Acts 18

CHAPTER 18

In Corinth (18:1-11)

1-3 Corinth was the main city of southern Greece (see 1 Corinthians: Introduction). When Paul first arrived in Corinth from Athens, he knew no one in the city. But he soon met a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla (or Prisca). Aquila was a tentmaker, as was Paul. Wherever Paul went, he earned his own living by making tents (see Acts 20:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8). In Paul’s day, even highly educated Jews earned their living by some manual trade. For example, Jewish teachers did not demand payment for their teaching; they worked at some other job to make their living.

During the time Paul and Aquila lived in Corinth, Claudius was the Roman emperor. When the Christian Gospel was first preached in Rome,⁷⁵ the Jews living there had raised such a clamor in opposition to it that Claudius, angry at the disturbance, had expelled all the Jews from Rome. This was the reason that Aquila and Priscilla had left Rome and come to Corinth.⁷⁶

4 As in other cities, Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue in Corinth. Paul proclaimed the Gospel both to the Jews and to those Greeks who feared the one true God.

5-6 When Silas and Timothy arrived in Corinth, they brought with them good news about the recently established church in Thessalonica. The Thessalonians had remained steadfast in their new faith (see 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10). It was after receiving this news that Paul wrote his first New Testament letter to the Thessalonians. Silas and Timothy also brought a gift for Paul from the recently established church at Philippi (see 2 Corinthians 11:9; Philippians 4:15).

As had happened in other cities (Acts 13:45,50; 14:2; 17:5), the Jews of Corinth also began to oppose Paul. Therefore, Paul, as a sign of protest, shook out his clothes (verse 6), so that no dirt or dust from their synagogue would remain clinging to him. To shake out one’s clothes in this way was a sign of extreme displeasure (Acts 13:51). Paul had announced to them the good news of salvation in Christ. By rejecting the Gospel, the Jews had brought upon themselves the judgment of God. Paul had fulfilled his obligation to tell the Jews about Christ. Now Paul would not be guilty of their destruction (see Acts 20:26-27; 1 Corinthians 9:16 and comments).

7 Therefore, Paul went next door and began to preach to the Gentiles. A Godfearing Greek named Titius Justus let Paul preach in his house. Many Bible scholars believe that this man’s first name was Gaius, and that he is the same Gaius who is mentioned in Romans 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14.

8 Paul was much more successful in Corinth that he had been in Athens. Here even the synagogue ruler Crispus believed in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:14).

9-11 At this time Paul received a vision from the Lord, which gave him much support and strength. In the vision Jesus promised Paul that while he was in Corinth no one would harm him. The Jews would indeed oppose him (verse 12), but they wouldn’t be able to harm him. God had chosen many people in Corinth, the Lord told Paul in the vision, and Paul was to be the means of bringing them to faith. So Paul spent the next year and a half in Corinth leading to Christ all those whom God had chosen.

Paul and Gallio (18:12-17)

12  Gallio was the Roman proconsul (chief official) of Achaia, the southern province of Greece.⁷⁷ Gallio’s authority was great. He had the power to prevent Paul from preaching not only in Achaia but in every province of the Roman Empire. The order of the proconsul of one province was binding in every other province. If Gallio had ordered Paul to stop preaching in Achaia, Paul would then have been prohibited from preaching anywhere else in the Roman Empire.

13 The Jewish religion was one of the legal religions of the Roman Empire; Jews were permitted to have synagogues and to worship God according to the Jewish law. But the Jews charged that Paul was not preaching the Jewish religion but some new illegal religion, and that therefore he was opposing Roman law (see Acts 16:2021 and comment).

14-16 When Gallio heard the Jews’ charge against Paul, he immediately concluded that this was a dispute involving only the Jewish religion. Paul had not broken any Roman law. He was merely preaching a form of the Jewish religion which the Jews at Corinth didn’t approve of. Therefore, Gallio refused to prohibit Paul from preaching. And because of this major decision of Gallio, the Christians were able for the next twelve years to legally preach and spread the Gospel of Christ all over the Roman Empire. At the end of that time, however, a new emperor, Nero, outlawed the Christian religion and began to cruelly persecute believers throughout the Empire.⁷⁸

17  After Crispus believed in the Lord (verse 8), a man named Sosthenes took his place as ruler of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth. After Gallio had thrown Sosthenes and the other Jews out of the court, they all (that is, the Greeks) turned on Sosthenes and beat him. In New Testament times, most Gentiles (including the Greeks) harbored ill feelings against the Jews,⁷⁹ and they were always ready to mistreat them whenever the opportunity arose. In this instance, Gallio had just insulted the Jews by expelling them from the court; now the Greeks added to the insult by beating up their leader Sosthenes.

