Paul traveled the 54 miles from Athens to Corinth and met up with a couple with the same occupation as he had. What did Paul do to make money (verse 3)? This couple would become close friends with Paul and later ministry partners. What were their names? Corinth was on the Isthmus between two large bodies of land and often, rather than sailing around, ships would drop their cargo on one side and have it transported by land to the other side. This made Corinth a very wealthy and important city in the shipping industry. When Timothy and Silas finally caught up with Paul, they started preaching full time. Among his Jewish followers was the man who was the head of the synagogue and lived next door. So the new church started right next to the synagogue. That had to be akward. Notice how long Paul stayed in Corinth (vs 11). This was the longest that he had stayed in any mission church up to this point. Things got hot and it looked like Paul was going to be in trouble when the Jews brought Paul to see Gallio the procounsel (or governor). I love Gallios indifference to the matter and the reaction of the Jews when they were rebuffed. Why do you think the Jews turned on their new synagogue leader? Gallio was only governor in Corinth for a year and Roman historical records place him there in 51 AD, so we can be fairly certain that this was the year Paul was in Corinth. It appears that he left Silas and Timothy in Corinth and sailed on with his new friends across the Agean sea to Turkey. Ephesus was an important Roman port city south of Troy on the west coast. Paul didnt stay there very long, but he left his friends there and they met a preacher who must have been a follower of John the Baptist. What was his name? What would be the difference between the Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus? Once he became a Christian, he headed off to Corinth and became their second pastor there. We will see his influence later on when we read 1 Corinthians. Meanwhile, Paul made his way to Jerusalem and then back to Antioch. Notice that he did not stay there long before he hit the road again. By this point, Paul has become a full-time missionary. Acts 18 New International Version (NIV) In Corinth 1) 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. Footnotes: Acts 18:25 Or with fervor
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:04:00 +0000