Church at Corinth
Introduction: The city of Corinth had a firm civil government, and a mixed population of Gentiles and Jews when Paul first arrived there from Athens. He met a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who had recently come from Italy. Paul lived with them and they worked in the same trade as tent makers. Paul went to the Synagogue each Sabbath and used scripture to prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but only some who heard accepted the truth. Paul taught at Corinth for a year and six months. Some years later he returned during the period known as his third missionary journey.
NOTE: All scripture is from the 1964 Bible in Basic English.
A — From Athens to Corinth
Acts 18 “1 After these things, he went away from Athens, and came to Corinth. 4 And every Sabbath he had discussions in the Synagogue, turning Jews and Greeks to the faith. 8 And Crispus, the ruler of the Synagogue, with all his family, had faith in the Lord; and a great number of the people of Corinth, hearing the word, had faith and were given baptism. 10 For I am with you, and no one will make an attack on you to do you damage: for I have a number of people in this town. 11 And he was there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”
Comments: Paul the apostle sometimes worked his occupation to meet his personal needs, and that was the way he began at Corinth by partnering with Aquila and Priscilla. He presented Jesus as the Messiah every Sabbath at the Synagogue, and there were some Jews and Gentiles who placed their faith in Jesus. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul moved into full time ministry with believers who met at the house of Titus Justus, a God-fearing man next door to the Synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the Synagogue, with all his family, had faith in the Lord. The Lord told Paul in a vision to continue preaching without fear — he would not be harmed because God had many people in Corinth.
B — Jews Made Charges Against Paul to a New Civil Ruler
Acts 18 “12 But when Gallio was ruler of Achaia, all the Jews together made an attack on Paul, and took him to the judge’s seat, 13 Saying, This man is teaching the people to give worship to God in a way which is against the law. 14 But when Paul was about to say something, Gallio said to the Jews, If this was anything to do with wrongdoing or crime, there would be a reason for me to give you a hearing: 15 But if it is a question of words or names or of your law, see to it yourselves; I will not be a judge of such things.”
Comments: The Jews who opposed Paul tried to bring charges against him before Gallio, the civil ruler of Achaia. Paul did not even need to defend himself, as Gallio said he would only consider cases for civil laws, not for religious laws regarding the worship of their God. When he sent them away, the crowd took out their anger on Sosthenes — apparently the replacement for Crispus who had become a Christian — with a beating, which Gallio ignored. God had protected Paul as promised in the vision. Paul then went by ship to Syria accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.
C — Apollos Met Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus
Acts 18 “24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, and a man of learning, came to Ephesus; and he had great knowledge of the holy Writings. 25 This man had been trained in the way of the Lord; and burning in spirit, he gave himself up to teaching the facts about Jesus, though he had knowledge only of John’s baptism. 26 But Priscilla and Aquila, hearing his words, took him in, and gave him fuller teaching about the way of God. 28 For he overcame the Jews in public discussion, making clear from the holy Writings that the Christ was Jesus.”
Comments: Aquila and Priscilla had been coworkers with Paul at Corinth, and now their deeper relationship with Christ Jesus became very helpful to a well educated Jew from Alexandria. Apollos was fervent as he taught about the Lord Jesus without fear; but he knew only about John’s baptism, so Aquila and Priscilla took him in and gave him more complete knowledge about the way of God. When Apollos had a desire to go to Achaia, the brothers sent letters to the disciples requesting them to receive him. Apollos was very helpful in Corinth to those who had faith through grace, as he was effective in public discussions with Jews making clear from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
D — Paul Returned to Ephesus and Macedonia
Acts 19 “8 And he went into the Synagogue, and for three months he was preaching there without fear, reasoning and teaching about the kingdom of God. 9 But because some of the people were hard-hearted and would not give hearing, he went away from them, and kept the disciples separate, reasoning every day in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this went on for two years, so that all those who were living in Asia had knowledge of the word of the Lord, Greeks as well as Jews.”
Acts 20 “2 And when he had gone through those parts and given them much teaching, he came into Greece. 3 And when he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to take ship for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.”
Comments: When Paul returned to Ephesus he taught in the Synagogue for three months until strong opposition developed. He separated the disciples and taught for two years in the school of Tyrannus with impact reaching even beyond Ephesus to much of Asia. After the uproar of Demetrius the silversmith subsided, Paul traveled through Macedonia encouraging the believers in those areas, then went into Greece for three months. When he planned to leave for Syria by ship, he instead traveled back up through Macedonia because the Jews had developed a plot against his life.
Reflections in Prayer
Lord, I thank you for the record of the development of the church at Corinth, with some of the distinctions that church had from others Paul had established. The church at Corinth had additional ministry from Apollos, an eloquent believer in Christ, who had been enlightened more in the faith by Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus before he traveled to Corinth with their recommendation. This background about those special teachers guided by your Spirit to minister the Word to the church at Corinth is helpful to me as I consider how various characteristics of wavering faith still had to be dealt with in the two letters Paul wrote to this assembly. May I be careful to take to heart the content of those letters, since they apply as much today as they did at the time Paul wrote them. I offer all my praise to you Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
Published 10 November 2017