Don’s Daily Devotions

Acts chapter 19 v 1-7:

V1:  While Apollos is at Corinth, Paul comes to Ephesus. Seemingly the Lord has opened the way for the promised return visit of ch18 v21, though we don’t know how much time has passed. There he meets ” certain disciples” – the following verses tell us they do not yet have a full experience of God’s grace in the Gospel, and they are probably not yet in the Ephesian church.

V2:   Discerning some lack in their experience, he asks them if they have received the Holy Spirit – God’s gift to every true believer, as they come to faith – ( Acts 2 v38-39; Romans 8 v9.) They have not even heard of the Holy Spirit, they say.

V3:  He asks what baptism they received, and they answer ” John’s baptism” It seems their experience to this point is similar to that of Apollos before Priscilla and Aquila met him.

V4:  Paul tells them how John not only called to repentance, but pointed to Christ, the One in whom they must believe to be saved.

V5-6:  They are baptised in the Name of Jesus, and as  Paul lays his hands on them they receive the Holy Spirit, outwardly sealed by speaking in tongues and ” prophesying”. Such records of these visible signs in the foundation days of the church appear to be God’s confirmations of the truth of their salvation, seals upon the increasing spread of the Gospel and the inclusion of  a widening range of people – they are not to be taken – or looked for – as an ongoing norm of Christian experience.

V7:  We learn there were some 12 men in this group.

Acts chapter 18 v 24-28:

V24:  We learn of Apollos, who comes from Alexandria in Egypt, a centre of learning and philosophy, and arrives in Ephesus. He is a gifted speaker, knowing and revering the OT Scriptures. 

V25:   He has received some Christian teaching – we don’t know where, or from whom – and is ” fervent in spirit”  – eager to speak of what he knows about Jesus, but as yet there are gaps in that knowledge – ” he knew only the baptism of John” – the preaching of repentance, the pointing to Jesus, but not seemingly the fullness of the Gospel.

V26:   He boldly speaks of what he does know in the synagogue, where Priscilla and Aquila – left in Ephesus by Paul in v19 – hear him, recognise the gaps in his knowledge, talk to him privately to explain ” the way of God more accurately”. It seems this brings him to full faith in Christ, by God’s grace.

V27-28:  After this, Apollos wants to travel to Greece. The Ephesian believers encourage him, and write to those in Achaia to commend him. Again, we have evidence of contact between churches, even those far apart.  Arriving in Achaia ( Corinth  we learn from ch 19 v 1.) this gifted man is a great help to the believers there, powerfully speaking from OT Scripture to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah. So, God is building His church, not just through the Apostles but through other believers as He gifts them and uses them – it is still so today.

Acts chapter 18 v 18-23: 

V18:  Paul stays even longer in Corinth, probably largely teaching and encouraging the church, then takes leave of them and sails for Syria. taking with him Priscilla and Aquila. The vow referred to seems to be a Jewish practice – he was always a Jew, think of his longing for his own people in Romans 9 and 10. We know no more of what this vow was or why he took it, however.

V19:  Travelling now back to Judea via Asia, he comes to Ephesus where he leaves Priscilla and Aquila. 2 Timothy 4 v19 seems to suggest they had a continuing base in that city, though Romans 16 v3 must come between this verse and 2 Timothy. Perhaps, as prosperous business people, they had various homes/bases. Meanwhile, Paul is found yet again in the synagogue, reasoning with those there. ( The rejection expressed in v6 was clearly ” local”, not general.

V20-21:   There must have been blessing on his ministry in Ephesus – by chapter 20 there is clearly an established church there, with many Elders. But at this time, he resists the  requests of the Ephesian believers to stay with them. However, he promises to return to them soon, if the Lord wills – he was always ready to receive and follow the Lord’s leading, as we all should be. ( and see James 4 v15.)  

V22:  Sailing back to Caesarea, he greets the church there, then returns to Antioch, still his sending church. We don’t know if Silas and his other companions are with him still, or if they have been left to other strategic ministries elsewhere – perhaps this was when Timothy was first left in Ephesus?

V23:  After an unspecified period Paul leaves Antioch for another lengthy journey, revisiting churches planted in Galatia and Phrygia, to strengthen and encourage the believers there. In the NT church-planting is always followed up  by a concern to encourage and build up the young believers.

Acts Chapter 18 v 12-17:

V12:  After this period, when a man named Gallio becomes the ” pro-consul of Achaia” ( Greece ), ( the Roman governor ) the Jews again attack Paul angrily, and bring him before the tribunal ( the governor’s place of judgement .)

V13:  They charge Paul with teaching people to worship God in ways contrary to Jewish law. ( In fact, he has always sought to show how the OT Law points to and is fulfilled in Jesus, of course.)

