February 27, 2022
Acts 18:1-17
“The Power of Partnership”
Service Overview: In having many partners, much can be accomplished. In Acts 18, Paul is seen taking steps to not only survive, but thrive in ministry by partnering with others who helped to make the work of gospel-spreading both efficient and effective.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)
Background Information:
- Claudius issued a decree that expelled the Jews from Rome in the year A.D. 52. The decree came about because of disruption and upheaval going on in the city of Rome in the middle of the first century due to the teachings of one Jewish person named Chrestus. It is rare to find outside of the New Testament any reference from the ancient world that mentions Jesus. But here in the writing of Suetonius is a mention of Jesus. His name is misspelled, which reflects the pagan pronunciation of the name Christus, the Greek name for Jesus. This was certainly a reference to Jesus. That the edict took place in A.D. 52 was also attested by the historian Tacitus. That is important for placing the time that Paul spent in Corinth. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 284)
- Politically, Corinth was a Roman colony. It was the capital of its province. Commercially, Corinth was a key center. It was located on a narrow strip of land connecting the mainland of Greece with a smaller area of land known as the Peloponnesian Peninsula. All land travel between mainland and peninsula moved through Corinth. The city was also a crucial seaport. Sailing around the peninsula was treacherous. Traders often preferred to unload their cargo on one side of the isthmus, carry it across the strip of land, and then reload it on the other side. Even small ships were often moved manually over the land and then set into the water again. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3535)
- Gallio was a son of the elder Seneca, the rhetorician (c. 50 B.C.-C. A.D. 40), and brother of the younger Seneca, the Stoic philosopher (c. 3 B.C.-A.D. 65). His name was originally Marcus Annaeus Novatus; but after his father brought him to Rome from his native Cordova in the principate of Tiberius, he was adopted by the rhetorician Lucius Junius Gallio, and thereafter bore the same name as his adoptive father. His contemporaries speak of him as a man of great personal charm—“no mortal,” said his brother Seneca, “is so pleasant to any one person as Gallio is to everybody.” (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 370)
- In Greece if ever a Corinthian was shown on the stage he was shown drunk. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 134)
The question to be answered is…
Why does Luke include this account from Paul’s ministry?
Answer…
To highlight the interplay and value of companionship, encouragement, and providence in fulfilling the mission of Jesus.
What does this text illustrate as vital to the success of Paul’s ministry?
- Mission-minded partnerships.
(vv. 2-3, 5, 8, 17 | Prov. 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9; Amos 3:3; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
Humanly speaking, there would have been no church in Corinth were it not for the devotion and service of many different people. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
Everyone agrees that Paul was a great Christian and a great missionary evangelist, but how much would Paul have accomplished alone? Friends like Aquila and Priscilla, Silas and Timothy, and the generous believers in Macedonia, made it possible for Paul to serve the Lord effectively. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
- Divine encouragement.
(vv. 9-11 | Psalm 28:7; 55:22; Isaiah 41:10; Joshua 1:9; John 16:33; 14:27; Romans 15:13)
Paul had ample cause to be discouraged and no doubt was, just as we have causes to be discouraged and are. But now comes the good news. At this very point, when Paul was most discouraged, God intervened in several important ways to encourage him. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 307)
But the heart of the promise was the word of the risen Lord, “I [myself] am with thee,” a very gracious reaffirmation of a promise Paul already knew, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). So it is that the Lord reassures His servants in their often lonely task. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 210)
- Trust-fueled dependence.
(vv. 10-11 | Psalm 37:5; 40:3-4; 56:3-4; Proverbs 3:5; Isaiah 26:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Paul received a divine promise that no harm would befall him through any attack in Corinth, but he was not promised that no attack would be made. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 370)
Faith simply means obeying God’s will in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. There never was an easy place to serve God, and if there is an easy place, it is possible that something is wrong. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
- God’s providence.
(vv. 14-16 | Genesis 50:20; Proverbs 16:9; Isaiah 14:24; Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 6:25-34)
Gallio sent away both the accusers and the accused (see 18:14-16). His decision took the previously set pattern even further. To this point, no government official had interfered with Paul’s mission. But here, an important Roman leader had, at least indirectly, given his approval to Christianity and its proclamation. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts, Kindle Location 3616)
Gallio’s ruling meant in effect that Paul and his associates, so long as they committed no breach of public order, continued to share the protection which Roman law granted to the practice of Judaism. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 372)
Conclusion… How might a text like this inform our faith and practice as believers?
A. By supporting one another in the mission we share as disciples.
(Prov. 27:17; Ecc. 4:9; Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 4:16-18)
Paul had tried to carry on alone in Athens. Now he was trying to carry on alone in Corinth. That gets to you after a while. Sometimes we think we can carry on alone. But we cannot, at least not for very long. We need one another. That is one reason God has given us the church, and it is why he has established a plurality of leadership in the church. Christian work is supposed to be a team effort. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 307)
B. By trusting God in all circumstances.
(Josh. 1:9; Ps. 28:7; 34:4; Pro. 3:5-6; 30:5; Jer. 29:11; John 14:27; Rom. 15:13; 2 Tim. 1:7)
At those tough spots and dry places in the Christian life, lean on God, lean on other Christians, and keep doing what God has called you to do. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 309)
With this encouragement Paul remained in Corinth eighteen months, “teaching them the word of God.” During all this time there was no violence and no one harmed Paul, just as the Lord promised. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians show that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues, and exercised many spiritual gifts. Their growth brought problems, however, as 1 and 2 Corinthians show. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6895)
C. By serving as conduits of encouragement towards others.
(Romans 15:5; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:18 ; 5:11; Hebrews 10:25; James 5:16)
The Lord seldom solves the problem of discouragement without using His people to remind us that we are loved by Him through them. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 263)
Gospel Application…
Jesus came to seek and save the lost and has enlisted those he’s saved in the team-effort of sharing this good news with everyone.
