The Coming of the Apostle Paul to Corinth: Interpretation and Application of Acts 18:1–18

by Boyan Mak Mihaylov

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https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6257-1246

Abstract:

Boyan Mak Mihaylov, The Coming of the Apostle Paul to Corinth: Interpretation and Application of Acts 18:1–18. Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, Dr. Vencislav Stoykov, Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute, Sofia, 2009.

This study examines Paul's ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:1–18), analyzing its historical context, theological significance, and contemporary application. It explores Paul's evangelistic methods, Jewish opposition, and God's encouragement, drawing parallels between first-century Corinth and contemporary challenges to Christian witness in secular and pluralistic societies.

Original language:

Bulgarian

Translation:

August 11, 2025

Keywords:

Apostle Paul, Corinth, Acts 18, early church, evangelism, Jewish opposition, Gentile mission, Gallio, synagogue, tentmaking, biblical exegesis, New Testament studies, Roman Empire, church planting, persecution, theological principles, historical context, Luke–Acts, Christian witness, secularism.

Introduction

In this study, our goal will be to examine the ministry of the Apostle Paul in the city of Corinth when he first arrived in the city to preach the gospel and establish a new Christian church. Luke describes this in Acts 18:1-18, and therefore this passage from the New Testament will be our subject of study. The passage is useful in that it sheds light on the historical context of the Apostle Paul’s first and second letters to the Corinthians.

In this short passage, we observe the ministry of the Apostle Paul in a difficult, dramatic, yet glorious moment when the Lord was adding new souls to the church amid growing opposition from the Jews in the city.

The method of study will include an attempt to discover the meaning of the passage for the original reader, a comparison between the cultural and historical setting of the fifties of the first century AD with that of the early twenty-first century today, and finally deducing certain principles and emphases of the passage that are relevant to the twenty-first century.

In the course of our study, we will give an overview of the book of Acts, and then we will deal with the details of our text. We will examine the major ideas in the passage, as well as the major expressions of Paul that at first glance remain obscure. We will find that there are striking similarities between first-century Corinth and twenty-first-century Europe, despite the considerable time difference. We will draw several basic principles of ministry from the passage and from the overall context of the book of Acts that would be of great application today.

The Meaning of Acts 18:1-18 for the Original Reader

Here we will try to discover what the text of Acts 18:1-18 meant to the original reader of the book of Acts. To this end, we will trace the historical setting or general context, and then the specific literary context of our chosen passage: Paul’s evangelizing and apostolic ministry in the city of Corinth.

Historical Setting of "Acts of the Apostles"

Who is the author of "Acts of the Apostles"?

With a high degree of certainty, researchers believe that the author of the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Luke is the same. If the third gospel was written by Luke, then the Acts of the Apostles is also a work (or "second narrative") of Luke. The early church fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen are unanimous regarding the authorship of the Acts of the Apostles - it belongs to Luke. The Muratorian Canon also attributes the Acts of the Apostles to Luke (the canon was composed around 170-200 AD). Later writers Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome claim the same. ¹

All the evidence points in favor of the authorship of Luke, a physician and companion of the apostle Paul, and this is especially evident in the change of person when the pronoun is changed from “they” to “we” in passages such as Acts 16:10; 20:5; 27:1. Luke was also with Paul in Philippi and he also traveled with Paul to Jerusalem. Luke had the opportunity to obtain information from Paul, Barnabas, the church at Antioch, James (the Lord’s brother), and Philip and his daughters in Caesarea. ² Also, additional evidence for Luke’s authorship is the medical terms used in Acts 13:11; 8:7; 9:33; 25:8. ³

When was the book written?

Most scholars date the book to between 70 and 80 AD, suggesting that Luke may have used information from the Gospel of Mark.

An even more conservative view is that Luke wrote the book of Acts shortly after the events with which the book ends—during Paul's first imprisonment. Luke omits the events surrounding the Jewish War and the destruction of Jerusalem, suggesting an earlier date for the book—62–63 AD.

