Paul Meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth
1Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.* 2There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers* just as he was.
4Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”
7Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
12But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. 13They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”
14But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. 15But 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.” 16And he threw them out of the courtroom.
17The crowd* then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.
Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria
18Paul 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 custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.
19They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. 20They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later,* God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem* and then went back to Antioch.
23After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.*
Apollos Instructed at Ephesus
24Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit* and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. 26When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.
27Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. 28He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.
November 7 Reflection & Worship
Seeing and Hearing Is Believing
DO NOT EXPECT GOD TO USE YOU AS A LIGHTHOUSE SOMEWHERE ELSE IF GOD CANNOT USE YOU AS A CANDLE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
LOOK BACK Jesus’ miracles were designed to validate his message. When he said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), he meant it. And to validate his claim that he was the source of life, he raised Lazarus from the grave.
John’s account of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is poignant and personal, as befitting the one who was nicknamed the disciple whom “Jesus loved” (John 13:23). The final chapter of John’s Gospel tells of a breakfast meeting between Jesus and seven of his disciples. The disciples came to that encounter discouraged and ready to quit; they left fortified with courage to follow their Lord even unto death.
The book of Acts continues the story of Jesus’ followers as they go forth in the power of the Spirit to broadcast the news about their risen Leader and Lord. First in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest corners of the known world, the New Testament church carries out its marching orders in spite of persecution from without and problems from within.
LOOK UP Two cars collide in the intersection in front of you. From the safety of your own car, you see the entire incident unfold. Now answer the following questions:
1. Are you a witness to the accident?
2. If yes, why are you a witness?
3. What did you have to do to become a witness?
4. How sure are you that you are a witness?
5. Would you know what to say if called to the witness stand?
6. What would you say?
Being a witness for your Lord is no different. Only those who have seen and heard something firsthand about Jesus Christ are eligible to be his witnesses. “We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. . . . We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:1, 3). If you have seen the miracle of new birth in your own life, then you are a candidate to be a witness for your Lord.
LOOK AHEAD The book of Acts is the exciting account of men and women who bore testimony of the truth they had experienced firsthand. Most of them were not trained preachers or educated philosophers. They were simple people whose lives had been simply touched and transformed for eternity.
After they met Jesus in a life-changing way, he told them to “go and tell.” And so they went and told. And everywhere they went, the power of God was evident. They testified as much by the quality of their lives as by the testimony of their lips.
It’s the same today. People all around you may never visit a church or tune in to a Christian radio or television program. But they will listen to the gospel according to you—in your office . . . your home . . . your neighborhood . . . your school. Why? Because they know you, and they can see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears the difference Jesus has made in your life. They’ve seen the difference; now they need to know what (or rather, who) has made the difference.