CHAPTER 18
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. Acts 18:1
Stedman points out how these two cities, Athens and Corinth, represent two great evils in the world, which were present in Paul’s day and also present today. They represent intellectual pride and sensual lust.1 There was probably no city in the ancient world that had a reputation quite as bad as Corinth. At one point in her history, the Temple of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love, had a thousand “holy” prostitutes attached to it. Corinth was so bad that Corinthians were usually represented as drunks in the community plays. The common verb form “to corinthianize” meant to be sexually immoral.2 It is not difficult to understand why Paul had so much trouble keeping the Corinthian church pure, sexually speaking (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
Despite her poor reputation morally, Corinth was a very significant city. It was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. It was probably one of the two most important Gentile cities that Paul ever visited, Corinth and Ephesus. The city was located on a narrow isthmus between the Saronic Gulf, with its nearby eastern port of Cenchrea, and the Corinthian Gulf with its nearby western port of Lechaeum. The city controlled east and west traffic on the sea as well as north and south traffic on the land. Ancient mariners were fearful to sail around Cape Malea. There was a proverb which said, “Let him who thinks of sailing round Malea make his will.” 3 Therefore small ships and cargoes were drug across the three mile isthmus at Corinth. Today the modern city boasts of a canal across the isthmus.
The city of Corinth, which was a little less than 50 miles (80 km.) west of Athens, was founded in very ancient times but was totally destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. Later, in 44 BC it was rebuilt by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony, and soon made the provincial capital. The city became famous for its Isthmian Games, an event held every two years. It was a prosperous city, one of the wealthiest in Greece, and as a result many Jewish people were attracted to it.
“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, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them” (18:2-3). Paul came to Corinth alone and in much discouragement (1 Cor. 2:1-3). No doubt he was greatly cheered to meet the Jew Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Aquila was originally from Pontus in the Black Sea area, but more recently from Rome. In AD 49, Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jews out of Rome. According to history, the Jews of Rome had become greatly disturbed over one Chrestus. This seems to have been a corruption of the word for Christ.4 We can thus believe that the gospel was already causing some division among Jews in the capital.
Paul was no doubt delighted to find out that Aquila and his wife were also tentmakers.
In the Jewish world it was required of parents to teach their children a trade. Even the rabbis had a secular trade along with their religious work. It was the rabbi Gamaliel who said, “Excellent is study of the Law together with worldly occupation, for toil in them both puts sin out of mind” (Mishnah, Abot 2:2). The famous Hillel said, “He that makes worldly use of the crown [of the Torah] shall perish. Thus thou mayest learn that he that makes profit out of the words of the Law removes his life from the world” (Abot 4:5). In the Middle Ages many Jewish rabbis were physicians on the side. The great Mamonides became court physician to the Sultan Saladin. We might point out that while manual labor was held in high regard by the Jewish people it was looked down upon by the Greeks, so Paul’s tent making may not have overly impressed them.5
The Greek word for tent makers is skenopoios. Other commentators feel that the word can also apply to leather workers. Some think that Paul was working with a coarse fabric made from Cilician goats, called cilicium. Cilicia of course was Paul’s native area.6 We do not know whether Paul was working with or working for Aquila and Priscilla. In those days the trade guilds were often supporters of some pagan idol so it would have been difficult for Paul to join with them.7
Several commentators have noted how Priscilla or Prisca is often named before her husband (18:18-19, 26; Rom. 16:3; 2 Tim. 4:19). Some are certain that this indicates she was more important or from a higher social class than Aquila.8 Certain commentators have felt that Paul won the two to the Lord but there is really no proof of this. We can say without question that Priscilla and Aquila were some of the most outstanding Christians in the New Testament. It seems that everywhere they lived, in Corinth, Ephesus or Rome, they hosted a church in their home. They certainly became dear friends of Paul and on one occasion they may have risked their lives for him (Rom. 16:3-4). It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “God evidently does not intend us all to be rich or powerful or great, but he does intend us all to be friends.” 9
“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (18:4). It was always Paul’s modus operandi to present the gospel first to the Jews and then later to the Gentiles. His presentation in the synagogue was usually quite limited before trouble and opposition broke out. Fortunately, he was now far enough from Macedonia that his persistent persecutors there could not follow him. Interestingly, an inscription from Corinth now has been found that reads “Synagogue of the Hebrews.” It is a First Century inscription and may well have been from this very synagogue.10
TROUBLE IN THE SYNAGOGUE
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 18:5
While in Athens, Paul had welcomed their arrival, and then quickly dispatched Silas and Timothy (1 Thess. 3:1-2). Both were apparently sent on missions back to Macedonia to strengthen the new churches there. When they finally caught up with Paul at Corinth, they brought good news. Much of Paul’s discouragement and difficulty was apparently over his concern for the new churches that he was forced to abruptly leave on their own. When Silas and Timothy arrived they brought good news about these churches (cf. 1 Thess. 3:6) and they also brought what must have been a generous offering from the church at Philippi (cf. 2 Cor. 11:9; Phil. 4:14-15). Apparently the offering from Philippi was large enough that Paul could suspend his tent making business and devote himself totally to the work of the Lord. It was probably at this point that he wrote the book of First Thessalonians, one of his earliest epistles.11 It is interesting that this is the last time his helper Silas is mentioned by name in Acts.
