Acts 18

Acts 18 covers the latter part of Paul's second missionary journey and the beginning of his third. It opens with Paul arriving in Corinth after leaving Athens in Acts 17.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 In Corinth, Paul meets Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who had left Rome because of an order from the emperor Claudius. Because they share the same trade, Paul lives and works with them as a tentmaker, and every Sabbath he reasons in the synagogue.
• Verses 5–8 When Silas and Timothy come down from Macedonia, Paul testifies plainly that Jesus is the Christ. When the Jews oppose him, Paul shakes out his raiment, declares that he will go to the Gentiles, and moves to the house of Titius Justus. Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believes along with his whole household.
• Verses 9–11 The Lord speaks to Paul in a vision: "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace." Paul remains in Corinth a year and six months.
• Verses 12–17 The Jews bring charges against Paul before Gallio, the deputy (proconsul) of Achaia. Gallio refuses to judge the case, saying it concerns questions of Jewish law. Afterward, people beat Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue.
• Verses 18–22 Because of a vow, Paul has his head shorn at Cenchrea, then stops at Ephesus and reasons in the synagogue. He then lands at Caesarea and goes down to Antioch.
• Verse 23 Paul travels through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening the disciples.
• Verses 24–28 Apollos, a native of Alexandria, teaches in Ephesus. Because he knows only the baptism of John, Priscilla and Aquila expound the way of God to him more perfectly. Apollos then crosses over to Achaia, where he shows by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

Key Verses

• Acts 18:9–10 "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace … for I have much people in this city." These words prompted Paul, who was facing opposition, to remain in Corinth for an extended period.
• Acts 18:3 "By their occupation they were tentmakers." This verse is frequently cited as evidence that Paul supported himself by working with his own hands while preaching the gospel.
• Acts 18:26 The couple "took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." In this scene a lay couple instructs a preacher.

People and Places

• Priscilla and Aquila: Aquila, a Jew from Pontus, and his wife Priscilla; co-workers of Paul.
• Silas and Timothy: co-workers who rejoined Paul from Macedonia.
• Titius Justus: a God-fearer whose house adjoined the synagogue.
• Crispus and Sosthenes: rulers of the synagogue in Corinth.
• Gallio: the Roman proconsul of the province of Achaia.
• Cenchrea: the eastern port of Corinth.

Points for Reflection

• On the basis of an inscription discovered at Delphi in Greece, Gallio's term as proconsul is commonly dated to about AD 51–52. For this reason, the chapter is regarded as a reference point for establishing the chronology of Paul's life.
• Many interpreters connect the vow at Cenchrea with the Nazirite vow. The text, however, does not specify what kind of vow it was.
• The phrase in verse 22, "gone up, and saluted the church," is generally taken to refer to a visit to Jerusalem, although the text does not name the place.
• The fact that Priscilla's name appears before her husband's (verses 18 and 26) is raised in discussions of women's ordination. Interpreters are divided between those who see this as reflecting her prominent role and those who regard it as unrelated to the question of church office. The couple also appears in Romans 16:1–7.
• Verse 25, which says Apollos knew "only the baptism of John," is read together with Acts 19:1–7. Pentecostals sometimes take this passage as a basis for their understanding of baptism in the Holy Spirit, while other denominations read it as describing a transitional situation in salvation history. Apollos's ministry in Corinth connects with 1 Corinthians 3:6–7.

In the Korean Church

Paul's tentmaking is frequently cited to illustrate "self-supporting mission" or "tentmaker" ministry, in which missionaries work at a trade and earn their own living. More recently, it has also been mentioned in discussions of bivocational ministry for pastors.