Acts Chapter 18 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Acts 18:1
After this, Sha'ul left Athens and went to Corinth,
After proclaiming the Gospel in Athens, a city that was open to all of the latest ideas and a thinker's place, Paul moves on to Corinth. Corinth was totally different from Athens in that the people there weren't all that concerned about the latest ideas. It was a party place and the people didn't go there to discuss ideas.
Acts 18:2 & 3
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.
Since Paul's regular missionary companions were not with him, he met and stayed with this husband and wife team. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned several times in the Bible and they are always mentioned together. They were Jewish Christians that had been forced to leave Rome and they let Paul stay with them and he trained them in the faith. They became a wonderful team of teachers as we see in other parts of the Word.
Acts 18:4
Sha'ul also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks.
So, Paul held a regular job as a tent maker for six days and on the seventh day he went to the synagogue. This is the same Paul that has traveled all over building the church and you would have thought that he would have the right to financial support and not have to be a tent maker but he chose to work so as not to be a burden on anyone. If we spend less time worrying about our rights and more time actually serving (as Paul & Jesus did) lives will be changed. As usual, he went to the synagogue to try to get the Jewish people to see the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts 18:5 & 6
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!"
When the Jews would not listen and became abusive, Paul moved on to share the good news with the Gentiles. You may say that Jesus would never turn His back on anyone but Paul's actions are in line with what Jesus said when He sent the disciples out into the world (Matthew 10 and Luke 10). This can serve to remind us that we are not called to save others as only Jesus can do that and God must call them but we are to boldly declare the Gospel just as Jesus and Paul did. When people reject the message and become abusive, we too are released from responsibility.
Acts 18:7 & 8
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.
So, Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of a believer. Paul did not leave the synagogue in defeat as we see that even the synagogue ruler and his entire household believed. The local synagogue of this day was overseen by elders and they often appointed a ruler. This ruler was a layman (not a priest) and he cared for the building and its contents as well as selecting the people who would take part in the service on the Sabbath. So, when Paul left the synagogue, we see that the ruler went along and they continued to meet at this house for worship and learning the Word of God. This would be what we consider today a "house church" and in many areas of the world it is the only way that believers get together for worship.
Acts 18:9-11
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.
Paul must have been wavering in his mind about sharing the gospel here because the Lord spoke to him to reassure him. This can remind us that we are all human and, like Paul, sometimes we may question whether we want to do as the Lord has shown us or give up. We can take comfort in the fact that even Paul went through this but the Lord comforted him and will do so for us as well. Paul was also reassured in that the Lord told him that he had "many people in this city". We can also take comfort in the fact that God is in control and He knows his people. Even though Paul did not know how many people from that city God was calling to himself, God knew from the beginning of time.
Acts 18:12 & 13
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."
Isn't God and His timing just awesome? In the passage before, we saw that God had strengthened and encouraged Paul and now we see why. In this passage, we see that the Jews stepped up their opposition. The basic charge they were bringing against him was that he was telling people that they can be saved through Jesus Christ and cannot fulfill the law on their own. All of it was true but it went against the established system.
Acts 18:14-17
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.
Don't you just love it when you see God take care of his own? Here is another example of that as Paul was hauled into court by the synagogue leaders but, just at the right time, God handled the situation. Not only was Paul protected but his accuser took a beating. We are God's children and He loves us more than any earthly father could because God IS love. Therefore, we can rest assured that He is watching over us in all situations and He always has our best interests at heart.
Acts 18:18
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.
When he left Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila went with him to the area of Syria. This was a couple that had come to faith in Christ and worked with Paul. Evidently the example that he presented, inspired them to continue to work with Paul elsewhere. Paul had made a vow to have his hair shaved off and so he did so before he left. God takes vows very seriously so we are cautioned to count the cost and not make a vow unless we are going to keep it.
Acts 18:19-21
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.
So the group made their way to Ephesus and Paul once again preached in the synagogue. This time they wanted to hear more but Paul did not stay. This may seem strange but evidently God had placed on his heart to travel to other places. He left Priscilla and Aquila there to tend the believers and went on his way.
Acts 18:22 & 23
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.
Now, we see why Paul kept moving and what God had placed on his heart. Instead of staying in one place he traveled around strengthening the groups of believers. Although it would have been good to stay in Ephesus with his fellow workers, Paul knew that it was best to travel to all of these groups and build them up in the faith. This is a good lesson for us in that we too must constantly seek the face and will of God so that we do not settle for what is good but trust and obey God knowing that He knows what is best.
Acts 18:24-26
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.
This passage introduces us to a Jewish man who accepted Christ and went about sharing that faith with others. We are told that he had a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament but we are not told who taught him or how he came to accept Christ. God was using him and his teaching was accurate but lacking as he only spoke of the water baptism (repentance and forgiveness). Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak and noticed that he did not speak of the Spirit and so they invited him to their home and taught him. The teaching about the Spirit was crucial as that is the power given us to walk the walk of faith. (Remember that Jesus told the disciples that they "will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8). Apollos was humble enough to listen to the instruction and correct his teaching. Even today, there are many whose teaching is lacking as they do not teach about the Spirit. We, like Priscilla and Aquila, have a duty to tell them the truth and we can follow their example in that they did so in private.
Acts 18:27 & 28
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.
Achaia is the southern part of Greece and, after Apollos received the knowledge from Priscilla and Aquila, he wanted to go and share it there. He was able to debate the Jews there and prove to them from the Old Testament that Jesus was the promised Messiah.