Acts Chapter 18 Verses 1-6

Acts 18:1 “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 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. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”

 “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;” This Corinth was, of course, where the church was established to which Paul would later write two letters as we know today as 1^st Corinthians and 2^nd Corinthians.

“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.”  Here we are introduced to Aquila and Priscilla, who were read about four other times in the scriptures:

                   1.  Acts 18:18 “And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.”             

                   2.  Acts 18:26 “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”

                   3.  Rom. 16:3 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:”

                   4.  1 Cor. 16:19 “The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” 

The occasion of Aquila and Priscilla coming to Corinth was because of Caesar Claudius persecution against the Jews.  Sometimes we may be prone to forget that it is not only Christians that are persecuted, but also other groups of people who sometimes suffer persecution. 

“And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”  Paul and Aquila and Priscilla were not only disciples of Christ, but were also of the same occupation and fastly became very close friends.  It has been my personal experience that the Lord’s disciples that I have been blessed to be acquainted with are also some of my closest friends. 

“And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.”  As the reader will notice this is the same pattern of going first to the synagogue by the Apostle Paul.  Also we notice that he uses reasoning to try to persuade the Jews and the Greeks.  The truth is reasonable to the children of God. 

“And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.  And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”  After that the Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed, Paul declared to them that their blood be upon their own heads.  This is a reference to that taught in Ezek. 33:2-4 “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:  If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.”  Paul had preached the truth unto them and they rejected it and now would have to suffer the consequences. 

However, though Paul said that he would now go to the Gentiles, yet by all that followed including writing the book of Hebrews, Paul continued to try to convince the Jewish people of the truth of Jesus Christ. 

Verses 7-11 

Acts 18:7 “And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

“And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.”  The implication here is that Justus, who worshipped God had invited Paul to come to his house and that he preached to those in his house.  Moreover, it would appear that also in the house at that time was Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, who believed on the Lord with all his house and subsequently, many of the Corinthians hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ believed, and were baptized.  One of the lessons here is that like Justus, we should invite the preacher to come to our homes and preach the gospel and at the same time invite our neighbors and friends to come and hear the gospel of the grace of Christ proclaimed.  This principle seems to be lost in modern day America.  If we are to see a revival in the belief of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ then the members of the church are going to have to start practicing gospel evangelism in this manner. 

“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.”  Here we find that Paul had the assurance that he would not have the same thing to happen to him (fierce persecution) that had happened in nearly every place he had been before coming to Corinth.  Another lesson here is that the Lord had much people there in Corinth.  Thus, if the Lord already had much people in Corinth, then the gospel could not be the way the Lord used to make children of God.  They were already born again children of God before Paul came there.  This refutes the idea that we must carry the gospel to people who have not heard it in order that they may believe and become born again.  Rather the gospel is for those who are already born again.  The gospel brings knowledge of salvation to those who are already born of God and thus comforts them and assures them that heaven will be their home and encourages them to worship God in Spirit and truth and to worship and serve him as His disciples. 

“And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

Verses 12-17 

Acts 18:12 “And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: 15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. 16 And he drave them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.”

In the above passage it appears that Gallio the deputy of Achaia had a better understanding of the proper design of government than most of the rulers in that day and that part of the world, who seemed to want to go along with what was popular in their realm.  Gallio understood that government was for the punishment of wrong and wicked lewdness, not the arbitrator of religious thought.  Gallio refused to be judge over Paul based on the false accusations of the Jews.  Unfortunately it appears that government is beginning to invade more and more into the rights of people to worship in the way that their conscience dictates.  In the United States we seem to be headed towards the day that if you speak out about what the bible says about homosexuality or abortion or fornication, you may soon be charged with committing a hate crime.