The liberal view rejects Luke's authorship and believes that the book was written in the 2nd century AD, with the author borrowing from Josephus's Antiquities. ⁴

Who are the initial readers?

The original reader (addressee) of the book was Theophilus, and Luke makes this clear in Acts 1:1. But Theophilus, who is assumed to be Greek and also assumed to be a high-ranking person, would not have kept the book for personal use only, so in a broader context it was intended to be read by Greek Christians of pagan background. ⁵

Why did Luke write Acts and what was his relationship with Theophilus?

The question of Luke's motives for writing the book is still under debate. ⁶

According to the first position, the book is a continuation of the third gospel, with the author constantly mentioning both the less important characters in the story and important historical events. Luke apparently wanted to give Theophilus a certain certainty by showing the history of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish faith, through Antioch, one of the centers of Greek culture, to Rome, the center of the Roman Empire. ⁷

Critics in the antithesis of the above view claim that the Acts of the Apostles was written tendentiously with the aim of distorting historical facts. The Tübingen School claims that it tends to present Peter as more liberal and Paul as more Judaizing than they appear in their own writings. Overbeck and Stratman believe that the Acts is simply an apology (defense) of Christianity against the paganism of Rome, emphasizing Paul's Roman citizenship and his reference to the emperor. But Wrede considers this to be a secondary, not the author's main purpose. ⁸

Place in the Canon

The place of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament canon was never discussed in the early Christian church. Only some heretical sects (the Marcionites, the Ebionites, and the Manichaeans) opposed the inclusion of the book in the canon, and then on dogmatic grounds. The apostolic men Justin Martyr and Tatian were familiar with the Acts of the Apostles, and the fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian frequently quoted the book. The book was also translated into Syriac and Latin in ancient times. These records show that the book was widely accepted by the church. ⁹

The Ministry of Apostle Paul in Corinth, Set in Its Literary Context in Acts 18:1-18

Outline of the Book of Acts of the Apostles

To understand how the ministry of the Apostle Paul in the city of Corinth fits into the historical events of Acts, we will make an outline of the entire book:

1. The Church in Judea, Samaria, and Antioch (1:6 – 6:7)

1.1. The Last Instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Ascension (1:1-12)

1.2. Waiting for Pentecost (1:13 – 26)

1.3. The Day of Pentecost and Peter's Sermon (2:1 – 41)

1.4. The Growth of the Church and the Spread of the Gospel Beyond Judea (2:42 – 12:24)

1.4.1. Peter and John on the Way to the Temple. Healing of the Lame Man (3:1 – 26)

1.4.2. Bold Preaching of the Gospel and Persecution by Jewish Religious Authorities (4:1 – 35)

1.4.3. The Apostles' Testimony and Persecution Against Them (5:17 – 42)

1.4.4. Choosing the Seven for Daily Distribution of Aid (6:1-7)

1.4.5. The Preaching and Martyrdom of Stephen (6:8 – 60)

1.4.6. The Threat of Saul, Philip's Preaching, and the False Conversion of Simon the Sorcerer (8:1 – 40)

1.4.7. The Conversion of Saul (Future Apostle Paul) and the Beginning of His Ministry (9:1 – 31)

1.4.8. The Ministry of Peter and the Apostles (9:32 – 12:42)

1.4.9. The Healing of Aeneas by Peter (9:32 – 35)

1.4.10. The Raising of Tabitha (9:36 – 43)

1.4.11. The Salvation of Cornelius' Household Through Peter's Preaching (10:1 – 48)

1.4.12. New Understanding of Salvation for Gentiles (11:1 – 18)

1.4.13. The Preaching of the Cypriots, Cyrenians, and Barnabas (11:19-26)

1.4.14. The Ministry of Prophets in Antioch. Prophecy of Famine and Sending Aid to Judea Through Paul and Barnabas (11:27-30)

