'One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.' (Acts 18.9-11, NIV.)
Acts 18 recounts the apostle Paul's ministry in Corinth and Ephesus, detailing his interactions with Jews and Gentiles, his companions, and his trials. This chapter highlights the spread of the Gospel despite opposition, the importance of discipleship and mentorship, and the collaborative nature of early Christian ministry.
The Church began in Fire and Power on the Day of Pentecost, but as we have seen throughout the book of Acts, this outpouring was not just a onetime experience, instead, the apostles and the early church were continually being filled with the Spirit. I believe we should be living as the early Church did - in the Fire and Power of God.
'After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.' (Acts 18.1-4, NIV.) Persecution of the Jews has been a problem for thousands of years; yet God has always used persecution as a means of furthering the Gospel; as the Scripture teaches, what was meant for our harm, God will use for our good (Genesis 50:20).
‘and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks, (v3-4): Paul and Aquila are both tentmakers. Paul had to cover his travel and ministry expenses, so joined them. My Bible smuggling was supported by my travel company; I had licenses to travel behind the Iron Curtain. I had no mission to support me. Paul is in the synagogue every Sabbath persuading Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy join him, Paul spends more time in ministry, but the Jews opposed him.
‘But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’’ (v6): Paul had witnessed, and they had rejected, now he would go to the Gentiles; in my early years, even when I came out of prison, I was rejected in the UK, but others outside Britain supported me. Paul leaves the synagogue and goes to the house of Titius Justus next door; but Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptised, (v8).
‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent,’ (v9): The Holy Spirit speaks to Paul in a vision and encourages him to continue, ‘no man will hurt you, I have people in this city.’ There have been four attempts to assassinate me, but God protected me. Paul stays in Corinth for 18 months. The Jews again make a united attack on Paul and bring him to court. He was about to defend himself when the Proconsul throws the case out.
‘Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever,’ (v17): The Greek beat the ruler of the synagogue; Paul stays on until he sails for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila; en route, for some unknown reason, he takes a vow and shaves his hair off; Paul sails for Ephesians where he leaves them and enters the synagogue, but doesn’t stay.
‘As he left, he promised, ‘I will come back if it is God’s will.’ Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch, (v21-22): Paul wants to be in Jerusalem for a festival; he sails for Caesarea, greets the church in Jerusalem, and then to Antioch, and from there, travelling from place to place across modern central Turkey - which is a vast area - and then on to the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
‘Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John,’ (v24-25): The water baptism of John was of repentance, not the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila are in Ephesus, and they instruct Apollos in the teachings of Jesus. ‘When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah,’ (v27-28).