Acts 18:1-24 - Corps Notes - November 16, 1976
Publication Date: 11-16-1976
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Acts 18:1-24
November 16, 1976
The word homiletics means the art of preaching. Homiletically that perhaps is a classic of all
classics in Acts 17. My recapitulation of things that I saw in Acts is not comprehensive. It only
approximates some of the things that are there as to what God really is. I taught all of that.
Acts 18:1
“Corinth” - Homiletically, it’s just one of the great masterpieces of all time and that’s why after
these things had occurred there, he departed from Athens and he came to Corinth. Forty-five
miles west and south of Athens is the city of Corinth. The city of Corinth was the capital of
Achaia. It was utterly destroyed in the year 146 B.C. But an emperor by the name of Julius
Caesar loved it so much that he had it restored in 46 B.C. and made it one of the most
outstanding “truck-driver” cities in the world. It became the commercial trading center, and it
was the Playboy Magazine in living reality in its day. It was the hottest town in the Near East.
It was the sexiest of all sex places. And our Paul, bless his heart, jumps from Athens, that great
wicked city of intellects, into the great wicked city of sex; Corinth. If you wanted sex you went
to Corinth. You could get it any which way you wanted it, no holes barred. That was Corinth.
And that’s the city Paul goes to.
Acts 18:2
“Pontus”- -I think it is mentioned in I Peter as one of the dispora cities. [I Peter 1:1] The word
“dispora” is transliterated into “dispersion.” You’ll see the word “dispora” used various times
in theological works and writings. And it simply means, Jews, when they were kicked out and
dispersed from their rooted areas, those are the cities they went to. So, Aquila was born as an
outcast, so to speak, and he went to Italy, to Rome, and he lately came from Rome with his
wife Priscilla.
“Jews”- I have told you before, and I must tell you again, that the word “Jew” is not Jew at all.
The word “Jew” was first used, in any writing at all, by Sheridan, who did a play called
“Robbins” in 1775. And that’s the first place that the word “J-e-w” is used. Now, how this
could occur in 1775 and never be in any text previous to that, and then continue to be carried
over to 1975, even November, 1976, is really something. A number of years ago I wrote a
book, Was Jesus a Jew? Within the last three months, there have been publications come out
that Jesus Christ is not a Jew. I have all of them; I just gut them. It’s amazing that this stuff is
just now coming out and we wrote about it 15 years ago. Also, there are books out now
indicating that the Germans never killed the Jews in the amount that the Jews said they were
persecuted by the Nazis, which is documented.
The book that is out now, talks about self-styled and self-called Jews, who came from the Czars
and the Czars were in Russia. They are self-styled and self-called Jews. They are not the
children of Israel, or the offspring of that bloodline.
The word “Jew” literally is “Judean.” The Judeans were those people living in that area of
Palestine who worshipped what is called in the Bible, Pharisaism. Jesus had something to say
about Pharisaism. Flavius was the first ruler who renamed Pharisaism, and called it Judaism.
And to this day, they speak of the worship that so-called Jews go through, as Judaism. It’s
documented in history. The reason that Pharisaism, or Judaism, has always had a difficult time
every place they went, is because of what they believe. Among some of the things that they
believe, is that if you are not of their belief, of their faith, then you are free game. Every woman
is free game. Every man may be used in whichever way they like for themselves and if it’s to
their advantage to have them executed, this may also be done. The coldethry [sp?], which is the
statement at the Judean-Pharisaic Passover, gives you one year of absolution for anything you
may do, in advance of doing it. And therefore, up until rather recently in the United States, no
Jew could ever be elected to a position of authority in court or government in the United States,
because of that. They would not elect them. And that is one of the reasons the Masons came up:
to be sure that we kept purity of government and no Jew got in because he could not be trusted,
because he would sell his dead grandmother to accomplish his own purpose, according to their
Judaism. I have seldom had any man or woman in any of my classes, or in any school of
learning where I’ve been, who knew anything truthfully, really about Judaism, who had the guts
to really study it out for himself or herself, and then stand on it. Because they have now, for
centuries, cried: anybody that’s against them is anti-Semitic. Number one, they’re not Semitic
at all, so how could you be anti-Semitic if they’re not Semitic? If you and I are not American,
how can I be anti-American against you, if you’re not even American to begin with?
