Session 8
Acts 18:1-11,18-21
Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:12
Paul was successful in finding other believers to assist him in evangelism. In Acts 18, while in Corinth, Paul met Priscilla and Aquila, who played a significant role in the spread of the gospel. God certainly ordained this partnership as Paul was able to provide for his own needs through their shared occupation as tentmakers. Paul’s pattern for ministry remained the same in Corinth. When the Jews rejected his message, he turned his attention to the Gentiles.
Through this passage, readers can see how God was actively involved in the ministries of Paul and the other members of the missionary team. As you plan and prepare for this session, reflect on the partnerships God has brought into your life. Thank Him for those individuals and the influence they have had on your life and ministry. Ask Him to give you wisdom as you challenge the adults in your group to seek out partnerships of their own for the gospel.
Some parents jokingly say their children’s first words were not “Mama” or “Dada,” but “I can do it myself.” Unfortunately, many of us never grow out of the “I can do it myself” stage. Instead of asking for help, or even letting others volunteer to help, we often prefer to do tasks alone. Maturity requires more than personal ability. Like the apostle Paul, we should recognize the value of others and the strength that results from doing things together. (PSG, p. 73)
After leaving Athens, Paul traveled on to Corinth, a major Greek city that rivaled Athens as a commercial center. Corinth was home to many resettled people who had migrated from other places. This mixture of people gave Corinth a multicultural flavor and contributed to the city being the most Roman of all Greek cities. As in other Greek cities, idolatry was the religious focus.
In Corinth, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish couple who had been expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius’s edict against Jews around AD 49-50. Like Paul, they were tentmakers by trade, so he stayed in their home while in Corinth.
As a multiethnic metropolis, Corinth had a large Jewish population. So, true to his pattern of ministry, Paul began in the synagogue and debated with the Jews about Jesus as Messiah. Also true to previous patterns, Jewish hostility eventually began to intensify against Paul. So, he abandoned speaking to the Jews and started ministering to the Gentiles.
Paul relocated his ministry to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing Greek who offered hospitality to Paul. Many Corinthian Gentiles responded to Paul’s preaching and were baptized.
Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision, warning him about more persecution and encouraging him to face the challenges with faith. He assured the apostle that He would not abandon him and that his ministry would have an impact.
Paul did as Jesus instructed. He stayed in Corinth for many months and continued to share the gospel with whomever would listen. This was the first recorded city where Paul ministered for an extended period.
Upping their assaults against the gospel, the Corinthian Jews tried to use the laws of the state to take Paul to trial. They brought Paul into the court of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, and charged him with persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.
At first, Gallio thought the case was about breaking Roman civil law, but he finally realized the charges related to Jewish religious law. Just as Paul was about to speak, the proconsul stopped him, declaring that the case had no merit in his court. This marked the first time a Roman judge pronounced a verdict in favor of Christianity. The ruling set the standard for future Roman trials.
Jesus’s words from Paul’s vision were proven to be accurate. He was with the missionary, and He was drawing people to Himself in Corinth.
As you read Acts 18:1-11,18-21, notice the partners of Paul. How did this increase his effectiveness? (PSG, p. 74)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth, 2 where he found 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. Paul came to them, 3 and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade, he stayed with them and worked. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.
Corinth
The largest Greek city in the first century, Corinth was located near the isthmus that connects southern Greece to the northern mainland, Corinth also sat between two prime seaports. Due to its position, Corinth essentially controlled the east-west trade route between the two ports, as well as traffic on the isthmus between the northern and southern regions of the country.
Corinth was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC, but it was later rebuilt as a Roman colony and repopulated by Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Despite the heavy Roman influence, Corinthian Gentiles were devoted to the gods of the Greek pantheon.
The city was home to many shrines, including the temple of Asclepius, the god of healing. The buildings around the temple served as a hospital of sorts, and patients would leave clay replicas of body parts that had been treated there. Corinth’s most prominent temple was dedicated to Aphrodite. Scholars believe the temple was home to at least a thousand cultic prostitutes, highlighting Corinth’s fascination with sexual immorality.
