NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 58
A cts 1 8 : 1 3
2014
Paul and brought him before the governor
for judgment. 13 They accused Paul of “per
suading people to worship God in ways that
are contrary to our law.”
14 But just as Paul started to make his de
fense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and
said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case in
volving some wrongdoing or a serious crime,
I would have a reason to accept your case.
15 But since it is merely a question of words
and names and your Jewish law, take care of
it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.”
16 And he threw them out of the courtroom.
17 The crowd* then grabbed Sosthenes,
the leader of the synagogue, and beat him
right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid
no attention.
Paul Visits Ephesus and
Returns to Antioch
18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after
that, then said good-bye to the brothers and
sisters* and went to nearby Cenchrea. There
he shaved his head according to Jewish cus
tom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set
sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with
him.
19 They stopped first at the port of Ephe
sus, where Paul left the others behind. While
he was there, he went to the synagogue to
reason with the Jews. 20 They asked him to
stay longer, but he declined. 21 As he left,
however, he said, “I will come back later,*
God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephe
sus. 22 The next stop was at the port of Cae
sarea. From there he went up and visited the
church at Jerusalem* and then went back to
Antioch.
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
from Antioch (18:23–21:17)
Paul Visits the Churches in Galatia
and Phrygia
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul
went back through Galatia and Phrygia, vis
iting and strengthening all the believers.*
18:15
John 18:31
18:17
Acts 18:8
1 Cor 1:1
18:18
Num 6:18
Acts 21:24
Rom 16:1
18:19
Eph 1:1
Rev 1:11; 2:1
18:21
Jas 4:15
18:22
Acts 8:40; 11:19
18:23
Acts 16:6
18:24
Acts 19:1
1 Cor 1:12; 4:6;
16:12
Titus 3:13
18:25
Acts 19:3
Apollos in Ephesus and Corinth
24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an elo
quent speaker who knew the Scriptures well,
had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in
Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the
Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with
an enthusiastic spirit* and with accuracy.
8:17 Greek Everyone; other manuscripts read All the Greeks. 18:18 Greek brothers; also in 18:27. 18:21 Some manuscripts
1
read “I must by all means be at Jerusalem for the upcoming festival, but I will come back later.” 18:22 Greek the church.
18:23 Greek disciples; also in 18:27. 18:25 Or with enthusiasm in the Spirit.
CLAUDIUS CAESAR (Acts 18:2)
Claudius Caesar was emperor of Rome, ad 41–54. He issued an edict (ad 49~50?)
expelling all Jews from Rome; Aquila and Priscilla were among those
who had been ordered to leave the imperial city (18:2). The
Roman biographer and historian Suetonius wrote that
“because the Jews of Rome were indulging in constant
riots at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius]
expelled them from the city.” Most scholars agree that
the name Chrestus was an alternate spelling for the
name Christus (Christ), viewed by Romans at that time
as the founder of a movement (Christianity) that had
evolved from Judaism.
18:1417 Gallio’s ruling indicated that
the charges against Paul were unjusti
fied. The Roman government had
nothing to fear from acknowledging
Christianity as a legal religion.
18:17 It is most likely that the Greeks
beat Sosthenes to express their hostil
ity 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), but it
is uncertain, as the name was fairly
common.
18:18 Cenchrea was a seaport located
on the Aegean Sea, roughly five miles
(8 km) east of Corinth. It was here
that Paul shaved his head according
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
to Jewish custom to mark the comple
tion of a temporary Nazirite vow (cp.
21:2324; see Num 6:121; Judg 13:47;
16:1; Amos 2:1112; Luke 1:15).
18:1923 Paul made a quick stop at
Ephesus, the most important city in the
Roman province of Asia. There he left
the others behind, including Priscilla
and Aquila (18:26). He sailed to Judea,
landing at Caesarea, the headquarters
of the Roman forces of occupation.
After a visit to the church at Jerusalem,
Paul returned to Antioch, the church
that had originally commissioned him.
This marked the end of his second
missionary journey. In Antioch, he
spent a rewarding time of reporting
what God had done through him and
his colleagues, sharing the excitement
and challenges of their work with the
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
home church. Then after . . . some
time, Paul began his third missionary
journey. He went by land rather than
by sea, traveling through Galatia and
Phrygia and revisiting believers whom
he had led to faith in Christ on his
previous trips. It was important to him
that these young converts not be left
to founder and shipwreck their faith
(see Eph 6:1020; 1 Tim 1:1820; 2 Tim
1:15; 4:10).
18:21 “I will come back later”: Paul
later spent significant time in Ephesus
during his third missionary journey
(19:1–20:1; see 19:8, 10).
18:23–19:41 This section describes
Paul’s third missionary journey (about
ad 53–57). Paul revisited Galatia and
Phrygia, strengthening the disciples
(18:23). He then traveled to Ephesus
(19:1), where he remained for two
years (19:10).
18:23 Paul wanted to keep in touch
with earlier converts and strengthen
their faith.
18:2426 Alexandria, the second-
largest city in the Roman empire, was
famous for its rhetorical tradition and
the philosophical work of Philo. Apollos
was an eloquent speaker with an excel
lent knowledge of the Scriptures (the
OT). His knowledge about Jesus and the
Holy Spirit was inadequate, though. He
did not understand that believers could
experience and enjoy the power of the
POETRY & WISDOM
