Acts 18:21 Meaning and Explanation
“But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul bids Ephesus farewell, resolved to keep the coming feast at Jerusalem, and promises to return if God wills.
What Does Acts 18:21 Mean?
Paul sails with a promise of return on his lips and a condition attached to it: if God will. The feast, likely Passover or Pentecost, draws him to Jerusalem, to worship and to keep fellowship with the church where the story of Acts began.
If God will is more than a polite formula; it is the posture of a man who has learned that his itinerary belongs to Another. James teaches all believers to speak this way, and Jesus prayed this way in Gethsemane. We plan freely and hold the plans loosely, because the future is the Lord's. Paul did return, and God did will it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 18:21
What does Acts 18:21 mean?
Paul bids Ephesus farewell, resolved to keep the coming feast at Jerusalem, and promises to return if God wills.