Temple to Apollo, Temple of Domitian,

Corinth Ephesus

Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 18
Paul travels to Corinth, to Ephesus and on to Antioch.
Pricilla, Aquila and Apollos join the Christian mission.
1
In Chapter 17..

u Paul and Silas visited Thessalonica and preached three

Sabbaths in the synagogue. Many Jews and Greeks became
believers.
u Those who did not believe formed a mob and “set the city in
turmoil.”
u They marched into Jason’s house looking for Paul and Silas.
Not finding them there they take Jason to the magistrate
and make charges against Paul, Silas and Jason.
u Their followers send Paul and Silas to Beroea, and the Jews
2

in Beroea were more open minded.

Chapter 17…

u The rioters and accusers from Thessalonica hear that they

are in Beroea, and again Paul and Silas are in danger.
u Paul is sent on to Athens, while Silas and Timothy remain
behind in Beroea for a time.
u In Athens, Paul discusses the Christian message to pagan
philosophers. He tries to reach them by referring to their
“unknown god” as the God and creator of all that exists.
u Teaching about the resurrection was a stumbling block for
many, but a few notable Greeks did come to believe.
3
 In Ch 18 Paul
visits
Corinth,
Cenchraea,
Ephesus, and
then returns
to Antioch.
In 18:23, the
third
missionary
journey
Acts 15:36-18:22 4
begins.
~51-54 AD
 ~54-58 AD

Acts 18:23 –
21:14.
Three years spent
in Ephesus, four
years total.
2525+ miles long.
1190 by sea and
1325 by land.

5
Acts 18:1-5 Temple of Apollo
in Corinth
Paul in Corinth

u 1 After this he 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 the Jews to leave Rome. He went
to visit them 3 and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by
trade. 4 Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the
synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.
u 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul
began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. 6
Paul travels to Corinth
u Corinth was a city in Greece on an isthmus about 44 miles from
Athens. In the first century it was located between two major
ports.
u It was a vibrant city for trade as early as 687 BC. However, it
was damaged greatly during the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC.
u In 44 BC it was restored as a Roman colony. In 27 BC it became
the capital city in the province of Achaia and the seat of the
proconsul.
u By the time the apostle Paul arrives, Corinth had the largest
population in Greece with Greeks, Jews and Romans. 7
The Challenges for the Christian message in
Corinth.
u Many Corinthians worshiped Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love,
beauty, pleasure and procreation. And the temple of Aphrodite was
so rich that it owned more than a thousand temple slaves and
courtesans. The temple of Aphrodite was the center of a culture of
promiscuity.
u The cult of Isis, originally from Egypt, was also prevalent in Corinth,
and placed an emphasis on "wisdom".
u The cult of Mithras, the god of the sun, began sometime during the
first century.
u A temple to Apollo was also present in Corinth.
u Roman / Greek society permitted prostitution, and the legal process
8
of taking disputes to the city magistrate was customary.
 Pricilla and Aquila

u Pricilla and Aquila became a missionary couple with Paul.

Apparently Paul lodged with them for a while in Corinth and
they engaged in their shared trade of tentmaking.
u The couple was displaced when Jews and Christians were
asked to leave Rome, probably because of tension between
the two groups. Apparently, while in Rome they had already
accepted Jesus as Messiah. When Paul left Corinth they
accompanied him as far as Ephesus. They were there to
instruct and correct Apollos as noted in Acts 18:26.
u Acts 18:18 Paul remained for quite some time, and after
saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together
9

with Priscilla and Aquila.

 Aquila and
Pricilla had a
Aquila and Pricilla (Prisca) “house Church”
in Paul’s Letters in their home!

u 1 Corinthians 16:19-20 19 The churches of Asia send you

greetings. Aquila and Prisca together with the church at
their house send you many greetings in the Lord. 20 All the
brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
u Romans 16:3-5 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in
Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom
not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the
Gentiles; 5 greet also the church at their house.
This may have been assistance or defense of Paul at the
10
riot of the silversmiths or during an imprisonment
…..because he practiced the same trade, stayed with
them and worked, for they were tentmakers by
trade.
u Paul and work ethic- 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10
u 7 For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in
a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received
free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night
and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9 Not
that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present
ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate
us. 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you
that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that
one eat.
11
 With help of Silas and Timothy Paul
could preach more and sew less…

u 4 Everysabbath, he entered into discussions in the

synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and
Greeks.
u 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from
Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally
with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews
that the Messiah was Jesus.

12
 This is a sign of
protest or
Acts 18:6-8 Titus Justus and Crispus claiming
and the reluctant Jews innocence after
one is insulted.
u 6 When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out
his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your Your demise
heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go or your fate
is your
to the Gentiles.” 7 So he left there and went to a house
responsibility
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of alone. I am
God; his house was next to a synagogue. 8 Crispus, the not to
synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with blame.
his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who
heard believed and were baptized.
13
 Titus Justus and Crispus

u Titus Justus is not mentioned elsewhere in the NT. He is described

as a person who is sympathetic to Judaism. He has a Roman name
and is a Gentile, however. He lives next to the synagogue so it was
not far to go “to the Gentiles” as he threatened to do.
u Crispus is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:14 “ I give thanks [to God]
that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no
one can say you were baptized in my name.”
u Crispus and his entire household are baptized. As a leader of the
synagogue, he would be quite influential in the Jewish community
in Corinth. By believing, Crispus joins many others who have put
14

their faith in the LORD.

Acts 18:9-11 A vision

u 9 One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do

not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be
silent, 10 for I am with you. No one will attack and
harm you, for I have many people in this
city.” 11 He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.

