16:5 Paul sketches his future itinerary, indicating the intention to pass through Macedonia on the way to Corinth, which was in Achaia. This particular route meant that Paul did not plan to sail directly from Ephesus to Corinth, and from 2 Corinthians 8–9 one learns of the Macedonian Christians’ participation in the collection.

16:6 Paul’s reference to a possible stay in Corinth is simple. He intended to spend the winter, the season when travel was impossible, in Corinth; then, when spring came he could go either east or west as the Spirit directed. The winter season was not fit, or at least safe, for sailing the west-east corridor from Corinth to Asia Minor or Palestine, so Paul planned to avoid unnecessary dangers. Moreover, as some commentators point out, the Greek verb (propempō) unde…