READ | ACTS CHAPTER 18
In Corinth
18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
DEVOTIONAL
Have you ever been on the edge of quitting? Maybe you weren’t prepared for how difficult a sport would be, or you signed up for a class that you quickly learned was not what you expected it to be. Maybe you worked at a job where your boss seemed to single you out and drove you to the edge of quitting. We’ve all been there in one way or another. We’ve all felt the temptation of quitting. Even Paul, a man who had seen Jesus himself appear before him with a mission, felt the effects of weariness and frustration. In every city Paul traveled to, he was opposed even to the point of abuse. He was often shouted at, lied about, arrested, beaten, threatened with death, and even repeatedly whipped or stoned. Add on top of it that Paul had left Timothy and Silas behind Berea to teach and strengthen that church, so for a long period, Paul didn’t have the encouragement and personal support those men most likely provided. It was under these circumstances that Paul would face one of his biggest church-planting challenges to date in the city of Corinth.
In Paul’s day, Corinth was already an ancient city. Over the previous century, it had been revitalized to become a major city of the Roman Empire, at an important crossroads of trade and travel. Because of its two harbors, Corinth grew quickly into a commercial center that would rival its northern neighbor, Athens. Corinth was also, like Antioch and any city which had large amounts of money flowing through it, a city notorious for its hedonism, loose-living, and sexual immorality. In classical Greek, the phrase ‘to act like a Corinthian’ meant to practice fornication, and a ‘Corinthian companion’ referred to a prostitute. This widespread sexual immorality was permitted and promoted under the widely popular worship of Aphrodite, also known as Venus, who was the goddess of fertility and sexuality. Despite the challenges, Paul understood that because people from all over the Roman Empire passed through Corinth, a strong church community there could not only be a profound influence in the region but also spread from there to touch lives all over the Empire. Paul went into Corinth with his eyes wide open. He knew it was a tough city and there would be much opposition here, but Paul wasn’t only interested in planting churches where he thought it was easy. It was in Corinth that Paul had enough with the Jews. In verse 6, Paul boiled over in anger at their resistance to the truth he presented. Paul declared that from this point forward, he would take his message to the gentiles who were much more eager and willing to listen to the gospel. The reader can sense the rising tension and frustration that Paul had when it came to the hardened hearts of the Jews, despite the other successes happening within the city.
In Verse 9, we read that Paul had a vision from the Lord. Through the context of what the Lord says to Paul, we get a sense Paul may have been feeling depressed and anxious in the days leading up to this point. God greatly encouraged Paul through his words. A modern paraphrase of this pep talk may have sounded a bit like this: Don’t be afraid. Don’t give up. I know this is difficult work, but it’s worth it. I know it can feel like your wheels are slipping and spinning free, gaining no traction and no ground. But what you are doing matters. It makes a difference. There is a ripple effect. The things you do for God are never wasted. The words you speak are not wasted. The hours you’ve served are not overlooked or forgotten. Your faithfulness will last long after you’ve left this city and this world. You are not alone. I know it can feel like it at times but there are many others in this city who are praying for you and working for the same goals you are. Keep moving, and do not be silent. The best is yet to come!
Paul was notably strengthened through this vision, as we too should be when we read this chapter. In his later letters to the church in Corinth, Paul described the character of his renewed bold preaching for the next year and a half as ‘being determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.’ (1 Cor 2:2) Paul would face rising opposition in Corinth, as with every city he visited, but it’s interesting to note that in the same city Paul threatened to give up on reaching Jews, both Crispus, the Jewish leader of the synagogue, and his successor Sosthenes, both became Christians. Sosthenes is referred to as a Christian brother in 1 Cor 1:1. Even in the midst of our frustration, God is still working in hearts and lives in a way we may not even realize. When Paul’s work in Corinth was complete, he began the long trip back, with Priscilla and Aquilla, who were left at Ephesus to begin a good work there which we will read more about in coming chapters. When his work was complete in Corinth, Paul eventually returned to his base in Antioch and stayed there for some time. This marked the end of Paul’s second missionary journey, but the greatest mission was still to come.
In Paul’s day, Corinth was already an ancient city. Over the previous century, it had been revitalized to become a major city of the Roman Empire, at an important crossroads of trade and travel. Because of its two harbors, Corinth grew quickly into a commercial center that would rival its northern neighbor, Athens. Corinth was also, like Antioch and any city which had large amounts of money flowing through it, a city notorious for its hedonism, loose-living, and sexual immorality. In classical Greek, the phrase ‘to act like a Corinthian’ meant to practice fornication, and a ‘Corinthian companion’ referred to a prostitute. This widespread sexual immorality was permitted and promoted under the widely popular worship of Aphrodite, also known as Venus, who was the goddess of fertility and sexuality. Despite the challenges, Paul understood that because people from all over the Roman Empire passed through Corinth, a strong church community there could not only be a profound influence in the region but also spread from there to touch lives all over the Empire. Paul went into Corinth with his eyes wide open. He knew it was a tough city and there would be much opposition here, but Paul wasn’t only interested in planting churches where he thought it was easy. It was in Corinth that Paul had enough with the Jews. In verse 6, Paul boiled over in anger at their resistance to the truth he presented. Paul declared that from this point forward, he would take his message to the gentiles who were much more eager and willing to listen to the gospel. The reader can sense the rising tension and frustration that Paul had when it came to the hardened hearts of the Jews, despite the other successes happening within the city.
In Verse 9, we read that Paul had a vision from the Lord. Through the context of what the Lord says to Paul, we get a sense Paul may have been feeling depressed and anxious in the days leading up to this point. God greatly encouraged Paul through his words. A modern paraphrase of this pep talk may have sounded a bit like this: Don’t be afraid. Don’t give up. I know this is difficult work, but it’s worth it. I know it can feel like your wheels are slipping and spinning free, gaining no traction and no ground. But what you are doing matters. It makes a difference. There is a ripple effect. The things you do for God are never wasted. The words you speak are not wasted. The hours you’ve served are not overlooked or forgotten. Your faithfulness will last long after you’ve left this city and this world. You are not alone. I know it can feel like it at times but there are many others in this city who are praying for you and working for the same goals you are. Keep moving, and do not be silent. The best is yet to come!
Paul was notably strengthened through this vision, as we too should be when we read this chapter. In his later letters to the church in Corinth, Paul described the character of his renewed bold preaching for the next year and a half as ‘being determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.’ (1 Cor 2:2) Paul would face rising opposition in Corinth, as with every city he visited, but it’s interesting to note that in the same city Paul threatened to give up on reaching Jews, both Crispus, the Jewish leader of the synagogue, and his successor Sosthenes, both became Christians. Sosthenes is referred to as a Christian brother in 1 Cor 1:1. Even in the midst of our frustration, God is still working in hearts and lives in a way we may not even realize. When Paul’s work in Corinth was complete, he began the long trip back, with Priscilla and Aquilla, who were left at Ephesus to begin a good work there which we will read more about in coming chapters. When his work was complete in Corinth, Paul eventually returned to his base in Antioch and stayed there for some time. This marked the end of Paul’s second missionary journey, but the greatest mission was still to come.
