Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 19:21

"Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome." — Acts 19:21 (ASV)

“After all this had happened” (lit., “fulfilled”; GK 4444; tr. “finished” in 12:25) refers to the events of the first, second, and third missionary journeys of Paul, as recorded in Panels 4 and 5 (12:25–19:20). For Luke the fulfillment of the Gentile mission came (1) in the inauguration of the new missionary policy for reaching Gentiles that was established on the first missionary journey and confirmed at the Jerusalem Council (i.e., Panel 4), and (2) in the extensive outreach to the Gentile world that took place during the second and third missionary journeys (i.e., Panel 5). All that took place earlier (i.e., Panels 1–3) was for Luke a preparation for the Gentile mission; and all that happened afterwards (i.e., Panel 6), its aftermath and extension into Rome.

With the eastern part of the empire evangelized (cf. Romans 15:23), Paul decided to return to Jerusalem and then go on to Rome. On the way he planned to revisit the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, ministering to them and gathering from them a collection for the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1–4). Thereupon he hoped to take up a Gentile mission in the western part of the empire, using the Roman congregation as the base for that western outreach just as the church at Syrian Antioch had been his base for evangelizing the eastern part of the empire (cf. Romans 15:24–29). Now, however, he had to return to Jerusalem, knowing full well that serious difficulties could befall him there (cf. Romans 15:30–32). In all these plans, Paul was under the direction of the Holy Spirit (implied in the NIV word “decided”; lit., “placed in the Spirit”).