(Matthew 28:18-20 ; Mark 16:15; John 3:16; 13:35; 15:8; Romans 1:16; 10:9-14)
The spread of the gospel requires a team effort by individuals with different gifts. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 309)
Many churches today measure success by what happens within the congregation—greater membership, attendance, involvement, or giving. It’s wonderful when good things happen within a congregation, but that’s not the mark of success. A church is successful only when it affects the world around it (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 238)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What do we learn about Paul in Acts 18:1-4?
- What drastic action did Paul take when the Jews resisted his message this time (18:6-7)? What were the consequences (vv. 8-10, 12-15)?
- Have you ever experienced a season of discouragement in your life? How were others able to help?
- What are some ways you might partner with either the church or other people in advancing the mission of Jesus? What gifts do you have that might serve to contribute?
- Who are or have been spiritual companions to you in your walk with the Lord? How has their companionship impacted your faith?
- If you were Paul, how might you have felt when you received Jesus’ message in verses 9-10? How did Paul respond?
Quotes to note…
How reminiscent this is of our Lord’s behavior on the way to the cross. When Jesus was led to His crucifixion, the women along the way were weeping in commiseration for Him, and He said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28). Our Lord said those words because He understood that those who were rejecting Him were calling down the judgment of God upon their own heads. Paul did not waste his time with people who would not respond to the gospel. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 285)
Aquila and Priscilla may offer the New Testament’s best model of a Christian couple who worked well as a team. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3575)
Some couples know how to make the most of life. They complement each other, capitalize on each other’s strengths, and form an effective team. Their united efforts have a profound effect on those around them. Aquila and Priscilla were such a couple. The Bible never mentions them separately. In marriage and ministry, they were together. Working in concert, they made an eternal difference in countless lives. Consider your marriage. Do you and your spouse enjoy an intimacy that overflows into ministry? If not, what prevents you from being a dynamic duo for the Lord? (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 311)
The words of the Lord to Paul in the night vision speak eloquently of the immense pressures under which he was laboring. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 209)
Whenever God is blessing a ministry, you can expect increased opposition as well as increased opportunities. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
To walk by faith means to see opportunities even in the midst of opposition. A pessimist sees only the problems; an optimist sees only the potential; but a realist sees the potential in the problems. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
The Lord did three things to give new strength and courage to Paul while he was at Corinth. He gave him the gift of new friends, a vision to recall him to be a visionary, and a specific, perfectly timed intervention. He does no less for us today. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 261)
The church was never intended to be a safe, cloistered retreat from the brokenness of society. It was intended to be salt, a preservative for a corrupt and decaying world. It was intended to be light, a source of brilliant illumination, pushing back the darkness of sin and spiritual ignorance. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 238)
As believers, we should take advantage of every situation where we can build relationships with people so that we can share the good news of Jesus Christ. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 236)
From Athens, Corinth was a two-day journey by land. If the journey was made by sea with favorable winds, it could be accomplished in as little as four hours. Corinth at this time was a relatively new city. It had been destroyed over one hundred years prior to Paul’s visit, but at the time of the early church it had been recently rebuilt by the Romans and had become a significant center of Roman trade. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 284)
Corinth was known for its luxury. It was a city of great affluence because of the commerce that took place there. It was also known for its wild and extravagant immorality. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 284)
Tentmaking was very important at this time in the ancient world because many people lived in tents, particularly Jews who remained semi-nomadic in their lifestyle. Tentmaking was a rather lucrative business. Jewish fathers were obliged to teach their sons a trade. The adage was that if a father failed to teach his son a trade, he taught his son to be a thief. It is obvious that the Apostle Paul had learned the trade of tentmaking as a young boy before his vast education in the rabbinic schools, and he maintained this trade as his livelihood through much of his adult life. Given the shared trade with Aquila and Priscilla, he dwelt with them at this time in Corinth. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 285)
(vv. 9–10). If ever there was a preacher in the history of the world that did not need to be instructed in this manner by God, it was the Apostle Paul. Nobody appears to us more fearless or faithful in the bold proclamation of the truth of Christ then Paul, but Paul was a human being. He was not a masochist. Preachers do not love to provoke people to hate them. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 286)
Gallio’s brother Seneca was one of the most famous writers of the Roman world. Seneca was famous as a moralist and a sage in his day; he was celebrated for his wisdom. Seneca dedicated two of his books to his brother Gallio. They shared a common commitment to wisdom and justice, even as pagans. In fact, their commitment to a high standard of justice and morality got them in deep trouble more than a decade later with the wicked Roman emperor Nero. Nero executed Seneca and Gallio. So the man who intervened here in Corinth to save Paul’s life and to preserve the legitimacy of his ministry in the Roman provinces was later martyred by Nero, who also killed Paul. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 287)
This may seem to be an insignificant incident in the overall life and ministry of Paul, but what happened here in a sense freed Paul to preach the gospel for more than an additional ten years. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 286)
