Acts 18
The Voice
This exchange is the most potent example of cross-cultural evangelism in the Bible. Paul provokes his audience to think and invites them to pursue God, but he does not attempt to summarize the gospel in simple propositions or acronyms. He connects their culture with the truth of the gospel and the beauty of the person who is Jesus. After that, it’s the job of the Holy Spirit.
18 From Athens, Paul traveled to Corinth alone. 2 He found a Jewish man there named Aquila, originally from Pontus. Aquila and his wife Priscilla had recently come to Corinth from Italy because Claudius had banished all Jews from Rome. Paul visited them in their home 3 and discovered they shared the same trade of tent making. He then became their long-term guest and joined them in their tentmaking business. 4 Each Sabbath he would engage both Jews and Greeks in debate in the synagogue in an attempt to persuade them of his message. 5 Eventually Silas and Timothy left Macedonia and joined him in Corinth. They found him fully occupied by proclaiming the message, testifying to the Jewish people that Jesus was God’s Anointed, the Liberating King. 6 Eventually, though, some of them stopped listening and began insulting him. He shook the dust off his garments in protest.
Paul: OK. I’ve done all I can for you. You are responsible for your own destiny before God. From now on, I will bring the good news to the outsiders!
7 He walked out of the synagogue and went next door to the home of an outsider, Titius Justus, who worshiped God. 8 Paul formed a gathering of believers there that included Crispus (the synagogue leader) and his whole household and many other Corinthians who heard Paul, believed, and were ceremonially washed through baptism. 9 One night Paul had a vision in which he heard the Lord’s voice.
The Lord: Do not be afraid, Paul. Speak! Don’t be silent! 10 I am with you, and no one will lay a finger on you to harm you. I have many in this city who are already My people.
11 After such turmoil in previous cities, these words encouraged Paul to extend his stay in Corinth, teaching the message of God among them for a year and six months.
Paul is no machine. He needs encouragement to faithfully pursue his calling in the face of persecution. While God allows Paul to experience serious persecution in many other cities, He spares him that trouble in Corinth even though the Jewish leaders still try to stir up the government officials against him. Paul knows that the greatest joys in life are found in passionately pursuing the dangerous mission of Jesus, and that God sustains His followers in good times and bad.
12 During this time, some Jews organized an attack on Paul and made formal charges against him to Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia.
Jews: 13 This man is convincing people to worship God in ways that contradict our Hebrew Scriptures.
Paul was about to speak, but Gallio spoke first.
Gallio: 14 Look, if this were some serious crime, I would accept your complaint as a legitimate legal case, 15 but this is just more of your typical Jewish squabbling about trivialities in your sacred literature. I have no interest in getting dragged into this kind of thing.
16 So he threw out their case and drove them away from his bench. 17 They were furious and seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official; then they beat him in front of the tribunal. Gallio just ignored them.
18 At the end of 18 months, Paul said good-bye to the believers in Corinth. He wanted to travel to the east and south to Syria by ship; so, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila, he went to the nearby port city of Cenchrea, where he fulfilled a vow he had made by cutting his hair. 19 The three of them sailed east to Ephesus where Paul would leave Priscilla and Aquila. Paul again went to the synagogue where he dialogued with the Jews. 20 They were receptive and invited him to stay longer. But he politely declined.
Paul: 21-22 If God wills, I’ll return at some point.
He caught a ship bound south and east for Caesarea by the sea. There he went up for a brief visit with the believers in the church at Jerusalem; then he headed north to Antioch. 23 He spent considerable time there and then left again, visiting city after city throughout Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples in each place.
24 Meanwhile, back in Ephesus, a Jew named Apollos made contact with the community of believers. He had been raised in Alexandria.
In Alexandria, Egyptian Jews such as Philo are known for seeking to integrate Greek philosophy with their faith.
Apollos was eloquent and well educated in the Hebrew Scriptures. 25 He was partially instructed in the way of the Lord, and he added to his native eloquence a burning enthusiasm to teach about Jesus. He taught accurately what he knew; but he had only understood part of the good news, specifically the ritual cleansing through baptism[a] preached by John, the forerunner of Jesus. 26 So, when Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they discerned both his gift and his lack of full understanding. They took him aside and in private explained the way of God to him more accurately and fully. 27 He wanted to head west into Achaia, where Paul had recently been, to preach there. The believers encouraged him to do so and sent a letter instructing the Greek disciples to welcome him. Upon his arrival, he was of great help to all in Achaia who had, by the grace of God, become believers. 28 This gifted speaker publicly demonstrated, based on the Hebrew Scriptures, that the promised Anointed One is Jesus. Then, when the Jews there raised counterarguments, he refuted them with great power.
Footnotes
- 18:25 Literally, immersion, an act to show repentance
Acts 18
1599 Geneva Bible
18 As Paul at Corinth 6 taught the Gentiles, 9 the Lord comforteth him. 12 He is accused before Gallio, 16 but in vain: 18 From thence he saileth to Syria, 19 and so to Ephesus. 23 At Galatia and Phrygia he strengtheneth the disciples. 24 Apollos being more perfectly instructed by Aquila, 28 preacheth Christ with great efficacy.
1 After [a]these things, Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth,
2 And found a certain Jew named (A)Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, and his wife Priscilla (because that [b]Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and he came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought (for their craft was to make tents.)
