Acts 18:1-28

Introduction

Scripture Passage: ESV - Acts 18:1-17

Acts 18:1–17 ESV

1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. 6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people 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 wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

Old Corinth had such a notorious reputation that “to Corinthianize” could mean “to fornicate,” and “Corinthian girl” was a way of referring to a whore.

D. A. Carson; Douglas J. Moo

Corinth

Corinth

Key Points of Acts 18:1-17

Theological Insight #1: The gospel can make headway even in places to be dens of iniquity.

The emperor Claudius’s expels the Jews from Rome 49 AD

Theological Insight #2: Prophetic denunciations are calls for repentance

Theological Insight #3: Gallio’s decision not to adjudicate the Jewish accusations against Paul may be taken as “the first official recognition in Acts by a Roman governor that Christianity is not a crime.”

Implication and Application

Questions

What did God promise Paul in Corinth (18:9-10)? How did Paul respond to that promise (18:11)? How did God keep His promise (18:12-17)? What do the events of 18:1-17 tell you about God?

Question: Has God ever made any promise to you similar to the one in 18:9-10? If so, has He been faithful? How should you act in light of that promise?

Scripture Passage: ESV - Acts 18:18-23

Acts 18:18–23 ESV

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

That does not entirely rule out women teaching. Priscilla and Aquila both instructed Apollos (Acts 18:26), but in private and not in the worship of the church. And women can and must teach other women (cf. Titus 2:3–4). Nor does it mean women cannot pray, merely that they are not to lead the prayers during the public worship of the church. It does not mean that women do not have spiritual gifts in the area of public speaking and leadership. The issue is where they exercise those gifts.

John F. MacArthur

Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila’s route from Corinth to Ephesus

Key Points of Acts 18:18-23

The frequency of Priscilla and Aquila Ro .16:3, 2 Tim. 4:19, Acts 18:26

The ESV Study Bible (Chapter 18)

The cutting of Paul’s hair probably indicates he had completed a vow (see Num. 6:1–21; Acts 21:20–24). Besides not cutting the hair, such a vow mandated strict purity and refraining from strong drink. One would have undergone such a vow in seeking divine blessing for an undertaking or to express thanksgiving.

Scripture Passage: ESV - Acts 18:24-28

Acts 18:24–28 ESV

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

The best university training Apollos ever received was given him in this tentmaker’s shop, and the best professor Apollos ever had was this tentmaker’s wife, Priscilla.

Richard C. H. Lenski

Apollos begin to preach

Key Points of Acts 18:24-28

Theological Insight #1: Empowerment by the Spirit is the key to unleashing the gospel’s power.

Theologically Insight #2: All believers need to grow spiritually

They took him means they did not correct him publicly but took him aside and talked to him privately (Gk. proslambanō; cf. Matt. 16:22; Mark 8:32). As an example of the Holy Spirit’s work in bringing about the growth of the church in Acts, this verse provides positive support for the idea that both men and women can explain God’s Word to each other in private or informal settings (such as personal conversation or a small group Bible study) without violating the prohibition in 1 Tim. 2:12 against women teaching an assembled group of men. Crossway Bibles (2008) The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, p. 2125.

Implication and Application

Questions

Both Apollos and the disciples Paul met had a similar gap in their information about the gospel. What did they not know (18:25, 19:2-3)? Why was it essential to be baptized in the name of Jesus, not just repentance as John had done (Roman 6:3-11).

Romans 6:3–11 “3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Why was it necessary to receive the Holy Spirit? (see John 3:5-6, 14:26; Romans 8:1-17, 26-27)

John 3:5–6 “5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Romans 1–7 “1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God…”

Romans 8:8–13 “8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Romans 8:14–17 “14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Conclusion

Big idea #1: God’s promise to protect Paul so that he can stay in Corinth to expand his ministry is fulfilled

Big Idea#2: Other Christians, empowered by the same Holy Spirit, are instrumental in the spread of the gospel and build on the same theological foundation.