(vv. 14–17). What basically happened here is that the Roman proconsul gave Paul a safe-conduct pass because of his Roman citizenship. This intervention of Gallio paved the way for Paul to be able to continue preaching and planting churches throughout various parts of the Roman Empire, which is why this was a decisive moment in Paul’s ministry of building churches in the ancient world. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 287)
Some Corinthians rejected Paul. He was at least tempted to fear them. He felt the possibility of harm. Yet, God was with him and would enable a fruitful ministry in this important pagan center. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3549)
In the year A.D. 49 or 50, the Roman emperor Claudius ordered all Jews out of Rome (see Acts 18:2). Suetonius, an ancient Roman historian, wrote that Claudius took this step because of disturbances among the Jews on account of one called “Chrestus.” It is likely that this Chrestus was none other than Jesus Christ. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3563)
Aquila and Priscilla were relative newcomers to Corinth when Paul arrived. Either because of their common interest in tentmaking or possibly a common faith in Christ, Paul was attracted to them. They opened their home and a partnership in their business to him. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3575)
Paul and this couple became close friends. When Paul left Corinth, he asked them to accompany him to Ephesus (see 18:18-19). (At least Aquila had made several moves by now; the couple felt free to move once again.) It appears that during their hours of working together, Paul taught them much and helped them to become strong leaders. “They were already expert tentmakers. They now became expert evangelists.” (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3575)
Paul stayed on for at least eighteen months, much longer than he had stayed in any of the stops on his first two missionary journeys which originated from Antioch. Did he stay because of the fruitful ministry or because no persecution pushed him out of town? Perhaps both. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3590)
He shook out his clothes (an action similar to shaking the dust off one’s feet; see 13:51; Matthew 10:14). He laid all responsibility for the Jews’ rejection of the gospel on them: Your blood be on your own heads! (Acts 18:6; see Matthew 27:25 for similar wording). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3603)
Gallio, the new governor, refused to hear the Jews. He saw their argument with Paul as purely a matter of Jewish religion, one which did not relate to Roman law or his own duties. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 3603)
Paul’s ministry in this decadent city was long and fruitful (18:11). Not even a concerted effort by the Jews could stop him from teaching the Word. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 309)
After encountering the philosophers in Athens, Paul went to Corinth (18:1). Paul probably arrived emotionally and spiritually down. In 1 Corinthians 2, he wrote that he was in a state of weakness, “timid and trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3 NLT). Why the low time? For one thing, his ministry in Athens had not achieved great results. For another, he was apparently traveling alone. Acts 18 reveals some of the wise steps Paul took to not only survive but to thrive during a difficult time. He found some Christian friends and got busy making tents as he continued the ministry. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 309)
Ancient Corinth had been destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C., but it had been rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. because of its strategic seaport. By Paul’s day (A.D. 50), the Romans had made Corinth the capital of Achaia (present-day Greece). Only fifty miles from Athens, Corinth by this time was regarded as the most influential city of Greece. The population was about 650,000, comprised of 250,000 free citizens and 400,000 slaves. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 310)
Corinth was a major center of commerce. Located on a narrow strip of land near two bustling seaports, and at a busy crossroads for land travelers and traders, the city was wealthy and very materialistic. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 310)
So brazen was the unbridled licentiousness that a new Greek verb was eventually coined: to “Corinthianize” meant to practice sexual immorality. When Plato referred to a prostitute, he used the expression “Corinthian girl.” (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 310)
In Life of Claudius, Suetonius wrote of Jewish riots instigated by Chrestus, which may be a reference to religious upheavals between strict Jews and followers of Christ. Rather than taking the time to sort through this sectarian controversy, Claudius simply had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 311)
Let temporal things serve your use, but the eternal be the object of your desire. Thomas à Kempis (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 311)
As a tentmaker, Paul had a transportable livelihood that he could carry with him wherever God led him. Since ancient craftsmen did not compete as merchants do today but rather formed cooperative trade guilds and often lived in close proximity, it is not surprising that Paul and Aquila worked together. Because many of the trade guilds had adopted pagan practices, two God-fearing artisans would have been delighted to work together. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 311)
Upon the arrival of his colleagues, Paul was able to set aside his tentmaking and devote himself exclusively to preaching. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 312)
His pointed statement “Your blood be on your own heads!” is a reference to the Jews’ own responsibility for their eventual spiritual destruction and brings to mind the sobering warning of Ezekiel: “Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die” (Ezekiel 33:4 NLT). Because Paul had given his countrymen a clear opportunity to be saved, he would later be able to say, “I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault” (20:26 NLT). In essence, Paul was telling the Jews that he had done all he could for them. Because they continued to reject Jesus as their Messiah, he would turn his attention to the Gentiles, who would prove to be more receptive. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 313)
As the synagogue ruler, Crispus would have been responsible for maintenance of the synagogue complex and the services held there. Such a position would have made him a prominent and well-to-do person in the community. Thus, his conversion (and that of his household) was a significant breakthrough for the church. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 313)
