Paul The Apostle:
Part 10.
When Silas and Timotheus came to Corinth, Paul was testifying to the Jews with a great deal of fervor, but with little success. So, “when they (the Jews) opposed themselves and blasphemed, he (Paul) shook out his raiment,: and said to them in words of warning taken from their own prophets,
Ezekiel 33:4, Acts 18:6, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean, and henceforth will go to the Gentiles.”
Paul went, as he threatened to the Gentiles, and began to preach in the house of a convert named Justus. Paul went to Corinth which was the chief city of the province of Achaia, and the residence of the proconsul Gallio, he being a brother of the philosopher Seneca.
Before him the apostle was summoned by his Jewish enemies, who hoped to bring the Roman authority to come down on him as being one who was introducing a novelty in their religion. But Gallio perceived even before Paul could “open his mouth” to defend himself, that this movement was due to Jewish prejudice; therefore he refused to go into the question. “If it be a question of words and names and of your (Jewish) law, he said to the Jews, speaking with tolerance of a Roman magistrate, “look you to it, for I will be no judge of such maters.”
The Corinthians spectators, either favoring Paul, or who had been incited into action only because of their anger against the Jews, seized on the principal person of those who had brought the charge against Paul, and beat him before the judgment-seat. Gallio continued to leave these religious quarrels to settle themselves. The apostle therefore was not allowed to be “hurt,” and remained longer in Corinth unmolested.
Having been the instrument of accomplishing this work, Paul left for Jerusalem, wishing to attend a festival there. Before leaving Greece, he cut off his hair at Cenchrea in fulfillment of a vow Acts 18:18. Paul may have been following a custom of his countrymen.
When he sailed from Isthmus, Aquila and Pricilla went with him as far as Ephesus. Paul paid a visit to the synagogue at Ephesus, but did not stay. Leaving Ephesus, he sailed to Caesarea, and from there went to Jerusalem and “saluted the Church.”
The evidence may show that the navigation of the ship was during the winter months, and that the festival was most likely Pentecost. From Jerusalem Paul left almost immediate for Antioch, returning to the same place from which he had started with Silas.
Paul’s third missionary journey includes his stay at Ephesus, Acts 18:23 to Acts 21:17. We may connect the raising of a serious question with this short visit to Ephesus and his going back to Jerusalem, “What was to be the relation of the new converted Greeks and Jews with the law and covenant of the Jews?”
Paul labored to vindicate the freedom of these new believers in the Church regarding Jewish law. Paul had to maintain unity in the church, so this became a labor of the apostle for many years to come.
The great Epistles which belong to this period, those to the Galatians, Corinthians, and Romans, show how the “Judaizing” question occupied the apostle’s thoughts. Paul “spent some time” at Antioch, and during this stay he would be on a collision course with Peter,
Galatians 2:11-14. When Paul left Antioch, “he went over all the country of the Galatia and Phrygia in order to strengthen all the disciples,” and gave orders concerning the collection for the saints, 1 Corinthians 16:1.
It is probable that the Epistle to the Galatians was written soon after this visit. The Letter was in all probability, sent from Ephesus. This was the goal of the apostle’s journey through Asia Minor. He came down upon Ephesus from the upper districts of Phrygia, with reference to the spread of the Church universal; Ephesus occupying the central position of all. This was the meeting-place of Jew, of Greek, of Roman, and of Oriental.
A new element in the preparation of the world for the kingdom of Christ presents itself at the beginning of the apostle’s work at Ephesus. He found certain disciples, — about twelve in number of whom he inquired, “Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed? They answered, No, we did not even hear of there being a Holy Ghost.
Unto what, then asked Paul, were ye baptized? And they said, unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who was coming after him; that is, on Jesus. Hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy” Acts 19:1-7.
Phillip Laspino www.seekfirstwisdom.com