1.4.15. The Martyrdom of James, Imprisonment of Believers, Peter's Imprisonment and Miraculous Release (12:1 – 19)

1.4.16. The Death of Herod Agrippa I. The Growth of God's Word (12:20 - 24)

2. The Ministry of Apostle Paul and His Team

2.1. Paul's First Missionary Journey with Barnabas (12:24 – 14:28)

2.2. The Jerusalem Council and Its Decisions (15:1 – 34)

2.3. Paul's Second Missionary Journey with Silas and Timothy (15:35 - )

2.3.1. Around Derbe and Lystra (16:1 – 5)

2.3.2. In Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia (16:6 – 10)

2.3.3. In Philippi via Troas and Samothrace. Paul and Silas in Prison (16:11 – 40)

2.3.4. In Thessalonica via Amphipolis and Apollonia. Opposition from Jews (17:1 - 9)

2.3.5. In Berea (17:10 – 15)

2.3.6. In Athens. The Areopagus Sermon (17:16 – 34)

2.3.7. In Corinth (18:1 – 18)

2.3.8. Return – Ephesus, Caesarea, and Antioch

2.4. The Ministry of Apollos (18:24 – 28)

2.5. Paul's Ministry in Ephesus – Tensions Arise (19:1 – 20:1)

2.6. Third Missionary Journey (20:1 – 15)

2.6.1. Travel Through Greece (20:1-16)

2.6.2. Meeting in Miletus with Ephesian Elders (20:16 – 38)

2.6.3. To Jerusalem via Rhodes, Patara, Cyprus, Ptolemais, and Caesarea. Paul Put on Trial and Imprisoned (21:1 - 40)

2.7. Paul's Defense (22:1 – 26:32)

2.7.1. Defense Before the Crowd in Jerusalem (22:1 – 30)

2.7.2. Defense Before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Plot Against Paul (23:1 – 35)

2.7.3. Defense Before Felix and the Orator Tertullus (24:1 – 27)

2.7.4. Defense Before Festus (25:1 – 12)

2.7.5. Defense Before Herod Agrippa II and Festus (25:13 – 26:32)

2.8. Journey to Rome (27:1 – 28:31)

2.8.1. By Ship via Sidon, Cyprus, Cnidus, Fair Havens. Shipwreck Near Malta (27:1 – 44)

2.8.2. In Malta. God Heals the Father of Governor Publius Through Paul (28:1 – 10)

2.8.3. To Rome via Syracuse and Puteoli (28:11 – 15)

2.8.4. Paul's Ministry in Rome (28:16 – 31) ¹⁰

Chronology of events in the Acts of the Apostles

From the study of the plan, we see that the apostle Paul resided in Corinth during his second missionary journey. He resided in the city for over a year and a half, then served for a long time in Ephesus, and his missionary journey ended with work in Ephesus. We can compile the following chronology:

AD 30—Founding of the Jerusalem church (Acts 1–2).

AD 32/35—Paul's conversion (Acts 9).

AD 46/47—Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13–14).

AD 48—Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).

AD 48–51—Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 15:36–18:22).

AD 50—Paul reaches Corinth (Acts 18).

AD 53—Paul's third missionary journey begins (Acts 18:23).

AD 54–57—Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19).

AD 57–58—Paul in Greece (Acts 20).

AD 58 (June)—Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21).

AD 58–60—Paul imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24–26).

AD 60–61—Paul's voyage to Rome (Acts 27).

AD 61–63—Paul under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30). ¹¹

The events in Acts span about 30 years of early church history, with Paul arriving in Corinth around 50 AD. His conversion to Christ and his ministry in Corinth spanned 15 to 18 years, with Paul continuing to work with the Corinthian church long after the events recorded in Acts ended.

Main Idea of the Text

Paul is in Corinth at the end of his second missionary journey. He comes from Athens, stays in Corinth for at least a year and a half, and then leaves for Ephesus. And in Corinth Paul does as usual – he preaches first in the Jewish synagogue, where he meets resistance and therefore continues his ministry in a private home, where in addition to Jews, Greeks also begin to come. During his stay in Corinth, however, special circumstances arise that greatly anger his enemies.