This was an important judicial decision for the spread of the gospel in the Roman Empire. Judaism was a recognized religion under Roman law. As long as Christians were seen as a sect within Judaism, the court refused to hear cases brought against them. If they had claimed to be a new and separate 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 (and I don’t wish to). Handle the matter yourself, and don’t bother me.” (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 315)
Many prominent Romans viewed the Jews with disdain; they considered them uncultured, given to strange beliefs, and prone to troublemaking. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 315)
Originally a city-state competitive with Athens, Corinth had a history as a prosperous commercial center. Involved in rebellion against Rome, it was destroyed in 146 B.C. and was not rebuilt until Julius Caesar took an interest in it a century later. He made it a Roman colony, and it again became prosperous. The Romans in 46 B.C. probably resettled Jews there. Then Augustus made it the capital of the province of Achaia in 27 B.C. But it became a center of idolatry and licentiousness (as it had been before its destruction by the Romans). The Greeks even coined a new word to express extreme sexual immorality and profligacy—“ to Corinthianize.” The Corinthians were encouraged in this immorality by their worship of the so-called goddess of love, Aphrodite. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6830)
At Corinth Paul met a husband and wife who were to become some of his most faithful friends and fellow laborers in the gospel. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6834)
Luke’s reference to the emperor’s edict may imply that Priscilla and Aquila were Christians before Paul met them; further, Paul identifies his first converts in Achaia as “the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor. 16: 15). In any case if Priscilla and Aquila were not believers when Paul met them, he soon won them to the Lord. They became faithful followers of Christ. We can be sure they accompanied him to the synagogue every Sabbath and encouraged him as he sought to persuade both Jews and Greeks. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6850)
When Silas and Timothy came to Corinth from Macedonia, they brought an offering for Paul (2 Cor. 11: 9; Phil. 4: 14– 15). So Paul was able to give himself “exclusively to preaching” (cf. Acts 6: 4). That is, the Spirit put unusual pressure on him to preach the Word. Jeremiah had a similar experience when he felt the Word of God “like a fire shut up in [his] bones” (Jer. 20: 9). (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6857)
[Paul] declared that their “blood be on [their] own heads,” that is, that they would be responsible for the judgment God would send on them. He had warned them, and he was clear of his responsibility. They would understand, of course, that he was referring to the responsibility God put on Ezekiel to warn the people (Ezek. 3: 16– 21). Paul had done his part with respect to warning the Jews. From now on (in Corinth) he would “go to the Gentiles.” (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6875)
In the summer of A.D. 51 a new proconsul, named Gallio, was appointed by the Roman Senate to govern the province of Achaia (Greece). The unbelieving Jews apparently thought they could take advantage of his lack of knowledge of the situation. So they “made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court,” or before the governor’s judgment seat (tribunal). Archaeologists have discovered this seat (Gk. bēma, “throne”), built of blue and white marble. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6905)
The whole incident must have had a deep effect on Sosthenes. After this Paul remained in Corinth “for some time” (v. 18). Finally Sosthenes must have yielded to the truth of the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 1: 1 “our brother Sosthenes” joins Paul in greeting the Corinthians. Though we cannot prove it with certainty, this must be the same Sosthenes. It would be unlikely that there would be another prominent Sosthenes who was well known to the Corinthian church. Truly the grace of God is marvelous: The leader of the opposition, a man who must himself have blasphemed Paul and the gospel, became a brother in the Lord. With this victory before Gallio and the conversion of Sosthenes, there must have been more freedom than ever for the Christians to witness for Christ in Corinth. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 6932)
Because of the finding of an inscription at Delphi bearing a reference to the proconsulship of Gallio in a certain year of the emperor’s reign, it is possible to date this period in Paul’s life with considerable certainty. Gallio began at Corinth in the summer of either A.D. 51 or 52, likely the former. Paul had already been there for more than a year. It was from Corinth that he wrote his first and second letters to the Thessalonians. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 206)
Corinth was the meeting place of many cultures and languages. It had a considerable Jewish community. It was the capital of Achaia. It was the home of t he famous Isthmian games. But its chief notoriety in Paul’s day seems to have been its reputation throughout the world as a center of licentious immorality. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 207)
Acrocorinth, the fortress hill which dominated the city, had a temple to Aphrodite and 1,000 priestesses dedicated to prostitution. Corinth was identified with sexual vice to the degree that its name had passed into the language: to Corinthianize meant to corrupt morally; to “act the Corinthian” meant to practice fornication . (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 207)
At the beginning of his stay Paul was blessed with the good fellowship and the congenial home of a couple recently come from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla . It was the beginning of a cherished friendship. Paul would describe them later as “my helpers in Christ Jesus: who have for my life laid down their own necks” (Rom. 16:3-4). (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 207)
The ministry in the synagogue came to an abrupt close. The Jews set themselves up to do battle (literal meaning) against Paul and even blasphemed the name of Jesus. Paul withdrew with great emotion. In a symbolic act he shook out his garments as a testimony that he had done his best to help them. The act was similar to shaking the dust off one’s feet on leaving an inhospitable city as Jesus had instructed His disciples to do (Luke 9:5). Paul declared his freedom from fault or guilt because of their rejection of Jesus. He could do no more. He would go to the Gentiles. It was the turning point at Corinth. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 209)
