Acts 18:2

Acts 18:2

Ministering at Corinth

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

2 And he found a certain Jew named ^aAquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.

3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them ^aand worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

4 ^aAnd he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

5 ^aWhen Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was ^bcompelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

6 But ^awhen they opposed him and blasphemed, ^bhe shook his garments and said to them, ^c“Your blood be upon your own heads; ^dI am clean. ^eFrom now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named¹ Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

8 ^aThen Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

9 Now ^athe Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;

10 ^afor I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the¹ 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 ^aquestion 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 Then¹ all the Greeks took ^aSosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

Paul Returns to Antioch

18 So Paul still remained¹ a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. ^aHe had his hair cut off at ^bCenchrea, 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,

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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A certain Jew named Aquila - Some have supposed that this Aquila was the same with the Onkelos, mentioned by the Jews. See the article in Wolfius, Bibl. Hebr. vol. ii. p. 1147. We have no evidence that this Jew and his wife were at this time converted to the Christian religion. Their conversion was most likely the fruit of St. Paul' s lodging with them - Pontus. See the note on Acts 2:9.

Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome - This edict of the Roman emperor is not mentioned by Josephus; but it is probably the same to which Suetonius refers in his life of Claudius; where he says, Judaeos, impulsore Chresto, assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit . "He expelled the Jews from Rome, as they were making continual insurrections, under their leader Chrestus." Who this Chrestus was we cannot tell; probably Suetonius means Christ; but this I confess does not appear to me likely. There might have been a Jew of the name of Chrestus, who had made some disturbances, and, in consequence, Claudius thought proper to banish all Jews from the city. But how could he intend Christ, who was never at Rome? nor did any one ever personate him in that city; and it is evident he could not refer to any spiritual influence exerted by Christ on the minds of the people. Indeed he speaks of Chrestus as being the person who was the cause of the disturbances. It is no fictitious name, no name of an absent person, nor of a sect; but of one who was well known by the disturbances which he occasioned, and for which it is likely he suffered, and those of his nation were expelled. This decree, which was made, not by the senate, but by the emperor himself, continued only in force during his life, if so long; for in a short time after this Rome again abounded with Jews.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Acts 18:2:**

Acts 28:17
Romans 12:19
Romans 16:3
1 Corinthians 16:19

<< Acts 18:1

Acts 18:3 >>

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