(v. 2) Aquila . . . Priscilla: Not long after arriving, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla. Some commentators believe Aquila was a Roman citizen because his homeland, Pontus, was a Roman province. Others think Priscilla was a Roman citizen since there was a prominent Roman family named “Prisca.” In Paul’s later letters, he referred to her as Prisca (Rom. 16:3; 2 Tim. 4:19).
In AD 49-50, Emperor Claudius ordered all Jews to leave Rome. In the wake of this expulsion, Aquila and Priscilla came to Corinth. Luke did not explain when or how they became believers, but they apparently were already Christ followers when they met Paul.
(v. 3) Tentmakers: Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers or, possibly, leather workers. Since this was also Paul’s trade, he stayed with them and worked with them. Following the Torah, Paul practiced a trade so he would not have to rely solely on the financial support of others.
(v. 4) Reasoned in the synagogue: Paul’s ministry always started with the Jewish synagogue. Luke’s wording suggests Paul was persistent in his efforts. He was there every Sabbath.
It’s possible that Paul only ministered in the synagogues on the Sabbath. Working during the week would have made it difficult on other days.
(v. 4) Persuade: The Greek word (peitho) means to convince or to instill confidence. It is related to the Greek work for faith (pistis). Paul challenged his listeners to be confident that Jesus is the Messiah. The apostle wanted them to trust his message so they could trust Christ. In this setting, Paul preached to both Jews and God-fearing Greeks.
Acts 18:1-4
Spend time praying Scripture using Acts 18:1-4. Read the verses, then respond to these questions:
Example: Thank God for fellow believers who support your ministry-even as you support them. Ask Him to show you how you can use your vocation to make a difference for God’s kingdom.
During the session, invite adults to pray this Scripture, as well.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. 6 When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized. 9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.
(v. 5) Silas and Timothy: Paul had been on his own for a while. After the uproar in Berea (Acts 17:10-15), Paul had left Silas and Timothy there while he headed for Athens. His ministry partners finally caught up with him in Corinth. Many scholars believe they came with a financial gift from the Macedonian churches that would allow Paul to focus fully on evangelism.
(v. 5) Devoted himself: With Silas and Timothy now in Corinth, Paul was free to devote more time to preaching. The Greek wording means to hold something together tightly. It was used figuratively to suggest being completely occupied by something. While the Greek wording is different, it carries a similar idea to the apostles’ commitment to preaching and prayer in Acts 6.
(v. 6) Resisted and blasphemed: Just as Paul was in the habit of ministering in the synagogue, Jews were in the habit of rejecting his message over time. As in other cities, the Jews in Corinth adamantly rejected Paul and his message. Their hostility and abuse toward Paul was one thing, but Luke indicated that they also blasphemed Christ through their words and actions.
(v. 6) Your blood is on your own heads: Paul responded to the mob when he shook out his clothes. This was similar a protest and judgment to tearing one’s clothes or shaking the dust from one’s feet. Paul’s action symbolized a broken covenant between the Jews and the Lord God.
But Paul also pronounced that Your blood is on your own heads. The Jews would have understood the condemnation because a similar warning was used in Ezekiel 33:1-9. Like Ezekiel, Paul was innocent of his audience’s blood because he had been faithful in sharing the message. He was not responsible for their negative reaction.
(vv. 7-8) Titius Justus: Paul did not have to search far to find a new place to proclaim the gospel. Next to the synagogue was the home of Titius Justus, a man who likely came to Jesus during Paul’s early days in the Corinthian synagogue. Some note that the proximity of Paul’s new location to the synagogue was a reminder to the Jews of Paul’s presence. Others suggest that it left the door open for Jews to come to Christ.
Along with Titius Justus, the household of Crispus came to faith in Christ (v. 8). He had served as the synagogue’s leader, though it is not clear how that position may have changed once he joined the Corinthian church.
