Acts Chapter Eighteen, Paul's Stop In Sin City...

In our study of Acts chapter eighteen, we look at Paul's second missionary journey and the spread of the gospel in Europe. This chapter tells us of Paul's efforts at evangelism in one of the toughest places of that day.

Corinth, which was a part of the Roman Empire, was probably the most wicked city of that period in history. It was a place where people went to live it up as sex and pleasure was indeed a religion there. There was a temple there to "Aphrodite the goddess of love" and at the time there was over a thousand prostitutes there for the use of the worshipers. As always, Paul went to the city and preached the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He showed them that there was hope for them even in this most wicked of places and people came to the Lord!

Acts 18:1

"After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth." NIV translation

After proclaiming the Gospel in Athens, a city that was open to all of the latest ideas and a thinker's place, Paul moves on to Corinth.

Corinth was totally different from Athens in that the people there weren't all that concerned about the latest ideas. It was a party place and the people didn't go there to discuss ideas.

Acts 18:2 & 3


Since Paul's regular missionary companions were not with him, he met and stayed with this husband and wife team. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned several times in the Bible and they are always mentioned together. They were Jewish Christians that had been forced to leave Rome and they let Paul stay with them and he trained them in the faith. They became a wonderful team of teachers as we see in other parts of the Word.

Acts 18:4

"Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." NIV translation

So, Paul held a regular job as a tent maker for six days and on the seventh day he went to the synagogue. This is the same Paul that has traveled all over building the church and you would have thought that he would have the right to financial support and not have to be a tent maker but he chose to work so as not to be a burden on anyone. If we spend less time worrying about our rights and more time actually serving (as Paul & Jesus did) lives will be changed. As usual, he went to the synagogue to try to get the Jewish people to see the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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