Detailed View of the Text

Verses 1 to 3 make it clear that Paul had to work to support himself, because when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to his ministry. It is obvious that he did not want to bother the Corinthians in any way during his stay.

Opposition to Paul rises when the ruler of the synagogue becomes a Christian, as does his entire household (Acts 18:8). Things develop in an avalanche:

• first, the Jews blaspheme Paul because he declares to them that Jesus is the Christ, i.e. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah (Anointed One) expected by Israel, which for them is completely heretical;

• second, he moves to preach in the house of Titus Justus right next to the synagogue and thus becomes a rival and competitor of the synagogue – this is Paul’s second blow against the Jewish faith;

• third, the ruler of the synagogue and his entire household believe, and the synagogue is a supporter of the Jewish faith, which discredits Judaism in general and destroys the authority of the synagogue before the rest of the Jews. ¹²

The situation is extremely psychologically acute because of the events that have occurred and the speed with which they occur. The gospel causes a division between two parties – those who have believed and those who have rejected the gospel. Paul spends enough time in Corinth (over a year and a half), during which he has already founded a church and has managed to anger the Jews.

We see that Paul needed encouragement from God, because God tells him (Acts 18:10) that He is with him, and that there are still many of His people in this city. Apparently, Paul was afraid of a conspiracy against his person and tried not to be so open, but God tells him “speak and do not be silent”. During Paul’s stay in Corinth, we observe a spiritual state of Paul, in which he is “possessed” (Acts 18:5) by the word and openly and boldly speaks the Gospel, which causes resistance.

The governor Gallio considered the quarrels between Paul and the Jews to be an internal Jewish dispute concerning their religion and custom, not the city government (Acts 18:14-15). The questions “Who?” and “Why?” are interesting. Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, was beaten (Acts 15:17), and why did Gallio not do anything?

Identifying the Important and Secondary Ideas in the Text

Why does Luke write about Corinth? Luke writes briefly, but he gives us enough in verse 18. Paul follows his usual practice of preaching first to the Jews, then to the proselytes, and finally to the Gentiles, because these three groups of people are progressively removed from the foundation of Christianity, which is rooted in Old Testament faith and practice.

Exploring Important Ideas in the Text

1) Paul's choice to preach among the Gentiles was a turning point in his ministry.

In the passage, Paul’s decision to preach to the Gentiles is very significant: „6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.' " (Acts 18:6, NASB 1995)

This is one of the turning points in Paul’s ministry. The shaking of his garments and the phrase 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean;' speak to us of separation, of a break with the synagogue and the Jews. The words are an allusion to the Old Testament. Until now, Paul had preached to the Gentiles, but they had not been his first priority—in Corinth, it becomes clear that the Jews are actually becoming enemies of Christ when they reject Him. An echo of Paul’s thought can perhaps be found in Romans 9:6-8:

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. ¹³

According to the apostle, after the Savior Messiah Jesus Christ came, the true Israel were those who believed in Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), not those who were ethnic Israelites. Once ethnic Israelites rejected their Messiah, they were no longer true Israelites, but those who accepted the Messiah became so.

Paul continued to visit Jewish synagogues and persuade Jews to believe in Christ, but it seems that his experience in Corinth separated him emotionally from Judaism.

2) The principle of opposition.

We see this principle throughout the book. When the good news of Jesus is preached openly, only two camps emerge: opponents and believers. Especially in Corinth, Paul needs an encouraging word that the Lord gives him. When a church is built, there will always be opponents, and most often they will be from rival ideologies of Christianity. Acts 18 illustrates this principle perfectly.