“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’” (18:6). Here we see the same predictable pattern with the Jews (cf. 13:46; 26:20; 28:28). For a week or two they are interested in Paul’s message and then they begin to resist the message and even become abusive and disrespectful about it. In most cases, it is then the God-fearing Gentiles around the synagogue who accept the message and form the basis of the new church. The shaking out of one’s clothes or the shaking of dust from one’s feet were ancient biblical symbols. Once the prophet Nehemiah shook out the folds of his robe as a sign that God would shake out the disobedient (Neh. 5:13). Jesus told his own disciples to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against any city that did not receive them (Matt. 10:14). Paul shook out his clothes and proclaimed himself innocent of their blood.
We might wonder why Paul had so much trouble with his own people not receiving his message from God. The American poet James Russell Lowell perhaps sums this problem up best with his poem:
Truth forever on the scaffold,
wrong forever on the throne.
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
and behind the dim unknown
Standeth God amid the shadows,
keeping watch above his own.12
“Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God” (18:7). When Paul was persecuted he set up shop next door and continued to teach. The Bible promises in 2 Timothy 3:12 that, “…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” His new location was the house of Titius Justus, a Gentile God-fearer. Several commentators have noted that the names Titius and Justus appear to be the Roman nomen and cognomen suggesting that he was a Roman citizen. Bruce feels that his Roman praenomen was Gaius. He was the host of the church there.13 We see Gaius mentioned in Romans 16:23 and in 1 Corinthians 1:14. The meeting in homes would not be unusual since the church for its first three centuries met this way.14
“Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized” (18:8). Clarke in describing the synagogue leader says: “It belonged to the chief or ruler of the synagogue to preside in all the assemblies, interpret the law, decide concerning things lawful and unlawful, punish the refractory, excommunicate the rebellious, solemnize marriages, and issue divorces.” 15 It must have been a severe blow to the Jews for the ruler of the synagogue to become a Christian. We note once again that his whole household was involved (cf. 10:24, 44; 16:15, 34). This always sounds strange to our western societies where there is such a great emphasis placed on the individual and not necessarily the family or group. In the ancient Middle East the emphasis was upon the family and the clan.
Again, we see a great influx of Gentile God-fearers into the church. Once more we notice the importance of baptism in the early church. Believers were baptized immediately. It was almost a first step of discipleship. We observe elsewhere that Paul baptized Crispus himself (1 Cor. 1:14). Paul did not usually do the baptism as he mentions in 1 Corinthians 1:17. His primary focus was on preaching the word.
“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city’” (18:9-10). God had told many of his saints in the past not to fear: Abraham (Gen. 15:1); Isaac (Gen. 26:24); Jacob (Gen. 46:3); Daniel (Dan. 10:12); Mary (Lk. 1:30) and Peter (Lk. 5:10). Paul was involved in one of the greatest works in all Christian history— in bringing the gospel to the whole western world. By his own admission in 1 Corinthians 2:3, he was weak and trembling with fear. As we have mentioned, some of this uneasiness concerned the new churches he had started but had to flee before they were properly founded. He may have also felt some intimidation from being with the philosophers in Athens or even by the intellectual arrogance of some of the Corinthians themselves.
God had many people in Corinth. We note how this statement implies divine election (cf. 2 Tim. 2:19). It is a truth seen throughout the New Testament but it is a truth not so easy to understand. Stott says, “Scripture nowhere dispels the mystery of election…It is not likely that we shall discover a simple solution to a problem which has baffled the best brains of Christendom for centuries…” 16
“So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God” (18:11). The apostle’s next five years would not be so much in travel but in consolidating the work at the important cities of Corinth and Ephesus.17 Barnes says of the initial work at Corinth that it “was caused by his success, and by the necessity of placing a church collected out of such corrupt and dissolute materials, on a firm foundation.” 18
A NEW PROCONSUL AND A NEW ATTACK
While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. Acts 18:12
The mention of Gallio here has been a great help in dating Paul’s journeys. In the early 20th Century an inscription was discovered at Delphi written by Emperor Claudius (c. 52 AD). The inscription mentions Gallio as proconsul at this time. It is thought by a number of commentators that Gallio began his term of service in the summer of AD 51. Paul would have been at Corinth eight or nine months before the coming of Gallio.19 This man, who was an adopted son of the Roman rhetorician Lucius Junius Gallio, was popular, amiable, and noted for his integrity.20 Unfortunately, his term as proconsul was cut short due to illness.