Although comparatively few Jews were converted, no less a person than the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, with his entire family, was converted. Many of the Corinthians, that is, the pagan residents of the city, believed and were baptized. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 209)
The Lord’s admonition not to fear and not to cease preaching coupled with the promise that no one would hurt him, indicates that there were plots and threats from outside the church which caused Paul to fear for his life. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 210)
Gallio was a brother of the Roman philosopher Seneca, himself very influential at Rome. Gallio is known in secular history as a very intelligent, charming, and generous person. A tourist today at the excavated site of the agora in ancient Corinth can see the very spot where on a dais Gallio sat in judgment with Paul before him . (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 210)
The charge was that Paul was propagating a religion which was not authorized by the Roman law. The Jewish religion was so authorized and could therefore be freely practiced. Paul’s worship of God, the Jews charged, was so contrary to their own way of worship that it constituted an illegal religion. It was the attempt to raise a sensitive and vital point of law in a superior court such as Gallio’s. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 211)
So the opposition was stilled and the stage set for steady growth of the Church. Paul had won through in spite of great pressures. The Lord’s promise had been verified . (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 212)
The cities of Athens and Corinth, though only 50 miles apart, were quite different. Athens was noted for its culture and learning, Corinth for its commerce and profligacy. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 404)
As one would expect from a city supported by commerce and travelers, Corinth was marked by profligate and licentious living. It was a center for the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who promoted immorality in the name of religion. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 405)
Suetonius (A.D.69?-140), a biographer of Roman emperors, described what may have been the occasion for such a decree.In his Life of Claudius (25.4) he referred to the constant riots of the Jews at the instigation of Chrestus. Acts 18:2-6 Possibly the name Chrestus is a reference to Christ (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 405)
18:3. Their mutual trade was tentmaking. The term used here is skinopoioi, which some say includes working in leather. Perhaps leather was used in the tents as was goat’s hair, for which Paul’s home province of Cilicia was well known. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 405)
18:5. With the arrival of Silas and Timothy …from Macedonia (cf. 17:14-15), Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching. The verb translated “devoted …exclusively” is syneicheto (from synecho) which here in the passive means “to be constrained;” Several factors about Silas and Timothy’s arrival encouraged Paul: (1) The pair evidently brought financial aid from Macedonia (cf. 2 Cor. 11:9; Phil 4:15). Because of this monetary gift it was no longer necessary for Paul to pursue a trade and he could give himself totally to the work of the gospel. (2) The good news about the steadfastness of the Thessalonian church refreshed Paul (cf.1 Thes. 3:6-8).(3) Their companionship would have been an encouragement to the apostle. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 405)
When Paul said, Your blood be on your own heads, he was referring to their destruction and their own responsibility for it (cf. Ezek. 33:1-6). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 406)
18:12. Verses 12-17 form a critical point in Luke’s apologetic. It is important first because of who Gallio was, a Roman proconsul, governor of Achaia. Any judgment pronounced by him would establish legal precedent. Furthermore, Gallio was a brother of Seneca (4 a.c.?-A.D. 65), a philosopher of great influence in Rome. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 407)
Rome did not permit the propagation of new religions. Judaism was an accepted and established belief. These Jews were saying in effect that Christianity was a new and different cult, distinct from Judaism. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 407)
Gallio saw it differently. To him Christianity came under the aegis of Judaism and therefore was not a matter to be settled in a civil court.This decision was crucial for it was tantamount to legitimatizing Christianity in the eyes of Roman law. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 407)
As for Paul, he calls Priscilla and Aquila his “fellow workers in Christ Jesus,” speaks of their having “risked their lives for me” (probably at Ephesus, cf. 19:23-41), and says of them, “Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them” (Rom 16:3-4)-all of which suggests that he considered them close and loyal friends and that their services to the Christian cause far exceeded their assistance to him. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 481)
Corinth was the center for the worship of the goddess Aphrodite, whose temple with its thousand sacred prostitutes crowned the Acrocorinth. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 480)
Since Priscilla is often listed before her husband (18.18-19, 26; Rom 16:3; 2 Tim 4:19), we may conclude that she came from a higher social class than her husband or was in some way considered more important. Perhaps Aquila was a former Jewish slave who became a freedman in Rome and married a Jewess connected with the Roman family Prisca (gens Prisca ), which possessed citizenship rights. Together, perhaps through Aquila’s craftsmanship and Priscilla’s money and contacts, they owned a tentmaking and leather-working firm, with branches of the business at Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus (cf. 18:2, 18-19, 26; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 481)
Aquila and Priscilla had been forced to leave Rome because of the Edict of Claudius, an expulsion order proclaimed during the ninth year of Emperor Claudius’s reign (i.e., 25 January A.D. 49 to 24 January 50) and directed against the Jews in Rome to put down the riots arising within the Jewish community there (cf. Suetonius Vita Claudius 25.4: “As the Jews were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus, he banished them from Rome”). The “Chrestus” Suetonius speaks of may have been an otherwise unknown agitator who was active in Jewish circles within Rome in the forties (the Gr. Chrestos means “useful” or “kindly” and was a common name for slaves in the Greco-Roman world). Probably, however, Suetonius, writing seventy years after the event, had no clear understanding of who this Chrestus really was and assumed him to be a local troublemaker, whereas the dispute in the Jewish community was over Jesus Christ and between those who favored his messiahship and those who rejected it. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 481)