Secondary Ideas in the Text

There are many secondary ideas in the passage:

1) The idea of missionaries who support themselves by working (the so-called tent-makers¹⁴). It is difficult to separate a complete philosophy from this passage. Paul does not take money from the new church because it is new and he would not want to burden the new and immature believers with his needs. But he repeatedly accepts help from churches in order to serve. Rather, the principle here is that one should do so when there is no other opportunity for service.

2) Christianity was perceived by the Roman administration as part of the Jewish religion at this historical period. Gallio made no distinction between Jews and Christians. For the Roman administration, Christianity was a Jewish sect.

3) Paul's stay in Corinth (over a year and six months) can be used as a guide for the time needed to build a new church, but this time is very relative, because modern conditions are radically different from the 1550s of the first century.

Unclear Ideas in the Text

Several obscure ideas are worth considering in the passage, of which we will consider only two that we consider to be the most essential:

1) What people are covered by the term “Jews” in the text, and why are they not called Jews?

2) Who are Aquila and Priscilla? Certainly Aquila was a Jew, and probably his wife. They are mentioned in Romans 16:3-4, and Paul says that they were his co-workers who were exposed to death for his sake.

3) What was Paul’s trade? What could “tentmaking” (Acts 18:3, ed. Veren) mean?

4) What is the meaning of the expression “your blood be upon your own heads” (Acts 18:6, ed. Veren)?

5) What is meant in the text by the expression that Paul was “conquered by the word” (Acts 18:5, ed. Veren)?

6) What is the court where the governor Gallio sits?

7) What geographical area does Achaia cover?

8) Why does Paul shave his head and what vow is in question?

9) Who and why beats the synagogue ruler Sosthenes and why does Gallio pay no attention to this?

It seems that the two expressions most essential for understanding the passage are: “Paul was conquered by the word” (by Luke) and “your blood be on your own heads” (by Paul, quoting Luke), because they will shed light on Paul’s actions in Corinth. The other unclear places are also interesting, but do not contribute much to understanding the depth of the text.

Study of “Was Seized by the Word” (Acts 18:5)

According to Marvin Vincent¹⁵ the most accurate manuscripts say “συνειχετο τω λογω” (Acts 18:5)¹⁶, and others “συνειχετο τω πνευματι” (Acts 18:5, Textus Receptus). “συνειχετο” is a verb in the imperfect, passive (or media), indicative, third person, singular¹⁷ and means to hold together (on both sides), e.g. to compress, to surround a crowd, to besiege, to arrest (a prisoner). The figurative meaning is: to force, to compel, to force, to force; to confuse, to disturb, to puzzle, to torment, to grieve, to affect; to occupy, to absorb the attention of; to confine, to hold, to hold in, to press, to be sick of, to stop, to straighten, to be taken with, to crowd together. Of all these meanings, Vincent translates the expression as “was pressed into the word”¹⁸.

Robertson believes that the correct text is “συνειχετο τω λογω” and translates it as “troubled/concerned about the word.” According to Robertson, the verb is not in the passive but in the middle and the meaning is that Paul devoted himself entirely to preaching, instead of doing so only on the Sabbaths in the synagogue. The arrival of Silas and Timothy with help from Macedonia freed Paul’s time from the need to support himself by his trade. Paul began to devote himself (initial imperfect) to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ—that is, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. In that case, perhaps the best translation would be “Paul began to devote himself to the word”? ¹⁹

Study of “He Shook His Clothes and Said, ‘Your Blood be on Your Own Heads; I Am Clean;’”

The expression is 'εκτιναξαμενος τα ιματια ειπεν προς αυτους το αιμα υμων επι την κεφαλην υμων καθαρος εγω' (Literally: 'Having shaken out [aorist, middle] his garments, he said to them [Accusative], "Your blood [Nominative] be upon your head [Accusative]; clean [am] I"'). There are no difficulties in translation, but rather the question is what exactly Paul means by these three expressions.

According to Robertson, ἐκτινάσσω (first aorist, middle) is an old word that appears in the New Testament only here and in Mark 6:11 and Matthew 10:15, where it is in the active voice. In the Old Testament, a similar expression is found in Nehemiah 5:13:

I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise.

