Acts 18:1–11 Paul in Corinth
Quick Summary
Acts 18:1–11 describes Paul's ministry in Corinth, where he meets Aquila and Priscilla, works as a tentmaker, and proclaims Jesus as the Messiah in the synagogue. When the Jews oppose him, Paul turns to the Gentiles and continues teaching in the house next door. Despite opposition, God encourages Paul in a vision to keep speaking, promising that many people belong to him in this city. Paul stays eighteen months, establishing one of his most important churches.
Introduction
After Athens, Paul arrives in Corinth alone. The contrast between the two cities could not be sharper. Athens was the intellectual capital, known for philosophy and culture. Corinth was a commercial powerhouse, infamous for vice and immorality.
Corinth sat on an isthmus connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese. Two harbors made it a hub of trade and travel. Wealth flowed through the city, along with people from every corner of the empire. It was cosmopolitan, diverse, and morally chaotic.
The phrase "to live like a Corinthian" meant to live dissolute. The city's reputation was so notorious that even pagan writers used it as a symbol of excess. Yet this is where Paul will invest more time than in any other city during this journey.
Luke's account emphasizes partnership, opposition, and divine reassurance. Paul does not work alone. He finds collaborators in Aquila and Priscilla. When resistance comes, God speaks directly, urging Paul to continue. The passage shows that mission is sustained not by human resilience alone, but by God's promise and presence.
Verse by Verse Breakdown of Acts 18:1–11 and Commentary
Acts 18:1
"After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth."
Luke offers no commentary on Paul's departure from Athens. There is no summary of results, no mention of whether a church was established. Paul simply moves on.
Corinth is about fifty miles west of Athens, a few days' journey. The shift from Athens' philosophical elite to Corinth's commercial masses is significant. Paul does not limit his mission to one type of city or audience. The gospel is for everyone.
Acts 18:2
"There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them."
Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish couple recently expelled from Rome. The Roman historian Suetonius records that Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome around AD 49, likely due to disputes within the Jewish community over "Chrestus," possibly a reference to Christ. (Suetonius. The Lives of the Caesars. Translated by J. C. Rolfe. Loeb Classical Library. Harvard University Press, 1914.)
Aquila is from Pontus, on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Priscilla's background is not stated, though her name suggests Roman heritage. They are refugees, displaced by imperial decree.
Luke does not say how Paul found them. Perhaps he inquired about Jewish families in Corinth. Perhaps mutual friends connected them. What matters is that Paul seeks them out.
This couple will become central to Paul's mission. They are not simply hosts. They become co-workers, teachers, and church planters. Priscilla, often named first by Paul in his letters, plays a prominent role in the early church.
Acts 18:3
"And, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers."
Paul shares their trade. The word translated "tentmakers" (σκηνοποιοί, skēnopoioi) could refer to working with leather or canvas, making tents, awnings, or other goods.
This detail is significant. Paul does not rely solely on financial support from churches. He works with his hands to support himself. This gives him independence and credibility. He cannot be accused of preaching for profit.
Paul's letters confirm this. He reminds the Corinthians that he worked night and day so as not to burden them (1 Corinthians 9:1-18; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9). Manual labor is not beneath him. It is part of his mission strategy.
The partnership with Aquila and Priscilla also matters. Ministry is not a solo endeavor. Paul finds companions who share both his craft and his calling. They work together, literally and missionally.
Acts 18:4
"Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks."
Paul follows his pattern. He goes to the synagogue every Sabbath, reasoning from Scripture that Jesus is the Messiah.
The word "argue" (διελέγετο, dielegeto) means dialogue, discussion, persuasion. Paul does not shout or preach at people. He engages them in conversation, responding to questions and objections.
He addresses both Jews and Greeks. The Greeks are likely God-fearers, Gentiles who worship Israel's God and attend the synagogue without full conversion. They are drawn to Jewish monotheism and ethics but have not taken the step of circumcision.
This dual audience will become important. When the synagogue rejects Paul, the God-fearing Gentiles will become the core of the Corinthian church.
Acts 18:5
"When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus."
Silas and Timothy rejoin Paul. They had stayed behind in Macedonia to strengthen the churches in Thessalonica and Berea. Now they are reunited.
Their arrival changes Paul's focus. Luke says Paul was "occupied with" or "devoted himself to" proclaiming the word. The Greek (συνείχετο, syneicheto) suggests intensity, even urgency.
Perhaps Silas and Timothy brought financial support from the Macedonian churches, allowing Paul to focus more fully on teaching. Perhaps their presence simply encouraged him. Either way, Paul intensifies his efforts.
His message is clear: the Messiah is Jesus. This is the same message he preached in Thessalonica and Berea. The Scriptures point to a suffering and rising Messiah. Jesus fulfills that role.
Acts 18:6
"When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'"
The synagogue opposes Paul. The word "reviled" (βλασφημούντων, blasphēmountōn) is strong. They speak against him, perhaps against Jesus himself.
Paul responds with a symbolic gesture. He shakes out his clothes, a prophetic act of separation. This echoes Jesus' instructions to the disciples when a town rejects them (Luke 9:5, 10:11).