The money from Philippi was especially welcome at this time. Therefore with his spirits lifted by the report of his Thessalonian converts’ spiritual well-being and the gift from Philippi providing him freedom from earning a living, “Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching” (syneicheto to logo ho Paulos; lit., “Paul held himself to the word”). The verb syneicheto is reflexive (middle voice), durative (imperfect tense), and inchoative (a function of the imperfect), suggesting that with the coming of Silas and Timothy, Paul began to devote himself exclusively to the ministry of the word and continued to do so throughout his stay in Corinth. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 482)
6-7 The ministry at Corinth followed the pattern set at Pisidian Antioch (cf. I3:46-52) of initial proclamation in the synagogue, rejection by the majority of Jews, and then a direct outreach to Gentiles. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 482)
Gallio was the son of Marcus Annaeus Seneca, the distinguished Spanish rhetorician (50 B.C.-A.D. 40), and a younger brother of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Stoic philosopher, politician, and dramatist ( 4 B.C.-A.D. 65). He was born in Cordova at the beginning of the Christian Era and named Marcus Annaeus Novatus. On coming to Rome with his father during the reign of Claudius (A.D. 41-54), he was adopted by the Roman rhetorician Lucius Junius Gallio, and thereafter bore the name of his adoptive father (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 485)
17 Taking their cue from the snub Gallio gave the leaders of the Jewish community, the crowd at the forum (to bema)-in an outbreak of the anti-Semitism always near the surface in the Greco-Roman world-took Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler, and beat him in the marketplace before the forum. Gallio, however, turned a blind eye to what was going on, evidently because he wanted to teach those who would waste his time with such trivialities a lesson (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 486)
[Paul] met a married couple, recently come to Corinth from Italy, with whom he quickly formed a firm and lifelong friendship. These were Aquila and Priscilla, “tentmakers”—or perhaps, more generally, leatherworkers—by trade. It was this that first apparently brought Paul into contact with them, for he himself had been apprenticed to the same trade. This trade was closely connected with the principal product of Paul’s native province, a cloth of goats’ hair called cilicium, used for cloaks, curtains, and other fabrics designed to give protection against wet. In Judaism it was not considered proper for a scribe or rabbi to receive payment for his teaching, so many of them practised a trade in addition to their study and teaching of the law. Paul, as a matter of policy, earned his living in this way during his missionary career (cf. 20:34; 1 Cor. 9:3–18; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 367)
Aquila and Priscilla, we are told, had come to Corinth because the Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. This was not the only occasion on which the authorities at Rome saw fit to clean up the city by expelling undesirable groups of oriental incomers. Claudius’s edict is usually connected with a statement by Suetonius, that he banished the Jews from Rome because they were “indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus.”9 This Chrestus may have been an otherwise unknown troublemaker who was active in Jewish circles in Rome about the middle of the first century, but in that case Suetonius would probably have called him “a certain Chrestus.”10 Most probably he had the Founder of Christianity in mind but, writing some seventy years after these events, he mistakenly supposed that “Chrestus,” who was mentioned in one of his sources of information as the leader of one of the parties involved, was actually in Rome at the time, taking a prominent part in the contention.11 Suetonius’s statement, in fact, points to dissension and disorder within the Jewish community of Rome resulting from the introduction of Christianity into one or more of the synagogues of the city. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 367)
In 1 Cor. 1:14 Paul mentions another Corinthian convert who was baptized by him personally, Crispus by name. Luke shows us who this Crispus was—no less than the ruler of the synagogue. He and his family evidently followed Paul on his departure from the synagogue, and joined the new Christian community in Corinth. Many other Corinthians came to hear the good news, and believing it they were baptized and swelled the new community. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 369)
17 As they went away, an incident occurred which reveals how prone the populace of these Gentile cities was to anti-Jewish demonstrations. Taking advantage of the rebuff which the proconsul had dealt to the Jewish leaders, the crowd of bystanders seized one of those leaders, Sosthenes (possibly the successor to Crispus as ruler of the synagogue), and beat him up in the very presence of the proconsul, who had not yet left the tribunal. But Gallio turned a blind eye to this brutal ventilation of anti-Jewish sentiment. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 372)
A man was shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him. “Shovel your snow, Mister?” one of them asked. “Only two dollars!” Puzzled, the man replied, “Can’t you see that I’m doing it myself?” “Sure,” said the enterprising lad; “that’s why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting!” Dr. V. Raymond Edman used to say to the students at Wheaton (Illinois) College, “It’s always too soon to quit!” And Charles Spurgeon reminded his London congregation, “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
One way Paul separated himself from the “religious hucksters” was by supporting himself as a tentmaker. By the providence of God, he met a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla (“Prisca,” 2 Tim. 4:19), who were workers in leather as was Paul. Jewish rabbis did not accept money from their students but earned their way by practicing a trade. All Jewish boys were expected to learn a trade, no matter what profession they might enter. “He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to steal!” said the rabbis, so Saul of Tarsus learned to make leather tents and to support himself in his ministry (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor. 9:6–15; 2 Cor. 11:6–10). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
