Acts 18:3

And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. AND BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE SAME CRAFT, HE ABODE WITH THEM. Whether this couple were converted before Paul made their acquaintance, or were won over to Christ through contact with him, is a question on which commentators are pretty equally divided. In favour of their previous conversion is: (1) That no mention is made of their conversion by the apostle's instrumentality, which, in the case of persons occupying from this time forward so important a place in the apostolic history, we might have expected; (2) That all we read of them suggests the idea of ripe Christians, rather than of new converts. (So Olshausen, Wieseler, Hackett, Lange.) Against their previous conversion Meyer urges the following arguments (which are held conclusive by Baumgarten, Alford, L...

− 3._They were of the same trade. _This place teacheth that Paul, before he came to Corinth, was wont to work with his hands; and that not upon pleasure, but that he might get his living with his handiwork. It is not known where he first learned his occupation; notwithstanding it appeareth by his own testimony that he wrought principally at Corinth. And he showeth a reason, because the false apostles taught freely without taking any thing, that they might craftily creep in, therefore the holy man would not give place to them in that point, lest he should cause the gospel of Christ to be evil spoken of, ( 1 Corinthians 9:12.) But we may easily gather out of this place, that whithersoever he came, (until he was occupied in the continual labor of teachings) he wrought of his occupation, that he might get his living. When Chrysostom saith that Paul was a cordiner he doth no whit di

1-6 Though Paul was entitled to support from the churches he planted, and from the people to whom he preached, yet he worked at his calling. An honest trade, by which a man may get his bread, is not to be looked upon with contempt by any. It was the custom of the Jews to bring up their children to some trade, though they gave them learning or estates. Paul was careful to prevent prejudices, even the most unreasonable. The love of Christ is the best bond of the saints; and the communings of the saints with each other, sweeten labour, contempt, and even persecution. Most of the Jews persisted in contradicting the gospel of Christ, and blasphemed. They would not believe themselves, and did all they could to keep others from believing. Paul hereupon left them. He did not give over his work; for though Israel be not gathered, Christ and his gospel shall be glorious. The Jews could not compla...

Verse Acts 18:3. _HE ABODE WITH THEM, AND WROUGHT_] Bp. Pearce observes that it was a custom among the Jews, even of such as had a better education than ordinary, which was Paul's case, Acts 22:3, to learn a trade, that, wherever they were, they might provide for themselves in case of necessity. And though Paul, in some cases, lived on the bounty of his converts, yet he chose not to do so at Ephesus, Acts 20:34; nor at Corinth or other places, 1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 9:8;...

THE SAME CRAFT - Of the same trade or occupation. AND WROUGHT - And worked at that occupation. Why he did it the historian does not affirm; but it seems pretty evident that it was because he had no other means of maintenance. He also labored for his own support in Ephesus Acts 20:34 and at Thessalonica, 2 Thessalonians 3:9. The apostle was not ashamed of honest industry for a livelihood; nor did he deem it any disparagement that a minister of the gospel should labor with his own hands. FOR BY THEIR OCCUPATION - By their trade; that is, they had been brought up to this business. Paul had been designed originally for a lawyer, and had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. But it

EXPOSITION ACTS 18:1 _He _for _Paul, _A.V. and T.R. AFTER THESE THINGS, etc. No hint is given by St. Luke as to the length of Paul's sojourn at Athens. But as the double journey of the Beroeans, who accompanied him to Athens, back to Beraea, and of Timothy from Beraea to Athens, amounted to above five hundred miles, we cannot suppose it to have been less than a month; and it may have been a good deal more. His reasonings in the synagogue with the Jews and devout Greeks, apparently on successive sabbaths, his daily disputations in the Agora, apparently not begun till after he had "waited" some time for Silas and Timothy, the knowledge he had acquired of the numerous temples and altars at Athens, and the phrase with which this chapter begins, all indicate a stay of some length. CAME TO CORINTH. If by land, a forty

AND BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE SAME CRAFT, Art, occupation, or trade: HE ABODE WITH THEM; in the same house in which they were: AND WROUGHT; with his own hands, to support himself, for he was a stranger in this place; and as yet here was no church to minister to him; and when there was, he would take nothing of them, that the false teachers, who rose up among them, might not make any handle of it against him, and to the prejudice of the Gospel; though otherwise he thought it his just due to receive a maintenance from the churches; and insisted upon it as an ordination of Christ. He learned a trade whilst among the Jews, with whom it was common for their greatest doctors to be brought up to some trade or another; Mark 6:3. FOR BY THEIR OCCUPATION THEY WERE TENT MAKERS; either for the soldiers, and which were made of sack cloth of hair,

Paul had been preaching the gospel at Athens to the most famous men of that city gathered at Areopagus. Acts 18:1. _After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth:_ Another most important city of Greece, where he struck at the very center of the country by preaching the gospel, since these were the centers of commerce, and also of literature. Acts 18:2. _And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them._ Lodged with them. Acts 18:3. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their

ACTS 18:2-4 The original form of the Western text, which in verses Acts 18:2 and Acts 18:3 codex Bezae presents in a form somewhat accommodated to the Alexandrian text, appears to have been the following (reconstructed by Ropes, chiefly on the basis of ith and syrhmg): kai. eu-ren VAku,lan( Pontiko.n tw|/ ge,nei( VIoudai/on( prosfa,twj evlhluqo,ta avpo. th/j VItali,aj su.n Priski,llh| gunaiki. auvtou/( kai. prosh/lqen auvtoi/j\ ou-toi de. evxh/lqon avpo. th/j ~Rw,mhj dia. to. tetace,nai Klau,dion Kai,sara cwri,zesqai pa,ntaj VIoudai,ouj avpo. th/j ~Rw,mhj\ oi] kai. katw,|khsan eivj th.n VAca...

CHAPTER 18 _ 1. In Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla. His Testimony and Separation from the Jews (Acts 18:1)._ 2. Encouragement from the Lord in a vision (Acts 18:9). 3. Paul and Gallio (Acts 18:12). 4. From Corinth to Ephesus and Antioch. The second journey ended (Acts 18:18). 5. Establishing disciples in Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:23). 6. Apollos, the Alexandrian (Acts 18:24). Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned here for the first time.