Consolidation of the Gentile Church
18
Corinth
1 Now after these things Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And encountering a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome), he joined them; 3 and because he practiced the same trade, he stayed on with them and worked (their trade was tentmaker).*
4 Every Sabbath in the synagogue he would reason with both Jews and Greeks, trying to persuade them. 5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the Spirit,† solemnly insisting to the Jews: Jesus is the Christ.‡ 6 But since they kept contradicting and blaspheming, he shook his clothes§ and said to them: “Your blood be upon your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
The house of Justus becomes the base
7 So he moved from there into the house of a man named Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household; and as they were hearing, many of the Corinthians were believing and being baptized. 9 Now the Lord said to Paul by a vision at night: “Do not be afraid; rather speak and do not keep silent, 10 because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you,* because I have many people in this city.” 11 So he stayed on for a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.†
Gallio
12 Now while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This fellow persuades the people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews: “If there really was some misdeed or wicked crime, O Jews, there would be reason for me to bear with you; 15 but since it is an issue over a word and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; because I refuse to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks‡ took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue,§ and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was a delay to Gallio.*
To Ephesus and Antioch
18 Paul still remained there a good while, then took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila (he had shaved his head in Cenchrea, because he had a vow).† 19 He came to Ephesus and left them there (after having entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews). 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent; 21 rather he took leave of them saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem;‡ but I will return again to you, God willing.”§ Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church [in Jerusalem],* he returned to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Apollos
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus,† although he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27 When he decided to go across into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to receive him;‡ upon arriving he was a great help to those who had believed through the Grace; 28 because he kept refuting the Jews vigorously, publicly, demonstrating Jesus to be the Christ, from the Scriptures.§
* 18:3 Paul supported himself. † 18:5 Instead of ‘Spirit’, some 6% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘word’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.) ‡ 18:5 Paul could now turn physical details over to Silas and Timothy (who evidently did not get to Athens before Paul left there) and concentrate on the spiritual. The Holy Spirit has him really bear down on the Jews, obliging them to make a choice. Paul then turned his full attention to the Gentile population. § 18:6 The idea was presumably to get rid of any dust; this was far less serious than shaking the dust off the feet, but he was clearly severing ‘diplomatic relations’ with them. * 18:10 He had been stoned and left for dead in Lystra, and been severely beaten in Philippi, so this was doubtless an encouraging word. † 18:11 They got a reasonably good theological education, which, however, did not exempt them from problems. It is not enough to know the truth; it must be lived, it must be applied. ‡ 18:17 Less than 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘the Greeks’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). § 18:17 Since Crispus had ‘defected’ to Christianity, he was replaced as ruler of the synagogue by Sosthenes. * 18:17 Instead of ‘delay’, some 15% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘concern’, as in most versions. Gallio was doubtless a busy man, with his own plans, and did not want to be detained. † 18:18 Apparently such a vow could only be brought to a satisfactory conclusion in the temple at Jerusalem. I take it that this was a leftover from his Jewish religion. ‡ 18:21 Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). § 18:21 In fact, God did will it. * 18:22 Because Jerusalem was at a higher elevation than most of the rest of the country, travel to and from there is almost always described as ‘up to’ and ‘down from’. † 18:25 I follow the best line of transmission in reading ‘Jesus’; some 65% of the Greek manuscripts read ‘the Lord’, as in AV and NKJV. ‡ 18:27 Letters of introduction are a good safeguard against opportunists. § 18:28 Since he explained the Scriptures the same way that Paul did, it was no longer just one man's interpretation.