Aquila and Priscilla were an important part of Paul’s “team,” and he thanked God for them. They are a good example of how “lay ministers” can help to further the work of the Lord. Every pastor and missionary thanks God for people like Aquila and Priscilla, people with hands, hearts, and homes dedicated to the work of the Lord. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia (Acts 17:14–15; 18:5), they brought financial aid (2 Cor. 11:9), and this enabled Paul to devote his full time to the preaching of the gospel. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “God evidently does not intend us all to be rich or powerful or great, but He does intend us all to be friends.” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 379)
the enemy gets angry when we invade his territory and liberate his slaves (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
opposition is usually proof that God is at work, and this ought to encourage us. Spurgeon used to say that the devil never kicks a dead horse! (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
Two interesting Old Testament images are found in Acts 18:6. To shake out one’s garments was an act of judgment that said, “You have had your opportunity, but now it’s over!” Today we might say that we were washing our hands of a situation. (See Neh. 5:13; and compare Acts 13:51 and Matt. 10:14.) While Paul never ceased witnessing to the Jews, his primary calling was to evangelize the Gentiles (Acts 13:46–48; 28:28). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
To have blood on your hands means that you bear the responsibility for another’s death because you were not faithful to warn him. The image comes from the watchman on the city walls whose task it was to stay alert and warn of coming danger (see Ezek. 3:17–21; 33:1–9). But to have blood on your head means that you are to blame for your own judgment. You had the opportunity to be saved, but you turned it down (see Josh. 2:19). Paul’s hands were clean (Acts 20:26) because he had been faithful to declare the message of the gospel. The Jews had their own blood on their own heads because they rejected God’s truth. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
When you examine Paul’s ministry in Corinth, you will see that he was fulfilling the Lord’s commission given in Matthew 28:19–20. Paul came to Corinth (“Go”), he won sinners to Christ (“make disciples”), he baptized, and he taught them (note Acts 18:11). He even experienced the assurance of the Lord’s “Lo, I am with thee always” (Acts 18:9–10). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 380)
When he was a young man, the famous British preacher G. Campbell Morgan used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women. One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28, Morgan said to the ladies, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise!” and one of them replied, “Young man, that is not a promise—it is a fact!” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 381)
Dr. Luke shared only one example of divine protection during Paul’s ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:12–17), but it is a significant one. The arrival of a new proconsul gave the unbelieving Jews hope that Rome might declare this new “Christian sect” illegal. They broke the law by attacking Paul and forcing him to go to court. This was not the first time that fanatical Jews had tried to prove that Paul was breaking the Roman law (Acts 16:19–24; 17:6–7). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 381)
How strange and wonderful are the providences of God! The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, but Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 381)
The account of Paul’s time in Corinth is not only a record of how the Spirit ministered through him, but also a stirring description of how He ministered to him. The passage is an excellent basis for an in-depth study of the causes and cures of discouragement. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 260)
The negative attitudes of people, the sin and suffering around us, and the sheer exhaustion of working hard for the Lord are elements of a kind of Elijah complex we all experience at times. It is the “I,-even-I-only,-am-left-among-the-faithful” kind of syndrome. But the same Lord who got Elijah back on his feet was also working in His diminished apostle. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 261)
The appearance of the Lord in a vision tells us further about the Apostle’s condition. What the Lord said indicates what the weary missionary was going through. He was afraid, tempted not to speak in the light of the conflict, in need of a fresh encounter with Christ, and he longed for the assurance that the church would survive in Corinth. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 261)
He had been beaten, imprisoned, chased out of cities, and persistently pursued by the Judaizers. There’s only one cure for that kind of fear—love. Paul had a deep need for a revival of the love relationship of acceptance and assurance that the Lord had given him each step of the way. Only love can exorcise fear. Fear is always the absence of knowing we are loved. The Apostle needed to know that he was loved for who he was and not for what he was doing. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 262)
Notice that the Lord didn’t promise freedom from further attack. What He did promise was that no one could hurt him. What did the Lord mean? Paul had further physical harm done him throughout the rest of his ministry. But it could not hurt him. He was safe for eternity. The difficulties would not mar that inner security between Paul and his Lord. The point is that for a time the Apostle had had enough, and the Lord stepped in to assure him that he would not have to face more than he could bear. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 262)
Paul was not alone. The Lord had surrounded him with a strong force of faithful people. There were Silas, Timothy, and Luke. To meet the special time of need, these three were joined by Aquila and Priscilla. Then there was Justus, who had taken his stand for Christ at the cost of losing his position of prestige. And added to all these were the new converts to Christ who would not let Him down by forsaking His Apostle. The Lord was gathering His people in support of His chosen and appointed vessel. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 263)
Little did Gallio know that his appointment by Rome to serve in Corinth was to be used by the Lord to save His Apostle. Gallio was proconsul of Achaia for about a year from a.d. 51-52 according to an inscription from Delphi. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 263)
The Greeks had a verb, “to play the Corinthian,” which meant to live a life of lustful debauchery. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 134)
