Using the Bible Study Guide For Acts chapter18, you can learn the major events in Paul’s ministry. These events include his teaching at Corinth, his departure from Corinth, his arrival at Ephesus, and his return to the regions of Galilee and Phrygia.
Acts 18:1-17 PAUL TAUGHT IN CORINTH
Among the many places where Paul preached the gospel was Corinth, a major commercial center of ancient Greece. The city was situated on an isthmus connecting northern and southern Greece. It was also a major cultural center. It had access to the sea at Cenchrea and Lechaeand was near an important pagan temple.
A city this size and this cosmopolitan would be the target of many preachers. Paul was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, and the gospel was being preached throughout the world. He was in Corinth to see the fruit of his labor, and he was rewarded with divine consolations.
The word of God was being preached and many people were being converted. Some were baptized. However, the gospel is not the answer to all of life’s problems, and many of the naysayers wanted to see Paul get the boot.
Acts 18:18 PAUL DEPARTED CORINTH SAILED FOR SYRIA
Besides the obvious, Paul was also a good at something. He travelled to Antioch, Phrygia, and Galatia. He also spent some time in Jerusalem. Having visited all of the major cities in the ancient world, he was well versed in the cultural complexities.
In addition to Paul’s many accomplishments, he was also a lightning rod for opposition. His adversaries accused him of being a troublemaker. They also believed that he was hypocritical at best. He was also the most painful person to endure.
Paul left his brethren in Ephesus. He also took Priscilla and Aquila with him. They were Jewish couples who had fled Rome in order to escape Claudius’s persecution of the Jews. They had moved to Corinth when Paul joined the tentmaking trade.
Paul spent one day in the synagogue in Corinth. He also wrote to the Corinthians. The Bible also mentions his time in Antioch.
PAUL ARRIVED AT EPHESUS WITH AQUILA AND PRISCILLA
During the time of the Apostle Paul, Aquila and Priscilla were friends. They lived and worked together in Ephesus. They became ministry partners to Paul. They were a part of his second missionary journey. They had a lifelong relationship with him.
Aquila was a tent maker. In the time of the Apostle Paul, many people lived in tents. These tents were made by young Jewish boys, who learned the trade. This trade was a very profitable one.
In Ephesus, Aquila and Priscilla became ministry partners to the Apostle Paul. They taught Apollos, a Jewish speaker, about Jesus and the Christian faith. Apollos was very eloquent in the synagogue. He also refuted the Jewish leaders’ objections to the Christian teachings.
The Jews in the synagogue tried to bring Paul into trouble with the Roman proconsul Gallio. Paul was able to reason with the Jews in Ephesus. He encouraged them to trust in Christ for salvation. In the end, Paul found a place to live and a home to preach the Gospel.
PAUL RETURNED TO REGIONS OF GALATIA AND PHRYGIA
During Paul’s third missionary period, he continued to travel to the regions of Galatia and Phrygia. The traditional view is that Paul was unable to go into Bithynia during this period, and that the Spirit of Jesus prevented him from preaching in Asia. The book of Galatians does not mention the third trip, and Paul’s letter to the house churches in Galatia does not mention this missionary period.
Paul’s third missionary period began after he left the Council of Jerusalem in year 50. He sailed on the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. He stayed there for three months. During this period, Paul encouraged the Churches that he had established on his first two missionary trips. He also planted churches in Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, and Derbe.
Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man. After the vision, Paul and Silas traveled through the region. They were confronted with more issues and more opportunities to share the Gospel.
Acts 18:24-28 APOLLOS IN EPHESUS AND ACHAIA
APOLLOS IN EPHESUS AND ACHAIA – An eloquent man, an eminent speaker, and a mighty in the Scriptures. Apollos was born in Alexandria, Egypt and had been educated in the ways of the Lord and the word. His zeal was so great that he became an excellent teacher of the way of God and the way of Christ.
Apollos, a Jew, knew about the baptism of John. He also had a thorough understanding of Old Testament references to the Messiah. But Apollos knew nothing about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. So when Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and told him about the Messiah and the way of God, Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
Apollos became a strong support for the Christians in Achaia. They gave Apollos letters of recommendation, encouraged Apollos to come to Achaia, and commended his work.
