Acts 18 - Introduction

Paul's Work At Corinth

Acts Eighteen

After Paul left Athens he went to Corinth. His preaching work continued there for eighteen months. There Paul associated himself with Aquila and Priscilla. They had come to Corinth from Italy because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul stayed with them because they were all tent makers.

On the Sabbath days Paul reasoned with the Jews out of the scriptures and persuaded both Jews and Greeks that "Jesus" is the Messiah. "When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was completely given up to the word, preaching to the Jews that Jesus was Christ." Sadly many of them spoke evil against him. Paul said, "Your blood be on your heads, I am clean: from now I will go to the Gentiles." How sad it is when anyone fails to believe that God gives eternal life to all that obey Jesus.

Not all rejected Jesus: (1) Justus worshipped God, (2) Crispus believed on the Lord, and (3) many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.

With all the rejection Paul had faced it would have been easy for him to become discouraged. The Lord told Paul not to be afraid. God wanted him to speak with boldness. He promised Paul, "I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." The Lord Jesus Christ had not forgotten Paul nor would He forget him.

Paul was accused of causing people to serve God in a manner that was contrary to the law. Gallio would not hear the matter because he knew it was not a matter of wicked lewdness. Even when the Greeks took Sosthenes and beat him before the judgment seat Gallio did not care! Later Sosthenes would be a part of Paul's letter to Corinth. (1 Corinthians 1:1)

Paul stayed long enough to strengthen the brethren in Corinth. He left Corinth by way of Cenchrea. Before He left Cenchrea he cut off his hair to demonstrate the accomplishment of a vow he had made before God.

Paul made a brief stop at Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem. Priscilla and Aquila were left there. Paul's travels took him to Caesarea, then to Jerusalem and finally back to Antioch. This described the ending of the second journey and the beginning of the third. On this journey Paul visited "Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples."

Our attention is turned back to Ephesus where Paul had left Priscilla and Aquila. "A certain Jew named Apollos, an eloquent man" came down to the city of Ephesus. He was a great preacher but he knew only the baptism of John. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him preach they took him aside and gave him fuller teaching about the way of God. He became a powerful defender of the faith.