Paul Returns to Antioch (18:18-23)

18  From time to time the Jews used to make a special vow to God. Paul perhaps made a vow of thanksgiving to God for protecting him during his time in Corinth. After such a vow was made, the person making the vow was not allowed to cut his hair until the period of the vow ended. Then on the last day of the vow, the person was to cut his hair and of fer the hair to God (Numbers 6:1-21).

Cenchrea was the port city of Corinth (Romans 16:1). From there Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla sailed for Ephesus.

19-21 In Paul’s time, Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the Middle East. It was a major commercial and cultural center. It was situated on the eastern coast of present-day Turkey. But even though Ephesus was a great city in New Testament times, today there is nothing left of it but ruins.

On this trip Paul spent only a few days teaching in the Jewish synagogue in Eph-esus. “I will come back if it is God’s will,” Paul said, as he took his leave of the Jews there. But Aquila and Priscilla remained in Ephesus, and started a house fellowship in their home (1 Corinthians 16:19). In 54 A.D. the Roman emperor Claudius died, and following that, Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome (Romans 16:3).

22 From Ephesus Paul sailed to Syria (Acts 8:40; 10:1). After he landed in Caesaria, he went up to Jerusalem to greet the church there. Some Bible scholars believe that Paul, in accordance with his vow, went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, which was at that time. The word “Jerusalem” is not mentioned in this verse, but it can be understood from the context. Jerusalem was in the mountains; thus from Caesaria (on the coast) Paul went up to Jerusalem. Then from Jerusalem he went down again to Antioch.

23 The church at Antioch had sent Paul and Silas out on this second missionary journey (Acts 15:40); therefore, just as Paul and Barnabas had reported to the church after their first missionary journey, Paul also on this occasion reported to the church all that God had done through Silas and himself (Acts 14:26-27).

Then Paul again set out for Galatia and nearby Phrygia to strengthen and encourage the believers in the churches he and Barnabas had established on their first missionary journey. Thus began Paul’s third missionary journey.

Apollos in Ephesus (18:24-28)

24 Apollos was a learned Jew from Alexandria.⁸⁰ He had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.

25 It is not known who first instructed Apollos in the way of the Lord (Christ). He knew much about Christ, and he preached the Gospel with great fervor.⁸¹ But there was something missing in his teaching. He had learned only about John’s baptism, which John had performed in order to prepare people to receive Jesus (Mark 1:2-4). He had not learned about the baptism in Jesus’ name, of which Peter had spoken on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). From this we can understand that Apollos had not received the Holy Spirit, because in the New Testament, baptism in Jesus’ name usually takes place before one receives the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:38; 8:15-17 and comments). Apollos had not heard the words that John the Baptist himself had spoken: “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8).

26 As soon as Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos preach, they knew there was some lack in his understanding. But they did not point out Apollos’ mistake in front of other people. They did not want to embarrass him. Instead, they invited Apollos to their home, and there in private they instructed him more fully in the faith. Even though Apollos was already a famous preacher, he humbly accepted the correction of this older brother and sister.

27-28 Paul had just left Corinth. There was now no apostle or other well-known Christian leader in Corinth. Therefore, the brothers in Ephesus encouraged Apollos to go to Corinth in order to give leadership to the church there. And so Apollos went to Corinth, and gave the church much help. Being a Jew like Paul, Apollos was able to argue effectively with the Jews from their own Scriptures, the Old Testament, that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah.

Apollos went on to become a great Christian leader. He greatly benefited the church in Corinth. His influence there was so great that some members of the Corinthian church became his disciples and followed him (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4). Paul considered Apollos to be his fellow worker and fellow apostle (1 Corinthians 3:2122; 4:6,9). In Corinth, Paul planted the seed, and Apollos watered it (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Let us learn from this story of Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos. All of us have some lack or defect. Let us correct each other privately with humility and gentleness. And like Apollos, let us humbly accept such correction when it is given. Then we, too, will grow to be mature and effective servants of Jesus Christ.