thing. The affection was real. He skipped it anyway. There's probably something in your life right now that's genuinely good — a relationship, a commitment, a comfortable routine — but it's quietly keeping you from something you know you're supposed to do or be. Not every delay is the enemy of faithfulness; sometimes waiting is exactly right. But there are also moments when something is pulling you forward, and the beloved detour needs to be skipped. What would it mean for you to sail past your Ephesus?
Why do you think the author of Acts included this level of logistical detail? What might he want readers to understand about Paul's character or priorities?
Have you ever had to choose between something genuinely good and something you felt specifically called to? What did that cost you?
Is urgency in faith always a virtue? When might 'hurrying toward' something spiritual actually be a way of avoiding something else?
Paul's decision to skip Ephesus almost certainly disappointed people who loved him. How do you navigate the tension between disappointing others and following what you believe God is calling you toward?
What is one commitment — to God, to a community, or to a calling — that deserves more of your focused time right now, and what would you need to 'sail past' to give it that?
And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
Exodus 34:22
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
2 Timothy 4:12
But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
1 Corinthians 16:8
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:1
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matthew 24:24
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 Peter 1:1
Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so that he would not end up spending time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia (modern Turkey); for he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
AMP
For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
ESV
For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
NASB
Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
NIV
For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
NKJV
Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost.
NLT
Paul had decided to bypass Ephesus so that he wouldn't be held up in Asia province. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, if at all possible.
MSG