Paul declares their accountability. "Your blood be on your own heads" means they bear responsibility for their rejection. He has warned them. He is innocent of their fate.
Then he announces a shift: "From now on I will go to the Gentiles." This is not the first time Paul has made such a statement (Acts 13:46). It reflects a pattern. When the synagogue resists, Paul turns to those who will listen.
Yet this is not permanent rejection. Paul will return to synagogues in other cities. The turn to the Gentiles is contextual, not absolute.
Acts 18:7
"Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue."
Paul does not leave Corinth. He moves next door.
Titius Justus is a God-fearer, a Gentile who worships Israel's God. His house becomes the new meeting place for believers. The proximity to the synagogue is almost provocative. Paul has not retreated. He has simply relocated.
This detail matters. The church is not isolated from the Jewish community. It is adjacent, visible, offering an alternative. Those who were curious but unwilling to break fully with the synagogue could observe, inquire, and eventually join.
Acts 18:8
"Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized."
The synagogue leader himself believes. Crispus is no minor figure. He held authority and respect. His conversion would have been a significant blow to the synagogue and a major encouragement to the emerging church.
His whole household believes and is baptized. This reflects the communal nature of conversion in the ancient world. When a head of household responded to the gospel, the entire household often followed.
Luke also notes that many Corinthians believed and were baptized. The church grows. It includes both Jews and Gentiles, people of influence like Crispus and ordinary residents of Corinth.
Paul later mentions baptizing Crispus in 1 Corinthians 1:14, confirming Luke's account. The Corinthian church, despite its later struggles, began with genuine conversions and commitment.
Acts 18:9–10
"One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.'"
God speaks to Paul directly. This is a moment of divine encouragement at a critical time.
The command is clear: "Do not be afraid." Fear is real. Opposition has been fierce in every city. Paul has been beaten, imprisoned, and chased out of towns. The command not to fear is not a rebuke, but reassurance.
God tells Paul to keep speaking. Silence is not an option. The gospel must be proclaimed, regardless of the cost.
Then comes the promise: "I am with you." This echoes God's promise to Moses (Exodus 3:12), Joshua (Joshua 1:5), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:8). Paul is not alone. God's presence guarantees his mission.
The second promise is protection: "No one will lay a hand on you to harm you." This does not mean Paul will face no opposition. It means he will not be killed in Corinth. God is preserving him for the work ahead.
Finally, God reveals something Paul cannot see: "There are many in this city who are my people." These are people who will respond to the gospel. They belong to God already, though they do not yet know it. Paul's task is to find them, proclaim the message, and gather them into the church.
This vision sustains Paul. He is not working in vain. God has a people in Corinth. The mission will succeed because God has willed it.
Acts 18:11
"He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them."
Paul stays eighteen months. This is longer than his time in any other city during this journey. The vision emboldens him. He settles in, teaching consistently.
The word "teaching" (διδάσκων, didaskōn) suggests sustained instruction, not just evangelistic preaching. Paul is building a community, grounding them in Scripture, forming them into a church.
The Corinthian letters reveal the fruit and challenges of this work. The church grows. It is diverse, gifted, and chaotic. Paul will later write to address divisions, immorality, and theological confusion. But none of that negates the reality that God did have many people in Corinth, and Paul gathered them.
Acts 18:1–11 Meaning for Today
Acts 18:1–11 offers several lessons for the contemporary church.
First, mission requires partnership. Paul did not work alone. Aquila and Priscilla became co-workers, offering hospitality, shared labor, and companionship. The church thrives when believers collaborate rather than pursue ministry in isolation.
Second, work is not separate from mission. Paul supported himself through tentmaking. His vocation and his calling were integrated. Christians today should see their work as part of their witness, not a distraction from it.
Third, rejection is part of faithfulness. The synagogue opposed Paul, but he did not stop preaching. He moved next door and continued. The gospel will always provoke resistance. Believers must be prepared to pivot without abandoning the mission.
Fourth, God's encouragement sustains mission. Paul needed the vision in Acts 18:9-10. Fear is real. Opposition wears people down. God does not rebuke Paul for feeling afraid. He reassures him, promises protection, and reveals that the work will bear fruit. Christians today need reminders that God is present and that the gospel will accomplish his purposes.
Fifth, staying power matters. Paul remained in Corinth for eighteen months, teaching consistently. Mission is not just about dramatic conversions. It is about patient, sustained discipleship. Churches grow when leaders commit to long-term teaching and formation.
Finally, God already has people in every place. Paul learned that many in Corinth belonged to God. They simply needed to hear the gospel and respond. This should encourage believers engaged in evangelism. The work is not creating something from nothing. It is announcing good news to those God is already drawing to himself.
Acts 18:1–11 shows mission as patient, collaborative, and sustained by divine promise. Paul faced opposition, but he also found partners, experienced God's encouragement, and saw a church emerge in one of the empire's most challenging cities.
Works Consulted
Bruce, F. F. The Book of the Acts. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Eerdmans.
Dunn, James D. G. The Acts of the Apostles. Epworth Commentaries.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina. Liturgical Press.
Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, Vol. 3. Baker Academic.
New Revised Standard Version Bible.
See Also
Acts 18:12-17 Paul Before Gallio
