Acts 19:10

this continued . . . two years--in addition to the former three months. See on Act 20:31. But during some part of this period he must have paid a second unrecorded visit to Corinth, since the one next recorded (see on Act 20:2-3) is twice called his third visit (Co2 12:14; Co2 13:1). See on Co2 1:15-16, which might seem inconsistent with this. The passage across was quite a short one (see on Act 18:19) --Towards the close of this long stay at Ephesus, as we learn from Co1 16:8, he wrote his FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS; also (though on this opinions are divided) the EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. (See Introduction to First Corinthians, and Introduction to Galatians). And just as at Corinth his greatest success was after his withdrawal to a separate place of meeting (Act 18:7-10), so at Ephesus. so that all they which dwelt in--the Roman province of Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks--This is the "great door and effectual opened unto him" while resident at Ephesus (Co1 16:9), which induced him to make it his headquarters for so long a period. The unwearied and varied character of his labors here are best seen in his own subsequent address to the elders of Ephesus (Act 20:17, &c.). And thus Ephesus became the "ecclesiastical center for the entire region, as indeed it remained for a very long period" [BAUMGARTEN]. Churches arose at Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis eastward, either through his own labors or those of his faithful helpers whom he sent out in different directions, Epaphras, Archippus, Philemon (Col 1:7; Col 4:12-17; Plm 1:23).

We left Paul in his circuit visiting the churches (Act 18:23), but we have not forgotten, nor has he, the promise he made to his friends at Ephesus, to return to them, and make some stay there; now this chapter shows us his performance of that promise, his coming to Ephesus, and his continuance there two years; we are here told, I. How he laboured there in the word and doctrine, how he taught some weak believers that had gone no further than John's baptism (Act 19:1-7), how he taught three months in the synagogue of the Jews (Act 19:8), and, when he was driven thence, how he taught the Gentiles a long time in a public school (Act 19:9, Act 19:10), and how he confirmed his doctrine by miracles (Act 19:11, Act 19:12). II. What was the fruit of his labour, particularly among the conjurors, the worst of sinners: some were confounded, that did but make use of his name (Act 19:13-17), but others were converted, that received and embraced his doctrine (Act 19:18-20). III. What projects he had of further usefulness (Act 19:21, Act 19:22), and what trouble at length he met with at Ephesus from the silversmiths, which forced him thence to pursue the measures he had laid; how a mob was raised by Demetrius to cry up Diana (Act 19:23-34), and how it was suppressed and dispersed by the town-clerk (Act 19:35-41).

19:10 Paul probably wrote 1 Corinthians during this time (see 1 Corinthians Book Introduction, “Date and Occasion of Writing”).