V14-15:  But even before Paul can speak in his defence, Gallio tells the Jews this is not a crime to concern him, or Roman law, but a mere matter of Jewish squabbling – there is clearly a dismissive attitude to the Jews here, who were already becoming targets of Roman prejudice ( see v1.) But God can use any means He chooses to enable Gospel work to continue, and this will lead to Paul being set free to continue his ministry.

V16-17:  So, the Jews are driven from the tribunal – presumably violently. It is unclear who seizes and beats Sosthenes, who has, it seems, replaced Crispus as ” ruler of the synagogue “, whether Jews angry because the charges against Paul have failed, or Gentiles in support of Paul – or even a general ” anti-Jewish” reaction, but this too leaves Gallio unmoved and uninvolved.

Acts chapter 18 v 6-11:

V6:  But the Jews in the synagogue ( probably especially their leaders ) now oppose Paul and revile him. Just as at Antioch of Pisidia, in chapter 13, he sees this as a clear indication from God that their rejection of the Gospel means he will turn from them, and go directly to the Gentiles in Corinth – a solemn reminder that the Lord will sometimes leave people in their persistent hardness of heart.

V7:  He stays now with a Gentile – Titus Justius is a Roman name. “A worshipper of God” indicates he was a Gentile God-fearer in the synagogue, who has come to faith in Christ – so not all in that synagogue rejected the message. He lives right next to the synagogue itself.

V8:  Indeed, another man has come to faith, as has his whole household, described as one who had been a ” ruler of the synagogue”, Crispus ( despite his Roman name, he must have been a Jew to hold this office – but many had both a Jewish and Roman or Greek name at this time – not least Saul/Paul himself.) Many others – presumably among the Gentiles to whom Paul has now gone, –  are now converted through his ministry. As always in those early days they are soon baptised, witnessing to their faith.

V9-11:  We learn how God has come to Paul in a vision, encouraging him to stay at Corinth and preach there, despite opposition, for the Lord has ” many in the city” who are His chosen people, and He will curb the hostility against Paul, that his ministry may continue. God is always Sovereign, and we can not automatically transfer the detail of this promise to every situation, but we are to continue to proclaim Christ! So Paul stays  another 18 months, teaching God’s Word – surely, both teaching and building up the believers and preaching to those not yet saved, as God’s grace is at work.

Acts chapter 18 v1-5:

V1:  Paul now travels on to Corinth. The church that was planted there,( and some of it’s later problems) is well known to us through the 2 NT letters he later wrote to them.

V2:  We learn of Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish Christians who have left Rome when the Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from the city. They will become valued fellow workers of Paul, warmly commended in Romans 16 v3-5 – they clearly returned to Rome at some later date, and hosted ( part of?) the church there, and greeted in 2 Timothy 4 v19, when it seems they are now in Ephesus. We do not know when or how they became believers, but clearly there has already been considerable Gospel spread – and fruit – beyond that recorded in Acts.

V3:  Paul now stays with them, and it seems they work together at a shared trade, usually translated “ tentmakers”, though some scholars argue for ” leather-workers” in a more general sense. Every adult Jew was expected to have a trade, and it seems that at times during his ministry Paul partly supported himself by his.

V4:  But always his main business is Gospel business, and he is found in the synagogue in Corinth, seeking to persuade both Jews and Gentile God-fearers there of the way the OT points to Jesus.

V5:  Silas and Timothy now join him. How did they know where he would be? Clearly there was some efficient means of communicating and sharing news between the Christians in various locations, and presumably the believers in Athens, from where he had sent for Silas and Timothy, have directed them on to Corinth. They find Paul, as ever, pointing to Jesus as the promised Messiah, the anointed Christ of God.

Acts chapter 17 v 29-34:

V29:  Since God is our Creator, no-one should think this great and living God can be represented by man-made idols.

V30:  A difficult verse, but it seems to mean that God has left men in general to their ignorance and false religions until the coming of Christ, but now, in Christ, who is come as ” the Saviour of the World” ( John 4 v42.) He calls all men to repent.

V31:  Now Paul speaks of God’s righteous judgement, which all will face, and of the one ” man He has appointed” as judge, and sealed this by raising Him from the dead – he speaks, of course, of Jesus. ( See Romans 1 v4; 2 Timothy 4 v1.) Has he said enough to clearly point to Jesus, we may ask? Remember how remarkably God can open hearts to His Word, beyond our expectations.
V32:  Some mock – as so many still do – at the idea of resurrection, but others say they want to hear more. Grace is surely already at work in some hearts there.

