返回Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Acts 18:1–6. After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. And finding a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife — because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome — he came to them; and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for their trade was tent-making. And every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. And when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the spirit to testify to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them: Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from now on I will go to the Gentiles.
Paul was led by the Spirit to Corinth; and in Corinth he had to remain, because the Athenians, despite the fact that they loved to hear news, did not heed the truth, since they cared not about the essence of the matter, but about always being in a position to say something. And so, Paul deemed it sufficient to merely cast the seed there.
"Because Claudius had commanded." Under Nero, Paul reached perfection, and under Claudius a war was kindled against the Jews, and they, as dangerous people, were expelled from Rome. Therefore Providence arranged that he was brought there as a prisoner, so that he would not be expelled as a Jew.
"Because of the sameness of their trade, he stayed with them and worked." He stayed because he found lodging with them convenient, since it was for him more comfortable than many royal chambers, just as for an athlete the arena is more useful than soft carpets, and for a soldier an iron sword is necessary, not a golden one.
"Having shaken out his garments, he said to them," in order to frighten them not by word only, but also by deed.
"Your blood be upon your own heads." An obscure saying. I think Paul is saying: "Everyone who falls away from Christ, Who is life, is seen as killing himself, since he passes from life to death and through the murder inflicted upon himself sheds in a certain way his own blood." Or he is saying the following: "For the fact that through unbelief you are killing yourselves, you yourselves will answer before the judgment, since I am innocent of this." From this one can conclude that the one who kills himself is punished by God as a murderer.
Acts 18:7–11. And he departed thence, and came to a certain man that worshipped God, named Justus, whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision: Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall do thee harm, for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Many were inflamed by the fact that Paul was in the vicinity.
"Crispus… the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord." This is the same Crispus of whom Paul says: "I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius" (1 Cor. 1:14).
"Fear not, but speak and hold not thy peace." At last the Lord says to Paul that which he especially needed, because nothing grieved him so much as unbelief.
Acts 18:12–18. Meanwhile, during the proconsulship of Gallio in Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying that he persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews: Jews! if it were some wrongdoing or wicked crime, I would have reason to hear you out, but if it is a question about doctrine and names and your own law, then see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of such things. And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat; and Gallio cared nothing about any of this. Paul, having remained a good many days longer, took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria — and with him Aquila and Priscilla — having shorn his head at Cenchrea, because of a vow.
How then, someone will ask, "did the Jews attack Paul with one accord?" By seizing him suddenly. And yet they dared do nothing, but brought him to the proconsul. And he drove them away from the judgment seat. It seems to me that this was one of the humane people.
"And all the Greeks, having seized Sosthenes." As for the fact that they beat Sosthenes, this was either because he too, like Crispus the ruler of the synagogue, was more devoted to Paul, or they had already gone so far in their frenzy that, forgetting their plans, they began beating Sosthenes instead of Paul, or they beat him because they wanted to kill Paul, but Sosthenes did not allow them to. They beat Sosthenes, acting lawlessly in the very sight of the ruler, saying by this: if everyone does what he wants, if the law no longer exists, then we too will beat him. The proconsul did not stop them, but allowed them to beat one another. If they had done this not to one of their own, but to someone from another nation, he would of course have brought them to their senses.
"He sailed to Syria, and with him Aquila and Priscilla, having shorn his head in Cenchrea." Since it seemed to the Jews that Paul was teaching apostasy from the law, and since many abhorred him and did not accept his preaching, both here and in the temple of Jerusalem he does this with a lofty purpose. This is the same as what he said: "to those without the law I became as without the law, that I might win those without the law" (1 Cor. 9:21).
"Because of a vow." He means the vow of renunciation. He made a vow to cut his hair, so that he would no longer devote his activity to worldly affairs, like worldly people, but so that, like a person living according to God, he would devote himself to the Church. And Aquila also, according to a vow, cut his hair, because this was done by those who wished to live in a manner pleasing to God, but at the same time this was an ancient custom among the Jews. Therefore the tonsure of monks is also fitting.
Acts 18:19–20. Having reached Ephesus, he left them there, and he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay with them longer, he did not consent.
He left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus, no doubt so that they might teach, for having spent so much time with Paul, they had learned much.
Acts 18:21–23. And he took leave of them, saying: I must by all means keep the approaching feast in Jerusalem; but I will return to you again, if God wills. And he departed from Ephesus. (And Aquila and Priscilla remained in Ephesus.) Having arrived in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem, greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. And having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
"I will return to you again." Being a prophet and knowing that he was to return, Paul gave a promise to return again to Ephesus. And so that no one would do the same thing out of foolishness, giving a reckless promise to do this or that, Paul taught us not to give any promise about the future without adding the words "if God wills," because no one knows what the next day will bring. Therefore, foolish is the one who does not qualify his promise with the words "if God wills"; because if someone promises with self-assurance that he will certainly do something, he will often hear the following words: "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have prepared?" (Luke 12:20).
