Title:  Acts 18:1-4 “The Gospel to Corinth and Reasoning in the Synagogue”

By Bob DeWaay

This class reviews what happened in Athens at the end of Acts 17 with Paul speaking to philosophers in Athens. We discuss several key issues. One is the historicity of the events described in the Bible. Paul preached the truth in Athens, some mocked but some believed. Paul did not fail but preached Christ and the resurrection.

When Paul subsequently traveled to Corinth, he found Aquila and Priscilla who had been part of the group of Jews who were sent out of Rome by Claudius in 49 AD. We discuss Claudius’ reign and the fact that the Romans thought that people who believed in Christ were merely a sect of the Jews. Aquila and Pricilla were most likely Christians before they got to Corinth.

The key idea we find in Acts, including in Acts 18:4 is that evidence was given that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah). This meant reasoning from the Scriptures. Many passages in Acts contain the verb dialegomai in similar contexts. No one was asked to take a blind leap of faith, but to believe what is objectively true. It is lamentable that today many churches reject objective truth, clear gospel preaching, and the need to give solid evidence from Scripture for the faith and call people to repent and believe the gospel. This means that God has spoken clearly, authoritatively and decisively. Many theologians and philosophers have subverted this truth so that there is no clear message and subjective impressions replace clear teaching and preaching.