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.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Still alone, Paul travelled from Athens to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. They had been ejected from Italy by Claudius who had issued an edict for all Jews to leave Rome. Because they shared the trade of tent-making, Paul stayed with them and worked with them. He continued to spend every Sabbath in the synagogues reasoning and trying to persuade the Jews and Greeks to believe in Jesus. No one can believe if they consider the claims about Jesus to be false, if they’re confused, or if they still have unanswered questions. Part of sharing the gospel is discussing and reasoning until the person is convinced of Jesus’ promise of eternal life.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, they found Paul preaching Jesus to the Jews. When they opposed him, he shook out his garment and said, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent.” Paul’s emotional response shows his great love for the Jews. But they were personally responsible for their rejection of God’s offer of salvation. Paul had fulfilled his obligation to tell them the good news of Jesus. After discussion and reasoning, if the person rejects Jesus’ offer of eternal life, further argument is likely pointless. Once again Paul turned his attention to the Gentiles and moved to stay with a man named Titius Justus who lived next door to the synagogue. Not all the Jews had rejected the message. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, and his whole household believed. This seemed to be the catalyst for many of the Corinthians who heard Paul to also believe and be baptised. Jesus personally encouraged Paul in a vision not to be afraid and to keep on speaking. Jesus promised to be with him and encouraged him with the revelation that many in the city belonged to Him. With renewed encouragement, Paul stayed on in the city for a year and a half and continued to teach God’s word in the city.
After a period of peaceful preaching, persecution again arose. When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jewish leaders united against Paul and took him before the tribunal. They accused him of teaching people to worship God contrary to the Mosaic law. Ironically his accusers were the ones who were not worshipping God correctly as they had rejected Jesus. Before Paul could offer a defence, Gallio dismissed the Jews’ charge. If it had been an issue of wrongdoing or crime, he would have accepted their complaint. At this point, the Roman government still considered Christianity as a facet of Judaism and therefore legitimate under Roman law. He told them that because it was about their own law, they should see to it themselves. When Gallio sent the Jews out of the tribunal, the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the new ruler of the synagogue, and beat him. Because he was unconcerned about religious matters, Gallio ignored this act of anti-Semitism.
Are you equipped to have discussions about the validity of the gospel message? Taking time to understand the evidence for the truth of the gospel will not only equip you but also strengthen your faith.
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Day of the Lord: 1 Thessalonians 5