SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY IN CORINTH (18:1-17). Paul had recognised that in a small town like Athens he could well spare his companions and had sent Timothy off to Thessalonica, and Silas to Macedonia, possibly to Philippi. Now, having laid the foundations of a church at Athens, he decided to move to the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘After these things he departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.' It was, then, from the small city of Athens to this large capital city of Achaia that Paul now came. There is no hint that this move was any other than tactical and voluntary in accordance with what he believed was God's will. But h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome.' On arrival in Corinth he must have been encouraged when he ‘found' a Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus, who, along wi... [ Continue Reading ]
We are not told whether they formed a partnership, or whether Paul worked for Aquila as an employee, but they worked together as tentmakers/leatherworkers. It was customary for a Rabbi to have learned a trade so that he could maintain himself and not need to be supported while preaching. 'Love work,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.' But however he was feeling, every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, and ‘entered into dialogue' with both Jews and God-fearers, ‘persuading both Jews and Greeks'. While not holding back we note how he is limiting h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.' The arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, no doubt at his request, must have encouraged him, especially as they brought from Thessalonica encouraging news... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads. I am clean. From now on will go to the Gentiles.” ' The consequence of this powerful preaching of the word was that ‘the Jews' (those who refused to believe) reacted by bla... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he departed from there, and went into the house of a certain man named Titus Justus, one who worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.' A God-fearer (one who worshipped God) who lived next door to the synagogue and whose name was Titius Justus, had a large house, and he offered... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, were believing, and were being baptised.' But in spite of the attitude of the Jews generally, Crispus the ruler of the synagogue became a believer, and so did all his house (comp... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not hold your peace, for I am with you, and no man shall set on you to harm you, for I have much people in this city.” ' It may be that as the Jewish opposition rose Paul remembered back to previous experiences... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he dwelt there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.' The result was that he preached for eighteen months without let or hindrance, ‘teaching the word of God' among them. This ‘teaching' was not only a proclamation but a steady build up in the word. Note the constant refe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat, saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” ' Knowing the constant strength of Jewish feeling we are not surprised to discover that eventually t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked villainy, O you Jews, reason would that I should bear with you, but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. I am not minded to be a judg... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he drove them from the judgment-seat.' And the result was that he drove them all from the place of judgment. He was having none of it. There is an impression here of rather forceful dealings, as the next verse confirms. The authorities did not take kindly to spurious cases which simply wasted... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things.' ‘They all' here probably refers to the officials responsible for overseeing the bringing of the case to court and the subsequent proceedings. They woul... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Paul, having tarried after this yet many days, took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.' Having continued his work in Corinth for some further good long time, Paul set sail for Syria, ta... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL RETURNS TO ANTIOCH VIA EPHESUS AND JERUSALEM (18:18-22). The ministry at Corinth continued for some time after which Paul decided that it was time to return back to the church at Syrian Antioch who had originally sent him and Silas out (Acts 15:40), and he did so via Ephesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.' On arrival in Ephesus Paul clearly said his ‘goodbyes' to Priscilla and Aquila. ‘He left them there' suggests that he did not expect to meet up with them again in Ephesus becau... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they asked him to remain a longer time, he refused his consent, but taking his leave of them, and saying, “I will return again to you if God will”, he set sail from Ephesus.' The Jews there seemingly saw his ministry as acceptable for they asked him to remain. But he had his vow to fulfil... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church, and went down to Antioch.' Landing at Caesarea ‘he _went up_ and saluted the church'. This almost certainly indicates that he went up to the mother church at Jerusalem where he would complete his vow, rather than just to the... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL PURPOSES TO GO TO JERUSALEM AND THEN TO ROME. SATAN COUNTERATTACKS AT EPHESUS (19:21-20:1). Paul's purpose to go to Jerusalem in spite of warnings raises an interesting question. If the Spirit was giving him warnings, why did he proceed? In answering this question we need to recognise that par... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL SETS OUT ON HIS THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY: MINISTRY AMONG THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTISER (18:23-19:7). Paul Sets Out On His Third Missionary Journey.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.' Having spent some time in Syrian Antioch, during which time he would enjoy a teaching and evangelistic ministry, and would familiarise the church there wit... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus, and he was mighty in the scriptures.' Apollos was an Alexandrian from Egypt, which probably means that he interpreted the Scriptures more allegorically than would be done in Palestine. Alexandria had a large... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MINISTRY OF APOLLOS IN EPHESUS. HE IS INSTRUCTED IN THE WAY OF THE LORD (18:24-26). Meanwhile there arrived in the west of Asia Minor, in Ephesus, which Paul had visited but had not yet really evangelised, ‘a certain Jew named Apollos'. This remarkable person proclaimed the baptism of John, and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John.' It would appear that Apollos had either visited Jerusalem and come under the ministry of John the Baptiser, or that he ha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to them, and expounded to him the way of God more accurately.' In God's goodness he began to proclaim his teaching in the synagogue in Ephesus which was attended by Priscilla and Aquila. When they... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MINISTRY OF APOLLOS IN ACHAIA (18:27-28). ‘And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him, and when he was come, he helped them much who had believed through grace, for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, s... [ Continue Reading ]