To visit the faithful and strengthen them was the constant rule of Paul, so that, if he found them growing weak, he might lighten their burden with pastoral instruction.
Acts 18:24–25. A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man and well-versed in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. He had been instructed in the beginnings of the way of the Lord and, being fervent in spirit, spoke and taught about the Lord correctly, knowing only the baptism of John.
Some assert that this "Apollos" is Apollos, Bishop of Corinth, about whom Paul writes: "As for brother Apollos, I strongly urged him" (1 Cor. 16:12); also: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor. 3:6).
Acts 18:26–28. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of the Lord more accurately. And when he intended to go to Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples there, urging them to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. For he powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
If Apollos was baptized only with the baptism of John, then how did he burn with the Spirit? The Holy Spirit was not communicated in that manner. And if his followers needed the baptism of Christ, then he himself needed it all the more. So what shall we say to this? It seems to me that Apollos was among the one hundred and twenty baptized together with the apostles, or, if not, then the same thing happened with him as with Cornelius. The baptism of John called to repentance, but did not at the same time provide cleansing from sin, so that the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of believers consists in this: the baptism of believers grants the remission of sins, since the believer is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and is washed clean of the errors that preceded baptism. But if those baptized by John did not have the Holy Spirit, then how did Apollos, baptized only with the baptism of John, burn with the Spirit? Yet in that case, even if he did burn with the Spirit, he still did not have the Holy Spirit, because he did not speak in various tongues nor did he prophesy; it is one thing to burn with the Spirit, and another to have the Holy Spirit. He who has the Holy Spirit has Him dwelling within himself, and the Spirit Himself speaks to him from his heart, as He spoke to the apostles — now forbidding, now commanding them to speak the word. But he who burns with the Spirit accomplishes something under the guidance of the Spirit through sanctification and outward instruction; for from the sensible one must reason to the invisible.
"He powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, proving from the Scriptures." To refute "publicly" means to show boldness; to refute powerfully means to manifest strength; and to refute "proving from the Scriptures" means to bear witness to one's knowledge. Neither does boldness accomplish anything without strength, nor strength without boldness.
Acts 18:1–6. After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth. And finding a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife — because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome — he came to them; and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for their trade was tent-making. And every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. And when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the spirit to testify to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them: Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from now on I will go to the Gentiles.
Paul was led by the Spirit to Corinth; and in Corinth he had to remain, because the Athenians, despite the fact that they loved to hear news, did not heed the truth, since they cared not about the essence of the matter, but about always being in a position to say something. And so, Paul deemed it sufficient to merely cast the seed there.
"Because Claudius had commanded." Under Nero, Paul reached perfection, and under Claudius a war was kindled against the Jews, and they, as dangerous people, were expelled from Rome. Therefore Providence arranged that he was brought there as a prisoner, so that he would not be expelled as a Jew.
"Because of the sameness of their trade, he stayed with them and worked." He stayed because he found lodging with them convenient, since it was for him more comfortable than many royal chambers, just as for an athlete the arena is more useful than soft carpets, and for a soldier an iron sword is necessary, not a golden one.
"Having shaken out his garments, he said to them," in order to frighten them not by word only, but also by deed.
"Your blood be upon your own heads." An obscure saying. I think Paul is saying: "Everyone who falls away from Christ, Who is life, is seen as killing himself, since he passes from life to death and through the murder inflicted upon himself sheds in a certain way his own blood." Or he is saying the following: "For the fact that through unbelief you are killing yourselves, you yourselves will answer before the judgment, since I am innocent of this." From this one can conclude that the one who kills himself is punished by God as a murderer.
Acts 18:7–11. And he departed thence, and came to a certain man that worshipped God, named Justus, whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision: Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall do thee harm, for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Many were inflamed by the fact that Paul was in the vicinity.
"Crispus… the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord." This is the same Crispus of whom Paul says: "I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius" (1 Cor. 1:14).
"Fear not, but speak and hold not thy peace." At last the Lord says to Paul that which he especially needed, because nothing grieved him so much as unbelief.
Acts 18:12–18. Meanwhile, during the proconsulship of Gallio in Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying that he persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews: Jews! if it were some wrongdoing or wicked crime, I would have reason to hear you out, but if it is a question about doctrine and names and your own law, then see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of such things. And he drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat; and Gallio cared nothing about any of this. Paul, having remained a good many days longer, took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria — and with him Aquila and Priscilla — having shorn his head at Cenchrea, because of a vow.
How then, someone will ask, "did the Jews attack Paul with one accord?" By seizing him suddenly. And yet they dared do nothing, but brought him to the proconsul. And he drove them away from the judgment seat. It seems to me that this was one of the humane people.
"And all the Greeks, having seized Sosthenes." As for the fact that they beat Sosthenes, this was either because he too, like Crispus the ruler of the synagogue, was more devoted to Paul, or they had already gone so far in their frenzy that, forgetting their plans, they began beating Sosthenes instead of Paul, or they beat him because they wanted to kill Paul, but Sosthenes did not allow them to. They beat Sosthenes, acting lawlessly in the very sight of the ruler, saying by this: if everyone does what he wants, if the law no longer exists, then we too will beat him. The proconsul did not stop them, but allowed them to beat one another. If they had done this not to one of their own, but to someone from another nation, he would of course have brought them to their senses.
"He sailed to Syria, and with him Aquila and Priscilla, having shorn his head in Cenchrea." Since it seemed to the Jews that Paul was teaching apostasy from the law, and since many abhorred him and did not accept his preaching, both here and in the temple of Jerusalem he does this with a lofty purpose. This is the same as what he said: "to those without the law I became as without the law, that I might win those without the law" (1 Cor. 9:21).
"Because of a vow." He means the vow of renunciation. He made a vow to cut his hair, so that he would no longer devote his activity to worldly affairs, like worldly people, but so that, like a person living according to God, he would devote himself to the Church. And Aquila also, according to a vow, cut his hair, because this was done by those who wished to live in a manner pleasing to God, but at the same time this was an ancient custom among the Jews. Therefore the tonsure of monks is also fitting.
Acts 18:19–20. Having reached Ephesus, he left them there, and he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay with them longer, he did not consent.
He left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus, no doubt so that they might teach, for having spent so much time with Paul, they had learned much.
Acts 18:21–23. And he took leave of them, saying: I must by all means keep the approaching feast in Jerusalem; but I will return to you again, if God wills. And he departed from Ephesus. (And Aquila and Priscilla remained in Ephesus.) Having arrived in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem, greeted the church, and went down to Antioch. And having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
"I will return to you again." Being a prophet and knowing that he was to return, Paul gave a promise to return again to Ephesus. And so that no one would do the same thing out of foolishness, giving a reckless promise to do this or that, Paul taught us not to give any promise about the future without adding the words "if God wills," because no one knows what the next day will bring. Therefore, foolish is the one who does not qualify his promise with the words "if God wills"; because if someone promises with self-assurance that he will certainly do something, he will often hear the following words: "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have prepared?" (Luke 12:20).
To visit the faithful and strengthen them was the constant rule of Paul, so that, if he found them growing weak, he might lighten their burden with pastoral instruction.
Acts 18:24–25. A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man and well-versed in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. He had been instructed in the beginnings of the way of the Lord and, being fervent in spirit, spoke and taught about the Lord correctly, knowing only the baptism of John.
Some assert that this "Apollos" is Apollos, Bishop of Corinth, about whom Paul writes: "As for brother Apollos, I strongly urged him" (1 Cor. 16:12); also: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor. 3:6).
Acts 18:26–28. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of the Lord more accurately. And when he intended to go to Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples there, urging them to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. For he powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
If Apollos was baptized only with the baptism of John, then how did he burn with the Spirit? The Holy Spirit was not communicated in that manner. And if his followers needed the baptism of Christ, then he himself needed it all the more. So what shall we say to this? It seems to me that Apollos was among the one hundred and twenty baptized together with the apostles, or, if not, then the same thing happened with him as with Cornelius. The baptism of John called to repentance, but did not at the same time provide cleansing from sin, so that the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of believers consists in this: the baptism of believers grants the remission of sins, since the believer is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and is washed clean of the errors that preceded baptism. But if those baptized by John did not have the Holy Spirit, then how did Apollos, baptized only with the baptism of John, burn with the Spirit? Yet in that case, even if he did burn with the Spirit, he still did not have the Holy Spirit, because he did not speak in various tongues nor did he prophesy; it is one thing to burn with the Spirit, and another to have the Holy Spirit. He who has the Holy Spirit has Him dwelling within himself, and the Spirit Himself speaks to him from his heart, as He spoke to the apostles — now forbidding, now commanding them to speak the word. But he who burns with the Spirit accomplishes something under the guidance of the Spirit through sanctification and outward instruction; for from the sensible one must reason to the invisible.
"He powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, proving from the Scriptures." To refute "publicly" means to show boldness; to refute powerfully means to manifest strength; and to refute "proving from the Scriptures" means to bear witness to one's knowledge. Neither does boldness accomplish anything without strength, nor strength without boldness.