Acts18

Paul arrived in Corinth, working as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla, and preached in the synagogue. Faced with Jewish opposition, he turned to the Gentiles, leading to many conversions, including Crispus. The Lord encouraged Paul in a vision to continue speaking, and he remained for eighteen months. Later, when Jews accused him before Gallio, the proconsul dismissed the charges, deeming them internal religious matters.

Paul Begins Ministry in Corinth

After this, Sha’ul left Athens and went to Corinth,

where he met a Jewish man named Aquila, originally from Pontus but having recently come with his wife Priscilla from Italy, because Claudius had issued a decree expelling all the Jews from Rome. Sha’ul went to see them;

and because he had the same trade as they, making tents, he stayed on with them; and they worked together.

Sha’ul also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks.

But after Sila and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Sha’ul felt pressed by the urgency of the message and testified in depth to the Jews that Yeshua is the Messiah.

However when they set themselves against him and began hurling insults, he shook out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! For my part, I am clean; from now on, I will go to the Goyim!”

So he left them and went into the home of a “God-fearer” named Titius Justus, whose house was right next door to the synagogue.

Crispus, the president of the synagogue, came to trust in the Lord, along with his whole household; also many of the Corinthians who heard trusted and were immersed.

One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Sha’ul, “Don’t be afraid, but speak right up, and don’t stop,

because I am with you. No one will succeed in harming you, for I have many people in this city.”

So Sha’ul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

The Trial Before Proconsul Gallio

But when Gallio became the Roman governor of Achaia, the unbelieving Jews made a concerted attack on Sha’ul and took him to court,

saying, “This man is trying to persuade people to worship God in ways that violate the Torah.”

Sha’ul was just about to open his mouth, when Gallio said to the Jews, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case of inflicted injury or a serious crime, I could reasonably be expected to hear you out patiently.

But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law, then you must deal with it yourselves. I flatly refuse to judge such matters.”

And he had them ejected from the court.

They all grabbed Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, and gave him a beating in full view of the bench; but Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Paul Returns to Antioch

Sha’ul remained for some time, then said good-bye to the brothers and sailed off to Syria, after having his hair cut short in Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow; with him were Priscilla and Aquila.

They came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue and held dialogue with the Jews.

When they asked him to stay with them longer, he declined;

however, in his farewell he said, “God willing, I will come back to you.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

After landing at Caesarea, he went up to Yerushalayim and greeted the Messianic community. Then he came down to Antioch,

spent some time there, and afterwards set out and passed systematically through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the talmidim.

The Ministry of Apollos

Meanwhile, a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker with a thorough knowledge of the Tanakh.

This man had been informed about the Way of the Lord, and with great spiritual fervor he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Yeshua, but he knew only the immersion of Yochanan.

He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God in fuller detail.

When he made plans to cross over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote the talmidim there to welcome him. On arrival, he greatly helped those who through grace had come to trust;

for he powerfully and conclusively refuted the unbelieving Jews in public, demonstrating by the Tanakh that Yeshua is the Messiah.

Study Notes for Acts 18

Verse 1

Corinth was a major, wealthy, and morally lax Roman port city, making it a strategic center for Paul’s mission in Achaia (Southern Greece).

Verse 2

The expulsion of Jews from Rome by Emperor Claudius (c. AD 49) is a key historical marker, confirming the date of Paul's arrival (c. AD 50). This providential event connected Paul with Aquila and Priscilla, who became indispensable ministry partners.

Verse 3

Paul supported himself through manual labor (tentmaking), demonstrating the dignity of work and ensuring he could preach the gospel without being financially dependent on the new converts (cf. 1 Cor. 9:18).

Verse 5

The arrival of Silas and Timothy, likely bringing financial support from Macedonia, allowed Paul to stop working and devote himself entirely ('pressed in the spirit') to testifying that Jesus was the Messiah.

Verse 6

Shaking his garments symbolized severing responsibility for their rejection. This act formally marked a strategic turning point, shifting Paul’s primary mission focus in Corinth from the synagogue to the Gentiles.

Verse 7

The new meeting place was symbolically located right next door to the synagogue, positioning the burgeoning Christian church as a direct alternative to the Jewish center.

Verse 8

The conversion of Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, was a significant blow to the Jewish establishment and a major victory for the Christian community.

Verse 9

This vision provided necessary divine encouragement when Paul was facing intense opposition, assuring him of protection and the effectiveness of his ministry.

Verse 10

God promises both security ('no man shall set on thee to hurt thee') and success ('I have much people in this city'), confirming that Paul's work in Corinth was divinely mandated.

Verse 11

Paul’s 18-month stay (c. AD 50-52) was foundational, during which he established the large and complex Corinthian church and likely wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

Verse 12

Gallio was the Roman proconsul of Achaia. His time in office (c. AD 51-52) provides the most precise external date for Paul’s missionary career.

Verse 13

The charge was that Paul was persuading men to worship illegally, suggesting Christianity was not yet recognized under Roman law as a legitimate sect of Judaism (religio licita).

Verse 15

Gallio dismissed the case, viewing it as an internal Jewish dispute over 'words and names.' This decision established a crucial precedent, granting Christianity temporary legal immunity from Roman interference.

Verse 17

Sosthenes, likely the new synagogue ruler, was beaten, perhaps by Greeks who were anti-Jewish, or by Jews frustrated by the legal defeat. Gallio’s indifference (cared for none of those things) highlights the Roman lack of concern for religious squabbles.

Verse 18

Paul’s shorn head suggests he had completed a temporary Nazarite vow (Num. 6:1-21). This demonstrates his continued respect for Jewish piety and his desire to relate to Jewish believers.

Verse 19

Paul briefly ministered in Ephesus, a key city in Asia Minor, leaving Priscilla and Aquila there to establish the foundation for the future church.

Verse 21

Paul’s desire to keep the feast (likely Pentecost or Passover) reflects his continued commitment to maintaining ties with the mother church in Jerusalem. The phrase 'if God will' (Deo volente) shows submission to divine providence.

Verse 22

Landing at Caesarea, Paul went up to Jerusalem ('saluted the church') to report on the success of the mission, formally concluding his Second Missionary Journey, before returning to his home base in Antioch.

Verse 23

Paul immediately begins his Third Missionary Journey (c. AD 53-57), focusing first on revisiting and strengthening the churches he had previously founded in Galatia and Phrygia.

Verse 24

Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, was highly educated, reflecting the intellectual center of Alexandria. His eloquence and mastery of the Hebrew Scriptures made him a formidable evangelist.

Verse 25

Apollos 'knew only the baptism of John,' meaning he understood repentance and the need for the Messiah, but lacked full knowledge of Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 26

Priscilla and Aquila demonstrated humility and theological maturity by privately instructing the gifted Apollos. This highlights the vital teaching role of lay leaders in the early church.

Verse 27

The brethren provided Apollos with letters of recommendation, allowing him to move into Achaia (Corinth) where he would later play a significant role (cf. 1 Cor. 3:6).

Verse 28

Apollos’s strength lay in his powerful use of the Old Testament Scriptures to publicly refute Jewish opposition and demonstrate conclusively that Jesus was the promised Christ.

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Acts18

Paul Begins Ministry in Corinth

The Trial Before Proconsul Gallio

Paul Returns to Antioch

The Ministry of Apollos

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