Verse 1. "After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth."
It hadn’t been easy for Paul in Athens (Chapter 17), because
comparatively few came to Christ. There is that point when we understand
that all we value in this world is that others are brought to Christ. We
may or may not be an "evangelist" who leads many to Christ, but we all
have the opportunity of prayer, which is more important than any other
"ability" we might think we have. We can pray. A few did come to Christ
(17:34) and then it was time for Paul to leave that city.
He went to Corinth, a Greek city on an Isthmus, which had been
destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC, rebuilt in 46 BC, and it became the
Roman capital of the province of Achaia. The Holy Spirit had an agenda
for Paul, just like He has one for you and me. There is that point where
"Not yet" (by the men of Athens - Acts 17:32-34) is understood by the
Holy Spirit to mean "No" to the Lord Jesus Christ. God took this man
(Paul) who LISTENED to God, and moved him to another place (where the
PEOPLE would listen).
Verse 2. "And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having
recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had
commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them,"
Pontus was a large province of Asia Minor, along the shores of the
Black Sea (Acts 2:9). The Holy Spirit did not allow Paul to preach in
that area (Asia and Bithynia - Acts 16:6-7), but Peter addressed his
first letter to those of the "Dispersion in Pontus… Asia and Bithynia"
(1 Peter 1:1). There is a very old tradition that Peter went and
preached to that area before going to Rome, and his letter lends
credence to that belief.
Aquila was born in Pontus, but had been living in Rome. Not long
before the time in this verse, he and his wife Priscilla had been thrown
out of Rome by the Emperor Claudius, along with all the other Jews. To
be forced out of your home; to be made to leave the country in which you
live would be very hard. But God has His wonderful timetable in the
midst of our troubles, and they got to Corinth just in time to meet the
apostle Paul.
Verse 3. "and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them
and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers."
Even the trade of Priscilla and Aquila had been ordained by God. As
children, we might think, "I want to be a doctor when I grow up", or
some other line of work. It seldom occurs to us that our decision to
take some job or another (or not) is ordained by God. Every Jew had a
trade, and these three (including Paul) were professional makers of
tents.
There is a blessing in what you do, even though you may not see it
right now. In the case of Priscilla and Aquila, they were allowed
because of their profession to spend hours every day with the Apostle
Paul, and this little man of God no doubt changed their lives. God’s
providence is literally everywhere for us, when we choose to look. It’s
so easy to think, "I’m TIRED of being a tentmaker" (or whatever), but
God has blessings in our workplace for you and me – Learn to prayerfully
LOOK and discover the joy of the Lord.
Verse 4. "And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and
trying to persuade Jews and Greeks."
Paul was a very hard worker, whether he was making tents with his
hands and talking with one or two, or when he was speaking to hundreds
of people. He gave everything for his Lord Jesus. But he did not work
with his hands on the Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday evening), the
day of "rest" for the Jews. No, he went to the Synagogue and preached
the good news of the risen Jesus Christ to all who would hear. (Did this
man ever rest?)
Verse 5. "But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul
began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to
the Jews that Jesus was the Christ."
Silas and Timothy were perhaps tentmakers also, because when they
came down the Isthmus to him from Macedonia, Paul was "freed-up" to
devote himself completely to the preaching and teaching of the Word of
God. Note that during the week, Paul had been working hard as a tent
maker, and it had only been on the weekends that he was able to clash
with those who resisted God (we have all resisted God).
Paul used every bit of his energy; actually used himself up in the
cause of Christ. When circumstances prevented him from doing that, he
rested in his work, but I’m sure he also PRAYED for more time and
opportunity to speak of Jesus. He accepted things, however,
understanding that God is sovereign in our lives. But when the speaking
could commence, he was fierce and unyielding in his presentation to all
that would listen, of the word of God, that Jesus is the Christ.
Verse 6. "But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his
garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’"
This verse is represents a turning point for the people of Corinth.
God is fair, beyond our ability to understand. He endured Israel in the
land for 390 years (Ezekiel 4:5-6), bore the rejection of Paul and the
other apostles at various times, and He endures you and me. More than
anything else, this verse is a warning to us all. We can run from God,
and He will pursue us, as the very "Hound of Heaven." But there is a day
when he will not pursue anymore.
It is our duty to be good watchmen – to tell the people that the Lord
is near, for there is no escape from sin, except in Jesus Christ.
