Acts 18 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Acts 18

Paul in Corinth

18:1 After this Paul¹ left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews² made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

Paul Returns to Antioch

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers³ and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit,⁴ he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Footnotes

[1] 18:1 Greek he
[2] 18:12 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 14 (twice), 28
[3] 18:18 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 27
[4] 18:25 Or in the Spirit

Commentary

v1-3: Meeting with Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth; this couple are later much used of the Lord, helping Apollos, v24-28; being fellow workers with Paul, even risking their lives for the sake of the gospel, Rom 16.3-4. They have already suffered persecution at the hands of the Romans. We see value in ‘ordinary’ work, in that Paul came into contact with Aquila and Priscilla through this. See 20.34-35, where Paul implies that this work enabled him to continue his ministry.

Ancient cities contained numerous guilds of local trades. Thus, we would expect Paul would find fellow tentmakers easily, as they were located together.

It is sometimes assumed that a Church leader is necessarily ‘full-time’ and paid by the local Church. Whilst this is a common pattern it is not commended in Scripture. Paul himself addresses the question in 1 Cor 9.3-6.

In most nations in most times in history, a local Church is financially ill-equipped to pay a full-time salary to a Church leader. And Paul models this here. Paul stayed in Corinth for some time, establishing the Church. But he seems to have worked as a tent-maker to support himself and so as not to be a financial burden on the Church. ‘St Paul’s theory of evangelizing a province was not to preach in every place in it himself but to establish centres of.Christian life in two or three important places from which knowledge might spread into the country around.’ (Roland Allen, Missionary Methods)

v4: Again, Paul goes into the synagogue in Corinth.

v5: Paul gave himself exclusively to preaching. He had learned a flexibility in relaiton to his tent-making and preaching. Sometimes he worked on tents, in partnership with Aquila and Priscilla. At other times he preached. Sometimes he did both. In 1 Cor 9.6 he refers to working for a living.

v6: Paul meets opposition from the Jews; he is now constrained to go to the Gentiles, 13.46; this was always the Lord's call upon his life, see 9.15.

v7-8: There are key converts; Justus, who lives next door to the synagogue, and Crispus the ruler of the synagogue. Many other Corinthians are converted.

v9-10: Special encouragement from the Lord. It may be that repeated attacks from the Jews, which seem more frequent and violent (17.1-15) have begun to discourage him. He is tempted to move on. We have every confidence in our God who cares for us, and who strengthens us. We know too that any opposition is restrained and limited by God.

v11: With God's encouragement, Paul remains for 18 months in Corinth. Many adversaries become many opportunities.

v12-13: Paul is arrested for his activities; it is as well that he has been encouraged by the Lord, although this incident is apparently some time after his arrival in Corinth.

v14-17: Gallio the proconsul is not interested in maintaining justice and peace. He just wants a quiet life, like Pilate. He avoids making any proper decision. The new synagogue ruler, Sosthenes, receives the fresh anger of the Jews.

v18-22: Paul's vow, and his return to Jerusalem for the feast; evidence of a continuing loyalty to Judaism, although little is made of it here.

Paul leaves Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus, a key city, and returns to Antioch.

v23: Paul begins his third missionary journey, returning to the churches to strengthen the disciples. Here is thorough follow-up of new believers.

v24-28: The disciple; willing to learn from more mature and experienced Christians. Apollos is already eloquent and effective; and through Priscilla and Aquila, he learns the way of truth more clearly; he begins to preach that Jesus is the Christ. He is sent to Achaia (Corinth, etc.) to help the Christians there.