The Semitic people came out of a man by the name of Shem. The Semites came out of Shem.
Out of that came Israel. For almost three centuries before this word “Jew” appeared in a Bible
translation, the Judea-izers, the Pharisaic group, today called self-styled Jews, paid and worked
to have the word “Jew” placed in the Bible. In 1775 it was first accomplished. From that day
on, they have pretty well ruled the roost with all Protestants, as well as Roman Catholics. In the
Occident, and therefore large bodies of the church, so-called, of Protestantism, take offerings
constantly to support the Jews, which or course is today called Israel. Israel got to be, according
to the “white paper”, developed by Great Britain, financed with American money, and taken
over and called it Israel.
There may be people of Israel in Israel. But the Jews literally are not children of Israel if the
facts concerning the case are right. That’s why when you read the word “Jew” you must always
think “Judean,” and when you think Judean, you think Judaism in our terminology as it’s used
today. Biblically, Jesus called it Pharisaism, which he said was sort of from the pit. And he was
the authority. But after 2,000 years we’ve lost complete sight of it. I think we need to correct it
in our minds. Now, I’m not saying you need to teach this publicly, but I think you ought to
know the facts concerning the case; that the Jews who have been persecuted, as they like to be
in every country (give them something to talk about), is not due to their cunningness in
business, although most of them have aspired toward positions of banking and so forth, which
is very beautiful to me because they’ve got the drive and the brains to accomplish it. It is not
due to their thriftiness or sharpness in dealing. It is due to their religious teachings; Pharisaism.
That’s why they were disliked in the country; because they could not be trusted when it came to
life itself. That is why perhaps Claudius threw them out in 49 A.D. And according to the best
records of history, there were some 20,000 who left Rome at that time.
Acts 18:3
“craft” – job; business
“wrought” - worked
“tentmakers” - saddle makers; not tentmakers. Tents are made by women. Saddles are made by
men. Men made the saddles for the animals, the camels and all the rest. Women made the tents.
To this day among the Arabs and the Bedouin tribes, and so forth, the women still make the
tents. And the men still make the saddles. It is a disgrace for a man to do a woman’s job;
making tents. On the other hand it’d be a disgrace for a woman to do a man’s job. Women drew
the water. And someplace in the Bible, God told some men to go down and draw water. And
the reason He told them: it was a real embarrassing thing that they had to do. Lamsa translates
it “saddle makers.”
Acts 18:4
“persuaded” – worked with
“Greeks” - Gentiles, who to the best of our knowledge were proselytes.
By the way, whether Aquila or Priscilla were Christian when Paul got there, I do not know.
Some people believe he won them, others believe that they were Christian when he got there. I
do not know.
Acts 18:5
“Macedonia” - Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. The reason they never came to Athens, as
Paul had asked them to come, is because they took the brunt of the burden for Paul. They
stayed there in the city and let the people lay it on them, while Paul went over to Athens.
Whether they incarcerated them or not, I’m not sure. I have a good opinion regarding that they
did, and that when they were finally released, they immediately came to Corinth. Paul had
come from Athens to Corinth. They never got to Athens because they were just not free to go
out of Berea. But when they did get that freedom, then they went to Corinth, and met Paul
there.
“Timotheus” - Greek form for Timothy
“spirit” - omitted in both the Greek and Aramaic.
Paul was pressed; Paul was burdened; Paul felt an urge inside of him to testify to the Judeans
that Jesus was Christ; Messiah; the promised one of God. Whenever the word Jesus (I’ve taught
you this before, you’ve just got to keep driving this in your mind) precedes the word Christ, the
humility, the great stuff he went; suffered and so forth, is emphasized. Whenever Christ comes
before the word Jesus, it is his great mission as God’s only begotten Son, as the messianic one,
that is emphasized. The word “lord” indicates his position as leadership. That’s why in the Old
Testament, the wife called her husband “lord.” Not because he lorded it over her, but because
he was to be the leader of the family; the household.
