Did Paul Intend to Visit Jerusalem?

Some scholars have a problem believing Paul ever intended to visit Jerusalem when he left Corinth, because neither he nor Luke mentions that intention. I love to study scholarly reviews of the text, and see the things that they see, because my eyes are simply not trained to pick these things out. But, I almost pity them in their search of exactitudes that will permit them to believe this or that about the text.

 

Paul’s Vow at Corinth

Awhile ago I had written a blog concerning Paul’s vow, and it can be found HERE. Paul’s vow and his second recorded missionary journey end about the same time. After leaving Corinth with a brief visit to the synagogue at Ephesus in the province of Asia (Acts 18:19), Paul sailed off to Caesarea and went up (to Jerusalem) to report to the church there and offer the appropriate sacrifices pertaining to his vow (Acts 18:21-22; cp. 21:17-19 and 23-24, 26-27).

 

Luke, Gallio and Sosthenes

It is difficult at times to know what to include in my blog to make it informative, on the one hand, but not adding so much information that I leave more questions in the end than answers. Therefore, before bringing Paul’s second missionary journey to an end, I would like to address certain questions, concerning both Luke and what occurs in Corinth involving Gallio’s court and Sosthenes, the synagogue ruler.

 

Paul Appears Before Gallio

If my understanding of the time of Paul’s journeys is correct, Paul arrived in Corinth either late summer or near the beginning of autumn in 51 CE. Some scholars place Paul’s appearance before Gallio’s court near the end of his term as proconsul of Achaia, but I think Luke’s “remained many days longer” (NASB) in verse-18 should be seen in light of his “he settled there a year and six months” (NASB) in verse-11. In other words, Paul probably appeared before Gallio nearer to his arrival at Corinth than his departure.

 

Paul’s Prophetic Role in Corinth

Once the Jews in the synagogue at Corinth opposed Paul, and Paul separated himself from them, he began to preach daily next door in the home of Gaius Titius Justus (Acts 18:7). Whether the Jewish party opposed God and blasphemed the way or opposed God by simply opposing and insulting Paul, they placed themselves under the judgment of God (cp. Romans 13:2), and when this occurs God tells us to separate ourselves from those people in order to avoid partaking in judgment with them (cp. Revelation 18:4). Therefore, Paul broke off fellowship with the synagogue, saying he was innocent of the path they had chosen, and their blood was upon their own heads (Acts 18:6).

 

Paul’s Vision at Corinth

Paul’s stay in Corinth was not to be like his ministries cut short in Philippi, Thessalonica and Beroea. No, in Corinth it would be much different than how Paul had come to expect in his ministry in Europe; he would remain here until he was satisfied with his labor and leave on his own terms. But, how could Paul know this? Once trouble broke out, it had been his manner to leave, so that he would not bring the wrath of the enemy upon the new and emerging church of God. Paul was made aware of what to expect through a vision from the Lord.

 

Corinth and the People of God

Luke tells us in Acts 18:9-10 that Paul received a vision from the Lord, telling him that he had many people (laos – G2992) in Corinth. The people of God is one of the phrases, pointing to the main theme of the Kingdom of God, which Luke uses in his narrative, and what he means is that God has entered human history to take out a people for his name, and this included both Jews (Acts 13:17) and gentiles (Acts 15:14), whom Paul insists would become one people (Galatian 3:28; Colossians 3:11; cp Ephesians 2:12-15). Luke refers to the people of God only after Paul breaks off fellowship with the synagogue (Acts 18:10; cp. verses-6-7).

 

The Return of Silas and Timothy

We almost forget that Paul was led to Europe by a vision (Acts 16:9-10), for he was either asked to leave or expelled from the first three cities in which he preached, and as a result he wasn’t able to spend as much time as he would have liked in any one of them. While in Athens he despaired over the trouble he knew some of the believers were in, especially those in Thessalonica and sent both Silas and Timothy back to the new churches to encourage the brethren, and to help them in any way they could (1Thessalonians 3:1-2).

