1 And after these things, having left Athens, he came to Corinth[1];
2 and finding a certain Jew by name Aquila[2], of Pontus[3] by race, just come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife, (because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome,)[4] came to them,
3 and because they were of the same trade abode with them, and wrought. For they were tent-makers[5] by trade.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
5 And when both Silas and Timotheus came down from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in respect of the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
6 But as they opposed and spoke injuriously, he shook his clothes[6], and said to them, Your blood be upon your own head: *I* am pure; from henceforth I will go to the nations.
7 And departing thence he came to the house of a certain man , by name Justus, who worshipped God, whose house adjoined the synagogue.
8 But Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised.
9 And the Lord said by vision in the night to Paul, Fear not, but speak and be not silent;
10 because *I* am with thee, and no one shall set upon thee to injure thee; because I have much people in this city.
11 And he remained there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God.
12 But when Gallio[7] was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one consent rose against Paul and led him to the judgment-seat,
13 saying, This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.
14 But as Paul was going to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If indeed it was some wrong or wicked criminality, O Jews, of reason I should have borne with you;[8]
15 but if it be questions about words, and names, and the law that ye have, see to it yourselves; for *I* do not intend to be judge of these things.
16 And he drove them from the judgment-seat.
17 And having all laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, they beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio troubled himself about none of these things.
18 And Paul, having yet stayed there many days, took leave of the brethren and sailed thence to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow;[9]
19 and he arrived at Ephesus[10], and left them there. But entering himself into the synagogue he reasoned with the Jews.
20 And when they asked him that he would remain for a longer time with them he did not accede,
21 but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep the coming feast at Jerusalem ; I will return to you again, if God will: and he sailed away from Ephesus.
22 And landing at Caesarea, and having gone up and saluted the assembly, he went down to Antioch.
23 And having stayed there some time, he went forth, passing in order through the country of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing all the disciples.
24 But a certain Jew, Apollos[11] by name, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, who was mighty in the scriptures, arrived at Ephesus.
25 He was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in his spirit, he spoke and taught exactly the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John.
26 And *he* began to speak boldly in the synagogue. And Aquila and Priscilla, having heard him, took him to them and unfolded to him the way of God more exactly.
27 And when he purposed to go into Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples engaging them to receive him, who, being come, contributed much to those who believed through grace.
28 For he with great force convinced the Jews publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
[1] (18:1). Corinth. Situated approximately 40 miles to the west of Athens and was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia, as well as a prominent seaport. During this period, Corinth functioned as the political hub of Greece, housing the Roman proconsul, while Athens was recognized as the centre for literature. Its strategic location on an isthmus, with access to two ports, Lechaeum and Cenchreae, greatly enhanced its commercial importance, allowing for the transfer and movement of goods across the isthmus between ports, akin to the activities that took place at Suez prior to the canal’s construction.
[2] (18:2). Aquila and Priscilla. A married couple who were good friends of Paul and also worked as tentmakers. They offered Paul a place to stay and ran a house church. They arrived in Corinth due to an edict from Claudius mandating that Jews leave Rome. They travelled with Paul when he departed from Corinth and went to Syria.
[3] (18:2). Pontus. A region of northern Asia Minor near the Black Sea, which is now in Turkey.
[4] (18:2). Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. The removal of Jews from Rome by Claudius took place in AD 49, roughly two years prior to Paul’s arrival in Corinth.
[5] (18:3). tent-makers. It was a custom among the Jews to bring their children up to learn a trade. Paul was a tentmaker which was an important trade in Tarsus. This is the only reference to Paul’s trade as a tentmaker. See Acts 20:34 and 1 Cor. 4:12.
[6] (18:6). he shook his clothes. This might refer to Neh 5:13 and also to Jesus’ statements about individuals who turn away from God (Matt 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:11).
[7] (18:12). Gallio. He was proconsul of Achaia in A.D. 51. In Corinth, the Jews brought Paul before Gallio, anticipating that he would pass judgment against him. Gallio replied by stating that their charges against Paul pertained to Jewish law, rather than civil law, and thus were not within his jurisdiction. He also opted not to intervene when the crowds attacked the synagogue leader, Sosthenes.
[8] 18:14). Judaism was a “permitted religion” according to Roman law. Christianity was able to benefit from this protection by aligning itself with Judaism. The Jews likely expressed concerns that Christians were not a legitimate subgroup of Judaism, but Gallio did not agree with their perspective. He essentially stated, “Resolve your own religious disputes on your own.” This decision was likely significant for the work of the gospel.
[9] (18:18). Paul having shorn his head. The indication of the fulfilment of a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:18; Acts 21:24). The reason for taking the vow remains unclear. Cenchrea. The eastern harbour of Corinth. While in Corinth, Paul authored 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
[10] (18:19). Ephesus. A famous city in Ionia, which served as the capital of the region known as ‘the province of Asia’ during Roman times, located in the western part of Asia Minor. Its proximity to the sea made it a hub of significant trade, and as the provincial capital, it maintained frequent communication with neighbouring towns. The renowned Temple of Diana also attracted many pagans. The residents were believed to be of Greek descent, with a substantial number of Jews involved in trade. Acts 18:19-24; Acts 19:1, 17, 26, 35; Acts 20:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:32; 1 Cor. 16:8; Eph. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 4:12; Rev. 1:11; Rev. 2:1. Today, it is called Ayasolook. The remnants are vast: the sea has receded, leaving behind a foul marsh of mud and reeds. The city came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. Ephesus is first mentioned in Acts 18:19.
[11] (18:24). Apollos. A knowledgeable Jew from Alexandria arrived in Ephesus while Aquila and Priscilla were present. He was well-versed in the Scriptures and spoke confidently about Jesus in the synagogue, but he still accepted further instruction from Aquila and Priscilla, who welcomed him into their home. Encouraged by the believers in Ephesus, he traveled to Achaia, where he focused his ministry on demonstrating through Scripture that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul informed the Corinthian church that Apollos worked alongside him, urging them not to create divisions based on their preference for a particular human leader. Later, Paul had to convince Apollos to come back to Corinth.
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