EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Acts 18:1-28

Good News for Everyone

Acts

Marion Adams

Chapter 18 Paul goes to Corinth, 18:1-4

v1 After this, Paul left Athens and he went to Corinth. v2 In Corinth, he met a *Jew called Aquila. Aquila had been born in Pontus. A short time before he met Paul, he had come from Italy. This was because the *Emperor Claudius had ordered all *Jews to leave Rome. Aquila’s wife, Priscilla, had come with him. Paul went to visit Aquila and Priscilla. v3 He stayed with them and they worked together. Paul was a maker of tents. Aquila and Priscilla were makers of tents too. v4 Paul went to the *synagogue every *Sabbath. He spoke to the *Jews and *Gentiles and he tried to persuade them.

Verse 1 Paul travelled 145 kilometres (90 miles) west to Corinth. It was on the coast and it had two harbours. Many people travelled there from the east and the west to do business. Corinth was a very important city for trade.

There was a rocky hill behind the city. People built a *temple for the *goddess Aphrodite there. Aphrodite was the *goddess of love and sex. A thousand female slaves worked in the *temple. At night, they went down to the city. Men paid them for sex. Corinth was famous for the wicked things that happened there.

Verse 2 Aquila and his wife had left Rome because the *Emperor had ordered it. This happened about *AD 49. The *Roman writer Suetonius also mentions that this happened. Suetonius wrote that the *Jews were causing trouble ‘because of “Chrestus” ’. Although he spelled the name differently, he probably meant *Christ. So, it was probably the *Jewish *Christians who had to leave. Aquila and Priscilla were already *Christians when Paul met them.

Verses 3-4 Paul may have met Aquila and Priscilla in the *synagogue. When Paul needed to work for money, he made tents. Aquila and Priscilla also made tents. So, Paul stayed in their home and he worked with them.

As usual, Paul *preached in the *synagogue first. He spoke to both *Jewish and *Gentile ‘*God-fearers’. He tried to persuade them that Jesus was the *Messiah. Luke, the author of Acts, does not describe how Paul did this. He probably did it in the same way as Luke described earlier (see Acts 17:2-3).

Paul stays in Corinth for 18 months, 18:5-11

v5 Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all the time *preaching. He *preached to the *Jews. He told them that Jesus was the *Messiah. v6 But the *Jews opposed him. They said evil things about him. So, he shook the dust from his clothes. He told them, ‘Whatever happens to you now is your fault. I am not responsible for it. From now on, I will go to the *Gentiles.’ v7 So, he left them. He went to a house next to the *synagogue. Titius Justus, a man who *worshipped God, lived there. v8 Crispus, the leader of the *synagogue, believed in the *Lord. So, did everyone in his family. Many other people in Corinth heard Paul’s message. They also believed and received *baptism.

v9 One night, Paul had a *vision. In this *vision, the *Lord said, ‘Do not be afraid! Continue to *preach. Do not stop! v10 I am with you. Nobody will attack and hurt you. Many people in this city belong to me.’ v11 Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months. He taught God’s message to the people.

Verse 5 Silas and Timothy came to meet Paul. They had been in Berea (Acts 17:14) and Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Now, Paul did not have to make tents for money. This was because Silas and Timothy probably had a gift of money from the Christians in Philippi (Philippians 4:14-17).

Verse 6 Again, some *Jews could not believe that Jesus was their *Messiah. So, Paul ‘shook the dust from his clothes’. This showed that he *rejected the people from that *synagogue. He rejected them as they had rejected him. If they would not accept *salvation, Paul was not to blame. So, Paul went to the *Gentiles in Corinth instead.

We must remember this too. We must tell people the *gospel. But if they choose not to believe it, that is not our fault.

Verses 7-8 Paul and the other *Christians met in a house next to the *synagogue. This was a private house. Titius Justus owned it. Some students think that he was a *Roman citizen. Crispus, the leader of the *synagogue, also became a *Christian. Probably, he left the *synagogue with Paul. Many other people also became *Christians.

Verses 9-10 Paul had another *vision. ‘The *Lord’ here refers to Jesus. Jesus appeared to Paul again and he encouraged him. Paul probably felt afraid in Corinth. Although the new *church was growing, the *Jews opposed him. When the *Jews had opposed him in Thessalonica and Berea, Paul had to leave. But Jesus told Paul to carry on with what he was doing. He told Paul that he must not be afraid. He must *preach boldly.

Jesus reminded Paul that he was with him. He has promised this to everyone who does his work (Matthew 28:19). Jesus said that many people in Corinth would become *Christians. God had already chosen them.

Verse 11 Paul obeyed Jesus. He stayed in Corinth for one and a half years. Probably, he stayed from the autumn of *AD 50 to the spring of *AD 52. We know this because that was when Gallio governed Achaia. Luke mentions Gallio next.

Paul and Gallio, 18:12-17

v12 When Gallio governed Achaia, the *Jews met together. They seized Paul and they took him to the court. v13 They said, ‘He is persuading our people to *worship God in a way that is against the law!’

v14 Before Paul could speak, Gallio spoke to the *Jews. He said, ‘If you accused this man of a crime, I would have to listen. v15 But you are arguing about words and names. You are arguing about your own *Law! So, you must settle it. I will not decide about these things.’ v16 So, he made them leave the court. v17 They all seized Sosthenes. He was the leader of the *synagogue. They hit him many times. They did this in front of the court and but Gallio did not care about this.

Verse 12 Probably, Gallio began to govern the region called Achaia when Paul was in Corinth. Corinth was in Achaia. *Roman writers who knew Gallio said that he was kind to everyone. Perhaps the *Jews thought that he would help them. They wanted to make him angry with Paul and the *Christians. So, they took Paul to the court. The court was in the market-place. Gallio was the judge.

Verse 13 *Roman law allowed the *Jews to practise their own religion. But the *Jews said that Paul was not teaching *Judaism. He was teaching a new way to *worship God. And Paul had not asked the *Roman rulers if he could teach this new way. So, they said that it was not legal.

Verses 14-15 But Gallio said that Paul had not acted against *Roman law. He said that they were arguing about *Jewish *Law. He would not do anything about that. So, he forced them to leave the court.

Verses 16-17 It is not certain what ‘all’ means here. It may mean the *Jews. Or it may refer to the *Gentile crowd. In the first century *AD, many *Gentiles did not like the *Jews. So, perhaps they took this chance to show their hate. Or perhaps the *Jews were angry with their leader, Sosthenes. This was because he had not persuaded Gallio to punish Paul. Or perhaps Sosthenes was a *Christian (see 1 Corinthians 1:1). So, the *Jews attacked him instead of Paul. But Gallio did not help.

They did not attack and hurt Paul. Jesus had promised that to Paul (Acts 18:10). *Roman law had protected him. Gallio had made an important decision. He let Paul continue to *preach. It was not a crime to *preach. Gallio showed that this was not against *Roman law. Other judges would have to agree. So, Paul could *preach the *gospel anywhere in the *Roman *empire. Luke always tried to persuade his readers that the *gospel was legal. He showed that the *Christian *faith was good for the *Roman *empire. He showed that *Christians did not cause trouble for the *Roman government.

Paul returns to Antioch, 18:18-23

v18 Paul stayed in Corinth. He stayed with the *believers there for many days. Then he left them and he sailed to Syria. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Before he sailed from Cenchrea, he cut off his hair. He did this because he had made a special promise to God. v19 They arrived in Ephesus city. Paul left Priscilla and Aquila and he went into the *synagogue. He talked with the *Jews there. v20 They asked him to stay longer with them but he refused. v21 He left but he said, ‘If God allows me, I will return to you.’ Then he sailed from Ephesus.

v22 He arrived at Caesarea. He went to *Jerusalem and he greeted the members of the *church there. Then he went to Antioch. v23 He stayed in Antioch for some time then he left. He went to several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the *believers there to have a stronger *faith.

