Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ATCS 18
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 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.
Application Notes
18:1 Corinth was the political and commercial centre of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance. It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality. A temple to Aphrodite, false goddess of love and war, had been built on the large hill behind the city. In her popular religion, people worshipped the goddess by giving money to her temple and taking part in sexual acts with male and female temple prostitutes. Paul found Corinth a challenge and a great ministry opportunity. Later, he would write a series of letters to the Corinthians dealing in part with the problems of immorality. First and Second Corinthians are two of· those letters.
18:2-3 Each Jewish boy learned a trade and tried to earn his living with it. Paul and Aquila had been trained in tentmaking, cutting and sewing the woven cloth of goats' hair into tents. Tents were used to house soldiers, so these tents may have been sold to the Roman army. As a tentmaker, Paul was able to go wherever God led him, carrying his livelihood with him. The Greek word translated ·tentmaker" was also used to describe a leatherworker.
18:2-3 Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together. They are an excellent example of teamwork and unity in marriage. Priscilla learned the trade of tentmaking alongside her husband, and they worked, traveled, and ministered together.
18:6 Paul told the Jews he had done all he could for them. Because they had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, he would go to the Gentiles, who would be more receptive.
18:10-11 Others who became Christians in Corinth were Phoebe (Romans 16:1; Cenchreae was the port city of Corinth), Tertius (Romans 16:22), Erastus {Romans 16:23), Quartus {Romans 16:23), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14), Stephanas and his household (1 Corinthians 16:15), Fortunatus (1 Corinthians 16:17), and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17).
18:10 In a vision, the Lord told Paul that he had many people in Corinth. Sometimes we can feel alone or isolated, especially when we see wickedness all around us or are persecuted for our faith. Usually, however, there are others in the neighbourhood or community who also follow Christ. Ask God to lead you to them.
18:11 During the year and a half that Paul stayed in Corinth, he established a church and wrote two letters to the believers in Thessalonica (the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians). Although Paul had been in Thessalonica for only a short time (Acts 17:1-15), he commended the believers there for their loving deeds, strong faith, and endurance inspired by hope. While encouraging them to stay away from immorality, he dealt with the themes of salvation, suffering, and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul told them to continue to work hard while they awaited Jesus' return. If you have believing friends in other cities or even other countries, encourage them in their faith.
18:12 Gallia, a Roman senator, served as proconsul (governor) of Achaia (modern Greece) in AD 51 and was the brother of Seneca the philosopher.
18:13 Paul was charged with promoting a religion not approved by Roman law. This charge amounted to treason. Paul was not encouraging obedience to a human king other than Caesar (see 17:7), nor was he speaking against the Roman Empire. Instead, he was speaking about Christ's eternal kingdom.
18:14-16 This was an important judicial decision for the spread of the gospel in the Roman Empire. Judaism was a recognised religion under Roman law. As long as Christians were seen as part of Judaism, the court refused to hear cases brought against them. If they had claimed to be a new religion, they could easily have been outlawed by the government. In effect, Gallio was saying, "I don't understand all your terminology and finer points of theology. Handle the matter yourself and don't bother me."
18:17 Crispus had been the leader of the synagogue, but he and his family had been converted and had joined the Christians (18:8). Sosthenes had been chosen to take his place. The mob could have been made up of Greeks venting their feelings against the Jews for causing turmoil, or it may have included some Jews. In any case, they beat Sosthenes for losing the case and leaving the synagogue worse off than before._ A person named Sosthenes is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:1, and many believe this was the same man, in time becoming a convert and a companion of Paul. Luke may have included this detail to show that a man who suffered persecution for Jesus, even though he didn't believe in him at the time, amazingly became a follower of Jesus later.
18:18 This vow Paul took was probably a temporary Nazirite vow that ended with shaving the head and offering the hair as a sacrifice (Numbers 6:18).
18:22 This verse marks the end of Paul's second missionary journey and the beginning of his third, which lasted from AD 53 to 57. Leaving the church at Antioch (his home base), Paul headed toward Ephesus, but along the way he revisited the churches in Galatia and Phrygia (18:23). The heart of this trip was a lengthy stay (a little over two years) in Ephesus. Before returning to Jerusalem, he also visited believers in Macedonia and Greece.
18:24-26 Apollos had heard onlywhatJohn the Baptist had said about Jesus (see Luke 3:1-18), so his message was not the complete story. John had focused on repentance from sin, the first step. But the whole message is to repent from sin and then believe in Jesus. Apollos did not know about Jesus' life, crucifixion, and resurrection. Nor did he know about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of salvation to him.
18:27-28 Apollos was from Alexandria in Egypt, the second-mostimportant city in the Roman Empire and the home of a great university. Alexandria had a thriving Jewish population. Apollos was a scholar, orator, and debater; and after his knowledge about Christ was made more complete, God greatly used these gifts to strengthen and encourage the church. Reason is a powerful tool in the right hands and the right situations. Apollos used the gift of reason to convince many in Greece of the truth of the gospel.
It often happens, however, that abilities cause division because of jealousy, pride, or other problems. Apollos's abilities eventually created a problem. Some of the Corinthians became more enamoured with Apollos than with his message. There is no evidence to suggest that Apollos encouraged this behaviour, and Paul never blamed Apollos for this development. Still, Paul eventually had to confront the Corinthians about their tendency to divide over their preferences for different leaders (see 1 Corinthians 1:12-13). Be thankful for God's gifts, and always remember to give him the honour for what he has given you. These gifts have been given to help bring God's people together and strengthen the Christian community, not to drive God's people apart.
18:27-28 Acts 18 is a triumphant picture of the early church's ministry, showing victories in key cities and the addition of exciting new leaders such as Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos to the church. In your ministry within your church, family, workplace, or wherever you go, expect setbacks and trials, but remember to rejoice in the victories God brings. Then remember to share those victory stories with others.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)