Chapter Eighteen –
Second Journey of Paul Continued
ACTS 18:12-22:
We began
this journey with Paul and Silas in
Antioch of Syria;
they then traveled through the rest of
Syria
and through the region of
Cilicia
strengthening the Bodies of Christ along the way. When they came to the area
of the two cities of
Lystra and Derbe,
they will pick up young Timothy to travel with them. They delivered the
decrees to these cities which strengthened them to a productive unity. From
here they will travel to two new areas of Asia Minor;
Phrygia and Galatia.
Luke does not record anything about these visits and Paul will not return to
these regions until
Chapter 19.
Passing
through the region of Mysia (having been forbidden by the Spirit of God to
go into Asia and Bithynia at this time), Paul and his group have come to
Troas.
Here at Troas, Paul will have a vision encouraging him to go to Macedonia
and bring the Gospel. As they determine to go to Macedonia, we learn that
Luke joins them.
They set
out across the Aegean Sea and cross with relative ease, stopping at the
island of
Samothrace,
and the next day arriving at
Neapolis,
the sea port town for Philippi. From Neapolis they head straight to
Philippi,
the chief city of this region. While here, Paul would live the very words
that he would later instruct the Philippian Christians to practice after him
(Philippians
4:8-9). He would go on to bring the Gospel to already
religious people, produce good works in the face of adversity, and never
allow an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus as the Christ to pass.
There would be great success in the power of the Gospel at Philippi.
From
Philippi, Paul will travel to
Thessalonica
and preached to the Jews and devout Greeks in the synagogue with much
success. The unbelieving Jews would stir up a mob and attempt to bring Paul
and his traveling companions out to the people. This would be unsuccessful;
however, it forced the brethren to send Paul and Silas away by night to
Berea.
Paul would enter the synagogue and bring the Gospel of Jesus as the Christ
to these Jews with a much different universal result. They searched, proved,
and readily accepted Paul’s evidence and teaching; however, Jews from
Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up trouble there. The brethren sent
Paul away by ship to
Athens.
Upon arrival in Athens, and while he is waiting for Silas and Timothy, he
begins to speak in the cities synagogue and market place (Paul is uniquely
moved by the city being given over to idolatry); his preaching soon gains
him an audience with the cities philosophers. Paul’s sermon to these
philosophers finds some limited success and from Athens he will now come to
Corinth.
Please use
the map provided: http://www.plvcc.org/index.html?/articles_live_by_faith/image2/CNM19-Pauls2ndJourney.gif
Text #1:
Acts 18:12-17
“When
Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against
Paul and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 saying,
“This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 And
when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If
it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be
reason why I should bear with you.
15 But
if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it
yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.”
16 And
he drove them from the judgment seat.
17 Then
all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him
before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.”
Gallio:
Junius Annaeus Gallio, the Roman
proconsul of Achaia. He was amicable and loved by many; he additionally had
a reputation of fairness.
Jews:
The Jews conspired to bring Paul before the judgment seat and attempt to
accuse him of “persuading men to worship God contrary to the law”;
meaning, their own. They had hoped to convince Gallio that Paul was guilty
of an offense against a lawful religion, and thus guilty of a crime against
Rome.
In his following statements, he would have none of this; in fact he saw this
as an internal dispute between sects within Judaism.
Sosthenes:
This is the new leader of the synagogue after the conversion of Crispus.
Sosthenes had probably led the persecution against Paul. The Gentiles
watching the proceedings determined him to be worthy of a beating for this
trouble; which was exactly what his intentions were for Paul.
This Sosthenes may have at a later date, obeyed the Gospel, and may be the
one Paul refers to in
1
Corinthians 1:1.
Summary of
Corinth:
As Paul came to Corinth he worked side by side with Aquila and Priscilla and
reasoned in the synagogue on the Sabbaths. He persuaded many concerning the
Christ; however, he did not name Him as Jesus until the arrival of Silas and
Timothy. It was during this time that Paul also heard the condition of the
brethren in Thessalonica and penned the first letter to these Christians.
When the Jews rejected the Gospel, Paul went to the Gentiles and many of the
Corinthians believed and were baptized into Christ (1
Corinthians 12:12-13). Paul additionally receive comfort from the
Lord and would stay for an additional 18 months; during which time Timothy
and Silas delivered the first letter to the Thessalonians, returned to
report, and Paul would then pen the second letter and send it back with
them.
The Jews made an attempt to have Paul charged and beaten, but failed, and
received the very ire that they intended for Paul. Paul is going to remain
for a time, but is now going to begin his return, making Corinth the apex,
or turn around point of the second journey.
Text #2:
Acts 18:18-22
“So
Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and
sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had
his hair cut off at
Cenchrea,
for he had taken a vow.
19 And
he came to
Ephesus,
and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with
the Jews.
20 When
they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent,
21 but
took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in
Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from
Ephesus.
22 And
when he had landed at
Caesarea,
and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to
Antioch.”
Taken a
Vow:
It was
common for Jews to make such vows to express gratitude or express devotion
to God. Luke does not reveal the reason for this vow of Paul; only that he
has taken it. The reason may be determined in Paul’s own words,
“I must by all means keep this
coming feast in Jerusalem”. Paul has now and will continue to desire to
preach to the Jews in Jerusalem; in spite of what he knows to be his calling
by the Lord (Romans
11:13).
This vow
should not be mistaken, as some have, for a Nazarite vow (Numbers
6:13-18), which could only be taken in Jerusalem.
Cenchrea:
This is the eastern sea port for Corinth, and a small town on the harbor. We
will learn in
Romans 16:1 that a congregation of God’s people in Christ could
be found here.
Ephesus:
Paul was forbidden to go into Asia (Roman Asia) earlier; this will
constitute the first time that Paul is going to come to this capital city of
this province. He is going to enter into the synagogue, as was his custom;
however, after some success here, he is going to refuse to stay. His desire
is to return, but as he has learned well already,
“God willing”. We will look in
more detail at this city when we return in the third journey.
Caesarea:
Paul’s ship comes to the only harbor reasonably close to Jerusalem, and Luke
records that he goes “up” and
greeted the church (called out), which infers that this is the
Body of Christ in Jerusalem.
There is no mention of whether he was late, or early for the feast, but
simply that he greeted the brethren in Jerusalem and then returned to where
the journey began; Antioch.
This
officially ends the second journey in
verse 22. In our next lesson, we will begin the third journey
with a hiatus in Paul’s travels to share with us the work of Aquila and
Priscilla with a man named Apollos.
Next: “The Third Journey!”