That’s why in Romans 10:9, “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus” - his
leadership; the leadership of that humiliated one who suffered and died, who became sin so that
we might become the righteousness of God, who laid down his life that we might be redeemed,
sanctified, all the rest. With him we died, with him we were crucified, with him we were laid in
the grave, with him we arose, with him we ascended. That’s the Jesus! That’s why you confess
with your mouth that Jesus, who did all of that, as your leader; your lord. Jesus is not God; he is
your lord. He made known God; he declared Him. And therefore he is our leader. And
whatever Jesus, the leader, says, we know is true about God, and we follow what the leader
says, for God is Spirit. You can only follow God when that leader is there, and Jesus Christ is
that leader. That’s why when you confess with your mouth Jesus as lord, the Lord Jesus, that
emphasizes the leadership.
Acts 18:6
“opposed” - argued among themselves and split hairs
“blasphemed” - in plain language it means: “Paul, you’re nuts. The messiah hasn’t come.
We’re praying everyday for his coming. He hasn’t come yet.” Well, after 2,000 years, they’re
still praying.
“shook his raiment” - in plain language it means: “Nuts to you!” It’s like the orientalism of
shaking the dust off of your feet, which simply means, carry no animosity.
“Your blood be upon your own heads” - in other words - If you want to go to hell, go to hell! If
you want to be stupid, be stupid! “Your blood be on your own stupid heads, you made your
decision.
“I am clean” - in other words – “I’ve made my decision.”
“I will go unto the Gentiles” - Boy, what a decision! He finally got fed up trying to convert his
denomination. Up until this time, every time he comes someplace, the first place he goes is
back to the old synagogue. He was brought up there. Look how that hung in his bloodstream;
how hard it was for him to extricate himself out of that ritualistic background and teaching, like
it is for all of us. I’ve got no problem understanding Paul, because I too belonged to a
denomination once. He was educated, schooled, trained, and boy, the synagogue had all the
machinery. If Paul could’ve just gotten to them, they had the machinery; they could’ve rolled it
all over the known world then. But he finally saw it wasn’t going to happen, so he said, “Ok,
that’s it.” He did this in Corinth. That’s where the decision was made. He said, “I’m going to
go to the Gentiles. Those people that are worse than dogs, they’ll listen.”
Acts 18:7
“worshipped God” – that’s the same words, I think, it says about Cornelius, one who
worshipped God, a proselyte.
“joined hard to” - right next to
There may be a center reference in your Bible regarding this Justus. He may be the one that’s
mentioned in one of the epistles. I’m not sure if it is him or not.
Acts 18:8
“Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed” - oh that’s bad; that’s terrible, because I
already see the handwriting on the wall. What are the rest of those Judeans going to say now, if
the chief ruler of the synagogue gets saved? And he did.
He just tells them, I’m going to split. I’m going to the Gentiles. And yet, the chief ruler of the
synagogue, the top brass, got converted. When the man accepted the true God and His
wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, the wife did, and all the kids. It was oriental or Eastern culture.
Today Dad says to Mom, “you go to church and get the religion for both of us.” Or neither one
goes and say, “Look, the kids ought to go. It’s not good enough for either one of us, but you
kids ought to have it.” And then the kids say, “Nuts to it!” One brother accepts the lord and the
rest of the brothers and sisters say “to hell with it.” That’s American culture. That’s not Biblical
culture. In Biblical culture, whatever the father of the household did, everybody did. When he
spit, everybody spit. When he got saved and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, everybody
believed, or you didn’t put your feet under his table and eat his bread. So here, Crispus, the
chief ruler of the synagogue, believed.
“many of the Corinthians hearing believed” - Romans 10:17, the Word is “faith cometh by
hearing”, or “believing comes by hearing” and the Corinthians had heard the Word of God
because Paul taught it.
“were baptized” - It doesn’t say water; it just says baptized. Had God wanted water there, he
would’ve put water there. So, why don’t you just keep it dry, ok? Because in Acts, where we go
back to the founding of the Church when they were born again of God’s spirit, it was God in
Christ in them, which is the baptism; Christ in you, the hope of glory; to be baptized with his
presence. Christ in you is better than all the water of all the seas and oceans of the world. You
can’t lose that Christ in you. That is baptism; Christ in you; pneuma hagion.
Acts 18:9
“by a vision” - by his spiritual TV; a vision; he saw it; a picture. This is what was written; these
are the captions; the letters in the picture:
“Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace.” - In other words, lay it on them, but do not
be afraid. Why did God give him a vision telling him not to be afraid? Because the head of the
synagogue had been converted, and all the pressure of all those Jews, now, was upon Paul in
this city and God said, “Don’t you freak out; be not afraid, but speak; talk, talk, talk.”