Religions offer comfort but Jesus died in our place, and in Him, we are
made free. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to tell someone about Jesus,
do so, and continue to gently speak of Him, as He urges you. But there
is that time when Christ will send you elsewhere, and then you must go.
If we do as the Lord wills, we are clean, and we are free in Him.
Verse 7. "Then he left there and went to the house of a man named
Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the
synagogue."
Paul seemed to never tire, but he is probably NOT the man we would
have picked for the job. Most of us tend toward outward appearances, and
we likely would have selected someone like Apollos (Acts 18:24-28), an
eloquent man with a commanding manner. God though, makes perfect
selections and Paul was the right man for the moment. The Jews in the
synagogue had "resisted and blasphemed" (verse 6) and this little man of
courage (Paul) finally shouted at them and went to those who would
LISTEN to the word of the Lord.
SOME of those who attended the synagogue must have listened with
their hearts. "Titius Justus" is a Roman name, and the phrase "worshiper
of God" suggests he was a "God-Fearer, as they were called. He likely
would have been a Gentile convert to Judaism. Paul didn’t have to go far
when he stormed away from the Jews, because Titius (or Titus) Justus
lived right next door to the synagogue.
Verse 8. "Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord
with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were
believing and being baptized."
Crispus is also mentioned in 1st Corinthians 1:14, where
Paul said he personally baptized the man. As stated in this verse,
Crispus had been the leader of the synagogue in Corinth, though he would
now lose the job because of his conversion to Christianity. Notice there
are always those who will not receive the Lord (verse 6), but the Holy
Spirit draws the heart, and will bring those who are open to Him.
I like this Crispus, because he loved the Lord more than he loved his
position as leader of the synagogue. I like it that he didn’t follow the
crowd – others were condemning Paul’s teachings (verse 6), but Crispus
followed his heart; not the people around him. This was the kind of man
who would be instrumental in the salvation of others, and indeed, "many…
were believing and being baptized."
Verse 9. "And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not
be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;’"
God speaks to His people. Sometimes by a vision; more often by the
"still, small voice" in our hearts; and much more often through the
written Word of God, the Bible. It is not reasonable, by the way, to
suggest that God spoke to people for thousands of years, and then
suddenly stopped. The rationale of some pastors is that we have the
Bible and need no more. I agree that this Bible is wonderfully made, but
how did those pastors know they were to preach, unless the Lord
personally called them? And if they were not personally called by Him;
on what ground do they teach others about our Lord?
Paul the apostle – was afraid. Do you ever get afraid? You’re not
alone, for the greatest man the Church has ever known – was afraid. This
is strongly reminiscent of Elijah. After God won a great victory through
him over the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18), he got word that the Queen
(Jezebel) intended to have him killed (1 Kings 19). Elijah’s response –
he ran away! In fear! It’s wonderful to know that Elijah was just a
person like the rest of us (James 5:17) and so was the Apostle Paul.
When we become afraid, it does NOT mean we are defective. And you can
depend on God – He will comfort you when you are afraid. "When I am
afraid, I will trust in You" (Psalm 56:3).
Verse 10. "for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to
harm you, for I have many people in this city."
There is no reason for the Lord to comfort Paul in this manner and
tell him "do not be afraid any longer," unless he was actually afraid.
Really afraid, to the point where he was having difficulty functioning
as God’s apostle. "Go on speaking," the Lord encouraged, for Paul was
actually considering quitting his apostolic job. There is only so much
that people can take in life, and then we need the Lord. Those who know
Him still actively need Him, and He will come to us and comfort us when
we are afraid.
We lose our nerve and become afraid, but God is always with us, and
He will lead us through. Lots of people in several cities had rejected
Paul, and this synagogue (verse 6) was one too many for him. Just
remember, if God takes you somewhere and/or leads you into some
difficult situation, He will bring us through. His Spirit is with you,
constantly at work, reminding you of the bountiful provision He has
given in Christ Jesus.
Note, by the way, that God had "many people" in Corinth. Paul didn’t
know those people were around him, but they were there. Elijah became
afraid also, and when he was comforted, God told him something very much
like this verse: God had "seven thousand" in Israel, who loved the Lord
(1 Kings 19:18). You may sometimes feel like you are alone, but you are
not, for God is with you, and God has His people – everywhere!
Verse 11. "And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the
word of God among them."
