After Paul left Athens he went to Corinth, where he
stayed for a year and a half under God’s protection (v. 1, 11). There he met
Priscilla and Aquila and stayed and worked with them (v. 2-3). Here, again,
Paul spent much of his missionary efforts at the local synagogue (v. 4). Timothy
and Silas joined Paul in Corinth, allowing him to dedicate himself exclusively
to preaching the message of Jesus (v. 5). When he was met with opposition by
the local Jews, Paul redirected his efforts exclusively toward the Corinthian
Gentiles (v. 6). Eventually the local Jews brought Paul to court, but the case
was dismissed because it didn’t fall under the proconsul’s jurisdiction (it was
a religious, rather than a civil-legal matter) (v. 12-16). The next verse shows
that the proconsul, Gallio, didn’t actually care about Paul. Gallio failed to
intervene when the synagogue ruler publically beat Paul (v. 17). Paul then left
Corinth, bringing Priscilla and Aquila to Ephesus to participate in the local
church (v. 18-19, 24-26). At some point, Paul had evidently taken a temporary Nazarite
vow because here we see that he cut his hair before continuing (v. 18, see also
Numbers 6:1-21). Paul then travelled to Antioch, where he stayed for a time (v.
23). This concluded his second missionary journey. Paul began his third
missionary journey, travelling throughout Galatia and Phrygia, after this
period in Antioch (v. 23).
Journaling
and Prayer
1. Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
built godly habits and strategies. One habitual strategy of his was preaching in
synagogues. Ask God if there are any godly habits He wants you to build in your
life? It may have to do with your walk with Him, relationships, work,
outreach/ministry, etc.
2. Priscilla and Aquila gently corrected Apollos
when he was preaching an incomplete message (v. 26). Ask God if there is anyone
He wants you to gently correct. Ask for specific wisdom on how to do this with
a balance of grace and truth.
3. Pray for marriages in our church. Ask God to
strengthen each couple in their ability to love each other and love Jesus. Ask
God to build strong, healthy marriages that provide a testimony about the grace
of Jesus. Pray for healing and restoration where there has been hurt. Pray that
many couples would be united in their efforts to build the kingdom of God. Ask
God to give spouses His vision and dreams for their marriage.
