Acts 18
Big idea: In Corinth the pattern holds — synagogue reasoning, rejection, the turn to the Gentiles — but the Lord himself intervenes by night: “Don't be afraid… I have many people in this city.” Paul stays a year and six months, Rome's proconsul refuses to make the Way a crime, and the chapter closes by seeding Ephesus: a promise to return “if God wills,” and Apollos taught the way of God more accurately.
Verse 21's “I will return again to you if God wills” and Apollos's gap — “he knew only the baptism of John” — both point straight into ch. 19, where Paul returns to Ephesus, finds disciples baptized only into John's baptism, and the word of the Lord grows mighty across Asia.
18:1–8 — Corinth: to the Gentiles
In Corinth Paul finds Aquila and Priscilla, Jews expelled from Rome by Claudius's command, and lives and works with them at their shared trade of tentmaking, reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath. When Silas and Timothy arrive, he is compelled by the Spirit to testify that Jesus is the Christ; opposition and blasphemy draw the shaken-out clothing and the verdict — “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!” Yet from the house next door to the synagogue, its own ruler Crispus believes with all his house, and many Corinthians believe and are baptized.
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. 2 He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!” 7 He departed there and went into the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.
18:9–11 — The night vision
The Lord speaks to Paul in a vision by night: don't be afraid — speak and don't be silent — “for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Paul stays a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
9 The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
18:12–17 — Gallio's judgment seat
The Jews rise with one accord and bring Paul before the judgment seat of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia: “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” Before Paul can open his mouth, Gallio dismisses the case — questions about words, names, and your own law are yours to settle; “I don't want to be a judge of these matters” — and drives them from the judgment seat. The Greeks beat Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler, and Gallio doesn't care about any of it.
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; 15 but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” 16 So he drove them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.
18:18–23 — Return and re-departure
After many more days Paul sails for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, shaving his head at Cenchreae, for he had a vow. At Ephesus he leaves them, reasons with the Jews in the synagogue, and — asked to stay longer — declines: “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” He lands at Caesarea, greets the assembly, goes down to Antioch, then sets out again through Galatia and Phrygia in order, establishing all the disciples.
18 Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 19 He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay with them a longer time, he declined; 21 but taking his leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch. 23 Having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.
18:24–28 — Apollos instructed
Apollos — an Alexandrian Jew, eloquent, mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus — arrives at Ephesus knowing only the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila take him aside and explain the way of God more accurately. Commended to Achaia, he greatly helps those who had believed through grace, powerfully refuting the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning 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 When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him; and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).