Verse 18 Cenchrea was the name of the harbour at Corinth. Paul started a *church there (Romans 16:1). He probably started other *churches in the region also. In 2 Corinthians 1:1, he writes ‘to all God’s people in Achaia’.

Before he left Corinth, he cut off his hair. *Jews did this to give thanks to God (see Numbers 6:1-21). They usually did it in *Jerusalem. They burnt the hair as a *sacrifice in the *Temple. This showed that they offered themselves to God. But if they were far from *Jerusalem, they could keep the pieces of hair. Later, when they went to the *Temple, they brought the hair with them. Perhaps Luke mentions this to show that Paul still practised *Jewish customs. Although the *Jews opposed him, Paul was still a *Jew. They accused him of opposing their traditions.

Priscilla and Aquila sailed with Paul. Probably, Silas and Timothy stayed in Corinth to help the new *believers there.

Verses 19-21 Paul did not stay long in Ephesus. We do not know why he had to leave. Perhaps he wanted to go to the *Temple in *Jerusalem. Then he could offer his *sacrifice (verse 18). He left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and he sailed to Caesarea.

Caesarea was over 966 kilometres (600 miles) away. When Paul returned to Ephesus, there was a new *church there.

Verse 22 The word ‘*Jerusalem’ does not appear in the original account. But students think that this is where Paul went. Then Paul returned to Antioch in Syria.

Verse 23 Paul probably stayed from the summer of *AD 52 to the spring of *AD 53. Then he started his third *missionary journey. He went north first. He probably visited the *churches in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. He had started these *churches in his first journey (Acts Chapter s 13-14). He went back to them on his second journey too (Acts 16:6).

Apollos in Ephesus, 18:24-28

v24 Meanwhile, a *Jew called Apollos came to Ephesus. He was born in Alexandria. He was a clever man and he was an excellent speaker. He knew the *scriptures very well. v25 He had learnt about the Way of the *Lord. He was very excited when he spoke about this. He taught the right things about Jesus. But he only knew about John’s *baptism. v26 He began to speak boldly in the *synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila heard him. They invited him to their home and they explained more about God’s way to him. Then, he understood it even better. v27 Apollos wanted to go to Achaia and the *believers in Ephesus helped him. They wrote to the *believers in Achaia and they urged them to greet him. Apollos arrived in Achaia. He was very helpful to everyone who, because of God’s *grace, had become *believers. v28 He had some strong arguments with the *Jews. This happened in public. He used the *scriptures to prove that Jesus is the *Messiah.

Verse 24 Apollos was born in Alexandria, a city in *Egypt. About one million *Jews lived there. It was famous as a place for *Jews to study the *scriptures. In Alexandria, *Jews learned that the *scriptures described events that had special meanings. They learned about what these events meant. This kind of education helped Apollos later to argue with the *Jews (verse 27).

Verse 25 In Acts, the *Christian *faith is often called ‘the Way’ (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 19:23; Acts 22:4; Acts 24:14; Acts 24:22). As *Christians, we must show our beliefs by what we do. We are not just obeying rules. We are obeying a person - Jesus *Christ, God’s Son. The ‘Way’ is a person, not a religion.

Apollos knew about Jesus. He believed in him. But Apollos did not know about *Christian *baptism. *Christian *baptism shows that we have been born again in a *spiritual way. We have started a new life with the *Holy Spirit. Perhaps Apollos did not know that the *Holy Spirit had come to live in all *believers (Acts 2:17-21). He only knew about the message of John the *Baptist. John told people that they needed to *repent and to turn away from *sin. Apollos did not teach wrong things. However, there were things that he did not know.

Verse 26 Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos *preach. They realised that he did not know some very important things. But they did not tell him this in public. Instead, they invited him to their home. In private, they taught him the things that he did not know. For example, the *Old Testament *prophets had said many things about the *Messiah. These had become true in the life, death and *resurrection of Jesus. This was ‘God’s Way’. All the early speeches in Acts were about this.

