“After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:1-3).
We have already noted that in Athens, the Greek philosophic center, only “some believed” the Word of God. We have also noted that Scripture does not mention an assembly formed in this intellectually proud city.
The Lord’s servant, Paul, left it and came to Corinth, the commercial center of Greece — a prosperous but morally depraved city; “but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20). We are going to see what the Lord did in Corinth through Paul.
He found a pair of Jews who had been thrown out of Rome by the emperor, Claudius Caesar (who reigned from A.D. 54-65). They were tentmakers, just like him. It was their joy to give Paul lodging, receiving in exchange from him the great blessings of the gospel of the grace of God which he told them about.
There is something important to note here: when possible, it is advisable for the servant of Christ to work in some way in order to gain his own food, instead of depending on the resources of the church, or others. It is true that the Lord said: “the workman is worthy of his meat,” and that Paul himself later wrote to those same Corinthians: “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). But we should also keep in mind that this “power in the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:18) was granted to the apostles or other servants sent by the Lord, who worked without ceasing, walking from one city to another with the blessed (but solemn) message of God. They lived uncomfortably: with “neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat” (see Matthew 10:9-10). But, these days, it is not right to quote the aforementioned Scriptures in order to try and justify someone who preaches a sermon or two every week — always in the same place, to the same group of people who have already heard the gospel — and lives with a fat salary, working very little in the Lord’s vineyard.
Paul, although he had the power in the gospel to not work to obtain his daily bread, did not want to receive help when it was possible to make tents, so that he could be a good example to all the believers. This attitude gave him a lot of moral weight. He wrote to those recently converted in Christ from Thessalonica: “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God ... study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing ... For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (1 Thess. 2:9; 4:11-12; 2 Thess. 3:7-10).
On the other hand, these days, in many countries, strangers are prohibited from working for monetary gain — the reason being that there is not enough work for those who live there. Then, the Lord’s servants must rely on help received from outside of the country, or depend on the Lord to provide from inside it. In either case, “The Lord will provide.”
To summarize, believers and unbelievers recognize that one who works conscientiously and diligently is a faithful worker of the Lord.
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles” (Acts 18:4-6).
Paul made use of the Sabbath day — when the Jews would usually meet in the synagogue for the reading of portions of the Old Testament — to speak to them of Christ, their Messiah. Some Greeks also attended because they knew that the true God was not a Greek idol made of wood, plaster, or metal. When Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul — strengthened in the spirit — testified positively to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. They — as always — opposed him and blasphemed. Paul left them saying: “from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”
“And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue” (v. 7). Evidently, Justus was one of the Gentiles who feared God. Paul was a guest at his house, and may have lived with him rather than with Aquila and Priscilla. Since the house was joined to the synagogue, there was a great opportunity to speak to any individual among the Jews who had an exercise of heart about the truth.
There is a principle to observe in this verse: it is advisable for Christian believers to live near the place where they meet, not far from it, to make attending meetings (whether regular or special) easier. It is known that some brothers in Christ who have moved to isolated places (possibly with the motive of making more money or being near their relatives) have gotten spiritually sick, just as the ember which is moved away from the rest of the fire grows cold.
“And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).
Despite the Jew’s unbelieving attitude, God’s grace triumphed, manifesting itself in the conversion of the chief ruler of the synagogue, Crispus, who Paul baptized (1 Cor. 1:14). It triumphed more and more in the conversion of many of the depraved Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:9-11). How kind of the Lord to strengthen His servant’s heart, amid the prevailing idolatry and moral corruption in Corinth, appearing to him in a vision and saying: “I am with thee ... I have much people in this city.” “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
“And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law” (Acts 18:12-13).
The Lord had already strengthened His servant Paul against this attack from the relentless Jews, speaking to him “in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee” (Acts 18:9-10). So — when they accused Paul before the Roman authority — the Lord had already predisposed Gallio’s heart (Compare Prov. 21:1) in the following manner: “And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment seat” (Acts 18:14-16).
The Lord — in whose hands are everything — was not going to permit Satan to obstruct His work in Corinth: since He had “much people” in it.
“Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things” (Acts 18:17).
“Crispus,” the ruler who had previously presided over the synagogue, had converted (v. 8), and — obviously — was thrown out by the unbelieving Jews. “Sosthenes,” who took his place, headed up (apparently) the attack against Paul, and he paid highly for his hatred! However, this beating was used for good because Sosthenes himself became a believer! We know that because, when Paul later wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians, he associated him with himself as “Sosthenes our brother” (1 Cor. 1:1). We are not told how Sosthenes was saved, but we can imagine that Paul may have drawn close to Sosthenes after his beating by the Greeks and spoken to his heart of how his Messiah “was wounded” for his “transgressions” and “bruised” for his “iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).
“And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow” (Acts 18:18).
In Corinth, Paul “continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (v. 11). Bidding them farewell, he accompanied “Priscilla and Aquila,” his well-loved fellow-servants. There is another incident to note here: Paul — although he was the apostle of the Lord sent to the Gentiles — still had Jewish religious habits, since he shaved his head, because of a vow he had made. This had nothing to do with the Christian doctrine and practice, but rather was a relic of Judaism, which Paul had not stripped himself of. But he later did completely reject everything that was solely from Judaism. It is believed that he was the one who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews, which demonstrates very clearly the marked contrasts between “the old things” which “pass away” and the “heavenly things” of Christianity.
It is advisable, then, that the believers who are well established in the truth not impose their “rule” on those who have just converted, considering that, for many years, even the Apostle to the Gentiles could not let go of the religious customs he had practiced since childhood. How much patience the Lord Jesus exercises with every one of us!
“And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus” (Acts 18:19-21).
Approximately two years before, there was not an open door for the gospel in Ephesus (Asia, see Acts 16:6). But Paul — arriving at Ephesus for the first time — found the door open. However, he did not make use of it, staying with the Jews for only a short time — despite their pleas — leaving then for Jerusalem (still very Jewish) to finish some rite or celebrate some religious festival. Once again: How much patience the Lord Jesus exercises with every one of us!
“And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples” (Acts 18:22-23).
It is no wonder that the Spirit has not given us any details about his short visit in Jerusalem (to which the Lord had commanded him not to return, see Acts 22:18-21), except that he greeted the church (the only thing precious to the Lord’s heart in the religious city). Then he returned to his own assembly of Antioch, where he stayed with the brethren for some time. Afterwards, he began another journey, returning to see the disciples in the province of Galatia and Phrygia, this time not primarily to preach the gospel, but rather to confirm all the disciples in the faith, who (at least those in Galatia) received him “as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus” (Gal. 4:13-14), but later feared those “of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:12). We also note that Paul walked in order, visiting all the churches, not just those that gave him the most satisfaction or the least grief. He was not just an evangelist, but also a faithful pastor and an able and diligent teacher.
“And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:24-25).
Paul, having left Ephesus (where he had an open door) with the purpose of celebrating a religious festival in Jerusalem, was replaced by Apollos (who the Lord had prepared beforehand without Paul knowing it), a believer from Alexandria. He was an Egyptian who had many virtues and was very faithful to the Lord according to the light which he had received — although he did not know the whole truth, since he was only teaching the baptism of John. But he that walks in the light will receive more light: “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light” (Luke 11:34).
“And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26).
We see here how, in God’s diverse wisdom and providence, not only did Apollos arrive at Ephesus, but Priscilla and Aquila had already arrived, well instructed by Paul in the essential Christian truths — truths that Apollos still did not know. Then Priscilla and Aquilla, realizing Apollos’ ignorance, took him aside and expounded to him the way of God (the Christian doctrine) more clearly. That gifted man humbly accepted the instruction that he needed so much from the mouths of two tentmakers:
“And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:27-28).
Apollos was not like many who live these days: independent workers, who pay no attention to the exhortation: “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:21); or the other extremely important one: “be clothed with humility” (1 Pet. 5:5). So, when he was ready to go to Achaia, he brought a letter of recommendation with him — signed by two or three faithful brothers in Ephesus who already knew him well and could give a good testimony about him and his work. Arriving at Achaia, he greatly helped those who had already heard and believed the gospel preached by Paul. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6).
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Heb. 4:12). With that same sword Apollo, “mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”