_PAUL LABOURETH WITH HIS HANDS, AND PREACHETH AT CORINTH TO THE GENTILES: THE LORD ENCOURAGETH HIM IN A VISION: HE IS ACCUSED BEFORE GALLIO THE DEPUTY, BUT IS DISMISSED: AFTERWARDS PASSING FROM CITY TO CITY, HE STRENGTHENETH THE DISCIPLES. APPOLLOS BEING MORE PERFECTLY INSTRUCTED BY AQUILA AND PRISC... [ Continue Reading ]
TO CORINTH;— Achaia Propria was a part of Greece, and _Corinth_ the metropolis of Achaia Propria. It was a famous mart town; for, by standing in the middle of the isthmus, it had the trade of both the eastern and western seas, that is, through Asia and Europe. It was at first called _Ephyre;_ but it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE SAME CRAFT,— Aquila and Priscilla seem to have had a house at Corinth; for they had settled so far in that city, as to enter upon their usual employment, which was to make _tents_ and _pavilions_ of linen or of skins; such as in those hot countries they sometimes lived in d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE REASONED, &C.— Philo informs us, that many Jews inhabited Corinth, and the chief and best parts of Peloponnesus. And St. Luke in this place, as well as St. Paul in his two epistles to the Corinthians, has given plain intimation that there were several Jews in that city; for they had a synagog... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SILAS AND TIMOTHEUS WERE COME, &C.— St. Paul was at Corinth some time before his two assistants came up to him, and so long he frequented the synagogue; but when Timothy was come from Thessalonica, and Silas from Berea, and they had told him what success they had met with in watering the go... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM HENCEFORTH I WILL GO, &C.— That is, "From henceforth I will apply myself to the Gentiles only in this city, and no longer fruitlessly attempt the conversion of you Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUSTUS,— From the account here given of this Justus, he was a devout Gentile,whomSt. Paul now converted through divine grace to Christianity at Corinth. The Jews had, in some places, houses _annexed to their synagogues,_ for the entertainment of strangers and travellers: the house of Justus was prob... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CRISPUS,— St. Paul's labours in the synagogue had not been without some success; for _Crispus, one of the rulers_ of the synagogue, embraced Christianity with his whole family; and afterwards manyother of the Corinthians, when they heard the Christian doctrine and the evidences of it, embraced t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN GALLIO WAS THE DEPUTY OF ACHAIA,— The _proconsul of Achaia,—_ 'Ανθυπατος. This is another instance of the great accuracy with which St. Luke expresses himself. The provinces of the Roman empire were of two sorts; _Caesarean,_ or such as were subject to the emperor; and _proconsular,_ or such as... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT WERE A MATTER OF WRONG, &C.— _If it were a matter of injustice, or mischievous licentiousness._ Heylin reads the passage, _If your accusation were for some act of injustice, or other immorality, I would hear you patiently, as reason requires I should._... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF IT BE A QUESTION OF WORDS— _But since your dispute is only about words, and names, and your own law, you must decide it yourselves._ The truth is, that religious and civil affairs are of an entirely distinct nature; that the latter come under the cognizance of the magistrate; and that it is n... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ALL THE GREEKS TOOK SOSTHENES,— The Jews did not pay a proper regard to Gallio's orders: they had indeed the power of scourging in their synagogues whom they thought proper, of their own nation and religion: but they were at present so enraged and insolent, as to seize upon Sosthenes, who had b... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL AFTER THIS TARRIED, &C.— The apostle, thus screened by Gallio, remained at Corinth a good while longer; so that his stay in that city was in all about two years. Considering his unwearied diligence, and that he did not use to stay long in any place, unless he had a prospect of success, we may r... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAME TO EPHESUS,— For the short time that the apostle now continued at Ephesus, which seems to have been but one sabbath-day, he went into the synagogue, and discoursed with the Jews, and with such Gentiles as usually attended the synagogue service, concerning the Christian doctrine; but when... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER HE HAD SPENT SOME TIME THERE,— After St. Paul had made some stay in Antioch, he set out upon his third apostolic journey, and went through _Galatia and Phrygia,_ καθεξης, _from church to church, in that order in which he had founded them._ As this would take him up a great deal of time, mo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEING FERVENT IN THE SPIRIT,— The baptism of John, we find, ch. Acts 19:2 was attended with very imperfect instruction or divine illuminations; yet upon that baptism, and the grace he had received, Apollos, being a man of warmth and eloquence, is said to have preached the gospel ακριβως, that is... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO—HELPED, &C.— The best comment on the words is what we are told elsewhere, 1 Corinthians 3:6. _Paul planted, and Apollos watered; but God gave the increase._ It is indeed true, both that the Corinthians had _believed through grace,_ and that through grace Apollos _helped them._ The latter strongl... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE MIGHTILY CONVINCED THE JEWS,— The proper and full meaning of this passage seems to be as follows: "Apollos, with great judgment, earnestness and power, reasoned with the Jews in their public assemblies before all the people, confutingtheir objections, and plainlydemonstrating from Old Testame... [ Continue Reading ]