Chapter 18
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2And 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.
3And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6And 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.
7And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8And 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.
9Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
14And 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:
15But 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.
16And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17Then 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.
18And 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.
19And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
20When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
22And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
23And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
24And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26And 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.
27And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
28For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
“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.”
Overview
Paul arrives in Corinth, where he meets Aquila and Priscilla and works as a tentmaker while preaching every sabbath. When the Jews oppose and blaspheme, Paul turns to the Gentiles, and the Lord encourages him in a night vision not to be afraid, for He has much people in the city. Paul stays eighteen months in Corinth before continuing his journey, and Apollos, a gifted speaker, is instructed more perfectly in the way of the Lord by Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus.
Key Themes
God's Encouragement to His Servants
The Lord speaks to Paul in a vision, telling him not to be afraid and assuring him of protection and fruitfulness, showing that God sustains His weary workers.
Tentmaking and Ministry
Paul supports himself through manual labor while preaching the gospel, demonstrating that faithful ministry does not depend on financial ease but on devoted service.
Discipling Gifted Leaders
Aquila and Priscilla take Apollos aside and explain the way of God more perfectly, illustrating how humble, private instruction can sharpen even the most talented teachers.
Study Questions
How does the Lord's promise to Paul, 'I have much people in this city' (v. 10), encourage believers who labor in seemingly unfruitful or hostile places?
What does Paul's example of tentmaking teach about the relationship between secular work and gospel ministry?
Why is it significant that Aquila and Priscilla — a married couple, not apostles — were the ones to instruct the eloquent Apollos?
How should we respond when opposition to the gospel intensifies, as Paul experienced in the synagogue at Corinth?
What does Gallio's dismissal of the Jewish complaint against Paul (vv. 14-16) reveal about God's providential protection of the early church?
Connection to Christ
The Lord Jesus appears personally to Paul in Corinth, assuring him of His presence and protection. Paul's entire ministry in Corinth centers on testifying that Jesus is the Christ, and Apollos powerfully demonstrates from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah — Christ is the message every servant proclaims.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Acts 18. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?