Here we can marvel at the accuracy of Luke as a historian. Utley says of this: “The names of Roman officials in this area had changed since AD 44; ‘proconsul’ (cf. Acts 13:7; 19:38) was correct because Emperor Claudius gave this province to the Senate.” 21
It seems that with the advent of a new proconsul the Jews decided to try him out by bringing charges against Paul. This would prove to be a serious mistake. We are told that they brought Paul to the place of judgment. The Greek word for this place of judgment is bema, and it means a raised platform that stood in the agora or market place.22
“This man, ‘they charged,’ is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law” (18:13). Up to this point, Christianity had enjoyed a measure of political protection by being seen as a sect of Judaism, which was a religio lecita or legal religion in the empire. Had Gallio ruled as the Jews wished, then Christianity would have become a religio illicitia or an illegal religion in the empire.23 It was a very serious and anxious moment for the young church. Paul prepared to answer this important charge.
“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. 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.’ So he drove them off” (18:14-16). Barker and Kohlenberger say of this: “…Gallio’s refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a religio licita; and the decision of so eminent a Roman proconsul would carry weight wherever the issue arose again. Later, in the sixties, Rome’s policy toward both Judaism and Christianity changed. But for the coming decade, the Christian message could be proclaimed in the provinces of the empire without fear of coming into conflict with Roman law.” 24
Gallio promptly drove them from his presence. Keener says, “That Gallio ‘drove them away’ (NASB), perhaps with the force of his lictors’ (attendants’) rods, betrays more than a tinge of Roman impatience for Jewish religious disputes. Many upper-class Romans viewed Jews as uncultured troublemakers…” 25
“Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever” (18:17). “Law courts (especially if held at the forum, or agora) were typically loud and crowded, and tempers flared.” 26
Several of the popular translations, along with the NIV, today speak of the crowd or the Greeks beating Sosthenes (ESV, NET, NKJ, NLT). That is probably what happened, since there was always a layer of anti-Semitism just under the surface in the Greco-Roman world.27 However, a few have felt that it was the Jews who turned on Sosthenes their leader and beat him. If this was the case they may have beaten him for his poor performance in presenting their case. It is even possible that Sosthenes like Crispus before him was leaning towards Christianity and if so this may have infuriated the Jews.28 It is interesting that Paul later speaks of Sosthenes as his co-author in 1 Corinthians 1:1.
PAUL, HIS VOW AND HIS JOURNEY
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. Acts 18:18
Paul may have stayed longer after the decision of Gallio. However, Luke says plainly that he stayed a total of a year and a half (v. 11). There seems to be an urgency in this journey and it may have been related to a vow he had taken. The ultimate goal of his journey was Syria, to report in at the sponsoring church at Antioch. No doubt a part of his goal was to reach Jerusalem and properly terminate his vow there. We note that Paul brought along his dear friends Priscilla and Aquila. They would accompany him as far as Ephesus.
We see here that Paul departed through Corinth’s eastern port of Cenchrea. His departure probably came in the spring of the year AD 52 and he was no doubt intent upon reaching Jerusalem for the Passover season.29
Over the centuries scholars have gone into a writing frenzy concerning the vow that was taken by Paul at this point. From what we can tell, it was a Nazarite Vow (cf. Nu. 6:1-21). Such a vow involved abstinence from wine and from cutting one’s hair. When the vow ended, the hair was cut and later burned along with certain sacrifices. In cases where the vow was completed away from Jerusalem, the hair could be brought and burned there.30
We cannot determine why Paul took such a vow. Barclay tells us that sometimes it was an expression of thanksgiving for some blessing.31 Paul certainly had received some great blessings, in hearing good news about the newly established churches and in having a favorable ruling from Gallio. We know from his teaching that Paul did not depend upon such practices of the law for his salvation (Gal. 4:1-11). However, he was a Jew and he desired to do all he could to relate to the Jews so that some might believe (1 Cor. 9:19-23). Stedman quips about the ancient vow and the current situation in the Christian world saying, “…Many people have taken a vow not to cut their hair these days.” 32
“They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews” (18:19). There is evidence to believe that Ephesus had long been the goal of Paul. It was Asia’s largest city. No doubt, he and his team were trying to go to Ephesus when this Second Missionary Journey began. For some reason the Spirit prohibited his going at that time (16:6). We note that Priscilla and Aquila remained in Ephesus. There they would also eventually begin a home church (2 Tim. 4:19). They would also be a great help to Paul in his later persecution (Rom. 16:3-4). Sometime after the death of Emperor Claudius they returned to their original home at Rome. Of course, even there they had a church meeting in their house (Rom. 16:3-5).