Acts 18:10
“no man” - when the Bible says no man, it means no man
“shall set on thee to hurt thee” - shall institute or start something that’s going to hurt you. In
other words, there’s no bullet made to kill you, no knife made to cut your throat, or no dagger
to shove in your back.
“for I have much people in this city” - who would have believed it; the hottest town in that
section of the world. Boy, and it was just rampant. God says, “I’ve got people there.” And He
said a lot of them. At the most unlikely places, God has people. It’s usually the most unlikely
people too.
Boy, what a vision, what a revelation; certain truths or facts concerning any situation about
which it’s humanly impossible with your 5 senses to know anything. “Many people in that city”
– oh, no! Yep; word of knowledge. Word of wisdom; speak like crazy, be not afraid. See how
beautiful that revelation is! He showed it to him in a picture, a vision.
Acts 18:11
“a year and six months” - Whether this year and six months begins with verse 4 or 3, or if it
begins after some period of time later, I just don’t know for sure. I have the feeling that it began
after he made the statement, “I’m going to the Gentiles.” Then he stayed there for another year
and six months. Teaching what? The Word of God, not Reader’s Digest, teaching the Word of
God. God had told him to speak. So that “speaking” in verse 9, is the “Word of God” in verse
11. That’s all he spoke; the Word of God.
Acts 18:12
“deputy” - ruler in charge
“of Achaia” - that means Corinth; the capital of this province.
“judgment seat” - the place where Gallio set up his judge’s bench. These were generally in the
theater. They’re called public squares. Some were permanently built there, like you see a
permanent barbecue pit. These were permanent, or some were movable “barbecue pits” where
the ruler came in, set up his own judgment seat, and when he was through judging, he moved it.
The Jews brought him, and not with too much “tender loving care”, to the judgment seat.
This deputy, Gallio, was a Stoic according to history; a teacher, who was the brother of Seneca.
According to history, he was one of the tutors of Nero.
Acts 18:13
In verse 5, Paul testified to the Jews that Jesus was Messiah; the King; the Lord. They brought
Paul before this ruler, trying to tell the ruler that this Paul persuaded men to worship God
contrary to the Roman law; not Jewish law, Roman law. Look at Romans 16:1. You see, while
Paul was in the city of Corinth, the ministry reached out into the surrounding cities, like New
Bremen, St. Mary’s, and Wapakoneta. It reached out. And one of the cities is this Cenchrea,
mentioned in Romans 16:1. It takes 2 or 3 days journey to get to Ephesus by ship from
Cenchrea where he left from, apparently to go to Ephesus. Ephesus is due east from this city of
Cenchrea.
Romans 16:1-5
“succourer” - helper
Boy, you see all this innovation by Paul. There is nothing that you or I could do today that
would be nearly as revolting as he did, because women were just not allowed to serve men like
that in that day. But Jesus had started the trouble with Mary and Martha, and other women who
stood by the cross. Remember all that? What women were not allowed to do, he let them do.
I want to say to you tonight, that Jesus Christ is the only one who ever gave women liberty and
freedom. When you lose the truth of the reality of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, in a
country or in a nation, women are nothing but slaves. And Jesus Christ did a complete
redemption, and he got you women up where God had you in the beginning; when He formed,
made, and created Adam and Eve. We talk about in-depth spiritual perception and awareness. If
you haven’t got that, you never see that stuff. But then you’ve got to explain something to me.
How’s a woman in that culture get involved? They even traveled with Paul. That’s just not
done in Oriental culture, for women. He said, “You assist her in whatsoever business she hath
need of you.” For not only was she a servant of the church, which verse 1 says, but she was a
helper of many, and of Paul. She assisted him. He wrote this thing from jail in Rome, didn’t he?
You know, men of God have always been men who have dared to upset the apple cart, the
status quo, who really could take a stand.
Somehow or other, Aquila and Priscilla just went from territory to territory as W.O.W.’s, and
opened a church in their house. They did a Twig.
“Epaenetus” - I think he’s the first Gentile, in this situation where we are, in Acts 18.
