Acts 18:14-21: a reflection

14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; 15but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” 16So he drove them from the judgment seat. 17Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things. 18Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 19He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay with them a longer time, he declined; 21but taking his leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

As Paul takes his leave and looks ahead to his plans, he holds them under God's will, saying he will return again if God wills. I will return again to you if God wills, Paul says to the believers at Ephesus who wished him to stay. Paul had plans and intentions; he meant to keep a feast in Jerusalem, and hoped to return to Ephesus later. But he did not state his plans as fixed and certain, as though they depended on him alone; he held them under God's will, saying he would return if God wills. He made his plans, but submitted them to God's direction, holding them loosely and open to God's overruling. This shows holding our plans under God's will, saying if God wills. Hold your plans loosely under God's will, saying if God wills. Make plans, but submit them to God's direction rather than stating them as fixed. Our intentions are always subject to God's overruling will. Do not presume on the future; hold it open to God.

Notice how Paul spoke of his plans. He had real intentions: to keep the coming feast in Jerusalem, and to return to Ephesus afterward. He was not planless or aimless; he made definite plans. But notice the way he framed them: I will return again to you if God wills. He did not state his plans as fixed, certain, and guaranteed, as though the future were in his own hands and his intentions could not fail. He held his plans under God's will, adding, if God wills, acknowledging that his intentions were always subject to God's overruling direction. He planned, but held his plans loosely, open to God. This holds a wisdom for how we hold our own plans and intentions. We are right to make plans, to have intentions, to look ahead; this is not wrong. But we do well to hold our plans as Paul did: not as fixed and certain, as though the future were in our own hands and our intentions could not fail, but under God's will, acknowledging that all our plans are subject to his overruling. To say, in effect, if God wills, whether aloud or in our hearts, is to hold our plans with a fitting humility, recognizing that the future is not finally ours to command, but God's; that our intentions may be overruled by his will; and that we plan under his direction, not apart from it. This keeps us from the presumption of treating the future as certainly ours, and roots our planning in humble submission to God. We do well to make our plans, but to hold them under God's will, saying if God wills, rather than presuming on the future as certainly ours. Hold your plans under God's will, saying if God wills, rather than as fixed and certain. Make plans, but acknowledge they are subject to God's overruling. Do not presume the future is certainly yours; it is God's to direct. Plan with humble submission to God's will over your intentions.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to hold our plans under God's will, saying if God wills, as Paul did. We can state our plans as fixed and certain, as though the future were ours; but Paul held his plans under God's will, saying he would return if God wills. Hold them loosely. Do not presume the future is certainly yours; make your plans, but hold them under God's will, acknowledging that your intentions are subject to his overruling. Make your plans, but hold them under God's will, saying if God wills, acknowledging that your intentions are always subject to his overruling rather than presuming the future is certainly yours, as when Paul took his leave and looked ahead to his plans he held them under God's will, saying he would return again if God wills; for Paul had plans and intentions, meaning to keep a feast in Jerusalem and hoping to return to Ephesus later, but he did not state his plans as fixed and certain as though they depended on him alone but held them under God's will, saying he would return if God wills, making his plans but submitting them to God's direction and holding them loosely and open to God's overruling, which holds a wisdom for how we hold our own plans, since we are right to make plans and have intentions and look ahead and this is not wrong, but we do well to hold our plans as Paul did, not as fixed and certain as though the future were in our own hands and our intentions could not fail but under God's will, acknowledging that all our plans are subject to his overruling, so that to say in effect if God wills, whether aloud or in our hearts, is to hold our plans with a fitting humility, recognizing that the future is not finally ours to command but God's and that our intentions may be overruled by his will and that we plan under his direction not apart from it, which keeps us from the presumption of treating the future as certainly ours and roots our planning in humble submission to God, so that we do well to make our plans but hold them under God's will.

Lord, as Paul takes his leave and looks ahead to his plans, he holds them under your will, saying he will return again if God wills. I will return again to you if God wills, Paul says to the believers at Ephesus who wished him to stay. Paul had plans and intentions; he meant to keep a feast in Jerusalem, and hoped to return to Ephesus later. But he did not state his plans as fixed and certain, as though they depended on him alone; he held them under your will, saying he would return if you will. He made his plans, but submitted them to your direction, holding them loosely and open to your overruling. Show me how Paul spoke of his plans. He had real intentions: to keep the coming feast, and to return to Ephesus afterward. He was not planless or aimless; he made definite plans. But notice the way he framed them: I will return again to you if God wills. He did not state his plans as fixed, certain, and guaranteed, as though the future were in his own hands. He held his plans under your will, adding, if God wills, acknowledging that his intentions were always subject to your overruling direction. He planned, but held his plans loosely, open to you. This holds a wisdom for how I hold my own plans and intentions. I am right to make plans, to have intentions, to look ahead; this is not wrong. But I do well to hold my plans as Paul did: not as fixed and certain, as though the future were in my own hands and my intentions could not fail, but under your will, acknowledging that all my plans are subject to your overruling. To say, in effect, if God wills, whether aloud or in my heart, is to hold my plans with a fitting humility, recognizing that the future is not finally mine to command, but yours. This keeps me from the presumption of treating the future as certainly mine. Take that to my heart. Keep me from stating my plans as fixed and certain, as though the future were mine; help me make my plans, Lord, but hold them under your will, saying if God wills, acknowledging that my intentions are always subject to your overruling, and rooting my planning in humble submission to you.