Paul Returns to Antioch & Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus Acts 18:18-28

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 56

Acts 18:18-28

Paul Returns to Antioch &

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Priscilla, Aquila, and Paul leave Corinth and sail to Cenchreae, a port in Syria. There Paul made a vow (likely a Nazarite vow, see Numbers 6), The cutting of the hair meant his vow was completed. This vow was fine for a Jewish man to make.
  8. On to Ephesus, in Asia, modern day Turkey, where Paul visited the synagogue. Though well received Paul intended to return to his home church at Antioch so he left Ephesus. Landing at Caesarea he “went up” to “the church” most probably Jerusalem church. From there, on to Antioch of Syria. After a short time there, Paul headed north into the heart of Asia and visited churches from the first journey.
  9. Luke now interrupts the comings and goings of Paul to introduce the reader to Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, who in a way we do not know of, had been “instructed in the way of the Lord.”
  10. Apollos is described as being both “fervent in spirit” and a bold speaker. However, he knew only of the baptism of John. John announced that the Messiah was coming and to prepare the way, he called for a baptism of repentance.
  11. Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside and explain more about Messiah Jesus. Apollos is ready to hear and believe.
  12. Then, Apollos desires to go on to Corinth in Achaia, the “brothers” at Ephesus write a letter of recommendation for him, and he goes on to “greatly” help believers there as well as “powerfully” speak to the Jews in that area.

Paul in Corinth — Acts 18:1-16

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 55

Paul in Corinth

Acts 18:1-16

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. 46 miles from Athens, Corinth was the commercial and political center of Achaia. Rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, it was the site of the temple of Aphrodite, which sponsored the most perverse immorality in the Roman world.
  8. The date is 51-52 AD under the proconsul Gallio. In 49 the emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews out of Rome (and Alexandria) for certain reasons that are not understood. Those Jews who were also Christians left as well and among them were Aquila and Priscilla.
  9. They, like Paul, were tentmakers; they met and later worked together. As per Paul’s custom, he spoke in the synagogues. Many Jews lived in Corinth.
  10. Silas and Timothy completing their supportive work in Philippi and Thessalonica, join Paul in Corinth.
  11. Paul continues his work and when strongly opposed virtually quotes Ezekiel 33, “your blood be on your own heads.”
  12. The ruler, or president of the synagogue, Crispus, is converted as well as many others, and were baptized.
  13. Paul now has a vision in which the Lord reassures him in preparation for trouble that is about to begin. Paul will remain in Corinth for one and a half years.
  14. Those opposing the Christian witness attempt to involve the Roman authorities who bring Paul before Gallio. At this point the Romans lump the Christians and the Jews together as a legal religion in the empire. When Gallio understands that the issue is religious in nature, he refuses to act on the matter. The new ruler of the synagogue is beaten.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus, Acts 17:22-34

GOSPEL MEDITATION # 54

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

Acts 17:22-34

  1. Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
  2. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
  3. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
  4. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
  5. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
  6. Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
  7. Paul, standing now in the ancient forum where countless preachers and philosophers presented their views to an eager audience, here composed almost entirely of Gentiles.
  8. These people were either very religious or superstitious; thought is that Paul meant religious, not a derogatory word.
  9. Inscriptions with “To an Unknown God” have been found by archeologists. The Athenians, as most people now and then, want to “cover their bases.”
  10. Paul announces that, unlike most Graeco/Romans deities, was creator of all and a personal God, not a world-soul.
  11. He is not only creator, but sovereign, and sovereign of all including nations, places, and their times.
  12. Times of “ignorance” God overlooked (no one knows what this means), but now it is time to repent, meaning to change one’s mind about who God is, since the creator God desires that people seek Him.
  13. Paul quotes well known Poets, one even a stoic, to the effect that He is actually personally present and is the reason for our very existence.
  14. The upshot is then that God is not made of an earthly material like gold or silver or stone—not an idol—and from this Paul’s hearers must turn away from. Indeed a day of judgment is coming, and the basis of the judgment has to do with a man. A man the creator God has appointed (here we see the idea of Messiah) and who died and rose again.
  15. Some mocked, others put it off, and some believed.