David Bahn – Reflections

Acts 18:18-28

After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. ¹⁹ And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. ²¹ But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

²² When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. ²³ After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, ²⁸ for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

I’ve fasted two times in my life – at least in any halfway serious sense of the word. Once I was praying for people to come to our special Christmas Eve services at the church I was serving at the time. We had a bountifully-wonderful attendance that evening. The other notable time was on a prayer retreat. I discovered that for me, the fasting itself seemed to yield little spiritual breakthrough. But as I came out of the fast, God opened my mind to new insights that I had not anticipated.

For purely spiritual reasons I ought to fast more often. This practice is long-standing in the Christian church. Jesus himself fasted for forty days and nights. David fasted and prayed for his newborn child who was ill. Daniel fasted in a manner, eating only vegetables in preparation for serving the king. Richard Foster has written a brief article on fasting that you might find insightful and edifying.

Paul seems to have been on some sort of fast, and ending it he shaves his head. In other words, for a period of time he must have sought understanding, insight, special help from God, and had made a vow not to cut his hair until the time had passed. Luke simply makes the offhand remark that Paul cut his hair because he had made a vow.

I don’t believe you or I earn any extra credit for fasting, praying, or any other spiritual discipline. But I do believe that such focused and dedicated practices can sharpen our spiritual vision, and help us keep in mind our need for God, his grace, help, guidance, and favor. It doesn’t earn any of those things, but it would certainly be good that we recognize our need for all of them.