4 [c]And he disputed in the Synagogue every Sabbath day, and [d]exhorted the Jews, and the Grecians.
5 Now when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul, [e]forced in spirit, testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
6 [f]And when they resisted and blasphemed, he (B)shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your [g]blood be upon your own head: I am clean: from henceforth will I go unto the Gentiles.
7 So he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, a worshipper of God, whose house joined hard to the Synagogue.
8 And (C)Crispus the chief ruler of the Synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household: and many of the Corinthians hearing it, believed and were baptized.
9 [h]Then said the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Fear not, but speak, and hold not thy peace.
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall lay hands on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 So he [i]continued there a year and six months, and taught the word of God among them.
12 ¶ [j]Now when Gallio was deputy of [k]Achaia, the Jews arose with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God otherwise than the Law appointeth.
14 And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or an evil deed, O ye Jews, I would according to [l]reason maintain you.
15 But if it be a question of [m]words and [n]names, and of your Law, look ye to it yourselves: for I will be no judge of those things.
16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.
17 Then took all the Grecians Sosthenes the chief ruler of the Synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat: but Gallio cared nothing for those things.
18 [o]But when Paul had tarried there yet a good while, he took leave of the brethren, and sailed into Syria, (and with him Priscilla and Aquila) after that [p]he had shorn his head in [q]Cenchrea: for he had made a (D)vow.
19 Then he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he entered into the Synagogue and disputed with the Jews.
20 [r]Who desired him to tarry a longer time with them: but he would not consent,
21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must needs keep this feast that cometh, in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, (E)[s]if God will. So he sailed from Ephesus.
22 ¶ And when he came down to Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem: and when he had saluted the Church, he went down unto Antioch.
23 Now when he had tarried there a while, he departed, and went through the country of Galatia and Phrygia by order, strengthening all the disciples.
24 [t]And a certain Jew named (F)Apollos, born at Alexandria, came to Ephesus, an eloquent man, and [u]mighty in the Scriptures.
25 The same was instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spake fervently in the Spirit, and taught diligently the things of the Lord, and knew but the baptism of John only.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the Synagogue. Whom when (G)Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the [v]way of God more perfectly.
27 And when he was minded to go into Achaia, the brethren exhorting him, wrote to the disciples to receive him: and after he was come thither, he helped them much which had believed through [w]grace.
28 For mightily he confuted publicly the Jews, with great vehemency, showing by the Scriptures, that Jesus was that Christ.
Footnotes
- Acts 18:1 The true ministers are so far from seeking their own profit, that they do willingly depart from their right, rather than the course of the Gospel should be hindered in the least wise that might be.
- Acts 18:2 Suetonius recordeth that Rome banished the Jews, because they were always at disquiet, and that by Christ’s means.
- Acts 18:4 The truth ought always to be freely uttered, yet notwithstanding the doctrine may be so moderated, as occasion of the profit that the people take thereby, shall require.
- Acts 18:4 Exhorted so that he persuaded, and so the word signifieth.
- Acts 18:5 Was very much grieved in mind: whereby is signified the great earnestness of his mind, which was greatly moved: for Paul was so zealous, that he clean forgot himself, and with a wonderful courage gave himself to preach Christ.
- Acts 18:6 Although we have assayed all means possible, and yet in vain, we must not leave off from our work, but forsake the rebellious, and go to them that be more obedient.
- Acts 18:6 This is a kind of speech taken from the Hebrews, whereby he meaneth, that the Jews are cause of their own destruction: and as for him, that he is without fault in forsaking them and going to other nations.
- Acts 18:9 God doth avouch and maintain the constancy of his servants.
- Acts 18:11 Word for word, sat, whereupon they in former time, took the name of their Bishop’s seat: but Paul sat, that is, continued teaching the word of God: and this kind of seat belongeth nothing to them which never saw their seats with a mind to teach in them.
- Acts 18:12 The wicked are never weary of evil doing, but the Lord mocketh their endeavors marvelously.
- Acts 18:12 That is, of Greece, yet the Romans did not call him Deputy of Greece, but of Achaia, because the Romans brought the Greeks into subjection by the Achaians, which in those days were Princes of Greece, as Pausanias recordeth.
- Acts 18:14 As much as in right I could.
- Acts 18:15 As if a man have not spoken well, as the case of your religion standeth.
- Acts 18:15 For this profane man thinketh that the controversy of religion, is but a brawl about words, and for no matter of substance.
- Acts 18:18 Paul is made all to all, to win all to Christ.
- Acts 18:18 That is, Paul.
- Acts 18:18 Cenchrea was an haven of the Corinthians.
- Acts 18:20 The Apostles were carried about not by the will of man, but by the leading of the holy Ghost.
- Acts 18:21 So we should promise nothing without this clause, for we know not what the day following will bring forth.
- Acts 18:24 Apollos, a godly and learned man, refuseth not to profit in the school of a base and abject handicraftsman, and also of a woman: and so becometh an excellent minister of the Church.
- Acts 18:24 Very well instructed in the knowledge of the Scriptures.
- Acts 18:26 The way that leadeth to God.
- Acts 18:27 Through God’s gracious favor, or by those excellent gifts which God hath bestowed upon him.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