This was the city in which Paul lived and worked and had some of his greatest triumphs. When he was writing to the Corinthians he made a list of all kinds of wickedness. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived ; neither the immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.” And then comes the triumphant phrase, “and such were some of you” ( 1 Corinthians 6 : 9-11). The very iniquity of Corinth was the opportunity of Christ. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 134)
Tarsus was in Cilicia; in that province there were herds of a certain kind of goat with a special kind of fleece. Out of that fleece a cloth called cilicium was made which was much used for making tents and curtains and hangings. Doubtless Paul worked at that trade, although the Greek word used means more than a tent-maker; it means a leather-worker and Paul must have been a skilled craftsman. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 136)
Athens and Corinth were twin centers of evil in the first-century world. Athens was the intellectual capital of the Roman Empire. Corinth was the center of immorality and sensuality of the Roman Empire. These two cities symbolized the forces that still seek to enslave the hearts of people: intellectual pride and sensual lust. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 235)
At the time Paul visited there, Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Greece, which they called Achaia. It was a center of commerce and trade, located on a narrow neck of land between the Adriatic and Aegean Seas. Corinth was a beautiful city in a magnificent natural setting. Some of the Corinthian temples of Paul’s day are still standing. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 235)
Corinth was a center for worship of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty (the Romans called her Venus). The great temple of Aphrodite stood on the Acrocorinth, the rocky hill overlooking the city. Every evening, a thousand prostitute—priestesses of the temple would come down into the streets to ply their sensual trade. Thus Corinth was known as the hub of sensual indulgence for the Roman world. Corinthians were usually portrayed in Greek drama as morally depraved drunkards. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 235)
Again, Paul follows the familiar pattern by beginning his ministry in the ll synagogue. He made his living by working as a tentmaker, and while he was working at his trade, probably in the Corinthian marketplace, Paul encountered a fellow Jew who was also a tentmaker. This man was Aquila. Along with his wife, Priscilla, he had just been forced out of Rome by an anti—Jewish decree of Claudius. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 236)
Since Paul plied the same trade as Aquila and his wife, the three of them worked together, and it wasn’t long before Paul led Aquila and Priscilla to Christ. They became faithful ministry partners of the apostle Paul and are frequently mentioned in the pages of Scripture. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 236)
In the original Greek text, the Lord literally says to Paul, “Stop being afraid, but keep right on speaking.” This reveals that Paul was indeed afraid, and that’s understandable. A pattern was developing—a pattern that always seemed to end in violent opposition. Paul would start by preaching to the Jews in the synagogue. When they rejected his message, he would turn to the Gentiles and see many conversions. This aroused jealousy and hostility among the Jewish religious leaders, and soon he was either arrested or beaten or ousted from the city. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 237)
We tend to think of Paul as practically fearless, but Paul experienced fear just as we do. In a letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Paul greatly feared what he would have to suffer in Corinth. Why? Because the strongholds of evil in that city were violently opposed to him. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 238)
This was an important precedent—setting decision. Gallio had ruled, in effect, that Christianity was, in the eyes of the Romans, a sect of Judaism. And Judaism was an officially recognized religion within the empire. This meant that Paul was free to preach the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and was not in violation of Roman law. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 240)
Now notice what happens to Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue. The previous ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, had evidently resigned his position when he became a Christian (Acts 18:8). Sosthenes, the successor of Crispus, had tried to have Paul punished under Roman law, but he had bungled the matter so badly that the Jewish religious leaders became enraged. They seized Sosthenes and beat him in the courtroom, right in front of Gallio, the Roman judge. Gallio was unmoved even by this display of disorder in the court. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 240)
As I read this chapter, I find myself wondering about Paul’s frame of mind as he arrived in this very contemporary city. I ask whether Paul, strong man of God that he was, was discouraged. I tend to think he was. Not a great deal is said about it. But I think, as I look at what had happened in the days leading up to his arrival and also at the way he conducted himself when he got to Corinth, that he was probably very discouraged. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 304)
Paul had had a rough time on both the first and second missionary jOUr. neys. He had been opposed virtually everywhere he went, and Instead of decreasing, the opposition actually seemed to be increasing. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 304)
I am sure Paul did not say this, but if you and I had been through those experiences, we might have said, “Who needs this? I had a perfectly good life in Jerusalem. There I was somebody. I set out to serve Jesus Christ. He said, ‘Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Yet here I am abused, hounded from city to city, stoned, beaten, and imprisoned. I can do without this.” As I say, I am sure Paul did not say that; I am sure he did not even think it. But knowing human nature as I do, I think the abuse had an effect upon him personally. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 304)
Do you ever find yourself trying to be a witness in your office, live morally when faced with temptation, or whatever you think God wants you to do and have so much trouble that you begin to think, Is God really with me? Is it worth it? Should I just give up? If so, you need to hear what God said to Paul. God said, “I am with you” after he had first Said, “Do not be afraid” and “Keep on speaking.” (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 308)