V33-34:  So, Paul leaves the Areopagus, but indeed some have already been brought to faith – one man is named, who may have had some official function in this place of debate, and one particular woman. We know no more of them, but such seemingly incidental details show that this is a genuine historic record, and perhaps that Luke, though little mentioned in his own account, was actually there with Paul.

Acts chapter 17 v 22-28:

V22:  Paul speaks of how the ” very religious” Athenians will ” accept” any kind of god – reminding us of how some today will say ” if your religion is good for you, fine .. but it’s not for me”.

V23:  But among the many idols in Athens, he has seen one altar ” to the unknown god” ( not to offend any god they had ” left out”, perhaps ) but he sees here an opening for the Gospel – may we ever be alert for such -and says he will speak to them of the god they do not know.

V24-25:  So, he declares the One true God, who is the Creator of all things, and is everywhere in the universe he has made, He cannot be contained in any man-made temple, nor does He need the ” service” of any human beings, rather He is the source of all human life, and of all things else. How differently Paul speaks to a pagan audience than to a synagogue congregation. With no OT common ground, he starts where they are, and points to God in Creation and Providence. 

V26-27:  God has  created all mankind from the first man He made ( Adam. ) In His sovereign purpose all nations and their lands have been established. But God always intended that all men should seek Him. Yet men have refused to see how God’s creation should point them to Him – compare Romans 1 v 19-23. Yet, says Paul, he is not far from any human being. 

V28:  For He is ” the God Who is there”, and we all exist only by His own being and provision, and are, in the sense of creation, His ” offspring”. He illustrates this by quoting from some of their own poets/philosophers – he will use this knowledge as a springboard for the Gospel, of course.

Acts chapter 17 v 16-21:

V16:  While he waits for his team, Paul’s spirit is stirred up at the massive evidence of idolatrous worship which dominates Athens. ” Provoked”, surely both with anger at the dishonour to God, and with grief at the blindness of men in the grip of such false religion. Are we similarly ” provoked ” at the equally rampant, if different, ungodliness and rejection of the truth all around us?

V17:  Beginning as always in the synagogue, Paul reasons with the Jews and Gentile God-fearers there, but from the first also speaks daily in  the market-place – the forum, where, in Athens above all, it was normal for ideas of any kind to be proclaimed ( rather like ” Speaker’s Corner” in London.)

V18:  Some from 2  schools of Greek philosophy talk with Paul. The Epicureans had a materialistic ” pleasure seeking” attitude – in effect, “eat, drink and be merry”, for who can know what lies beyond death? The Stoics had a sterner creed, the gods were distant and uncaring, all we can do is put up with our lot in this world, uncomplainingly – so, our word ” stoical”. Some find Paul’s words ” mere babbling”, others think he proclaims ” foreign gods” – nothing to do with us!

V19:  However, they bring Paul to the Areopagus, a hill “sacred” to the god Mars ( known as Ares to the Greeks previously ), seemingly a place of more formal debate, where he is asked to explain his ” new teaching “ more fully. God is at work in it all, to provide Gospel opportunities.

V20-21:  While this teaching is ” strange “ to them, they want to hear more, but humanly this is mere curiosity – the Athenians love to discuss any new ideas, we’re told.

Acts chapter 17 v 10-15:

V10:  The believers at once send Paul and Silas away , v14 tells us this must have included Timothy too, and perhaps Luke. This shows their concern not only for the missionaries’ safety, but for the ongoing spread of the gospel. The infant church in Thessalonica is in God’s hands, and Paul will later write warmly of their faith and witness. ( 1 Thessalonians 1 v2-8.) Paul and his companions reach Berea, and as usual where there is one, he goes into the synagogue.

V11-12:  They are well received, in God’s over-ruling grace. The Berean Jews eagerly receive Paul’s message, and themselves diligently search the OT scriptures to see if they do say what Paul has said. Consequently ( for of course, they do ) many come to faith, both Jews and Gentile God-fearers, men and women. Perhaps the specific mention of the ” standing” of some of these women emphasises the Gospel regard for women in a day when they were generally little regarded.

V13:  But Satan never stops trying to hinder the work. Some of the antagonistic Jews from Thessalonica, hearing of the blessing in Berea, come there to stir up what trouble they can.

V14:  Again, the believers send Paul away, though Timothy and Silas stay in Berea for a while, no doubt to encourage and teach the infant church. We note the ongoing concern for the continuing spread of the Gospel and the planting of new churches.

V15:  Some Berean Christians conduct Paul  all the way to Athens – some 200 miles!  – probably on foot, and for them with the return journey too. What Gospel love and courtesy we see in this. He sends them back, asking for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as they can. Paul always preferred to work with a team where possible – a lasting Gospel principle.