The picture here is very dramatic and is a lesson in God's dealings with the unfaithfulness of the people. Paul is evidently very irritated and shows it by this expression.²⁰ John Wesley in his notes on the New Testament says: "He shook out his clothes - to show that he would now turn away from them, and to show that God would soon shake them off as unworthy from among his people." ²¹

A similar expression to “Your blood be upon your own head” (literal translation from Greek) is also found in Ezekiel 3:18, 33:4; 33:8; 2 Samuel 1:16 and is not a curse, but a declaration of no responsibility (as in Acts 20:26). The Jews themselves used the expression to take responsibility for the shed blood of Jesus (Matthew 27:25), and Jesus used a similar expression (“that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth” - Matthew 23:35) to place the responsibility for the murdered righteous men and prophets on the scribes and Pharisees. ²²

By “I am clean,” Paul means that he is clean from their blood. He has done his work of preaching, and they have rejected a message that comes from God. Therefore, he is not responsible for their spiritual destruction.²³ As Wesley says, “I am clean—no one can say that unless he bears full witness against sin.” ²⁴

Summary of the meaning of the Text for the Initial Reader

The original reader is Theophilus, as well as all his relatives and friends most likely. Theophilus was probably a high-ranking person in the Roman Empire and was most likely Greek. Therefore, the passage in question would have been very important to him - because it considers faith in Jesus Christ as universally valid and supra-national. The bold preaching of the word of God by Paul, the encouraging word of the Lord to Paul, the people who believed - all this would have served as a great encouragement to Theophilus.

But there is also a warning in the passage - the rulers will not always understand the situation well and will react adequately to the preaching of the gospel. The important fact in this case is that Gallio does not consider Christianity to be a threat to the empire, but rather sees it as an offshoot of Judaism. At the same time, the entire book of Acts shows the difference between Judaism and Christianity.

The passage should prompt the reader to take a firm stand: as a believer in Christ, against the blaspheming Jews, or against the indifferent pagan ruler. But actively maintaining the position of a believer in Christ may require sacrifice and suffering.

Application of the Text in our Present Day

Connection between the Situation today and the Fifties of the First Century in the city of Corinth

The cultural differences between the Greco-Roman culture of ancient Corinth and our own are significant. When Paul arrived in Corinth, the city was strewn with temples to Greek gods and goddesses, and the butchers sold meat sacrificed to these gods. Unlike modern courts, where trials are held in halls before a limited audience, the courthouse was in the center of the city, right next to the marketplace, and every trial was open to the unbelieving merchants in the marketplace. ²⁵

Ancient Corinth was a pagan city, and this obvious fact makes no impression on us today, because we have long since stopped believing in fictional gods and goddesses, we do not build pagan temples, and much of our knowledge is related to relatively accurate scientific knowledge. Unfortunately, too many people in our time do not even believe in the existence of God.

Yet in this aspect too, ancient Corinth and modern Europe share similarities, as increasingly more people today are returning to pagan practices in search of religious experiences - either consciously rejecting Christianity or being completely unfamiliar with it. Unlike in the fifties of the first century, Christianity is now the predominant religion in Europe, and the Jewish synagogue no longer stands as one of its major opponents. However, ideologies opposed to Christianity abound today. In religious terms, Islam represents its greatest adversary²⁶, while in the philosophical realm, it faces naturalistic and materialistic philosophies.

