PAUL BEFORE GALLIO
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Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, there is no power greater than yours, no love deeper than yours, no care for me more complete than yours. Please accept the gratitude I express in my words and actions.
Read ACTS 18:12–22
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
God sometimes chooses to provide intervention and support from unexpected, even unlikely, places. When has that been your experience?
Once again, the spread of the gospel received assistance from a surprising source. Gallio was the Roman proconsul (governor) of Achaia and gave judgments publicly on breaches of the Roman law. We can thus see another side of Roman justice, so different from what happened in Philippi.1 The Jews must have suggested that Paul had broken Roman law, because religious disputes were not under his jurisdiction.2 Gallio, however, considered the Jews to be troublemakers and refused to listen to them. Even when they turned on their own leader (Sosthenes must have replaced Crispus), he paid no attention, so the Jewish plot backfired. Gallio’s fair- mindedness allowed Paul’s mission to continue.
Paul might have felt nervous after this experience but, in spite of his narrow escape, he did not leave immediately but stayed in Corinth to continue establishing the faith. This cosmopolitan trading center was important for mission, so this extra time was well spent. It can be easy to move on or to quit when things get tough, but that is not always God’s call.
Paul did not want to alienate his Jewish brothers and sisters. Perhaps that is why he cut his hair—to keep a religious vow—although we do not know why Luke mentions it. He then spent time in the synagogue at Ephesus and, because he was well received, he determined to come back if he could to help the believers. In all this we can see God’s promise to Paul ‘no one is going to … harm you’ (v. 10) in action. Roman law here protected Paul and enabled the spread of the gospel. Unfortunately, there are many places today where Christians cannot count on the law to protect and enable their ministry.
Apply
Pray for those who are facing persecution today for the sake of Jesus.
Closing prayer
Father, give me opportunity to share the gospel. I ask for courage as I do, trusting that you are at work through me and that you can open doors of ministry that seem to be closed.
1 Acts 16:16–40 2 See Pilate’s initial response to the charges against Jesus, John 18:31
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