Can you imagine Paul the Apostle, in our midst, teaching us in
person, for a year and a half? Actually, God has His "Pauls" in OUR
lives, as well as in theirs. Note that if we do not want them, our "Pauls"
will be sent away to someone else (Acts 17:33, 18:6-7). To the extent
that we do want to receive from God (Acts 18:11), His "Pauls" will tarry
with us. So many times we get what we want; and what we want is often
not what we need.
Years ago, we had good Bible teaching while we lived in California.
Then I wanted to move to Arizona, and we did. The teaching was just not
the same, by comparison. I cried out to God, "How could this happen to
me (us)", as we wandered from Church to Church, looking for spiritual
"food". I now see this as a self-inflicted wound. I was the one who left
California and I was the one who turned my back on the good teaching.
Paul stayed there with those people in Corinth, because they were
willing to receive the Word of God.
Verse 12. "But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with
one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment
seat,"
God often communicates with us by the circumstances He allows in our
lives. People say, "Don’t look at the circumstances; have faith in God,"
and that’s true. (Our faith is in God, who is greater than anything that
happens on earth.) Yet Paul looked THROUGH outward events and sought
God’s leading. The events themselves can be like warning bells that tell
us: look to God, for He may be trying to tell you something! Paul was
soon to move on to another place and those who "rose up against" him,
merely caught his attention and caused him to seek the Lord.
This Gallio" was an interesting man. He was Marcus Annaeus Novatus,
but he took the name Lucius Junius Annaeus Gallio, because he was
adopted by L. Junius Gallio. He was the elder brother of Seneca and was
shown to be a man of great ability. He had a gentle disposition and his
brother Seneca said "he had not a fault" and at another time, "everybody
loved him." This was the man before whom Paul the Apostle was dragged by
a group of angry men.
Verse 13. "saying, ‘This man persuades men to worship God contrary to
the law.’"
As a Church, our function is to "persuade men to worship God" and the
activities of those in the Church have been "contrary to the law" in
many places and times. There are places in the world right now where
it’is illegal to read a Bible or talk about our Lord. We are to obey the
law, for as Paul taught us, "let every soul be subject to the governing
authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the
authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1).
Yet there is no evidence that Paul was violating any law of his time
and place. And it should be pointed out that there is always a higher
law in operation, when men and their laws become repressive in nature.
Peter and the other apostles encountered this in Jerusalem, when they
were asked by earthly authorities "Did we not strictly command you not
to teach in this (Jesus’) Name?" (Acts 5:28). Peter looked them right in
the eyes and responded, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts
5:29). It is good to obey the law of the land, but it is also good to
respond to God and His will for our lives.
Verse 14. "But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to
the Jews, ‘If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it
would be reasonable for me to put up with you;’"
It’s interesting that Paul did not get a chance to speak. This man,
Procounsel Gallio, was a "nice guy" (see commentary on verse 12) and
Paul would have wanted him to receive the gospel. I’m sure God did
communicate information about Christ to the man, but this was not to be
the time. Instead, Gallio did the talking and it was evident that he was
"fed up" with the petty complaints of these "religious" people.
Note that, like Paul in this verse, there are times we don’t have to
speak for ourselves. Indeed, there are situations when God does give us
the words to speak, but this life in Christ is also a life of REST,
where we don’t have to plan everything we are to say or do. Gallio,
though he was "nice", was not a godly man, but our Lord often uses such
a person to do His will. Gallio would not hear any more of these things.
Verse 15. "but if there are questions about words and names and your
own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these
matters."
There are times when we just get tired of a lot of words that don’t
seem to go anywhere or lead to anything that matters. The Jews of the
time had hundreds of laws that governed them, and they were more than
willing to argue about all of them. I get the impression that Gallio had
been caught up in these things before and he simply would not hear any
more of it.
He refused to hear their case. No arguments, no motions to the Court,
no pleadings; nothing – "Look after it yourselves" he commanded them.
Gallio had a "gentle disposition" (see commentary on verse 12) but his
patience had obvious limits and these men had been going too far. God
would use Gallio’s impatience to rescue Paul.
Verse 16. "And he drove them away from the judgment seat."
"Drove them" is "apelesen", a word found nowhere else in the New
Testament or in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, but it is
found in secular literature. Plutarch used the term as referring to the
dismissal of a case without its ever being tried. That "he drove them
away from the judgment seat" means he (Procounsel Gallio) threw their
case out of court. Gallio was fed up with this people and their
arguments.
Verse 17. "And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the
synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But
Gallio was not concerned about any of these things."
