DAY #209: Acts 18:1-17

Ancient Corinth had been destroyed by the Romans in 146 b.c., but it had been rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46 b.c. because of its strategic seaport. By Paul’s day (a.d. 50), the Romans had made Corinth the capital of Achaia (present-day Greece).

Only fifty miles from Athens, Corinth by this time was regarded as the most influential city of Greece. The city was permeated with religion—at least twelve temples were located there. The most infamous of these temples was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and featured one thousand “sacred” prostitutes. Another temple, dedicated to Apollo, employed young men whose job was to fulfill the sexual desires of male and female worshipers. Largely due to this fact, the city was notorious for its immorality.

So brazen was the unbridled licentiousness that a new Greek verb was eventually coined: to “Corinthianize” meant to practice sexual immorality. When Plato referred to a prostitute, he used the expression “Corinthian girl.”

From a human point of view, Corinth was not the type of place where one would expect to launch a thriving ministry, but Paul didn’t view things from an earthly perspective. He saw Corinth as both a challenge and a great ministry opportunity. Later he would write a series of letters to the Corinthians dealing in large part with the problems of immorality. First and Second Corinthians are two of those letters.

Aquila and Priscilla had just been expelled from Rome by Claudius Caesar’s order. Trained as tentmakers, Aquila and Priscilla had packed up the tools of their trade and had made their way to Corinth. There they met Paul, who joined them in the business of tentmaking.

Paul chose to work to support himself during his stay in Corinth. The presence of so many religious promoters in Corinth may have added an incentive for Paul to earn his own living. Paul wanted to disassociate himself from those teachers who taught only for money.

Because of his great burden for his lost Jewish brothers, Paul would go each Sabbath to the synagogue. There he would speak to both Jews and Greeks.Upon the arrival of his colleagues, Paul was able to set aside his tentmaking and devote himself to full time preaching. Silas and Timothy must have brought with them a financial gift from the believers in Macedonia (Philippians 4:15).

The home of Titius Justus became Paul’s base of operations, and its proximity to the synagogue gave the apostle convenient and ongoing contact with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks. As the synagogue leader, Crispus would have been responsible for maintenance of the synagogue complex and the services held there. Such a position would have made him a prominent and well-to-do person in the community. Thus, his conversion (and that of his household) was a significant breakthrough for the church.

The conversions of Crispus and other Corinthians, together with the formation of a growing “house church” right next door to the synagogue, provoked great controversy and opposition. But in contrast to his treatment elsewhere, just as God had promised, no one would harm Paul—he would not endure bodily harm during this time in Corinth.

In time, the Jews would successfully manage to have Paul charged with promoting a religion not approved by Roman law. Such behavior amounted to treason. This sequence of events took place when Gallio, the brother of Seneca the philosopher, was governor of Achaia (modern Greece). He had come to power in a.d. 51-52, and he enjoyed a good reputation among his people as a pleasant man.

This was an important judicial decision for the spread of the gospel in the Roman Empire. Judaism was a recognized religion under Roman law. As long as Christians were seen as a sect within Judaism, the court could refuse to hear cases brought against them. Gallio’s decision proved to be extremely beneficial for the emerging Christian church for the next ten years. His ruling became a legal precedent used in Paul’s trial in Rome. If Gallio had found Paul guilty, every governor in every province where Paul or other missionaries traveled could arrest the Christians. By not ruling against Paul, the Romans were including Christianity (as a sect of Judaism) as one of the legal religions (religio licita) of the Roman Empire. Gallio, in effect, helped spread the gospel throughout the Empire.

The fact that Gallio had Paul’s Jewish accusers driven out of the courtroom, rather than merely sent away, reveals his irritation with what he evidently felt were petty, trumped-up charges.

SO WHAT? (what will i do with what i have read today?)

Knowing what the city of Corinth was like, it gives me great admiration for Paul. He wanted to take the Gospel to a place where most would not dare go. He believed rightly, that no person was beyond the reach of the Spirit of God to reach.

Lord, give us the San Ramon Valley. Break our hearts with the things that break Your heart. Remind us daily of our mission - to invite people into the family of God.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)