"And he continued there (Corinth) a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. " - Acts 18-12-23
Paul has been in Corinth for 18 months, teaching and making disciples.
This church was the most turbulent and challenging ministry Paul had, and we have two of his letters to them incorporated in the Word, that give us further insight into the challenges faced by Christians who live in a pagan environment! Yet, through all these challenges, we have the most beautiful teachings on Love, and Spiritual gifts, a fruit of that ministry that continues to nourish people till this day!!!
Paul could have settled there quite happily for a long time, but that was not God's plan for him, and we see him moved again, through the circumstances of appointment of a new deputy in Achaia, a greek called Gallio. Our text above lays out, exactly what happened, and it is both sad, and funny -- sad, at the behaviour of the Jews that were nursing their resentment against Paul till the opportune time, and funny, at the way Pagan justice was correct in chastising these people for their disorderly and unjust conduct!
He takes Priscilla and Aquila, and sails for his home province of Syria, and it is interesting to note that he has made a vow. What the vow was, we do not know, but we are told that it was important for him to go to a feast in Jerusalem. Priscilla & Aquila stay behind in Ephesus, and Paul carries on to Jerusalem.
This return to Jerusalem is uneventful, all that is recorded is, that he "saluted" the church there (unlike the next time we see him come back there), and Paul returns to his home church of Antioch for some much need rest and recuperation, before resuming his wanderings. We will see what happens to him next in our next episode!
