WeekLy BooK oF Acts 18 1-16

   a paraphrased study

1 - After this Paul left Athens and went on to Corinth, 2 where he met a Jew (Hebrew) named Aquila, from Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had demanded all Jews leave Rome. He went to visit them, 3 and ended up staying and working with them, for they were tentmakers like him. 4 And in the synagogue every Sabbath, he tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks. 5 So when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was busy with the word, testifying to the Hebrews that Jesus was the messiah. 6 But then when they angrily resisted, and insulted him, he shook out his garments and said, “Your lives be upon your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I’m going to the Gentiles.” 7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, who lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, head of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with all his household. And many of the Corinthians listening to Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul at night in a vision, “Don’t fear. But go on speaking, and don’t be silent, 10 for I am with you. And no one will attack or harm you, for I have many in this city who are my own.” 11 And he stayed a year and a half, teaching the message of God among them.

     12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the leading Jews made a unified attack upon him and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to what the law says.” 14 But when Paul was about to speak in his defense, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a vicious crime I would have reason to listen to your complaint. 15 But since it’s a matter of disputing about words, names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them away from the court.

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     Very Brief Outline of Acts:

Jesus returns to where he was with the Father before his advent/visit (his brief first one).

The Holy Spirit/Presence of God is poured out on the believers who were in Jerusalem on the late Spring holy day of Pentecost. Peter speaks, there are 3000 new believers that day.

The good news message spreads, Peter is invited and goes to a Roman’s house and all believe. The first record of non Hebrew believers (besides likely some on Pentecost).

     Persecution breaks out.. jail. stoning. Pharisee Saul leads the persecution, but on his way to Damascus with papers for arrests, Jesus makes himself seen but is so bright Paul falls to the ground and is blinded. After two days he is healed and is a believer, and soon is called Paul. He wrote many (to most) of the New Testament letters, but spent a few years (it seems to me) exclusively listening to the Lord. He established many ‘churches’ in what’s called three missionary journeys, and met and worked with Mark and Luke, and quite a few others. (Luke wrote this Book of Acts.) His fourth journey is to Rome to trial as a prisoner. There’s a shipwreck on the way.. He wrote many of his letters while in prison and under ‘house’ arrest. ..And yes he was executed because of what he taught, as were all the original disciples turned apostles, except for probably John, who in his later years wrote three short letters and the vision and book of Revelation.

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