You’ll recall Crispus, a man we encountered in verse 8, who was
previously the leader of the synagogue. Crispus obviously lost that job
when he became a Christian, because this Sosthenes was now "the leader
of the synagogue." And Sosthenes was in trouble – "They" grabbed him and
began "beating him." To be "beaten" is not good, and perhaps his beating
caused him to have second thoughts about his stand against Jesus. It is
very possible this is the same Sosthenes found 1st
Corinthians 1:1, that Paul refers to as "Sosthenes, our brother." I hope
so.
Sometimes people are beaten for their faith in the Lord, and Paul
often received such treatment. Others have received beatings in
circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with faith in Him. God
is sovereign and certainly Sosthenes could not have been beaten except
for the permissive will of God. Note that Gallio, the ostensible leader
of these events, just did not care. Lord, give us leaders who CARE; who
really care about people. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Verse 18. "Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the
brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and
Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow."
Paul stayed in Corinth "many days longer." Notice that he was not
forced out by the mob that "brought him before the judgment seat" just a
few days before (verse 12). He had been delivered by God, through an
apparently godless man, Gallio. This is a reminder that we do not need
to fear circumstances, for God is able to deliver us in ways we would
not expect. Doors open and doors close, as God wills for our lives.
Then Paul sailed in a ship for Syria, and he would eventually arrive
at Ephesus (verse 19). With him was a group of people, including his new
and wonderful friends in Christ, Priscilla and Aquila. There has been an
argument for many years (among theologians) about the "vow" in this
verse, as to whether it was taken by Paul or by Aquila. It more likely
pertained to Paul. The Mishna (a collection of Jewish traditions)
reported, by the way, that one taking a Nazarite (religious) vow while
outside the Holy Land, would cut his hair short until he got to
Jerusalem.
Verse 19. "They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he
himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews."
Here is Paul, once again in yet another synagogue, reasoning with his
people (the Jews) that they should turn to Jesus. Paul had been against
the Lord, but personal experience with the risen Christ had shown him
that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. He really loved his people, the
Jews. This is seen in places like Romans 9:3, where he wishes "that I
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according
to the flesh (the Jews)…" In other words, if he could have taken their
place and gone to hell for them, he would have done it. It really
becomes a ministry when we truly love those we minister to.
Verse 20-21. "When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did
not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, ‘I will return to you
again if God wills,’ he set sail from Ephesus."
Here was Paul, in the synagogue where we often find him, "reasoning
with the Jews." He loved his people and longed to see them made right
with God, more than any other desire for the world of his time. They
wanted him to "stay for a longer time" and most of us would probably
stay, for we often tend to regard favorable circumstances as indicating
the will of God. That is not necessarily true, and Paul knew it was time
to leave, for he understood it was God’s will for him to go somewhere
else.
If you delay in turning to Christ, you may not get another chance.
"Maybe the NEXT Harvest Crusade," you might say. Any one of them could
be the last – it’s time for you to say "yes" to Christ right now. God
knew our hearts in the moment when we said "next time" and He knows what
we would do if there WAS a next time. Now is the time for us to turn
into His direction, whether we are on the speaker’s rostrum or in the
audience. We must listen to Him right now. There may not be another time
– ever.
Verse 22. "When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the
church, and went down to Antioch."
Paul had now returned to Caesarea. We were there last year, and the
ruins within the port area are certainly impressive – the place could
accommodate a lot of the ships of the time. Notice he not go to the
synagogue but he just greeted the church. Paul was so consistent and it
seems like suddenly he was doing things differently. But this actually
was not different. His real consistency was not in going to the
synagogue first, but actually was in following the Holy Spirit of God.
This was not the time for Paul to confront the Jews in Caesarea. That
would be later and under very different circumstances. Now he would only
stay for a while, and then off he went to Antioch, as God led him.
Verse 23. "And having spent some time there, he left and passed
successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all
the disciples."
When verse 22 started, Paul was in Caesarea, the military capital of
the Roman province of Judea, which was on the coast of the Mediterranean
Sea. Caesarea was north and west of Jerusalem and he may well have
stopped there in relation of the "vow" of verse 18, but Dr. Luke does
not specifically mention it. As we see in this verse, Paul then traveled
north and spent some time in Antioch, which was 200 miles away. At most,
Paul was in Antioch for a few months.
