The Fire in Corinth

religious center (Aphrodite), trade center, games center (Isthmus games second only to Olympics), political center. Corinth was the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire. It was sin city.

Paul was discouraged when he reached Corinth. Asked to leave Philippi, Run out of Thessalanika, chased out of Berea by disgruntled Thessalonians, alone and practically ignored by Athens. Now alone again in the most vile city of the Roman Empire.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NASB95

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Priscilla and Aquila - Probably Christians already because Luke doesn’t mention their conversion as he does other people in Corinth, Tent Makers = leather workers - may have met in the synagogue because often people would sit together in the meeting by their trade. Later hosted the church in their home in Ephesus.

1 Corinthians 16:19 NASB95

19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

The Acts of the Apostles In the Worst City of All (Acts 18:1–11)

It was in AD 49 that Claudius banished all the Jews from Rome

Paul lived and worked with them. Rabbi’s didn’t charge for teaching, but all knew a trade.

2 Corinthians 11:9 NASB95

9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

Old Friends (5-6)

Acts 18:5–6 NASB95

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Brought financial support.

2 Corinthians 11:9 NASB95

blood on their own heads:

Ezekiel 33:1–9 NASB95

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. 6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. 8 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. 9 “But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.

Our job is to present people the choice to believe in Jesus Christ or not.

New Converts (7-8)

Acts 18:7–11 NASB95

7 Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Acts 18:7–8 NASB95

Acts 18

Paul didn’t go far - just next door.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit (Acts 18:1–22)

It was the ruler’s job to see to it that the synagogue building was cared for and that the services were held in a regular and orderly manner.

Nothing more encouraging than the salvation of a soul.

God’s Word (9-11)

Acts 18:9–11 NASB95

9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Responsibility

Presence

Promise

Fruit

Ephesians 1:4 NASB95

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

World (12-17)

Acts 18:12–17 NASB95

12 But while 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 it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15 but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

William Barclay:

The Acts of the Apostles Unbiased Roman Justice (Acts 18:12–17)

Gallio was famous for his kindness. Seneca, his brother, said of him: ‘Even those who love my brother Gallio to the utmost of their power do not love him enough’, and also: ‘No man was ever as sweet to one as Gallio is to all.’

ACHAIA (Ȧ·kāʹ yȧ) Roman province in which Gallio was deputy, or proconsul, in the time of Paul the apostle (). It consisted roughly of the southern half of ancient Greece, including the Peloponnesus. Major cities in Achaia included Sparta, Athens, and Corinth, which was the administrative center. Like the county seat.

HIBD

882. Ἀχαΐα Achaia; of unc. or.; Achaia, a Roman province incl. most of Greece:—Achaia(10).

NASB Dictionaries

of Achaia NASB95, NKJV, ESV, KJV 1900, CSB

Text Comparison

τῆς tēs

ὁ hothe

ο o the

DGSF article, genitive, singular, feminine

G3588 Greek Strong’s

LN 92.24 Louw-Nida

Ἀχαΐας Achaias

Ἀχαΐα AchaiaAchaia

Αχαια Achaia Achaia

NGSF noun, genitive, singular, feminine

G882 Greek Strong’s

LN 93.419 Louw-Nida

Narrative, Historical

Figure of Speech

Description: Parable: i.e., Continued Simile

Name: Parabola

Judgment seat (Greco-Roman) Cultural Concept

Inter-ethnic relations Cultural Concept

Longacre Genre

Primary: Narrative: Story

Semantic Feature

Category: Parenthetical

Genitive Absolute Grammatical Constructions

“Achaia” refers to:

Achaia — The southern region of Greece.

The Early Church Event

Paul’s missions Event

Paul’s second missionary journey Event

Paul in Corinth Event

Paul appears before Gallio Event

Baptism, Clothing, Complaining, Conflict, Education, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Family, God: Presence, Guidance, Guilt, Hospitality, Law, Marriage, Mission, Persecution, Responsibility, Revelation, Sabbath and Rest, Vision, Work

b ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,

Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:

for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost. 17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”

a ;

The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.”

He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit (Acts 18:1–22)

the enemy gets angry when we invade his territory and liberate his slaves.

Sosthenes: the new leader of the synagogue

1 Corinthians 1:1 NASB95

1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Acts 18:1–22 NASB95

1 After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 But while 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 it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15 but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things. 18 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

Going Back Home (18-22)

NASB Dictionaries

tentmakers NKJV, ESV, KJV 1900, CSB

tent-makers NASB95

Text Comparison

σκηνοποιοὶ skēnopoioi

σκηνοποιός skēnopoiostentmaker

ποιεω poieō do; make

σκηνη skēnē tent; tabernacle

NNPM noun, nominative, plural, masculine

G4635 Greek Strong’s

LN 7.10 Louw-Nida

tentmaker noun

Narrative, Historical

Acts 18:18–22 NASB95

18 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

Figure of Speech

Description: Parable: i.e., Continued Simile

Name: Parabola

Longacre Genre

Primary: Narrative: Story

Semantic Feature

Category: Reason

Wiersbe:

The Early Church Event

Paul’s missions Event

1 Corinthians 16:19 NASB95

19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Paul’s second missionary journey Event

Paul in Corinth Event

Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla Event

a ;

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit (Acts 18:1–22)

Cenchraea was the seaport for Corinth, and there was a Christian congregation there (Rom. 16:1). Here Paul had his head shorn, “for he had a vow.” This probably refers to the Nazarite vow described in Numbers 6. Since the Nazarite vow was purely voluntary, Paul was not abandoning grace for law when he undertook it. The vow was not a matter of salvation but of personal devotion to the Lord. He allowed his hair to grow for a specific length of time and then cut it when the vow was completed. He also abstained from using the fruit of the vine in any form.

and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.

a ; ;

Paul had been on the mission field for about 2 years.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,

Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.

Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.

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