 

Claudius Expels the Jews from Rome

Luke tells us in Acts 18:2 that Aquila and Priscilla had left Rome and come to Corinth due to the Jews being expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius. The problem is that some scholars try to date the expulsion of the Jews from Rome in 41 CE at the beginning of Claudius’ reign, citing Dio Cassius[1] as their authority. Nevertheless, I believe there are stronger reasons for a later dating, including a fourth century Christian historian, Orosius, who used data from sources other than the Bible to date the expulsion to the ninth year of Claudius reign.[2]

 

Paul in the Synagogue at Corinth

After Paul left Athens he came to Corinth, and as was his manner, he began to share Christ with his Jewish brethren in the local synagogue (Acts 18:4). This may also have been how he actually met Aquila and Priscilla, because Jesus told his disciples that when they entered a city to first inquire who in that city was hospitable enough to house guests and stay there (cp. Matthew 10:11). What better place could there be for a Jew to find hospitable Jews than the local synagogue? Archeology has uncovered in Corinth a partial inscription in Greek on a lintel, which is believed to have read (when complete) Synagogue of the Hebrews. Its writing indicates a later structure, but the synagogue over whose doorway this lintel was placed may have stood upon the same foundation of that in which Paul preached.

 

Corinth and Aquila and Priscilla

The city of Corinth was little more than 100 years old when Paul visited there. The original city had been destroyed in a revolt against Rome in 146 BCE, but rebuilt about a century later by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. It was one of the greatest commercial centers in the Empire, being situated along a small 3 ½ mile isthmus connecting the northern and southern Grecian mainland, as well as being a valuable naval center for ships on the Adriatic Sea traveling east to the Aegean Sea and then eastward through the Mediterranean Sea or northward to the Black Sea. It was to this busy international commercial center that Paul came from Athens, a journey of about 37 miles, to preach the Gospel.

 

Paul and the Church at Athens

Many scholars and preachers of the word of God consider Paul’s time in Athens not much more than a failure. I thought so, as well, and even taught his speech at the Areopagus was a failure using 1Corinthians 2:1-2 as my authority, but is this an accurate interpretation, and was Paul’s speech in the Areopagus a real failure? Luke doesn’t seem to think so, because it is one of the three major speeches of Paul that he includes in his work of Acts. Why would he use so much valuable space for a failed effort? Perhaps we need to take a second look. I know I do.

 

The Areopagus and Judgment

The Epicureans and the Stoics took (G1949) Paul and brought (G71) him to the Areopagus (Acts 17:19), which could be thought of as arresting him, for it is the same Greek word used in Acts 16:19 when the owners of the slave girl arrested (took) Paul and Silas and brought them to the magistrates. However, this same word is also used of Barnabas in Acts 9:27 when he took Paul to the apostles. Therefore, we need to be sensitive to the context for the meaning of Paul’s appearance before the Areopagus, for it was a council that judged matters concerning foreign cults, education and public morality. The philosophers’ desire to know about the strange things (Acts 17:19-20) of which Paul spoke in the agora or marketplace, and the fact that there was no flogging or sentencing would argue for an informal inquiry rather than a hostile inquisition.

 

Paul’s Call to Repentance at Athens

Paul concluded his speech at the Areopagus in Athens before an assembly of the philosophers there and perhaps some curious onlookers with a call to repent from worshiping gods of their own making. He referred to the glorious Athenian cultural history as the times of ignorance (Acts 17:30). He inferred their devotion to God was nothing more than that of blind men groping or feeling in the dark (Acts 17:27), because they knew, evidenced in the words of their poets, that through nature itself the invisible qualities and power of God were more than stone, silver and gold (Romans 1:20), yet, rejecting this precious jewel of knowledge (Romans 1:23), they chose rather to worship the art of their hands and imagination (Romans 1:21), and in their wisdom, they became fools (Romans 1:22).

 

Paul and the Greek Poets

Much has been said concerning Luke having Paul quote the Grecian poets to make a point for Christianity, believing that in his speech in the Areopagus Paul at least praises some knowledge the pagans have concerning God. Could this be true of the man who wrote the first chapter of Romans? In a word, “no” but the real question is: does Luke really say what his critics believe they understand about Paul’s speech in the Areopagus in Acts 17?