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Acts

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The Word At Work

Acts 18:1-4

After Paul left Athens - the intellectual capital of Greece, he travelled east to Corinth - the trading capital of Achaia province, in the south of Greece.  We do not know how he travelled; either some 60 miles overland or by sea.  His ministry team of Silas and Timothy were still in Berea on the west coast of Greece (Acts 17:14-15).  On arriving in Corinth, Paul went to the marketplace.  There, he found a married couple who were both working as tentmakers: probably with a workshop at street level with living accommodation above.

Full-Time Ministry

Acts 18:5-8

Paul came to Corinth as a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3).  Working in the market and living above the workshop with other tentmakers, Priscilla and Aquila, Paul learned the dynamics of a busy commercial city - very different from the ‘university mentality’ of Athens (Acts 17:21).  Corinth was an international trading hub, lying in the isthmus between the Aegean Sea, and the Adriatic Sea.  Linking the two was a seven-mile paved roadway, the ‘Diolkos’, where ships or cargoes were trundled overland on rollers by slaves - to avoid a dangerous long voyage around the Peloponnese peninsula.  A lot of mon

Don't Be Afraid: Keep On Speaking

Acts 18:9-11

Paul's missionary journeys were punctuated by violence.  His preaching about Jesus so angered Jews and Gentiles that his missions in most cities were halted; he was threatened, beaten, imprisoned and stoned (Acts 14:19; Acts 16:22-24).  However, when Paul preached God's Word, people repented; they received Christ and churches were formed.  Paul was fulfilling God's purpose (Acts 9:15-16), Jesus was being glorified (2 Thessalonians 1:12) and the church was being built (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Divine Overruling

Acts 18:12-17

The Lord had promised that He would keep Paul safe in Corinth: this was not one of those cities where a short mission, ending in violence against the apostle, would establish a church.  God had many people to reach in the city and most would come with religious and cultural baggage (Acts 18:9-11). That was why Paul needed to stay a long time there; to disciple the new believers so that their faith would be securely founded on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Time To Go

Acts 18:18-22

Paul's second missionary journey from Antioch to Corinth, via Troas and Athens, took about three years.  About half of that time, he was in Corinth establishing the church there (Acts 18:11), and writing two letters to the Thessalonian church.  But the time came when he knew that it was time to go.  It was time to let the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch (the centre for world mission at that time) know how the gospel had been received, despite opposition, in many other cities.

God Moves His People

Acts 18:23-26

God has His way of moving people: moving the right people, into the right place, at the right time.  Only He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10); so He is the only One who can position His servants strategically - to proclaim the gospel and build up the church to serve Him.  Paul had been away from Antioch in Syria (the mission base for the church) for about three years, on his second missionary journey, through what is now Turkey and Greece.  During his time in Corinth he lived and worked with fellow tentmakers, Priscilla and Aquila (from Italy and the south Black Sea coast – A

Moving Where The Lord Leads

Acts 18:27-28

Apollos was a devout Jew from Alexandria in Egypt.  The Lord had opened his heart to believe in Jesus: how that happened or who was involved in leading him to Christ, we do not know.  But we do know that he was eager to travel all the way across the Mediterranean Sea to Ephesus to share this good news.  With the help of Priscilla and Aquila, who Paul had taught in Corinth, Apollos understood more of the gospel and gained the respect of the little church which was developing in Ephesus (Acts 18:24-26).

Moving As The Lord Leads

Acts 19:1-7

The Lord had moved Apollos from Egypt to Ephesus (Acts 18:24), before Paul started his missionary journey from Antioch in Syria to Ephesus.  By the time Paul arrived, the Lord had moved Apollos on to Corinth - and we assume that Priscilla and Aquila may have moved back to Rome (Acts 18:2) as there is no further mention of them in Ephesus (Romans 16:3).  When Paul arrived, he asked the few believers if they had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:15; Acts 15:8).

Intentional Evangelism

Acts 19:8-10

Paul knew that people would only be saved if they understood the gospel message (Romans 10:14).  So, his time in Ephesus was focussed on ensuring that as many people as possible heard the good news about Jesus, God the Son, the Saviour of the world.  As a Jewish teacher, he would always go first to the synagogue.  They honoured the Scriptures which spoke prophetically of Jesus, providing a natural starting point for the gospel, for those who wanted to listen and understand.

Power In The Name Of Jesus

Acts 19:11-16

God validated Paul’s apostleship by extraordinary miracles in Ephesus, as He had in Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:12).  The English word 'extra-ordinary' means just that – ‘outside the ordinary’.

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