15
 The Lord’s words to Paul are like
those to other prophets.

u Exodus 3:11-12 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I

should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of
Egypt?” 12 God answered: I will be with you; and this will
be your sign that I have sent you. When you have brought
the people out of Egypt, you will serve God at this
mountain.
The Lord to Joshua:
u Josh 3:9 9 I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not
fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you
wherever you go.
16
 According
Acts 18:12-17 Accusations Before Gallio. to an
u 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose inscription
up together against Paul and brought him to the in Delphi,
tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is inducing people to worship this was
around
God contrary to the law.”[f] 14 When Paul was about to reply, 51-52 AD
Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime
or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint
of you Jews; 15 but since it is a question of arguments over
Sosthenes
doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I
may have
do not wish to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he been a
drove them away from the tribunal. 17 They all seized Christian
Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full believer or
view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to
17
sympathizer
Gallio.
 Gallio allowed the beating of
Sosthenes. Perhaps the Jews
Gallio and Sosthenes hoped that would get him
involved.

u Gallio was a brother of the stoic philosopher Seneca. He was

adopted in Rome by Lucius Iunius Gallio. Corinth is the capital of
the Roman province of Achaia. He dismisses the case against Paul
as a matter of Jewish Law or religion and not a civil crime.
u Sosthenes may have been a Christian sympathizer and Jews
vented on him when they were not heard. He is mentioned in
1 Corintians1:1-2 as a co-writer of that letter:
u “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and
Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, their Lord and ours. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 18
The Second Missionary Journey ends in A Year and
a half in
Antioch where it started. Acts 18:18-22 Corinth

u 18 Paul remained for quite some time, and after saying

farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together with
Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair On the next
cut because he had taken a vow.19 When they reached voyage he
Ephesus, he left them there, while he entered the spends 3 years
synagogue and held discussions with the Jews. 20 Although in Ephesus
they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not
consent, 21 but as he said farewell he promised, “I shall
come back to you again, God willing.” Then he set sail from
Ephesus. 22 Upon landing at Caesarea, he went up and
greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. 19
At Cenchreae he had his hair
cut because he had taken a vow?

u Luke doesn't mention what kind of vow, but it is assumed to be a

Nazarite vow because that is the only vow that involves the shaving
of the head. Traditionally the head is shaved at the start of the vow
and then again at the end of vow. The hair that grew during the vow
was then offered as a peace offering to God.
u The vow was taken to dedicate oneself to God for a period of time.
During that time, they had to abstain entirely from wine or drinking
anything with alcohol in it. A Nazarite had to abstain from eating any
grapes or any product made from them like juice, raisins and so on.
u Both men and women could make such a vow.
20
The beginning of the Third Missionary
Journey Acts 18:23
u 23 Afterstaying there
some time, he left and
traveled in orderly
sequence through the
Galatian country and
Phrygia, bringing
strength to all the
disciples.

21
Apollos
Acts 18:24-28
u 24 AJew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent
speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the
scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,
with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,
although he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak
boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,
they took him aside and explained to him the Way [of God] more
accurately. 27 And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the
brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to
welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those
who had come to believe through grace. 28 He vigorously refuted
the Jews in public, establishing from the scriptures that the
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Messiah is Jesus.
Apollos

u Apollos was a diaspora Jew with the name of the Greek God Apollo!
He is from Alexandria, a city in Northern Africa on the western edge
of the Nile delta and the Mediterranean Sea. While educated, he
seems to have been instructed in an immature form of Christianity,
possibly by one of John’s disciples.
u Pricilla and Aquila explain baptism of the Spirit, and provide Apollos
with a fuller understanding of the role of baptism to the divine plan
of salvation. (Anchor Bible)
u The brothers then feel he is ready to take the Word to Corinth.
They give him letters of recommendation. Apollos goes on to
vigorously debate with the Jews in public using scripture to
proclaim Jesus as the Messiah
23
Quick review
u Paul left Athens after preaching to the philosophers there and
arrived in Corinth. In Corinth he preaches every Sabbath in the
synagogue.
u There he met Aquila and Pricilla who wind up being an ideal married,
missionary couple.
u Timothy and Silas rejoin him for a time. This allows Paul to dedicate
all his time to preaching. (No more tent making)
u Paul becomes frustrated by the Jews, shakes dirt off his clothes and
says that he will take his message to Gentiles.
u Paul baptizes Crispus, a synagogue official and all of his household.
u Paul has a vision. The LORD encourages Paul to continue. He will not
be harmed in Corinth. He remained there 18 months. 24
Review
u Paul is brought before proconsul Gallio but Gallio dismisses the case
without hearing it. It is a matter for the Jews to deal with, not the
courts.
u Angered, the Jews beat Sosthenes, a synagogue official.
u Paul takes a vow and cuts his hair.
u Paul heads on to Syria and Antioch stopping in Ephesus. Pricilla and
Aquila accompany him but they remain in Ephesus.
u Apollos, a Jew who is an expert in the scriptures, and is a believer in
Jesus arrives in Ephesus. His knowledge does not include baptism of
the Spirit, but the baptism of repentance from John. Aquila and
Pricilla complete his education. He is sent on to Corinth.
u The Third Missionary Journey begins for Paul, from Antioch.
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What should we take away from this
lesson.
u The Lord puts people in our lives for a reason.
u The Lord speaks to us when we need it or when we are
listening. We need to include prayer time where we listen
and sit in the presence of the Lord.
u Like Apollos, we should never stop learning about the Lord.
We can never know all there is to know about God.
u Aquila and Priscilla are a model of a faith filled marriage.

26
Psalm 145:17-21
Let us Pray
u The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

u 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever. 27