In Nehemiah, of course, the problem was they worshipped too many gods, when there is only
one God to worship and He’s a jealous God. If you worship any other gods, you go into
captivity. So anybody that worships the trinity, it’s no wonder they’ve been in captivity. They
are so enslaved, that Satan has blinded their eyes; they can’t see the truth if you set in front of
them. And of course, Israel had been in the captivity, and Nehemiah (the prophet and leader),
and Ezra (the priest) came back out of Babylon, and they wanted to rebuild the city of
Jerusalem; the walls and the temple and everything else that went with it. And so they came
back, and Nehemiah talked to the people.
Nehemiah 3:5:
“…but their nobles [the top brass, the boys that pull all the strings] put not their necks to the
work of their Lord.” – They weren’t going to work for their Lord; they were going to sit around
and enjoy the fruits of the rest of them working.
Nehemiah 5:6-7, Nehemiah says:
“…when I heard their cry and these words” - we won’t risk our necks for the work of the Lord
“I consulted with myself” – I told you once in the foundational class, “The most intelligent
conversation you’ll ever have is with yourself; you won’t have too many arguments. Nehemiah
said, “I consulted with myself.” He made up his own mind.
“rebuked the nobles and the rulers” - So you know what he did? So he said, ok, you stupid
nobles, you just sit there and fry in your own fat. I’m going to build the walls of the city. We’re
going to do it without you. And they let them sit. But he was real teed-off at them. So he asked
the people to help. The common people really put their shoulder to the wheel.
Nehemiah 4:6
“the People had a mind to work” - the nobles put not their neck to the work of the Lord, but the
people, they had a mind to work. And when you have a mind to work, you get something done.
So they built it and it was a real rough time, because Sanballat from Samaria was picking them
off when they were working with his snipers. So Nehemiah took one-half of the men and armed
them, and set them outside and whenever those birds showed up, they hit them right between
the eyeballs with a 22 high-powered 30-06.
Nehemiah 4:16
They couldn’t have done that if they hadn’t had National Rifle Association privileges. Suppose
they didn’t have any armament. You know what those boys from Samaria would’ve done?
They’d have walked right in to old Nehemiah and chopped his head off, and all the rest of
them. But those fellows had the privileges of owning their own armament. They whopped
them. Every time one of those Samaritans showed his stupid head over a log, they shot him
dead, real quick-like. Then they didn’t get disturbed so much; they could build a little more.
Then comes this tremendous word that astounds most people. They can’t put it together
because they don’t want to.
Nehemiah 4:20:
“…our God shall fight for us” – I just read before they did their own fighting yet Nehemiah
said, “
Our God shall fight for us.” A great truth; God’s never going to do anything for you if you
don’t do anything for yourself. If you don’t have the stupid guts to stand up for truth, God’s not
going to give you any truth. If you want the walls of the city built, get your guns out, half of
you stand out here and shoot the “H” out of them, the rest of us will build the city, for we’ve
got a mind to work and shoot. The same thing is true today; if we ever expect God’s Word to
move in Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, somebody’s got to have some guts and get out there and
move it. That’s what Nehemiah was talking about; “Our God will fight for us.” But not if we’re
afraid, not if we draw back in and say, “Oh, we’re not going to risk our necks for that. We’re of
noble blood. I have eternal life, you know. I sat through the class on Power for Abundant
Living. I’m more than a conqueror.” You’re a dead doornail, that’s what you are.
Nehemiah 4:23
The only time they changed clothes was to wash them. Then they went back to working or
shooting. That’s how they built the city walls and restored the city of Jerusalem after the
Babylonian Captivity.
Nehemiah 5:11-13
He told those nobles to give back everything they owned; “All the land that you say belongs to
you, you give back to so-and-so.”
Then Nehemiah called the priests together and made them take an oath that they’d do according
to what Nehemiah said.
Then he said also, “I shook my lap.” It’s an orientalism which simply means: “Boy, if you
don’t follow orders, you’re going to get shook to your roots. I’m going to shake you off, and
that’s the end of you. And you’ll have nothing. You see, when you shake the lap, it’s like
cleaning off your apron. They hauled their grain in something similar to an apron, and then
shook it off. That’s what it was and that’s why he said to the priests, “It’s going to happen to
you, if you don’t abide by what I tell you.”
Nehemiah 6:10-11
Then the priests really worked on old Nehemiah. They said, “Look, the Samaritan gang and
these other 4 or 5 countries are coming to get you. Now, if you let us hide you in the temple,
they aren’t going to find you.
