ActsChapter 18

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After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

There 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 went to see them,

and since they shared the same trade, he stayed and worked with them; they were tentmakers.

Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

But when they opposed him and hurled abuse at him, he shook out his clothes and said to them, "Your blood is on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

So he left there and went into the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to believe in the Lord together with his whole household, and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid. Keep on speaking; do not be silent,

for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, because I have many people in this city."

So he settled there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews joined together in an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.

"This man," they said, "is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law."

Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If this were a matter of some crime or serious wrongdoing, you Jews, I would have good reason to hear you out.

But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things."

And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

Then they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this concerned Gallio in the least.

Paul stayed on in Corinth for many days. Then he said farewell to the brothers and sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. Before sailing, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae, because of a vow he had made.

They arrived at Ephesus, where he left the two of them. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

When they asked him to stay longer, he declined,

but as he said farewell he promised, "I will come back to you if God is willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

He landed at Caesarea, went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

After spending some time there, he set out again and traveled from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures.

He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with burning enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival he was a great help to those who by grace had come to believe,

for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

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Summary2

Chapter 18

Main Theme: Paul establishes the church in Corinth and is strengthened by the Lord's promise, while Apollos receives deeper instruction in Ephesus.

Content: Paul arrives in Corinth and works as a tentmaker together with the married couple Aquila and Priscilla. He preaches in the synagogue but meets resistance from the Jews and turns to the Gentiles. The Lord encourages him through a vision and promises him protection, so Paul stays in the city for a year and a half. After appearing before the Roman proconsul Gallio without being condemned, Paul travels on via Ephesus to Antioch. In Ephesus, Apollos, a learned Jew from Alexandria, teaches, and Priscilla and Aquila give him a deeper understanding of God's way.

Key Words/Images:

Tentmakers (σκηνοποιοί): Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla shared the same trade, which created a foundation for fellowship and cooperation in the mission.
Night Vision: The Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and promised: "Do not be afraid! I have many people in this city" – this gave him courage to stay.
Gallio: The Roman proconsul rejected the Jews' accusations as an internal religious dispute, which provided Paul with legal protection.
Apollos: An eloquent and knowledgeable Jew from Alexandria who was instructed by Priscilla and Aquila and later strengthened the church in Achaia.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Acts 18

People

Aquila and Priscilla (Ἀκύλας, Πρίσκιλλα) were a Jewish couple who became key co-workers with Paul. Aquila originally came from Pontus by the Black Sea. The couple had recently arrived in Corinth after Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. The Roman historian Suetonius mentions this expulsion and links it to disturbances "because of Chrestus" – likely a reference to conflicts within the Jewish colony over Jesus as the Messiah. The expulsion is usually dated to 49 AD, providing an important anchor for the chronology in Acts.

Gallio was proconsul (ἀνθύπατος) of the province of Achaia. He was the brother of the philosopher Seneca and uncle of the poet Lucan. An inscription found in Delphi (the so-called "Gallio Inscription") dates his term of office to approximately 51–52 AD. This is one of the most secure chronological anchors in the entire New Testament. Gallio's refusal to hear the case against Paul established an important precedent: Romans regarded Christianity as an internal Jewish religious dispute, not a threat to Roman law.

Crispus (Κρίσπος) was the synagogue ruler (ἀρχισυνάγωγος) in Corinth. Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 1:14 that he personally baptized Crispus. Sosthenes (Σωσθένης), who succeeded Crispus as synagogue ruler, was beaten before the judge's seat. Many scholars identify him with the Sosthenes mentioned as a co-sender in 1 Corinthians 1:1, which may indicate that he too later came to faith.

Titius Justus (Τιτίου Ἰούστου, with textual variation in the manuscripts) was a God-fearing man whose house stood next door to the synagogue. After Paul turned away from the synagogue, this house became the starting point for his ministry.

Apollos (Ἀπολλῶς) was a Jewish scholar from Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria was an important center of Jewish learning, known for allegorical interpretation of Scripture (represented by Philo). Luke describes him as "learned" (λόγιος) and "mighty in the Scriptures" – terms pointing to thorough rhetorical and theological training. His knowledge limited only to "John's baptism" suggests that there were groups who knew about Jesus' movement through John the Baptist's preaching, but without full knowledge of the Pentecost event and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Places

Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia and one of the most significant cities of antiquity. The city was strategically located on the isthmus between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, with harbors facing both east (Cenchreae) and west (Lechaeum). This made Corinth a vital hub for trade between East and West. The city was notorious in antiquity for immorality – the verb "korinthiazesthai" (to live like a Corinthian) meant to live immorally.

Βῆμα (the judge's seat/bench) where Paul was brought before Gallio has been identified archaeologically. It was a large, raised platform in the center of the forum in Corinth, built of white and blue marble. Here Roman officials delivered public speeches and pronounced judgments. This structure is well preserved and can still be seen today.

Cenchreae (Κεγχρεαῖς) was Corinth's eastern port city facing the Aegean Sea, about 11 km from the city itself. Here Paul cut his hair because of a vow. Romans 16:1 mentions a church in Cenchreae with Phoebe as deacon, showing that Christianity spread quickly to this port town.

Ephesus was the provincial capital of Asia and one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. The city was known for the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of antiquity. Paul's brief visit here (vv. 19–21) laid the foundation for his later, longer stay (chapter 19).

Events and Customs

Tentmaking (σκηνοποιοί), which Paul shared with Aquila and Priscilla, involved working with leather and textiles – making tents, awnings, and similar products. It was common in Jewish tradition for learned rabbis also to have a trade. This gave Paul financial independence and the ability to preach without being accused of exploiting his listeners. In Corinth there was great demand for such products due to the large markets and the Isthmian Games held every two years.

Shaking the dust from one's clothes (ἐκτιναξάμενος τὰ ἱμάτια) was a symbolic act expressing that one disclaimed responsibility for another's fate. This symbolic action was known from Jewish practice where people shook dust from their feet when leaving pagan territory. Paul's words "Your blood be on your own heads" (Τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν) is a formula of judgment known from the Old Testament (cf. 2 Sam 1:16; Ezek 33:4).

The Nazirite vow, mentioned in connection with Paul's haircutting at Cenchreae, was regulated in Numbers 6. Such a vow involved abstaining from wine, not cutting one's hair, and avoiding contact with the dead. When the vow period ended, the hair was cut and burned as an offering in the temple. That Paul took such a vow shows that he continued to practice Jewish piety customs even while preaching to Gentiles.

Key Terms

Ἀνθύπατος (proconsul) was the title of the governor of a senatorial province – a province governed by the Roman Senate rather than directly by the emperor. Achaia was such a province, and Luke's use of the correct title demonstrates his accuracy in administrative details.

Σεβόμενος τὸν θεόν (God-fearing) describes Titius Justus and refers to Gentiles who worshipped the God of Israel, followed Jewish morality, and participated in synagogue services, but without becoming full proselytes through circumcision. These "God-fearers" constituted an important target group for the early Christian mission.

Τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου (the way of the Lord) and τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ (the way of God) were early designations for the Christian faith and lifestyle. The term "the Way" is used several times in Acts as a name for the Christian movement (cf. 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).

Chapter-Specific Findings

The Gallio Inscription from Delphi is the most important archaeological find for dating Paul's ministry. The inscription is a letter from Emperor Claudius mentioning Gallio as proconsul of Achaia. Based on this inscription, Gallio's term of office can be dated to about 51–52 AD, which places Paul's eighteen-month stay in Corinth at approximately 50–52 AD.

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