Act 18:1-17 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 18:1-17: 18:1-17 Paul spent eighteen fruitful months preaching and teaching in Corinth , first in the synagogue and then next door in the house of Titius Justus (18:1-11 ). Then, in court, Paul won a significant victory over his enemies (18:12-17 ). 18:1 In Roman times, Greek political power in Achaia resided in Corinth , a prominent city-state and major commercial city. Corinth was notorious for its prostitution, immorality, and drunkenness (see 1 Corinthians Book Introduction, “Setting”). Paul invested much time and effort establishing a Christian community in Corinth (see study note on Acts 16:8).

Summary for Acts 18:1-17: 18:1-17 ^a Paul spent eighteen fruitful months preaching and teaching in Corinth, first in the synagogue and then next door in the house of Titius Justus (18:1-11 ^b). Then, in court, Paul won a significant victory over his enemies (18:12-17 ^c). 18:1 ^d In Roman times, Greek political power in Achaia resided in Corinth, a prominent city-state and major commercial city. Corinth was notorious for its prostitution, immorality, and drunkenness (see 1 Corinthians Book Introduction, “Setting”). Paul invested much time and effort establishing a Christian community in Corinth (see study note on Acts 16:8).
Summary for Acts 18:2-3: 18:2-3 ^e The edict of Claudius Caesar that had deported all Jews from Rome around AD 49 is mentioned by the Roman historian Suetonius (Life of Claudius 25).

• Aquila and Priscilla became an outstanding husband-and-wife team in the early church. They earned their living as tentmakers, as did Paul, who probably lived and worked with them during his year and a half in Corinth (18:11 ^f; see Rom 16:3-4 ^g; 1 Cor 16:19 ^h).

• just as he was: Paul would have been trained as a tentmaker as a young man. It was Jewish custom to provide sons with a manual trade, including young men who intended to become rabbis or other professionals.
Summary for Acts 18:4-6: 18:4-6 ⁱ Once again Paul followed his custom of preaching to the Jews first, and then reaching out to Gentiles after he met with rejection and opposition (13:42-49 ^j; see 3:25-26 ^k; 26:20 ^l; Rom 1:16 ^m; 2:10 ⁿ; 3:29 ^o, 30 ^p; 4:9-12 ^q).

• Paul probably wrote his letters to the Thessalonian Christians after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia with a report of how things were going there (see 1 Thes 3:6 ^r; 2 Thessalonians Book Introduction, “Setting”).
18:7 ^s Titius Justus (“Titus the Just”) was a Gentile who worshiped God (a “God-fearer”; see study note on 10:2). Because Titus was a common Roman name, Justus differentiates him from the better-known Titus, Paul’s co-worker (2 Cor 2:13 ^t; 7:6 ^u, 13 ^v; 8:6 ^w, 16 ^x, 23 ^y; Titus).
Summary for Acts 18:9-10: 18:9-10 ^z Paul had experienced real opposition in Corinth (18:6 ^aa) and apparently was afraid of being attacked again, so the divine message was a comfort to him (cp. 23:11 ^ab; Ps 34:4 ^ac, 7 ^ad, 19 ^ae; Matt 28:20 ^af), encouraging him to persist in his public ministry and promising God’s protection (cp. Ps 91:11 ^ag; 2 Tim 4:17 ^ah).
Summary for Acts 18:12-13: 18:12-13 ^ai The governor of Achaia, Junio Gallio, was the older brother of the Roman philosopher Seneca (Seneca was a tutor to Emperor Nero). An inscription indicating that he was governor around AD 51–52 helps to date Paul’s visit in Corinth to about that time.
Summary for Acts 18:14-17: 18:14-17 ^aj Gallio’s ruling indicated that the charges against Paul were unjustified. The Roman government had nothing to fear from acknowledging Christianity as a legal religion.
18:17 ^ak It is most likely that the Greeks beat Sosthenes to express their hostility to the Jews; it is possible that the Jews attacked their own synagogue leader because he was unsuccessful in pleading their case. Sosthenes may be the same man Paul later mentions as “our brother” (1 Cor 1:1 ^al), but it is uncertain, as the name was fairly common.