Nehemiah 8:5
So they got the thing put together. He made Ezra bring the scroll, the book. And he brought it
out in the sight, the eyes of the people, for Ezra was above all the people. Nehemiah had a dais
built. Ezra got on top of it, so everybody could see him. Ezra opened the scroll. And when he
opened it, all the people stood up. That’s where the custom came from; that they stood up when
they read the Word, after the Babylonian Captivity when Ezra read the scroll for the first time
to all the people.
Nehemiah 8:7-8
“caused the people to understand the law” - that must be by teaching
“distinctly” – plainly - Ezra read it so the people’s ear-balls could hear it.
“gave the sense” - a literal translation according to usage; he explained it
Nehemiah 8:10 - this great line:
“for the joy of the Lord is your strength”
What a time! What a man! Nehemiah did so many things contrary to the status quo; contrary to
what the nobles said he ought to do. When you’re a man of God, you don’t go by the nobles,
you go by God.
Paul had a vision. The vision says, “hang in there man; speak the Word. Nothing’s going to
touch you, for in this wicked city of immorality, I’ve got oodles of people.” And Paul hung in
there.
Acts 18:14
If it was really Roman law, Gallio said he’d listen.
Acts 18:15
“your law” - Pharisaism
“look ye to it” – you do it
Acts 18:16
He said, “Get out of here.”
Acts 18:17
“Sosthenes” – this fellow had replaced the guy who’d been converted, apparently.
Because Paul was really blessing the Gentiles, those Greek boys went in there and got this
replacement guy, and whopped him.
“Gallio cared for none of those things” – he said, “If you guys want to fight, go ahead.”
Acts 18:18
“had a vow” – Dr. asks Walter if he taught this and Walter said he did but forgot what it was.
Acts 18:19
Paul brought Priscilla and Aquila with him. As I told you, it takes 2 or 3 days to go from
Cenchrea to Ephesus if you went across the Aegean Sea.
“Ephesus” - Ephesus is the capital city of Asia, right on the western shore of Asia Minor.
“reasoned with the Jews” - Paul goes right back in the same trouble he’s been in. He just said a
little while ago he’s going to go to the Gentiles. Tremendous decision, but by the time he gets
to Ephesus, he gets homesick again and tries it all over, I guess.
Acts 18:20
Here in Ephesus is the first time you read in the Word that they in the synagogue desired him to
tarry longer time with them, but he consented not.
Acts 18:21
“if God will” – that’s a great Biblical statement.
Acts 18:22
“Caesarea” - half way down, or quite a ways down towards Jerusalem
“saluted the church” - visited; blessed them; stopped in for a meeting.
Acts 18:23
“in order” - systematically
“strengthening all the disciples” - not tearing them down. He revisited the branches. Once
they’d been Twigs, now they were growing into Branches because the lord added to the church
daily, or something.
Acts 18:24
“an eloquent man” - a golden tongued orator; fancy with words.
We learned about Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18:2 and they’re still with Paul. Now we get
down to Apollos coming to Ephesus. He came from Alexandria, Egypt, right on the Nile River.
It was founded in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great and called Alexandria. It became one of the
great noted cities. It was in Alexandria that perhaps the Aramaic Scriptures were first translated
into Greek. It was in Alexandria that the Old Testament was translated into the Septuagint.
That’s where the seventy did the work. It was a very prominent Greek city. That’s why so
many of the Jews would have nothing to do with the people from Alexandria, because they had
been contaminated by paganism, as they called it. And therefore they even made a notation on
the Septuagint that anybody who would read the thing would get his tongue cut off,
excommunicated. So Apollos couldn’t very well go to Jerusalem, being an eloquent man and
mighty in the scriptures. But he could go to Ephesus because Ephesus was the great intellectual
center of Asia Minor. It perhaps had one of the greatest libraries of all times. They could have
made it in the accreditation association. They of course are doing some archeological work
there, and I’m sure if someday they get around to it and don’t get disrupted too much, they’ll
come up with the great library in Ephesus; a great seat of learning. This great intellect, Apollos,
was really a sharp cookie; a PhD, PhD, PhD. He comes to this great intellectual city of
Ephesus, and then the things begin to happen, and it finally ends up with that fantastic record
of: all Asia heard the Word of God in 2 years and 3 months. Well, that gives you the setting of
the stage for it.