Acts 18 records Paul’s extended ministry in Corinth. After leaving Athens he meets Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tentmakers recently expelled from Rome by Claudius. He works with them and reasons in the synagogue every Sabbath. When Silas and Timothy arrive, Paul is compelled by the Spirit and testifies that Jesus is the Christ. Opposition leads him to turn again to the Gentiles. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, believes with his household, and many Corinthians believe and are baptized. In a night vision the Lord says, “Don’t be afraid… for I am with you… for I have many people in this city.” Paul remains a year and six months teaching the word of God. When the Jews bring him before Gallio the proconsul, Gallio refuses to judge a matter of Jewish law and drives them from the judgment seat. Paul later sails for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, leaves them in Ephesus, and returns to Antioch. Meanwhile Apollos, an eloquent Alexandrian mighty in the Scriptures, arrives in Ephesus knowing only the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila explain the way of God more accurately. Apollos then goes to Achaia and powerfully refutes the Jews, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. The work continues to expand while the Temple still stands.
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. 2 He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!”
7 He departed there and went into the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized. 9 The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
11 He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; 15 but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.” 16 So he drove them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.
18 Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 19 He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay with them a longer time, he declined; 21 but taking his leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch. 23 Having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27 When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him; and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews, publicly showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Source: ebible.org
Paul arrives in Corinth alone and finds Aquila and Priscilla, fellow Jews and fellow tentmakers recently forced out of Rome. He lives and works with them. When Silas and Timothy arrive from Macedonia, the team is strengthened and Paul is compelled by the Spirit to testify that Jesus is the Christ. The pattern of partnership continues throughout the chapter: co-workers in trade, co-workers in the gospel, and later Priscilla and Aquila quietly instructing Apollos. The New Covenant mission advances through shared labor and mutual sharpening.
Opposition in the synagogue leads Paul to shake out his clothing and declare that he is clean and will go to the Gentiles. He moves next door to the house of Justus. Crispus the synagogue ruler believes with his household, and many Corinthians believe and are baptized. Then the Lord appears to Paul in a night vision: “Don’t be afraid, but speak and don’t be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” The promise is personal and strategic. Paul stays a year and six months teaching the word of God. The presence of the risen Lord and the knowledge that He already has many people sustain the long work.
When the Jews later bring Paul before Gallio, the proconsul refuses to adjudicate questions of words, names, and Jewish law. He drives them from the judgment seat. The attempt to use Roman authority against the gospel fails. Sosthenes, the new synagogue ruler, is beaten, and Gallio shows no concern. At this stage the Roman state treats the Christian movement as an internal Jewish dispute rather than a threat to public order. The Lord who promised protection keeps His word.
Meanwhile in Ephesus, Apollos arrives — eloquent, mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, yet knowing only the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila take him aside and explain the way of God more accurately. The couple who had learned alongside Paul now complete the understanding of a gifted teacher. Apollos then goes to Achaia and powerfully helps those who had believed through grace, publicly demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Accurate knowledge of the way of God is not a private possession; it is shared so that the public testimony is strengthened.
Acts 18 shows the gospel taking deep root in a major commercial city under the Lord’s explicit protection. A year and a half of teaching forms a substantial church. A Roman proconsul refuses to criminalize the message. Gifted teachers are further instructed so that the Scriptures continue to be opened with power. All of this unfolds while the Temple still stands and the old covenant age is still running its course. The Lord has many people in the cities of the empire, and the word continues to go forward.
Acts 18 displays the New Creation community being formed and protected by the risen Lord. Tentmakers work and reason side by side. A synagogue ruler believes. Many in a pagan commercial city are baptized. The Lord appears in a vision to quiet fear and guarantee both presence and fruit: “I have many people in this city.” A Roman proconsul refuses to treat the gospel as a crime. A gifted teacher is quietly instructed more accurately so that the public demonstration from the Scriptures grows stronger. The one new man is being established in Corinth and further equipped in Ephesus while the Temple still stands. The Lord continues to have many people in the cities of the world, and His word is not bound.
The Lord told Paul not to be afraid because He had many people in Corinth. How does the knowledge that the Lord already has people in places of difficulty change the way you approach witness or ministry? What does the quiet, accurate instruction of Apollos by Priscilla and Aquila teach us about the value of further learning even for those who are already eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures?