Acts 18:1-18
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 18
Paul in Corinth.[a] 1 At that point, Paul departed from Athens and moved on to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius[b] had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them, 3 and because they were tentmakers just as he was, he stayed with them and they worked together.[c] 4 Every Sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convert both Jews and Greeks.
5 After Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his efforts to preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6 When they opposed him and began to hurl insults, he shook out his garments in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I have a clear conscience. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 With that, he left and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, who lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord along with his entire household. Many Corinthians who heard Paul came to believe and were baptized.
9 One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision[d] and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” 11 And so he remained there for eighteen months, teaching the word of God to them.
12 Accusations before Gallio. However, when Gallio became proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the Law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to refute them, Gallio said to the Jews, “If you were accusing this man of some crime or fraudulent act, O Jews, I would be more than willing to listen to your complaint. 15 But since your argument is about words and names and your own Law, settle it yourselves. I have no intention of making judgments about such matters.” 16 With that, he dismissed them from the tribunal. 17 Then they all attacked Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio remained unconcerned about their action.
18 Return to Antioch in Pisidia.[e] After he remained in Corinth for some considerable time, Paul took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae, he had his hair cut because he had taken a vow.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 18:1 These passages deal with one of Paul’s most important activities. The great city of Corinth was at that time a cosmopolitan place and had a rather bad reputation due to the erotic cult of the goddess Aphrodite.
With its reference to Gallio in verse 12, the account provides us with a sure chronological clue to the events reported, since an inscription enables us to pinpoint the proconsulate of Gallio, a brother of Seneca, to the years A.D. 51–52 or 52–53. - Acts 18:2 Claudius: Emperor of Rome from A.D. 41 to 54. He expelled the Jews from Rome because of “their continuous tumults instigated by Chrestus,” a common misspelling for “Christ.” Needless to say, the tumults were instigated not by Christ but by the differing opinions people held about him.
- Acts 18:3 Paul was probably taught the trade of tentmaker in his youth, in accord with the Jewish custom of giving manual training to sons.
- Acts 18:9 In a vision: Paul now glimpses in a vision (see Acts 23:11) the Lord whom he has already seen in a resurrected body at his conversion (see Acts 9:4-6; 1 Cor 15:8) and in the temple in ecstasy (see Acts 22:17-18).
- Acts 18:18 After more than two and a half years of labor in Corinth, Paul embarks for Antioch. The Nazirite vow was a special consecration to God, usually lasting 30 days and taking the form of a special way of life (see Num 6:1-21).
Instead of reaching Antioch Paul lands at Ephesus, which will soon become the center of the following cycle of the Book. He leaves Priscilla and Aquila there, who will become the nucleus of a Christian community.