Apollos was very clever. He had a good education. But he was not too proud to learn more. So, God was able to use him to do important work for the *kingdom.

Verse 27-28 Later, Apollos went to Corinth (in Achaia). He used his knowledge of the *Old Testament and its special meanings. He used what he had learnt in Ephesus. He had a strong *faith in Jesus. He defended that *faith against the *Jews in public.

Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
emperor ~ the most important ruler in Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
synagogue ~ a building where Jews gathered for prayer. They went there to study the scriptures. And they went there to attend other public meetings.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
scripture ~ the Bible, the book that contains God’s holy messages; the Old Testament.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.

Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Sabbath ~ the Sabbath was the 7th day in the week. That day was special to the Jews. On that day, the people had to rest from work (Exodus 20:8-11).
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Gentile ~ not Jewish; a person that is not a Jew; a person who does not know God. ‘Gentiles’ can mean people from all countries (but it does not include Jews).
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
goddess ~ a false female god.
AD ~ AD 50 means 50 years after Jesus was born, and so on.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
preach ~ to tell the good news about Jesus to a person or people; and to explain it to them.'God-fearer ~ a Gentile that worshipped God.
Gentile ~ not Jewish; a person that is not a Jew; a person who does not know God. ‘Gentiles’ can mean people from all countries (but it does not include Jews).
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Messiah ~ in the Old Testament, the anointed king; in the New Testament, Jesus. It means the same as *Christ.

Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil. This shows that God has chosen him or her.

New Testament ~ the Bible’s last part, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church. It is about what Christians believe. And it is about what they do.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible; the name means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus when we obey him; someone with authority.
baptism ~ when someone baptises someone; when the Holy Spirit comes into a person when they know *Christ.
baptise ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; how we show that *Christ has made a person clean; to send the Holy Spirit into someone, which God does; to show to everyone that a person belongs to *Christ together with other people; to show to everyone that a person is in the church.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
vision ~ a dream; sometimes a dream that comes to a person when he or she is awake.
reject ~ not to accept.
salvation ~ when God saves us from sin’s results and he saves us from its power; when a person is sorry for his or her wrong behaviour and God forgives the person. And then that person obeys Jesus.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Gospel ~ a book at the beginning of the New Testament. There are 4 Gospels. They are called Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
gospel ~ the good news about Jesus; the message that Jesus came to save us.

New Testament ~ the Bible’s last part, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church. It is about what Christians believe. And it is about what they do.
save ~ to rescue from sin’s result.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
empire ~ a very big kingdom.
kingdom ~ where a king rules; a country where a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules.
faith ~ when someone believes in someone or something; when someone is really sure about God and Jesus his Son; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians say are true about Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
believer ~ a person who knows *Christ and accepts him.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
sacrifice ~ when someone kills an animal and he offers it to God (or a false god). In this way, he asks God (or a false god) to forgive him.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
missionary ~ a person who goes to another country to tell people about Jesus.
scripture ~ the Bible, the book that contains God’s holy messages; the Old Testament.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.

Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
spiritual ~ when something belongs to the spirit; when something belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things; a word that people use to refer to holy things.
spirit ~ a person’s spirit is the part in them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after his or her body is dead. There are good spirits. Those include God’s Spirit and his angels. There are also evil spirits. These include Satan and his angels.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Satan ~ the name for the worst spirit among the evil spirits, who are against God. He has another name, which is the Devil. He is God’s enemy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Baptist ~ a man who baptises people.
baptise ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; how we show that *Christ has made a person clean; to send the Holy Spirit into someone, which God does; to show to everyone that a person belongs to *Christ together with other people; to show to everyone that a person is in the church.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
repent ~ to stop doing sin and then to obey God; to change from past evil behaviour; to let one’s mind change, so that one stops doing wrong things.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.'Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person that God sends to speak for him.
resurrection ~ when someone comes back to life after death; when someone rises from death to life.
kingdom ~ where a king rules; a country where a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules.

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