(v. 10) I am with you: Christ remained actively involved in the ministry of Paul. In a vision, He told the apostle to continue preaching without fear. Jesus promised to protect Paul and many people in the city would support him. Paul’s vision gave him the strength to continue his ministry in Corinth, which lasted a year and a half (v. 11). This stop was among the longest of any of Paul’s journeys.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 When they reached Ephesus he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews.
20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
(v. 18) Sailed away to Syria: Paul’s lengthy stay in Corinth was aligned with Jesus’s command to reject fear and continue his ministry. In the wake of his successful hearing before Gallio (Acts 18:12-17), Paul enjoyed more freedom to teach and preach in the city. He was able to set the Corinthians up for success after he left. Upon saying farewell to his friends, Paul left for Syria. The second missionary journey was drawing to a close.
(v. 18) Accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila: Two people Paul did not leave behind were Priscilla and Aquila. Luke does not explain why they left with the apostle, but they must have believed that they would be more useful to the kingdom beyond Corinth. Paul apparently agreed. It is also worth noting that Luke did not mention Silas or Timothy leaving Corinth. If Paul left them in the city to nurture the young church-as he had in Berea-the apostle likely would have appreciated the company of his tentmaking partners.
Shaved his head
The missionaries stopped in the seaport town of Cenchreae, where Paul shaved his head to honor a vow he had made. Little is known about the vow. Some scholars suggest it was a temporary Nazirite vow. Individuals under a Nazirite vow could not consume strong drinks, and they could not cut their hair. Often, men would cut their hair before putting themselves under the vow. Once the vow was complete, they would cut their hair again as an offering to God.
It also may have been a private vow between Paul and God. The precise reasons for Paul’s vow are unknown, but it demonstrated that Paul remained faithful to Jewish practices when they did not conflict with the freedom of the gospel.
(v. 19) Ephesus: The city of Ephesus was a seaport in western Asia Minor, across the Aegean Sea from Corinth. It often served as a resting place for travelers moving between Greece and Syria. Ephesus was held in high esteem for two reasons. First, it was among the largest and most prominent cities in the world by the first century. Therefore, it served as the center of government for the region. Second, Ephesus was a free Greek city, enjoying privileges many other cities did not.
The city was full of ornate temples for pagan gods. The temple of Diana was considered one of the ancient world’s seven wonders. The city was a major center of commerce in Asia Minor. Though it was not a priority for Paul on this second journey, he did visit the city’s synagogue and debated with local Jews about Jesus.
(v. 21) I’ll come back: As noted, Paul’s plans did not include a lengthy stay in Ephesus. He was in a hurry to get back to Caesarea and, eventually, Jerusalem. His eagerness may have been related to his vow or to a festival, but we do not know for sure.
Still, the Jews he encountered in his brief visit to the synagogue wanted to pursue Paul’s message further. They needed extra time, so they asked him to stay longer. But Paul declined the invitation, promising to come back . . . if God wills.
Meanwhile, Priscilla and Aquila would remain in Ephesus to continue the gospel ministry in the city
(v. 19). Luke did not go into detail about their work in the city, but we do know that they were instrumental in mentoring a young man named Apollos who became a powerful voice for the gospel in Asia Minor and Greece (18:24-28).
Reinforce the session by texting or emailing the group during the week. Suggest that they actively seek ways to partner with others in ministry. Encourage them to pray about new partnerships and new ministries that could expand the reach of the gospel in your community.
Cooperation
Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. (See 1 Corinthians 3:5-8; Philippians 1:3-5.)
Use a Bible atlas and Bible dictionary to locate and learn about places mentioned in Scripture.
Find the location of Corinth in a Bible atlas. (Tip: Check the atlas index or search on the Internet.) Then use a Bible dictionary to learn more about Corinth. What are some significant facts about the city that give you greater insight into Paul’s ministry there?