In Eastern Europe in particular, the attitude towards religious faith as a whole is still negative, with dialectical-materialist philosophy continuing to influence the thinking of the population. ²⁷

There is a connection between the materialistic philosophies of the 20th and 21st centuries and Epicureanism, which was already sufficiently developed in the first century ²⁸, with Epicureanism being the original source of the modern consumerist understanding of life. Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC) exalted pleasure as a value in the antithesis of pain. Although he was seriously criticized and ridiculed by his contemporaries, Epicurus’ philosophy withstood the test of time and seemed to be a natural conclusion from the sinful state of the human mind (in a dogmatic-theological sense). According to Epicurus, the mind is not a greater value than the body. He was an atomist – he believed in the unity of everything and did not distinguish the spiritual from the material. In this way, he was an ancient predecessor of modern naturalism, which contradicted Christianity. ²⁹

On the other hand, there is a similarity between the growing New Age movement in our time and the ancient paganism of the Corinthians. The New Age movement focuses religion on the Self, making it the center of worship, through the use of all kinds of pagan practices brought from ancient religions (Eastern and Western). Modern European culture is permeated with esoteric teachings. One glance at the literature in a modern bookstore is enough.

The situation today is very similar to that in Corinth, but the opponents are different – they are not Jews, but atheists (practical or ideological), Muslims and confused religious people steeped in syncretistic religious teachings with an esoteric flavor. The listeners are again those confused people who waver between different ideologies.

But perhaps the greatest enemy of the gospel today is within the church itself, and by church here we mean rather the apparent affiliation of a certain individual to Christianity (i.e. what people claim to be). The lack of ardent faith, of dedication and of guidance from the Lord reduces faith to an imaginary affiliation, which is often expressed in a lack of elementary theological knowledge, a strongly distorted doctrine in the direction of esotericism and confusion in spiritual matters. The church exists as an institution in modern Europe, but it is devoid of vitality.

One not-so-hasty conclusion from the comparison between Corinth in Paul's time and our own time is that if the church today dared to truly preach the good news as Paul did in Corinth, it would hardly encounter less resistance!

Significance of the Text for us Today

In exegesis of the passage, we have deduced from the text the principle that there will always be resistance to the gospel. This seems to be a recurring principle throughout the book of Acts from beginning to end, as well as a principle that is clearly evident in most of the New Testament epistles.

It would be good if we followed Paul as an example of a bold and wise preacher of the good news. He tries to convince people of his own ethnicity and culture first. When they do not accept, he begins to evangelize a wider circle of listeners - the peoples of the Roman Empire. Perhaps a good analogy here would be preaching the gospel in the direction from Bulgaria to Europe or the countries of the Middle East.

When we begin to evangelize, the “Christians” who do not actually live according to the word of God can turn out to be our greatest opponents, because we become their rivals or accusers. We observe this especially during and after the Reformation in the 16th century in Europe. The mediocre part of the “church” will always be a stumbling block for the living part of the church regardless of the confession.

And we, like Paul, often need encouragement and assurance from the Lord that we must continue our work of founding and building up local churches, and in modern Europe this work is already a great need. There will not always be funds for this and we may have to finance ourselves like Paul, but God's will is that the whole church participates in this ministry, just as the church supported Paul and his team.

The example of the apostle Paul should prompt us to seriously reflect on the need for new local churches, preaching the good news and discipleship in modern Europe, as well as bold ministers who are ready to take up this work despite difficulties and opponents, because there is a need for it.

Conclusion

With the present study, the exegetical and hermeneutical work on the passage is far from complete, but we have gained insight into the main features of Paul’s founding of the Corinthian church.

It is important for the original readers that faith in Jesus Christ is of a supranational nature and that they must be prepared to suffer for it. God’s servants must boldly preach the word of God, but they also need the encouraging word of the Lord when they encounter opposition. They needed to understand that Christianity did not conflict with Roman law because it was not a political movement.

There are also many lessons for our time in this short passage. We need greater boldness and sacrifice for the Gospel. We must be prepared for opposition to the work of the church because there are many competing ideologies to Christianity, but we must also seek God’s encouraging word and presence in our lives. Today's rulers will not always be adequate to the needs and actions of the Christian church and may at a given time help or hinder it. When there is no other option, the church can send missionaries who support themselves through their own labor.

The word of God assures us that no matter what happens in life, our labor in the Lord will not be in vain.