BIBLE STUDY LESSON 09

SERIES V --- JOURNEYS FOR YESHUA

CORINTH

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY: CORINTH

From Acts 18:1-18

From Athens, Paul travelled to Corinth, where he met Aquila, a Jewish man who had been born in Pontus, and his wife Priscilla. This couple had arrived in Corinth only a short time earlier, when the emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews from Rome. Since they were tentmakers, as Paul was, he lived and worked with them. As usual, Paul went each Sabbath to the synagogue, where he persuaded many Jews and Greeks to accept the Gospel. But when Silas and Timothy arrived at last from Berea, Paul focused all of his time and effort on preaching Moshiach to the Jews, trying to help them see that Yeshua was the Moshiach. Many of the Jews opposed him, criticizing him openly. At last Paul shook the dust from his robe as a symbolic act that he was cutting himself off from them. [From now on, your blood is upon your own heads,] he told them. [I will preach henceforth to the Gentiles.] About that time, Paul moved in with Titus Justus, a Gentile believer whose house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire family accepted the Gospel and were baptized, along with many others in Corinth. In a vision one night the Adonai spoke to Paul. [Do not fear but continue to speak out for Me,] Adonai told him. [I am with you, so no one can attack you to harm you. There are many in this city who will come to Me.] When Paul heard that, he settled in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching the Word of YHVH. On one occasion, while Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews united to take Paul before the court. [This man persuades others to worship YHVH in an unlawful way,] they charged. Paul was preparing to defend himself when Gallio spoke to his accusers. [Listen, if this man had been dishonest or had committed a serious crime, I would tolerate you,] he said. [But you are bothering me with silly questions about words, people, and your religious laws. I will not judge such things.] Then Gallio drove Paul’s accusers from the courtroom. Outside, a mob grabbed Sosthenes, the new synagogue ruler who apparently had stirred up this trouble, and in full sight of Gallio beat him. Gallio ignored the whole thing. Not long after this incident, Paul thought it was time to move on, so he said good-bye to the believers and prepared to sail for Syria. When he arrived at Corinth’s eastern harbour at Cenchrea, he had his hair cut short, a symbol of a vow he had made. Then he set sail, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

COMMENTARY

THE FACES OF GREECE

The {agora,} or outdoor marketplace, was the heart of every Greek town, crowded with people from all levels of society. Merchants and craftsmen hawked their wares with loud voices, competing against the announcements of the public criers. Wealthy men discussed the latest news while their servants did the shopping. The agora was a scene of friendly noise and confusion. But a foreigner in the Greek marketplace would soon notice something missing. Except for an old woman selling bread or a young girl with flowers, there were no females. All respectable Greek women remained at home while their husbands did the bartering. Children were also missing from the marketplace. The girls were educated at home by their mothers, but the boys went to school from dawn until sundown. Between the ages of six and eighteen, they were trained to become responsible citizens. In addition to lessons in reading and writing, each boy received athletic and military training. Men and women in Greece dressed very much alike. Both wore loose, flowing garments called {chitons.} This simple garment of white wool was a single piece of cloth pinned at the shoulders and carefully draped around the body. The major difference between a man’s chiton and his wife’s was the length of the garment. She wore hers to the ground while his was knee-length. The Romans admired the stately dress of the Greeks so much that they copied the Greek styles. They also imitated Greek art and even adopted their language. Although the Greeks were a conquered nation, they had a strong influence on the lives of their conquerors.