“When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, ‘I will come back if it is God’s will.’ Then he set sail from Ephesus” (18:20-21). We can see how a spiritual door was opened for Paul at Ephesus. Rather than running him off, the Jews of Ephesus desired that he stay with them. Unfortunately, Paul was under some internal pressure to move on to Jerusalem and Antioch of Syria.
“When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch” (18:22). Obviously, Dr. Luke has compressed this extended trip so that he could move on to other important things. Paul landed at the new Herodian port of Caesarea, likely because he was determined to go up to Jerusalem to make the sacrifice required for his vow. We might mention that in the warmer months a north-easterly wind often blew making it easier to reach Caesarea than Seleucia, the port of Syrian Antioch.33 Paul probably gave a full report of his missionary journey to the elders at Jerusalem and then he went down to Antioch, no doubt to make another report to his sponsoring church. With that, the Second Missionary Journey was drawn to an end and Paul no doubt spent some refreshing rest time with the dear church at Antioch.
THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY BEGINS
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. Acts 18:23
The apostle soon left Antioch, passed through the Cilician Gates and made his way by land once again to visit the churches of Galatia, which he established on the First Missionary Journey. We cannot miss the fact that Paul used every opportunity to visit his churches and further establish them in the faith. When he could not visit them, he at least sent messengers and/or epistles to them, encouraging them in the Lord. We have observed how Paul did not travel alone. It is likely on this journey that the apostle had with him Timothy, Erastus, Gaius, Aristarchus and possibly Titus (19:22, 29; 2 Cor. 1:1).34
APOLLOS
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. Acts 18:24-25
Apollos is surely one of the outstanding ministers presented in the New Testament. He was from Alexandria in Egypt. He possessed much learning and was an expert in the Old Testament. However, he was deficient, in that he was essentially a follower of John the Baptist. We must say that John had a widespread and lasting impact on many people in the First Century. In the next chapter we will meet a dozen men in one group who were also followers of John. Apparently, Apollos had a good understanding of who Jesus was despite the fact that he only had John’s baptism.
We note that Apollos had hailed from Alexandria. This was a very important city in ancient times. It had a large Jewish population and quickly became a center for the Christian church. Partly because of the Jewish scholar Philo, Alexandria became a center for the allegorical interpretation of scripture. Also, some two hundred years before Christ the Old Testament was translated into Greek there and became known as the Septuagint.35 We see that Apollos spoke with great fervor. The Greek word fervor (zeōn) is the word for boil or seethe.36 Apollos was obviously a powerful speaker. Since he had been educated in the great philosophical center of Alexandria, he no doubt was skilled in the practical Greek art of rhetoric.37
Apollos was to become a great blessing for the churches, once he came to a full understanding of Christianity. He “watered” what Paul had planted at Corinth (1 Cor. 3:6). We see that he became successful in many ways (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:5-6; 4:6; Tit. 3:13).
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. It is clear that the early church was originally known as “The Way.” We note this designation in 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; and in 24:14, 22.
“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” (18:26). Obviously, Apollos was boldly and powerfully disputing with the Jews in the synagogue at Ephesus. Paul’s wonderful friends and associates, Priscilla and Aquila quickly discerned that there was something missing in the message of Apollos. He knew about Jesus but he was missing the baptism of Jesus, as well as the wonderful fact of Jesus’ resurrection, the filling and power of the Holy Spirit.
This is a very touching story. This mighty teacher of scriptures was invited to the home of Priscilla and Aquila. Although they knew his message was deficient they did not try to correct him in public and thus embarrass him. Rather, they invited him to their home and meekly explained to him the Christian faith more fully. It is amazing that this powerful and superbly gifted teacher of the word could sit at the feet of a Christian woman and receive instruction from her and her husband. Clarke says of it: “This eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, who was even a public teacher, was not ashamed to be indebted to the instructions of a Christian woman, in matters that not only concerned his own salvation, but also the work of the ministry, in which he was engaged.”38 No doubt, on this very occasion Aquila had the privilege of baptizing Apollos with the baptism of Jesus and seeing him receive the Holy Spirit of God.
“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” (18:27). No doubt Priscilla and Aquila were a part of the group that sent the letter to Corinth. They had lived there not only as tent makers but as leaders, and their recommendation would carry a lot of weight. Apollos journeyed there and apparently had quite a successful ministry. He might have been especially liked because of his education and skills at rhetoric. Some even began to idolize him as we see in 1 Corinthians 1:12. It seems that Apollos would have no part in such things.
“For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah” (18:28). He did at Corinth what he had probably done at Ephesus. He had highly confounded the Jews, proving beyond a doubt that Jesus was indeed their Messiah.