Chapter 18 records the final leg of Paul’s second missionary journey. After Athens, he departs for the city of Corinth, where the “Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you, for I have many people in this city’” (Acts 18:9-10 NKJV). With this comfort, Paul remains in Corinth for 18 months, “teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11 NKJV). Paul was harassed by the Jews in Corinth:- “But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6 NKJV). Nonetheless, God is faithful to protect Paul from the extreme persecution he had experienced in most of the other cities he had visited.
While in Corinth, Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila, and when he departs, they sail with Paul to Ephesus, his first time in this city, and remain there while Paul proceeds to Jerusalem and then back Antioch. Paul eventually departs Antioch once more, beginning his third missionary journey by first re-visiting the churches in Galatia.
We see again how then, as now, some people remain stubbornly opposed to Jesus, but Pastor Kevin exhorts us to faithfully proclaim the gospel as the Lord leads us, expecting resistance and leaving the results in His hands. As the Lord was faithful to His Word to Paul in Corinth, He is faithful to us today, “For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5b NKJV).