Central Galatia was Paul’s first destination after leaving Antioch, a
distance of 400 miles. This would have been a journey of about three
weeks, including rests on the Sabbaths of each week. It’s interesting to
note how brief Dr. Luke’s descriptions are, at this point. Actually,
it’s Holy Spirit’s descriptions that are brief – we are being drawn to
something important we must read, and you can feel the excitement as we
are led to it. Paul then went a little south and then west, to the area
of Phrygia.
Verse 24. Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an
eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures."
Now we meet Apollonius (Apollos is a shortened version of that name),
a man born in Alexandria, in Egypt. He was a good public speaker, and
was someone who really KNEW the Old Testament section of the Bible. You
and I need to know the Old Testament, because so much of the "New"
really comes from the "Old". Our understanding will grow greatly as we
learn more of God’s Word. Our faith will increase, for "faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Apollos was a popular man, and it is reported that a group of
believers called themselves by his name ("I am of Apollos" – 1
Corinthians 1:12), which was the beginning of something like our modern
"denominations". Paul always had something good to say about Apollos,
and it was not Apollos’ fault that men tried to build a denomination
around him. We can note that in the same verse (1 Corinthians 1:12),
there were others going around saying, "I am of Paul." Why do we, who
are forgiven in Christ, need to clutch at mere people?
Verse 25. "This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and
being fervent in spirit, he was speaking
and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being
acquainted only with the baptism of John;"
Apollos is fascinating because he gives us a further glimpse into the
nature of salvation in our Lord. He had been given some instruction
about the way of our Lord. He was fervent in what he knew and was
teaching ACCURATELY about Jesus, but he was only acquainted with the
baptism of John (the Baptist). His teaching was GREAT, but he needed
more of our Lord.
When are we saved? Is it when we hear a little and embrace it with
all of our hearts, or is it when we understand more fully and KNOW what
we believe? I think it is the former. Jesus said we must become as
"little children" (not as "seasoned theologians"), in order to "enter
the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). If it was the latter, then we
would be saved, not because of faith, but through applied knowledge. But
we ARE saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
Verse 26. "and 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 more accurately."
The Jews in the various synagogues must have been quite shocked by
all the Jewish Christians who came to tell them of Jesus. Paul had just
left them, not that long ago (verse 21), and to the credit of this
synagogue, they had asked Paul to stay longer (verse 20). He told them
"No", but God had these people in mind, and sent this Apollos to help
them. Sometimes we are given a "Paul" and other times an "Apollos" - God
is always giving to you and me.
God had HIM (Apollos) in mind as well, for He saw the need of this
man for more understanding of the Jesus who had saved him. The Lord had
placed Priscilla and Aquila at just the right place and time to aid this
man of God. We see in the person of Apollos that a new convert can
sometimes do much, because it is the Holy Spirit who reaches through the
man. Paul had earlier done much the same thing (Acts 9:20), for he
IMMEDIATELY had begun to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues.
Verse 27. "And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren
encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he
had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,"
Apollos wanted to leave Ephesus, which was on the coast of what is
now modern day Turkey, and sail across the Aegean Sea, a branch of the
Mediterranean Sea, to Achaia. The latter was a Roman province but
sometimes the name was used for the whole of Greece. Apollos was in
close contact with Priscilla and Aquila, who had recently come from
Corinth, and he would have been anxious to see the work they had been
talking about.
Apollos was a good man, defined here as a person who genuinely wants
to see others do well in life. He "greatly helped" others who were new
to the grace of God. Keep in mind that he was new in Christ also, but
there was a special "something" about him, given by God, that was useful
to other people. His message was consistent with the Gospel (good news)
of Christ, for he recognized that we are not saved by our efforts, but
by the finished work of Christ on the cross (the grace of God).
Verse 28. "for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public,
demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ."
Apollos "powerfully refuted the Jews in public" and showed clearly by
the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ of God. He was
fairly new in the Lord: When should a new convert begin to speak
publicly about Christ? The answer – when God opens the door to speak –
soon for one; not so soon for another. This man was ready, for God
desired that he would be.
The Greek phrase for "powerfully refuted" in the New Testament is
only found here and in Dr. Luke’s other book, the Gospel of Luke
(23:10). The phrase is literally "nervous with force" which was a common
medical term of the day. Note that Apollos was doing well against the
Jews of the area. Paul had experienced difficulty with them, but there
was no jealousy on the part of Paul. He loved this man, as is seen in
places like 1 Corinthians 16:12 ("concerning our brother Apollos"). Our
concern should be that the Gospel of Christ is advanced – whether by us
or by someone else, it does not matter.
Ron
Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
