“..for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you..”
Acts of the Apostles 18:10a ESV – the word of the Lord κύριος to Paul in a vision
A failed attack on Paul in Achaia
Even as Paul has journeyed into all the Roman world since his conversion as an itererate zealous Jew traveling on a Roman road between JUDEA and SYRIA back in A.D. 37 DOCTRINE has been at the center of every CONFLICT as an obstacle to the Gospel of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Saul of Tarsus (CILICIA or GALATIA in those days, according to Roman designation of its local governance) had REPENTED!
JESUS had drawn this great enemy and pharisaic sceptic of the Truth of Jesus’ resurrection across the line of DOCTRINE.
ATTACKS by other Jewish men continue to threaten Paul’s mortal life.
Paul who once persecuted the faithful followers of the Messiah Jesus had been the Lord’s boldest advocate of the Gospel. The Apostle now preaches a NEW COVENT to the JEWS which includes GENTILES!
Acts 18:
7 And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.
A.D. 50 - These apostles of the gospel arrive in Corinth ACHAIA. The Corinthians meet in the home of a disciple of Paul's teaching right NEXT DOOR to the synagogue where the Jews teach embellished Hellenized traditions of the OLD broken Covenant. The Corinthian church will grow under Paul's NEW COVENANT teaching as he remains there until A.D. 51.
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
Paul had encountered Christ perhaps fourteen years ago on a road to Damascus. NOW, as the Apostle sent out to all the world of the Gentiles is encouraged by the Lord in a dream just as he is expecting attack and opposition and possibly DEATH as had happened so many times before.
NO ATTACK will harm you
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Attack, Trial, Case Dismissed
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying,
“This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.”
Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus or Gallio was a Roman senator and brother of the famous writer Seneca. source: Wikipedia In AD 51, he was chosen to serve as the proconsul of Achaea in Greece. - MORE.
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews,
“If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I refuse to be a judge of these things.”
16 And he drove them from the tribunal.
17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal.
Did Sosthenes another appointed 'ruler of the synagogue' of the Corinthian Jews perhaps also believe the Gospel of the Messiah Jesus or did he simply fail the Jews in their attack on the Gospel of Paul?
But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
To Be Continued…
NEXT: Paul’s DEPARTURE & an important port on his return journey.
